Page 8 - Out Birding Autumn 2023

The path ascended to overlook Spouse’s Vale and we sat on a convenient bench to watch Common Buzzard and Wood Pigeons pretending to be Kestrel, then an actual Kestrel demonstrated how it should be done. Several very healthy clumps of cowslip lined the path along with a patch of snakeshead fri􏰀llary, a reassuring sight to see this growing wild. Leaving the higher ground, we descended into Spouse’s Grove. We stopped briefly for a mindful moment. The absence of any human sound meant we were privileged to just be s􏰀ll and have 􏰀me to appreciate the sunlit slopes leading down into the Grove now dressed in so􏰁 blue clouds of bluebell heads along with the glorious avian chorus from the surrounding trees. Background music about which no one would complain!
As we walked through the damp, shady paths and boardwalks that run through the Grove, a Nuthatch was calling, but remained elusive. Raven, Long-Tailed Tit and Wren appeared and a Green Woodpecker ‘yaffled’ in the distance. Again, the air was full of wild garlic, with hedge garlic showing where the sun caught the ground.
Returning to the sunshine we walked though to the lake and, finding another conven- ient bench, se􏰂led down for lunch in the warm spring sunshine. There were few birds visible as we lunched, but we were lucky enough to watch three Swallow swooping down to the water to drink.
Out on the higher open area of Pecks Piece, Skylark were singing as they climbed into the blue sky, showing well when they crossed the white clouds. A Pheasant, less sweetly, croaked as it stru􏰂ed across our path. A Kestrel was hun􏰀ng across the heath and, having been chased by an aggressive Crow, se􏰂led into the top of a tree for a rest. Peacock bu􏰂erflies danced in the sunshine along with some small white. A group of 3 birds, in the distance, were ski􏰂ering between the tops of bramble mounds; eventually we got a fix and were able to iden􏰀fy them as Linnet.
Back to the car park a􏰁er a good day birdwatching (20 in total) with 􏰀me to enjoy this ancient environment and its glorious wild flora and fauna. Thank you to Mar􏰀n and Greg for your company.
Peter
Rougemont Bluebells and River Wharfe Walk, 27/04/2023
I decided to put on an event that showcased my local patch, and the Rougemont wood’s bluebells didn’t disappoint. It was a pleasure to introduce Paul, Kerry and Deb to a wood that I have tramped through many 􏰀mes, and also to one transect of my local BBS. I had done the early BBS survey that morning, between 6 and 8am, and it was remarkably quieter by the 􏰀me we got there around 11. An old badger se􏰂 and the possibility of o􏰂ers plus the gorgeous display of bluebells kept the group happy, though apart from Wrens, there o􏰁en isn’t a huge number of birds in the wood itself.
The walk to the wood, and the river walk on the other side, yielded over 30 species though, including some lovely sigh􏰀ngs of male Bullfinch, a male Goosander, (which
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