Bird Meeting at Fort Victoria 29th July 2017

14 members meet at the car park for a walk led by Toni Goodley. As is our custom we started off with a brief sea watch. Besides an Oystercatcher only gulls were seen – Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Great Black Backed Gull were spotted. As there was no other activity we set off for a walk through the woodland to Cliff End and followed Monks Lane briefly before taking the footpath that returned us to Fort Victoria via Norton. Although we had deliberately left the meeting to the very end of July in the hope of seeing some returning migrants our wish was not fulfilled. The usual woodland and field species were noted. Common Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Crow, Robin, Buzzard, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Jay, Linnet, Blackbird, Wren, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Magpie, Long Tailed Tit, Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Starling and a mixed flock of Rook and Crow. It was very noticeable that no Swallows or House Martins were seen in the Cliff End area, a place where we normally see them. In all 23 species. We also saw a variety of butterflies: Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Large White, Small Copper and a Cinnabar moth.  Jackie Hart.