We was lucky!!!
Thursday it threw it down, and the forecast for Saturday is just as bad.
So the monthly walk on Friday, which this time was a return visit to Wyver
Lane, was excellent. Not warm of course,
but sunny with excellent visibility with a fair amount of water still running
off the hills and across the path.
Three of us in one car drove to Belper and parked up in a safe gateway, ensuring that the occasional vehicle could get through, and did in
fact happen for one wide van.
I got off to a good birding start spotting a Kingfisher doing it’s
usual bee-line low level fly past, and landing near a nice Great White
Egret.
After that opening couple of beauties along the path by the mound and in the hide, we ticked off a fair
number of the usual suspects until we arrived at the partially obliterated
feeding station. Mike was the first to spot a Marsh Tit and we all spent some time
patiently waiting for it’s infrequent return. Nice to have Great, Blue, Coal,
Long Tailed and Marsh tit all at the same feeder.
That was followed by 3 circling Buzzards, and a Kestrel that had
initially been identified as a Fieldfare!!!
On the return journey we picked up 3 Goosanders that had
dropped in as had a couple of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, but Mike’s observation
of a Raven being harassed by a Sparrowhawk added 2 good ticks. And several large groups of Fieldfare were
seen flying S.W. ensuring this time we got them right.
It was good to add three new ticks to the club life list, moving us now on to a species list since August 2021, of 83.
Bird of the walk?
Albeit despite various nominations it had to be the Marsh Tit!
Next walk is Friday 1st December, and as long as
the paths are not flooded (it is 4 weeks away) it will be to Willington Gravel
Pits. Watch the blog for the final venue decision
Happy Birding
David
