The hope for this walk was to find the spectacle of hundreds of Redwing gorging on the enormous harvest of red holly berries that have been witnessed in previous years...... Alas, this was not to be! Virtually all the berries had already disappeared and the Redwings with them.
Despite this, we set off along a gravelly track with the treat of a Goldcrest nearby, the sight of a Kestrel and some good specimens of Yellow Brain on old Gorse stems, before shortly dropping down into a mixed woodland. We found glimpses of Blue Tit, Nuthatch, Chaffinch and Fallow Deer with our attention repeatedly drawn to the croaking of Raven overhead.
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| Brick Cap © Chris Robinson |
On walking through an Inclosure of largely Douglas Fir we discovered the characteristic scent of citrous from rubbing one's hands through the needles.
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| Yellow Brain on Gorse Richard Smith |
We also saw very fleeting glimpses of a few Redwings until we came out to the open Fritham Plain and found a flock of 20 or so, together with Song and Mistle Thrush.
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| Redwings © Chris Robinson |
Sadly, no Dartford Warbler among the Gorse which have been seen many times before there, as we sploshed our way back through the heather and round a very photogenic little pond.
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| Nail Fungus © Claire Kidger |
Whilst being very wet underfoot, we were grateful to escape the rain and glad of the company of friends. RP
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| Our route ©Crown copyright 2023 Ordnance Survey. Media 006/23. The licence is valid until 31 December 2023 |