Saturday, December 24, 2016

Sawbridgeworth to the old airfield Christmas Eve walk

Turned left out of my drive instead of the usual right. Followed Soutbrook up to the west of Sawbo, then up between the rivers Orchard and West Road, across to West road and back down to Tharbies - some really good trees and hedges here - through toward the high ground then up the very minor road/track that cuts across to the north end of Allen's Green. Right into the huge field, up to the piles of grain in the field, across to Shingle Hall Farm (SHF), down the road to Tharbies again but east into the north of Sawbridgeworth and then home.

Highlights were:
Golden Plover - 44 in the usual field south of SHF with c140 Lapwing.
Fieldfare - 2 flocks, 1 of c110 at Tharbies and one of 78 at SHF. Conceivably these may have been the same birds.
Blackbird. Odd ones and twos, eventually totalling 35 for the whole walk
Collared Dove 46 and Yellowhammer c50 at the grain piles.

Otherwise Kestrel 4, Buzzard 3, Meadow Pipit 16 at SHF, Song Thrush 6, Bullfinch 1m at Tharbies, Great-Spotted Woodpecker 1 called at Tharbies, Skylark 6 by the grain piles.

Also a distant smallish deer at Mathams Wood. Quite dark brown. No idea what species.

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