Tuesday10th March 2026 - Newton St Loe

 

This week’s birding trip was a half day visit to Newton St Loe, only our second visit of the year. Today it was just Bryan and Tony as David was away. On the short journey there we spotted Buzzard, Red Kite and Magpie. We parked by the farm shop where a Carrion Crow was calling and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over, walking towards the church we added Jackdaw and Woodpigeon and making a slight detour to look over the Globe we saw Goldfinch, Robin and both Great and Blue Tit. As  we continued, in the tall trees with the mistletoe was a Mistle Thrush.

Mistle Thrush - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)

 Nothing more was seen even after checking the Yew trees in the churchyard  until the field beyond where 2 Jays flew past, these turned out to be year ticks. At the bottom of the field a Blackbird flew off and a Lesser Black Back Gull circled overhead. In the field by what was Send a Cow were Rooks and a Green Woodpecker flew towards the village landing in the top of a tall tree. A Greenfinch wheezed which we found in a silver birch along with a Long-Tailed Tit. A Pheasant was in the field just beyond Send a Cow ,and in the lane were singing Chiffchaff and several Wrens. Walking through Butterfly Alley 2 Ravens flew past as did 2 Mallards that were heading for the lakes. On the bottom lake we spotted Mallards, Moorhen and a single Black Headed Gull with more of the same on the top lake plus 6 Common Gulls and 2 Lesser Black Backs. The 3 Mute Swans are still in residence plus at least 6 Coot and a similar number of Little Grebes. A Cormorant in full breeding  plumage was fishing while another was sat in a tree on the far side of the lake, an unusual tree to find them in. A Tufted Duck was asleep with Mallards on the far bank and a Grey Heron was in the top left-hand corner with at least 1 more seen in the nests. Walking back down the drive nothing new was seen but many Corvids were in the fields including this very ugly looking Rook.

Rook - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher)