This was my first Winter Thrush Survey since January 9th, February was an absolute washout and I don't think Dawn would have appreciated a muddy dog in her house. Having said that there are still a few quagmires close to Kingsdown Lane, which needed careful navigation.
At the Car Park the signs were looking good for Blackbirds with at least 4 males within a 30 metre stretch, and funnily enough on the whole walk which took 1hr 15min every Blackbird I came across was a male!
In the hedgerows it was mainly Dunnocks singing and I think of all the species I recorded today, these were the most numerous. Also in the hedges were a pair of Bullfinches.
Male Bullfinch
The trail I took takes you to the back of the bungalows where there were at least 16 Magpies all congregated in the trees, possibly where they have been roosting. Further on you come Kingsdown Lane, where it was quite noticeable that a lot of hedge-laying had taken place over the past few months. In fact where there used to be a short-cut onto the lane, I could see that it had been blocked off with both fencing and a bit of hedge-laying.
11 of the 16 Magpies in these trees
Hedge-laying along Kingsdown Lane
Over the fields on the other side of Kingsdown Lane a Skylark was singing and I could also hear Buzzards calling, though I never did get to see one. A pair of Goldcrests were seen along the track and every now and then I could hear a Bullfinch calling. A little further on a Green Woodpecker shot across the path and disappeared into the centre of the wood, and in the distance I could hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling. A Goldfinch landed on top of a tree and started calling before joining others as they flew off over the fields.
Goldfinch
Goldfinch
The trail comes away from the lane and my route takes you to the meadow at the northern end of the wood. Straight away I could hear thrushes and a quick scan across the meadow revealed up to 100+ birds, mainly Redwings with 20 or so Fieldfare, a few Song Thrushes and Blackbirds. In amongst them was a Yellowhammer and dozens of Chaffinches. Unfortunately to get to the other side of the meadow you have to skirt around the edge, which meant they all took off and landed in the trees on the opposite side of the meadow.
Fieldfare and Redwings
Fieldfare and Redwings
Once I'd got to the opposite corner, another male Bullfinch was feeding in the bushes and as I stopped to watch it, I could hear a Chiffchaff singing in the bare treetops and was probably wishing the sun would come back out again.
Another male Bullfinch
Chiffchaff
A slightly more flattering pose
The path eventually took me under the pylons where there were 3 noisy Herring Gulls sat. Every now and then one would take off and land before the next one did the same. It all seemed to be a bit of game, but it was probably more of a show for the smaller possibly female Herring Gull.
The pylons
A pair of Herring Gulls
The slightly larger male on the right
The track here runs parallel with the noisy A419 and apart from a few Goldfinches there wasn't much else to see before I got back to the car park and the heat of the car.
Today's Photos Here
Species recorded were: Buzzard heard, Pheasant heard, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 9 Blackbird, 20+ Fieldfare, 80+ Redwing, 5 Song Thrush, 1 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, 30 Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, 12 Jackdaw, 17 Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 5 Bullfinch and a Yellowhammer.