False Puffball © Glen Maddison
Slender Speedwell © Glen Maddison
Leader: Glen Maddison
10 of us, including the leader, met at the Lansdown P&R on a miserable wet and grey early spring morning hoping for some migrant birds and maybe a few early emerging butterflies. The latter was most definitely out, especially as the temps didn’t rise much above 8c all morning!
The obligatory Greenfinch singing from the P&R trees in the car park was a decent start, and the first raptor of note was sighted by Robert H before the walk actually started, but we’ve added that in anyway. No House Martins or Swallows were found around the farm near the main road, just a pair of Starlings, and Pied Wagtails, and so we followed the path across the fields continuing our walk through the farmland. Robert spied the first Wheatear of the trip, a female, on the dry-stone wall (where else!), about 100yrds to the right of the now derelict barn. Continuing along the track, a patch of Slender Speedwell (Veronica filiformis) was noted as was the common Brown Mottlegill mushroom (Panaeolina foenisecii) growing in the damp grass.
Tom R then found our second Wheatear of the day, this time a male, also on a dry-stone wall. We climbed the stone stile, and made our way around the edge of the Battlefields, finding many Early Dog-violets (Viola reichenbachiana) and an interesting slime-mould, commonly known as False Puffball (Enteridium lucoperdan) spotted by Anne C before we moved on to part of the Cotswold way, and around to the fields overlooking the surrounding countryside, though it was too musty and murky to see the usually visible Severn Bridge!
Blackcaps, a Goldcrest, Chiffchaffs and a single male Kestrel were added to our list, with a couple of loudly calling Nuthatch’s as well. A Bullfinch was heard by me as we had a bite of lunch, and a pair of Buzzards ‘mewed’ overhead. Moving on towards the golf course and back of the racecourse, a Raven ‘croaked’ it’s arrival and as the weather deteriorated slightly, we watched a couple of Chiffchaffs ‘fly-catching’ before we called it a day and made our way home.
Species of birds seen/heard :- 37.
Glen Maddison
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