Happy New Year. Welcome to 2020 part II
Being in Tier Four of the current Corona Virus restrictions, this year was a good time to finally do a 'Bird Race'. I'd always wanted to do one, the challenge being see how many different bird species you can spot in a set time period. On other New Years Day's I've been out, kickstarting the 'year list', but have always driven to prosperous places in an aim to get a good number on the board on Day 1 of the year.
Setting the challenge on social media, the really basic rules were - see how many species you can log, between 7am and 5pm, all on foot. Simple enough?
My Yearlist for Boxford, where I now live again since June 2020, reached 62. Not amazing, most seen with naked eye, rather than binoculars. This '62' included summer visitors, so I wasn't expecting to get much more than a hopeful 40 species. Identifying a big lake on a golf course in Speen as a possible addition to the places I could walk to, I set off around 11 am. After seeing off a small hangover and checking my own feeders in my garden.
On the feeders, the first birds I saw for 2021 was a pair of Collared Dove, followed by a Blackbird, Dunnock, Great Tit, Robin, Blue Tit and my old mate, the Coal Tit, who I've become quite fond of over this winter. A small bird who takes no crap from any other bird.
Laying on my bed, before finding the enthusiasm to get out there I picked up House Sparrows, Woodpigeon and a female Great Spotted Woodpecker on next door's feeders. They all count.
The first port of call outside was the graveyard and church in Boxford, full of yew trees and a river running through it, its somewhere I like to spend time, every time I walk past.
Chaffinch, Nuthatch, Mallard on the river, Pheasant in the meadow with a Green Woodpecker, and finally spotted a Goldcrest in one of the yew trees. A Greenfich was also eventually spotted, after hearing one and not being able to locate it for a while. It was a tricky day today, gloomy conditions meaning the birds were heavily silhouetted on the skyline. Red Kite and Goldfinch also added from the graveyard.
Next stop, Boxford Common which I hoped would produce the scandinavian visitors and hopefully a tree creeper.
The fields down the track offered a few Skylark, and a big flock of Meadow Pipits. Jackdaw, Magpie, Carrion Crow and both Redwing and Fieldfare added from here.
As soon as Id walked up the hill and got in to Boxford Common I picked up Treecreeper, Marsh Tit and Bullfinch. Easy eh! A nice bushy fox disappeared in to the scrub, a Buzzard over and a Song Thrush here too. Next stop, Bagnor, via the Common and open fields.. Misty murky weather meant spotting stuff over the hills was hard to say the least.
Bagnor and the River Lambourn and lake inside Donnington golf course offered Moorhen, Wren, Jay, Mute Swan, Coot, Black Headed Gull, Tufted Duck, Gadwall (wasnt expecting that), a pair of Mistle Thrush chasing each other around the trees, Grey Wagtail pair around the lake edge and a Little Grebe, Grey Heron and Canada Goose by the lake edge.
Stopping for something to eat, out of my rucksack, next plan was to head to Speen to try and get a Starling, a bird that is surprisingly hard to spot in or around Boxford. I had to walk to Speen Lane to finally see one. Still no pied wagtail or long tailed tits though. Noticeable absentees..
After Speen, and six miles walked, it was time to head homeward, via a brief look on the small river that runs from Winterbourne. No Kingfisher or Little Egret yet.
The walk back along the bridleway threw up a Kestrel, a pair of Red Legged Partridge in the old barley field and some feral pigeons by Bagnor Manor.
Spent a bit of time by the river, close to Priddles Farm on the Lambourn Raod. I think I saw a GW Egret here two days ago, but was distant so couldn't tell for sure. And sadly didn't see it at all today. I did hear a Water Rail. The only bird I heard today but didn't see.
The river doesnt have much open access along this stretch, so it's hard to see what on it. I was listening out for missing birds like Stock Dove or a Kingfisher, or finally some Long Tailed Tits, but no luck today. A speck of white through the overgrowth turned in to a Little Egret, finally. and that was that. 50 species seen. I kept an ear out for the Tawny Owls, but they've been quiet today.
So, all in all a good day out. Five hours on the feet and nearly ten miles walked. Fifty different species of bird seen. Home for some food. Happy with a how the day went.
