Tuesday 14th May 2024 - Newton St Loe.

 

This week’s birding trip was a morning visit to Newton St Loe but with just 2 of the 3 Amigos , Bryan and Tony as David had a previous arrangement. Parking by the Farm Shop a Swallow was calling from the wires and stayed long enough for me to get this picture.

Swallow - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

Also seen before we set off towards the lanes were Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon and Goldfinch. Walking towards the lanes we heard the call of a Greenfinch which Bryan found on the top of a tree and also a House Sparrow on a rooftop. A Pied Wagtail flew past and Magpie, Dunnock and Robin were also seen. From the lanes Lesser Black Back and Herring Gulls were flying in the distance. From the lookout point a pair of Pheasants were in the field immediately in front of us and a Buzzard was soaring in the 7 Acre area. As we continued up the lane we could hear Skylarks and as I scanned the sky I luckily found 2 Swifts but was unable to get Bryan on them but we did find the singing Skylark the 1st of several we found in the lanes. Birding was a little slow and a fly attracted out attention and Obsidentify identified it as Nephrotoma Quadrifaria we thought it was unusual but no we saw lots during the morning. 

Nephrotoma Quadrifaria - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

We kept looking and found this Red-Headed Cardinal Beetle. 

Red-Headed Cardinal Beetle - NSL
(Bath Birdwatcher)

And a Common Drone Fly, we also found many Harlequin Ladybirds a non-native species originally from Asia and have become a pest out-competing our native Ladybirds. We walked as far as the entrance to 7 Acre Wood but it was so quiet we decided to cut our losses and get back to the village we did add Carrion Crow and Rook on the way. Back in the village we set off for the lakes adding Blackbird and Great Tit in the village. At the woodland footpath a Song Thrush was singing which I found almost at the top of the tallest tree, We had heard singing Chiffchaffs but they had been hidden away and here another was singing and this time we did find it. At Butterfly Alley c30 House Martins were seen to our right but a fair distance away past the dead tree. Walking to the bottom lake this Mallard was sat on the outlet with 10 others on the lake. 

Mallard female - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

Towards the top of the lake a Grey Heron flew away and a large family group of Long Tailed Tits were in the bushes on the far bank, and a Moorhen was by the inlet from the top pond. Numbers of water fowl were very low on the top lake with just 4 Coot and 2 Little Grebe seen although others could have been hidden away sitting on nests. The pair of Mute swans were still present with one sat on the nest with the other close by. Mallards were hard to find with just 2 males asleep on the far bank a female with 5 ducklings on the top inlet and 3 male asleep on the new pond here we also saw this Deer. 

Roe Deer - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

In this area is a very tall fir tree where we found a family of Ravens 4 in total but as they were silhouetted it was hard to say how many were adults. 

Raven - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

Walking back to the car a Grey Wagtail was our final new sighting of the morning.

Mallard with ducklings NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)


 

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