Wednesday 20th March 2024 - Newton St Loe

 

This morning after taking my wife to meet two old friends for coffee I had a couple of hours spare before collecting her later so I decided to drive over to Newton St Loe for a walk. Parking at the church Jackdaw and Magpie were in the trees and 2 Lesser Black Back Gulls were on the church roof. The field was very muddy in parts and needed care walking through, a Woodpigeon flew by and a Robin was singing by the kissing gate. Quiet until I reached the footpath through the woods and here I found a Song Thrush singing high in a tree and a Blackbird in the undergrowth next a Great Tit was collecting moss from the wall by the stream. Blue Tits and a Wren soon followed. Nothing new until the path up to the bottom lake and here over the overflow on the bank by the large tree was a pair of Grey Wagtails and it looked like they were prospecting for a nest site. 

Grey Wagtail - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

As I reached the lake a Green Woodpecker flew away along the bank and 2 Goldcrests were flitting through the Yew’s on the top of the dam. 9 Mallard, 1 Coot and 1 Moorhen were on the lake and at the top end of the lake 3 Goldfinch and a single male Chaffinch were feeding on the ground. 

Coot - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

As I walked the path between the lakes I disturbed a Mistle Thrush that flew up into the tree. On the top lake the pair of Mute Swans appear to be nest building and 8 Grey Herons were around the lake with 3 on nests. The Little Grebe were very active making it hard to count but must be at least 7 birds as were the Coots I counted at least 6. There is now pair of Tufted Ducks a male has joined the resident female. A Raven and Carrion Crow were fly overs and a Nuthatch was singing from a tree. As I walked around the top of the lake I found a Coal Tit  and 4 beautiful Brimstone Butterflies flying together. Time to get back to the car and I noticed a Buzzard being mobbed by Jackdaws and in the top corner of the lake were 4 Teal that I had somehow missed when I walked by earlier. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into a tree above me. As I approached the bottom lake I noticed a Kingfisher on the edge of a bush a female but it flew off before I could get close enough for a picture. Again picking my way through the mud by the lake 2 Tawny Owls called one each side of the lake, I had a good look but they remained out of sight so no tick. The final sighting of the morning was a small flock of Siskins in the Birch trees I counted 6 but would think there was more.

Siskin - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

Bank of primroses - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)


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