Saturday 11th April 9.00 – 11.30 am led by Keith Marston
As fifteen members gathered at the end of Stag Lane we were serenaded by a Song Thrush on a branch just 10 metres away! This was not unexpected as the What3Words description of the meeting point was offhand.bless.songbirds! Above the hum of the Biogas Plant the sound of three species of corvid could be heard, Rook, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw, all year round visitors to the heaps of organic ‘fuel’ for the plant. Jackdaw were nesting in the box on the Vestas building, and a Peregrine sat on a nest built on the east side of the building. New rookeries are establishing in two nearby copses, and birds were at the 
nests. A pair of Firecrest hold territory in the copse alongside the cycleway, and one of the birds came near. Two Blackcap were in song in the linear woodland either side of the cycleway (the Merlin App. hedging its bets by suggesting both Blackcap and Garden Warbler!). Over 100 Mediterranean Gull were seen flying from the estuary to feed on a field on Werrar Farm.
We entered Dickson’s Copse Local Nature Reserve and were pleased to see a variety of spring flowers along the track adjacent to Dodnor Creek, including bluebells, that had responded to the increased light following management of the site in the autumn. Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Robin were vocally holding territories in the Copse. Coot, Moorhen and Mallard on the Copse pond are likely to have a nest under the willows at the eastern end of the water. The oviposited egg scars of the Willow Emerald Damselfly were evident on some of the willow stems and engendered great interest from the birders!
Drama ensued on Dodnor pond when a pair of Canada Goose landed close to the Mute Swan sitting on a nest in the reeds, and the cob went on the attack, not relenting until the geese retreated to the estuary. A Reed warbler sang in the reedbed and bursts of Cetti’s warbler song came from the scrub adjacent to Dodnor pond. Three Tufted duck swam through Moorhen and Coot territories on the Pond, while 3 Swallow flew overhead heading north, and a pair of a Collared Dove and a Stock Dove made an appearance. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in adjacent trees and the only Starling of the morning sat on a telephone wire. As the walk came to an end a distant soaring Buzzard was the only raptor seen, but became the 44th species of the day.
Thanks to Keith for a most informative guided tour.
