Thursday 26th October 2023 - Newton St Loe

 

On Thursday I had a couple of hours spare after dropping Mary off at the garden center where she was meeting a friend so I went to Newton St Loe for a walk and bird spot. In the field beyond the church lots of Rooks were flying over with a few Carrion Crows mixed in a Magpie flew over the trees to my right and a Mistle Thrush  was calling in the top of a tree to my left also a Jay called from the trees on my right but did not show. Walking down to Ripple Effect a Woodpigeon exploded from one of the cottage gardens making me jump!! Also a Wren was in the hedgerow on the other side of the ride, nothing else was seen until butterfly alley and from there looking down the stream into the trees above you could see 4 Grey Herons. Next the bottom lake but just one of each of Mallard, Moorhen and Black Headed Gull were found. The top lake was slightly better here were 3 Coot another 10 Mallard numbers of these two species were well down than on previous visits. There were also 5 Black Headed Gulls 5 Little Grebe the female Teal and single Mute Swan. I then found this Speckled Wood butterfly but it looked a bit different from what I would expect.

Speckled Wood - Bath Birdwatcher

Blue Tits were in the trees by the temple and unusually a Cormorant was on the bank under the trees. In the trees where the stream enters the lake I found this Fungi apparently it’s called Agaricus Moelleri  (inky or dark shelled mushroom).

Agaricus Moelleri - Bath Birdwatcher

It was soon time to walk back to the car, a Raven was calling from the top of a tree, next was a mixed flock containing Blue and Long Tailed Tits and a single Goldcrest. Walking back along the bottom lake a Robin flew into a bush and a calling Pied Wagtail flew by. Driving home a Jay flew in front of the car being the last new sighting of the morning.

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