The Copse
Yellowhammer
It wasn't my intention to stay at the copse for that long, but for 40 minutes I eventually tracked down a Garden Warbler, singing away in the dense foliage of an ivy clad bush. Talk about perseverance, it was enough to drive you mad. It didn't help that there were also 2 Blackcaps making there way along the hedgerow which just confused matters, especially when they started singing. One of the problems with distinguishing the songs between both species is that even though the Blackcap tends to be a bit more pitchy and the Garden Warbler a little mellower (and often longer in song), Blackcaps have this sub-song that would test anybody's rationale. But a Garden Warbler it was and well worth the wait.
A male Chaffinch in the Copse
However, staying as long as I did, it meant I also got to see and hear both a Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, which were both sheltering in the copse. Up on the Ridgeway a pair of Buzzards were making the most of the updraught from the south-westerly wind coming across the fields and a small flock of 5 Fieldfare flew past as I headed off along the track. As I headed south I came across two more Willow Warblers and 21 Fieldfare. In fact a small reddish bird darted across in front of me and as I only had my camera to hand I took a quick photo of it as it landed on a post, before darting off into the bushes. It was only when I reviewed the image that I realised it was a Robin, but what I'd also captured was another Willow Warbler sitting on the wire fence being watched by the Robin. Needless to say, when the Robin flew off so did the Willow Warbler.
A Robin on the post and a Willow Warbler on the fence
Willow Warbler
All along the hedgerow were Yellowhammers, Corn Bunting and Dunnocks. Benji inadvertently flushed out two Red-legged Partridges that were on the slope and they disappeared fast and low into the field on my right. As I dragged myself up the hill a pair of Fieldfare were sat in the bushes too my right and a Pheasant called from the direction of Lower Upham Farm. It was pretty quiet along here, due probably to the bird scarer in the field that has quite a bang to it.
Yellowhammer
Once on the Ridgeway it was off to Liddington Castle, unfortunately it was pretty quiet along here and blinking freezing. A few Linnets passed overhead and were joined by one or two Meadow Pipit. In the distance a Kestrel was hovering over the fields and another Buzzard passed over my head. I hadn't realised how much of a trek it is to the castle, but once there the views are fantastic. As I say it was my first time up here and I could see the Nature Reserve at Coate Water quite clearly.
A Buzzard soared above me
In the grounds of the old ruins a Meadow Pipit had found a black caterpillar / grub and didn't seem to know what to do with it. Eventually it was down the hatch and he was off to find more elsewhere. As I walked around the mound I found a gate to a field, which I could see takes you back towards the copse. I had considered going down the hill the other way (to the north) and dropping down onto the Ridgeway Road and then up to Folly Farm. However this looked a more interesting route and as it turned out very rewarding. Apart from the 3 Buzzards circling above my head a Kestrel appeared to my left and hovered a bit before disappearing over the ridge. A bit further on a Red Kite came into view and was almost hovering like the Kestrel, as it used the updraught of the wind coming up the hill. For awhile it stayed above me before it also disappeared over the ridge.
Meadow Pipit
With a meal
Which it found hard to eat
Red Kite
Almost hovering in the updraught
A beautiful bird
One last pass over my head
In the distance another bird scarer went off and to my amazement 200+ Fieldfare took off from the slope on my left. After a minute or two they came back down and continued to feed on the grassy slopes. In amongst them there was one individual with a strange white spots on his wings. As I took a couple of shots of it with the camera, the bird scarer went off again and as they all took off I couldn't relocate it. Very strange markings though!
Fieldfare and one with white marks on its wings
Very wary as the bird scarer went off
I managed one last shot of this odd looking Fieldfare
And off he goes
To join the other 200+
Eventually I made my way back to the Copse and the Garden Warbler was a little bit further down the tree line, but still quite vocal. Not wishing to spend another 40 minutes trying to track it down I decided to head back up the track to the car. As I stopped to look at Yellowhammer in the tree in front of me, a flash of white to my right, told me there was a Wheatear in the field. In fact there were 4 and though they had obviously travelled here together, they certainly weren't the best of friends as every now and then there would be a bit of chase as one of the males endeavoured to show his superiority.
Wheatear
Wheatear
Wheatear
2 Wheatear
The chase is on
Well what a great way to finish a 3 ½ hour walk, albeit a relatively short one in distance, but I recorded quite a few birds: 1 Red Kite, 5 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel, Pheasant, 4 Red-legged Partridge, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 6+ Skylark, 10+ Meadow Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 4 Wheatear, Blackbird, 200+ Fieldfare, Song Thrush, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer.
Today's Photos Here