Trip to The Brecks 10 April 1999
by Gordon Hamlett
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PBC Trip Report Trip to The Brecks 10 April 1999 by Gordon Hamlett |
The day did not start well. The key road sign directing everyone to Lyndford Arboretum had carefully been removed from the Mundford roundabout and I had visions of Chris and me wandering around on our own but our members are made of sterner stuff and Matt was already in the car park when we arrived about eight.
The early start was necessary. The one other birder we met reckoned that there was nothing of note around and returned to his car in something approaching disgust. Unlucky! Just as he drove off, a Hawfinch started calling - a sort of explosive 'tic'. A pair then led the three of us a merry dance in the trees round the disabled car park, allowing the briefest views of a perched bird before flying to a tree inevitably just out of sight.
We eventually relocated them near the gazebo and had good look at the pair complete with the first tentative signs of display and a half-hearted attempt at song. Sadly, no-one else in the group caught up with them. That will teach you not to enjoy the extra hour in bed.
The arboretum is nicely compact and we had good views of a wide selection of woodland birds including some very obliging Nuthatches, Jays, Goldcrests and both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. There were a few warblers in - Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and a Willow Warbler but their songs were sporadic and half-hearted. We found a couple of Roe Deer and there was a ridiculously tame Muntjac by the car park.
The gravel pit round the back of the car park bumped up the day list with a selection of wildfowl including an Egyptian Goose - they're getting everywhere these days, a couple of Redpolls trilling as they flew over, a Kingfisher calling and a Sparrowhawk seeing off a flock of 25-30 hirundines, mostly Sand Martins but with the odd Swallow and my first House Martin of the year.
Five cars set off in convoy for Mayday Farm where the weather turned decidedly cold and windy, not the ideal conditions for watching raptors. Things weren't helped either by the fact that the central block of woodland has grown so much that viewing from the cross-roads - the traditional watchpoint - is now all but impossible.
As much to keep warm as anything else, we set off round the Goshawk trail and soon picked up the first of several Woodlarks which sang briefly and promptly flew away - its virtual lack of a tail gives it a very distinctive silhouette. It was soon relocated though and we all had good views of it perched.
Matt picked up four Bramblings flying over and Chris had brief views of a large raptor, which she thought was probably a Buzzard rather than the hoped-for Goshawk. To get out of the wind, we adjourned to the hide which seems to have been built for that very purpose; certainly it was not designed with birds in mind - two Chaffinches and two Pheasants was all that we managed.
On to Weeting Heath for the Stone Curlews. There were six birds in, all out of view! Another Woodlark and a Stoat in front of the hide showed well. Eventually, a Stone Curlew was found sitting tight on her nest scrape - not the best of views though a second bird was seen by most of the group as it ran around and flew.
In the field opposite, we managed to get three Green Woodpeckers in the same field of view. Another Sparrowhawk flew over, being mobbed by all and sundry and the day ended with the ridiculous sight of a Roe Deer head butting a Pheasant.
