The route
Folly Farm - Three Trees Farm Shop (9:40am - 10:14am)
So it was up to Folly Farm to park the car and as I did so the the "lady of the house" from the farm was coming up the drive. A great opportunity to ask whether there was access to the small wood across the field. Unfortunately the answer was no. Oh well if hadn't asked I would still be in the dark. Well at least I know now. I remarked how good the hedge laying was and it transpired that it was her father-in-law who had been busy working away on the hedges. If you get to see it, its a piece of art, really professionally.
As we said our goodbyes I noticed a large bird sitting in the tree to my left. A Buzzard I was sure, and then I saw the tail, a Red Kite. Cars they don't mind, but humans and dogs, he was off and across to Liddington Hill. Funnily enough that was the one and only Red Kite I saw all morning. Further down the road I came across 19 Black-headed Gulls and 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the sheep field to my left, along with a few Rooks, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow. Along the hedgerow on my right there was a Dunnock, Song Thrush and Great Tit. Overhead a few Wood Pigeon passed by and a Kestrel was sitting on one of the trees overhanging the Folly Farm track.
Red Kite
Kestrel
On the Ridgeway road down towards Chiseldon I noticed a large blob in the field on my right and then another blob behind it. Binoculars out and there were two Buzzards catching and eating worms. Just loved the way they run, head down and off, before pouncing on their prey.
Three Trees Farm Shop - Chiseldon Firs (10:15am - 10:55am)
The old railway track looked quite bleak, a complete contrast to the leafy lane I walked, back in September. Fortunately there were plenty of birds and with so few leaves it was easy to see across the fields on both sides. The main species along this long lane appeared to be Blackbirds with 12 noted, followed by a good number of Dunnocks. Other species noted were Wood Pigeon, 2 Song Thrushes, 6 Robin, Goldcrests, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, 3 Wren, Magpies, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaws, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and 2 Bullfinches. A scurry in the undergrowth and I caught a glimpse of a Brown Rat. They're never to far away.
Sunken house!!
Old Rail Track
Old Rail Track
Looking back towards Folly Farm from the old railway track
The best was to come as I approached Chiseldon Firs. A flash on my left and there cutting low and fast over the hedge was a Merlin. Such a small falcon, I'm sure quite a few are missed. Unfortunately as I was approaching the "Firs" I was never going to follow its path beyond the trees. A good tick nevertheless.
In the "Firs" were Goldcrests, Blackbirds a Green Woodpecker and a Song Thrush.
Chiseldon Firs to the Ridgeway via Lower Upham Farm (10:55am - 11:45am)
It might have been a quiet start to the walk, with a couple of nice surprises along the way, but things were about to get even better. Before I even got to the farm I could finches everywhere and just after the first set of houses on the left there were dozens and dozens of Goldfinches and Chaffinches. In fact from the first set of houses to the next there must have been getting on 80+ Chaffinches and 60+ Goldfinches, not forgetting a few Yellowhammers, 8 Linnets and 2 Meadow Pipit. And then if that wasn't enough 11 Collared Doves headed off towards the fields behind the first set of houses. There were birds everywhere including a Common Buzzard sat on a telegraph pole watching everything go by. If I'd had the time I would have joined him. It was busy to say the least.
Buzzard
Yellowhammer
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Other birds noted and there were a few, were 4 Pheasants, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 11 Black-headed Gulls, dozens of Wood Pigeon, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, 15 Starlings, 6 Magpies, a Raven, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaws and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Past the farm and yet another Buzzard sat on another telegraph pole, until that is he saw me and was off. The walk up the hill to the Ridgeway is quite steep, but at least it was dry. Along the hedgerows were more Dunnock, Blue Tits and Great Tits.
Buzzard
The Ridgeway - Folly Farm (11:45am - 12:55pm)
As you reach the Ridgeway there is a bit of cross-roads. For whatever reason I decided to go straight ahead. The reason being I could see there was an opening on the summit, possibly fields. Its like you get that 6th sense. I just had that feeling I might see or hear Golden Plover as the view from the summit was very good. However looking across the fields wasn't where I was looking as I heard them call and as I looked up there were about 200+ Golden Plover above me. Oh what a sight. They formed a couple of V's, grouped together, then split up into 3 or 4 flocks, before disappearing towards Chiseldon and Liddington. A great sight.
Looking back down to Lower Upham Farm
Golden Plover
Golden Plover
Goldfinches
As I got back onto the "Liddington" track on the Ridgeway a pair of Bramblings flew overhead and disappeared towards Lower Upham Farm. I'm wishing I had had a better look at all those Chaffinches earlier now. Next time!! With such an open space it wasn't long before I picked up two more Buzzards and lots of corvids. There were also quite a few Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, more Dunnocks (I don't think I've ever seen so many Dunnocks, they were everywhere).
As I dropped down off the Ridgeway onto the path that leads you to Folly Farm Copse, I could see a another blob and this time it was a Roe Deer. It stood absolutely motionless as I walked down the hill towards to it, before it decided I was too close and bounded across the field towards Lower Upham Farm.
Roe Deer
Roe Deer bounding off
A bit further on I could see dozens of birds sat in the tops of the Hawthorns and with my "bins", and as I found out a little later (when they all took off), there were 70+ Fieldfare feeding on the berries. Well they would have been, if I hadn't spoilt their banquet. In amongst them were a few Redwing, Blackbirds and following close by was a small flock of Starlings and a few Chaffinches and Corn Buntings.
Fieldfares
Fieldfare
Fieldfare
Corn Bunting
Corn Bunting
Blackbird and Fieldfare
At the copse were two more Song Thrushes and as I headed back up the track to the car 150+ finches flew over my head with certainly Linnet, Goldfinch and Chaffinches in amongst them.
Well that was a real marathon and felt brilliant with a total of 39 bird species recorded plus a Brown Rat and a Roe Deer.
Birds Recorded: Red Kite, Buzzard, Merlin, Kestrel, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Starling, Brambling, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer.
On the way home just through Liddington there was a Roe Deer close to the road.
Roe Deer
Roe Deer