Tuesday 15th October 2024 - Newton St Loe.

 

Just Bryan and Tony for our weekly birding trip and as I needed to be home for lunch it was a morning at Newton St Loe. Driving into the village we started the day with Magpie, Jackdaw and Woodpigeon. We parked by the church and walked through the church yard to the field beyond and here we saw a Blackbird but nothing more until we reached the bottom road and here lots of Goldfinches were in the treetops and on the wires, some visiting the feeders at the cottages. A Robin sang from a bush and then I spotted 3+ Redwings flying towards the village my 1st for the autumn. Rooks were constantly flying too and from the fields and 2 Long Tailed Tits were spotted on the wires by Ripple Effect and as we moved closer we could see and hear that there were many more and with them I found a Chiffchaff along with several Blue Tits a Coal Tit and Great Tit, a real mixed flock. House Sparrows were in the bushes by the last cottage and in the fields beyond Ripple Effect were lots of Common Gulls, later when walking back down the drive we estimated 50+ birds. While watching the gulls Bryan noticed a Jay to our right which dropped into the field and while looking realised there were at least 3. Nothing more until we reached Butterfly Alley when a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over landing in the tip of a spindly tree. At the bottom of the alley 3 Stock Doves flew over but nothing more was seen here. The bottom lake was very quiet with just 3 flyover Mallards, at the top end 20+ Goldfinches were feeding in the alders where we also found a single Goldcrest. A Wren flew across the lake and a Kingfisher appeared to come from nowhere and headed towards the top lake. On the top lake the first bird seen was a sleeping female Tufted Duck close to the reeds at the bottom end of the lake was the family of Mute Swans 2 adults and 3 almost fully grown cygnets.

Mute Swans - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

Out on the lake were lots of Little Grebe being hard to count at they don’t stay on the top of the water for very long but there must have been at least 7. 31 Mallards were spread around the lake where 6 or more Moorhens were found, but the strangest thing was no Coots were found as they are normally found on each visit, so no idea why there were none today. A Grey Wagtail was in the stream where it runs into the lake. 

Grey Wagtail - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

From here we walked to the playing field where a Carrion Crow was on the grass and walking back through the University 2 Pied Wagtails were on the roofs and on reaching the path above the top lake 8 Greenfinches flew into the top of a tall tree. Walking back to the car down the drive 4 Lesser Black Back Gulls were in the fields.

Jackdaw - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)


 

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