Wednesday 1st May 2024 - Hodders Combe, Quantocks

 

Hodders Combe - (Bath Birdwatcher)

This Month’s RSPB field trip was to Hodder’s Combe in the Quantocks led by Tom Rodgers. Due to holidays I was the only one of the 3 Amigos who was able to go. We moved the trip from the 30th of April due to the forecast with heavy rain predicted, to the following day May 1st. 11 Members met at Holford car park for a 9.30 start. Lunch was to be carried and wellies was the footwear of the day as we had to make several crossings of a stream that runs through the Combe. We soon found a singing Goldcrest and a Robin lots of both species were heard singing all day. The next sighting was another species found by its song a Chiffchaff again several of these were heard. Walking by the stream we found at least 3 Grey Wagtails, Great Tit and a Treecreeper soon followed. We then did a slight detour to an area where Pied Flycatchers had been seen on a recce a week or so earlier, and nesting boxes had been placed for them to use and as predicted by box no10 a female was seen and while searching for anything else that may be about I found the male a splendid black and while bird. As we watched a Blackbird and Chaffinch were also found. After we all had our fill of the flycatchers we made our way back to the main trail where a Nuthatch was heard and seen. Nothing more till we almost reached the top of the Combe, here a Raven flew over. Continuing to the top we could hear singing Willow Warblers and eventually found one on the top of a shrub. A pair of Stonechats were also found before we reached the top. At the top we stopped for lunch overlooking the Bristol Channel with Minehead in the distance. As we ate our lunch we could hear Meadow Pipits doing their parachute flight, several we found along with a single Linnet. Time to make our way back and as we started back down the Combe I spotted a Buzzard our only bird of prey of the day. Nothing new was seen but we did find some more Pied Flycatchers that gave us excellent views. 

Pied Flycatcher - (Bath Birdwatcher)

The walk ended with Wren and Wood Pigeon being the only new sightings. 19 species was less that we have seen here before and at least 4 target species Redstart, Tree Pipit, Wood Warbler and Dartford Warbler were neither heard or seen. Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker and Coal Tit were heard but not seen. I feel the weather this year has so far been against some of our summer visitors arriving as winds have been mostly from a northern direction and a southerly would surely bring more of our expected species. Wellies were needed BUT wearing them for over 6 miles had a detrimental effect on my feet so was very glad to get back to the car.

For me the days spotting didn’t end here and on the drive home Swallow, Rook, Collared Dove, Lesser Black Back and Herring Gull plus Starling, Pheasant and Magpie were all seen.

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