Thursday 2nd January 2025 - Newton St Loe

 

Its 2025 and my 1st birding trip of the year was a morning at Newton St Loe, Only me Tony as Bryan is still not well enough to venture out and David is away for a few days.

Driving into the village a Collared Dove flew in front of the car but nothing more until after I had parked the car. I had a message on Bath Birders saying the Hawfinches were in the usual place so I set off heading there hoping they would hang around. I walked into the churchyard here working their way through the Yew trees were Blue and Great Tits. Walking through the field beyond Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon and Rooks all flew over. Then the next sightings were on the wires by the cottages here a few Goldfinches were waiting for the feeders to be free. House Sparrows were in the hedges and Jackdaws were in the top of a tree at the top of the footpath, a Lesser Black Back Gull flew towards the village. Next sighting was from the top of butterfly alley where in the field by the stream was a single Grey Heron, when I returned a few hours later 2 were seen. As I walked along the side of the bottom lake 3 Moorhens were on the bank and a Black Headed Gull was circling the lake. 4 Mallards were in the wet area between the lakes and climbing up to the top lake I soon added Coot, Little Grebe and 3 Mute Swans. The sun was shining almost straight down the lake making it almost impossible to see anything until I reached the top end and here were 4 Teal and a Common Gull. 

Teal - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

Heading up the slope towards the Keep a Chaffinch and 2 Chiffchaffs were  found. As I approached the Keep a Hawfinch flew to the top of a Yew and 4 more were on a leafless tree, as I watched a couple of birders approached and I was so happy to be able to point out the birds to them. This is just the second time that Hawfinches have been found here the first time since January 2018, 5 years ago. As we watched the 5 birds on show 2 more birds flew from1 yew to the next giving only a fraction of a second to identify them but by their chunky size they were possibly 2 more.


Hawfinch - NSL (courtesy of  Ned  Garnett)

The Hawfinches disappeared and as we waited for their return we did find Greenfinch, Long Tailed Tit and Magpie. After 30 to 40 minutes wait with no further sighting I decided to return down to the top lake hoping the sun had moved enough for me to get better viewing conditions, walking back down the slope a Nuthatch flew into a tree above me and reaching the bottom of the slope a Goldcrest was in another Yew above my head. There is a large tree covered in mistletoe where a Mistle Thrush was flying up from a branch picking off berries. Walking on a Raven flew over calling. The light was now much better, and I was able to see a female Tufted Duck and a Wigeon asleep on the far bank. A Coal Tit was in the trees by the Temple and a Robin was the last sighting until walking back up the field to the church, here a Jay flew along the top of the field. This proved to be the last sighting of the morning giving me 34 species to start my year list.

 

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