Aldbourne Harrier

It's been awhile since Don and I have walked the  4-mile circular walk around Aldbourne. But with the temperature at 22°C (on the garden thermometer), it would have been a real shame not to have done a walk today, on what turned out to be the hottest Halloween on record, beating Dartford's 20°C back in 1968. We started off at Oxford Street and down to Lottage Road and then back up to Crooked Corner, via the children's park.

Our 4 mile circular

(map courtesy of Google Earth)

Crooked Corner runs parallel to Lottage Road and is more or less an an access road to the homes backing onto it. With most of the flowers all gone, the insects enjoying the unseasonable warm weather were feeding in abundance on the Ivy flowers. The majority of invertebrate were Drone Flies, Blue Bottles, a Noon Fly, wasps sps. and 3 Red Admirals.

Noon Fly

Drone Fly and Noon Fly

Red Admiral

At the end you cross over Cook Road and onto the start of the Gallop. On your left and right are fields and the track takes you down to Lottage Road. Along this length there are lots Hawthorn, that will no doubt feed the thrushes this winter. A Red Kite flew overhead and headed up over the ridge on our left.

Red Kite

Just before we crossed over Lottage Road and headed up the Gallop, we could see on our left up to 400+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a dozen or so Herring Gull in the freshly sewn field..

400+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a few Herring Gulls

Herring Gulls highlighted in amongst the Lesser Black-backed Gulls

About 100 metres up the Gallop we turned right onto a track, that eventually takes you east Lease Farm. Before you get to the farm, the track turns to your right at the East Leaze Cottages. The track up to the cottages is about 1½ miles and runs along a ridge on your right. Last year a set-a-side was along here, but not this year for some reason. Along here were plenty of Skylarks making there away across the fields and a Yellowhammer was calling from the top a tree a good 100 metres away from us. In the distance a Buzzard was seen patrolling the top fields.

Yellowhammer

One of two Buzzards seen today, this one patrolling the top fields.

As we made our way around the track, Don met up with his walking partner. Not wanting to appear rude I listened to them chatting and joined in every now and then, but very concious that there were lots of birds calling and flying around us. As I scanned the ridge to my left a Buzzard was being harassed by a crow, but as looked closer I realised it wasn't a Buzzard in fact a female Hen Harrier or "Ringtail" as they are more commonly called, due to their a white rump and a long, barred tail . I managed one shot as it flew over the ridge.

A very distant shot of a Ringtail

All along the hedgerows and indeed down Oxford Road there were hundreds of Bryony berries. I dont think I've quite seen so many before, its obviously been a very good year for berries all round.

Bryony berries

A bit closer

In the far distance the aerial at Foxfield.

And in the fields along Oxford Road there were plenty of Rooks, Jackdaws, Lesser Black-backed Gulls feeding on small worms, bugs etc.

A pair of Rooks feeding on small worms

A Lesser Black-backed Gull

Another excellent walk with 33 bird species seen. 2 Red Kite, 1 Hen Harrier, 2 Buzzard, Black-headed Gull, 10+ Herring Gull, 400+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Green Woodpecker, dozens of Skylarks, Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 4 Blackbird, 11 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush, 5 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Corn Bunting and 3 Yellowhammer. Also seen 5 Red Admiral, Drone Flies, a Noon Fly and wasps sp.