Twenty three people met in pleasant conditions for this month’s walk to the River Amber via Brackenfield Church. John Parlby gave a brief update on the recent, almost daily, sightings of an Osprey and the current opinion on where this particular bird had been ringed.
August lived up to its reputation as a quiet month for birds and, whilst the Osprey didn’t put in an appearance, thirty eight species were recorded during the walk. Highlights were two Little Egret, Common Tern and one or two Spotted Flycatcher. There was very little bird song to be heard with Yellowhammer being the most listened to, and the least seen.
The walk’s leader, Paul Beard, returned by the same route with a loyal nine, whilst the remainder broke away and followed in Mike Conroy’s wake for a full circuit of the reservoir.
Birds: Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Buzzard, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great-crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Grey Wagtail, House Martin, Jay, Little Egret, Long-tailed Tit, Mallard, Mute Swan, Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Rook, Spotted Flycatcher, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies: Gatekeeper (Hedge Brown), Green-veined White, Large White, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Dragonflies: Brown Hawker.