Date: 09/08/2018
Location: Newton St Loe
Weather:
Slightly overcast but still warm.
Slightly overcast but still warm.
Observation:
Cormorant
Black Tailed Godwit
Crane chicks doing well this year.
Perfect light on this Grey Wagtail.
2018 Butterfly challenge is over and all uk species photographed and seen this year by Lauren too.
We had great fun traveling the country and went to some beautiful places too,
blog for that to come shortly but for now here’s a blog from the patch Newton st loe.
Started walk around 11am, would like to start earlier but working on Thursday nights now so 11am
it is.
Out the normal route through campsite a Grey Wagtail on brook was first to report but little else.
On up to fields and harvester and tractors in both fields so few birds about here, 2 calling Buzzards
the best of it.
Stopped by Seven Acre to check on Butterflies and surprised to see 5/6 Holly blues
20+ Speckled woods and plenty of Small Whites around wood.
From Globe look out I saw nothing, and not much until Farm shop in village where I spied this lovely
Barn Swallow sat on the floor picking up grit,
I was within 10ft of him but he just carried on getting a beak full.
Grit helps with digestion, in case you wondered.
Normal stuff around village but fewer House Sparrow about.
At church I could hear chainsaws and noticed they’d cut the woodpeckers favourite tree down!
It’s the 3rd tree in the village which has been cut down of late. Down to
Send A cow wood and a large great of Blue/ great tits feeding with Nuthatch also.
On fields with Cows Rook,
Crow and Jackdaws feeding in very dry grass. A single Blackcap in
wood but so much foliage difficult to get pictures.
On to Butterfly alley and Meadow Brown, Common Blue and I’m sure the same Small Copper
all fluttering around but getting much thinner in numbers now.
Blue tailed Damselfly here also.
A Grey Wagtail on the now very dry waterfall.
Grey Herons scattered about 5 seen.
On up to top lake All adult swans present along with the 6 cygnets.
A few chiffchaff seen around lake and even our first of the year Willow Warbler seen above top lake.
Sad news the little owls house has changed hands it now has new residents Barn Owl !
So not all bad, carried out along conservation path and noticed other little Owl tree has evidence
of them still being there so not all bad.
(heavy crop as don't wanna give location away)
Buzzards , good numbers around today at least 6 seen around all never close.
At Park/ Home farm a few birds 2 Whitethroat chaffinch a group of around 20 Goldfinch and a
few collared Dove, best spot with a Swift couldn’t focus camera but defo a Swift..............
also more Chiffchaff here. This one very annoyed i was taking his picture.
Walked the rest of the lanes towards home and female Kestrel seen hunting across fields.
On arriving home disturbed a family of Long tailed tits on our
feeders plus a female Bullfinch, got inside and the Male landed for a few shots.
So ended walk on 43 species not too bad for another late start.
Went to Slimbridge in week and managed a few shots of the Wood Sandpiper,
it showed right out the hide which was nice!
Green Sandpiper too.
Also had a lesser whitethroat a very smart little warbler unfortunately not the shot of it I wanted.
A few others from a great day.
Linnet
Cormorant
Black Tailed Godwit
Crane chicks doing well this year.
Perfect light on this Grey Wagtail.
Down to Cornwall for a couple of days camping so I’ll have a wonder to look for Chough
and anything else that turns up.
Thanks for reading happy birding to you!
