Tuesday 8th August 2023 - Kingsgate Park Yate

 

Kingsgate Park - Yate

This week’s bird spotting was a trip to Chipping Sodbury Common as migrating summer visitors have started to appear there. The 3 Amigos were together for the 1st time in a while. We arrived and parked by the side of the road, and any of you who know the place will also know that lots of cows graze here. WELL as soon as we opened the car door lots of cows made a beeline for us and surrounded the car making it very uncomfortable for us, we managed to get back in the car and move a few 100yds down the road leaving the road blocked with the cows that surrounded the car. Parking again by the side of the road we got out and started to ready ourselves for the walk only to look up and find we were again being approached by many more cows, deciding the better part of valor we would go somewhere else but while we were there we did see a few Swallows. Bryan knew of a place close by, Kingsgate Park in Yate so we made our way there but by this time it had started to rain only lightly and was still raining when we arrived at Kingsgate but it proved a good move as the rain got a lot harder and even with umbrellas we still got a bit wet even sheltering under the many trees here. Birding proved to be very difficult with Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow seen as we walked to the pond which has many Mallard on and around the water, also here was 2 adult Mute Swans with 5 Cygnets and several Moorhens, also we saw a single Coot. One area is a designated nature area and here we found a large flock of birds most being Blue Tits but amongst then were Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Long Tailed Tits, a Dunnock, Coal Tit and at least 2 Goldcrests. The only other birds of the morning were Magpies.

Back at home I spotted a Swift from the window and early evening another seen from the garden while I was putting my moth trap out.

A poor day with rubbish weather but the cows saved us from a soaking as we would have been a long way away from the car with no shelter, so every cloud has a silver lining.

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