Guided Walk - Sunday 24th July

Just 3 people joined me for the walk this morning but weather was good and my early recce showed there were plenty of birds about. I decided to make an anti-clockwise circuit of the main lake in the hope of picking up a Kingfisher along river on the south side. First up it was Goldfinch and Greenfinch along the west side by the old priory wall. While watching the Greenfinch a vole stuck its head out of a hole in the wall before thinking better of it and diving back into cover.

Down in the southwest corner a Heron was found and Reed Warblers were active in the reed bed.

We continued down to the River and headed east with little of interest until we had passed the Leat Pool when a familiar piping call gave away the presence of a Kingfisher. I managed to locate it and pointed it out to the group as it passed up stream.

After the excitement of the Kingfisher we cut back into the park with little of note until we reached Fingers. In the Crescent Reed Warblers were active in the reed bed and a second Kingfisher gave a brief view as it flashed past one of the fishing swims on east Fingers.

On the Spit we scanned the ducks on west Fingers for anything out of the ordinary but just the usual Mallards with all the males in eclipse plumage. A Green Woodpecker was spotted in the dead branches high over the Dead Seat. Excellent scope views were obtained before our attention was switched to the GC Grebes on east Fingers. We had good views of one of the Adults and a juvenile in the scope allowing us to compare and contrast.

We continued around Fingers with a Blue-tailed Damselfly by the Steps, various warblers along the edge of the Rough and a couple of Treecreepers in the Willows opposite the Sedgewick Seat. The overcast conditions and strengthening breeze kept the numbers of Butterflies and Dragonflies down which was a little disappointing.

We headed back, around the north side of the New Meadow, to the car park, picking out various common birds via song or call on the way.

We finished back at the car park having had most of the expected species. Join us for the next walk at 8am on Sunday 21st August.