With a beautifully fine day, and having finished work earlier because of being a Bank Holiday, I decided to pay another visit to Chambers Wall. It had turned into a very warm afternoon. Several Migrant Hawkers were on the wing in the car park area and it was nice to catch sight of a Pied Flycatcher as it popped into the open momentarily before disappearing back into the hedge. It boded well for the visit.
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| Pied Flycatcher |
As I walked down the track it was clear that many of the birds were keeping very much to the shade inside the hedge. I could see 2 Pied Flycatchers tucked back in the shade, one of which may have been the same bird I had just seen. A Blackcap was tutting away and a Robin and a couple of Wren were resting up in the deep shade of the hedge. As I carried on down I was chuffed when I came across another couple of Pied Flycatchers flycatching away and I could see another further down at the same time. They are lovely birds and I stopped and thoroughly enjoyed just watching them for a while. One of them gradually worked its way closer to me and I ended up with some lovely views.
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| Pied Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
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| Pied Flycatcher |
While watching the flycatchers I had seen a Common Redstart, a fair way further down, flick out from the hedge and down onto the path before disappearing back in again a moment later but treating me to a lovely view of its fanned tail as it did so. I did not see it reappear again but, once I left the flycatchers I kept my eyes open as I carried on down the track. Unfortunately it had moved to the other side of the hedge and I just got a brief glimpse through a gap in the hedge before it disappeared from sight again. A couple of Whitethroat were a little further down and as I came up onto the embankment a Willow Warbler was calling away. Initially I had planned to walk down to Coldharbour but catching sight of another Pied Flycatcher drew me along the embankment and I decided to have a wander along there instead. Once again everything was keeping very much to the shade. As it was such a beautiful afternoon I decided to make the most of it and try and get as far as Shuart. A family of 6 Long-tailed Tits were working their way along. A Marsh Harrier was soaring above and I saw several Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers as well as a few Silver-Y moth as I headed along.
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| Common Darter |
I was treated to some super views of a Sparrowhawk as it soared above me and I also saw a male flying fast over the hedgerow sending up some Goldfinches but unable to catch any of them.
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
It turned out to be a pretty quiet walk along the embankment as keeping to the shade seemed to be the order of the day and most birds were therefore decidedly skulky. I did, however, do very well for Pied Flycatchers and saw at least 5 over the length of the embankment. I saw good numbers of Latticed Heath moths and several faded Painted Lady Butterflies were active. As I neared the crossing for Shuart a Small Heath butterfly looked lovely with the light shining though its wings.
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| Small Heath Butterfly |
The walk through Shuart proved to be very quiet indeed but time was getting on. Very few Migrant Hawkers were still on the wing but I saw several tucked away in the hedge. A Common Darter appeared to have damaged its abdomen with a severe kink near the end but was still hawking for insects well in the last of the sunshine. A Marsh Harrier flew across carrying prey.
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| Common Darter |
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| Marsh Harrier with prey |
When I reached the end of the track I had a wander up to the bridleway to see if anything was making the most of the last of the sunshine and finished my visit as I started with a Pied Flycatcher. This brought my visit's total to 11 Pied Flycatchers which is the most I have ever seen in one day. 3 Ringed-necked Parakeets were noisily calling away as I made my way back to the car park after an enjoyable afternoon.
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| Pied Flycatcher |
Birds seen this visit include: House Sparrows, 2 Robin, 3 Wren, Wood Pigeons, 11 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Blackcap, 6 Whitethroat, 1 Common Redstart, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Kestrel, 2 Green Woodpecker, 6 Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, 5 Magpie, Linnets, Goldfinches, 7 Swallow, 3 Collared Dove, 4 Mute Swan including 3 youngsters, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Sparrowhawk, Blackbird 3, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Ring-necked Parakeet,
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