The Bird Walk took place on the morning of 19 January, a grey cold day with some four inches of lying snow which had fallen the day before. Fourteen people participated, and the 22 species listed below were recorded. This was five fewer than on the previous Winter Walk. The numbers of winter thrushes (Redwing and Fieldfare) were notably lower than in recent winters (and had been so for some weeks), as were the numbers of gulls. As on all walks over the previous year, it was noted that there is now a sizeable colony of House Sparrows on South Stoke Road. The Buzzard flying over A was noted both at the beginning and the end of the walk: previously we have seen this species only near Dean Farm (where it is regular). An exceptionally large number of Red Kites was noted over the far side of Hilltop Field at the end of the walk: at one point at least 37 individual birds were counted.
Pheasant (C)
Red Kite (A, B)
Buzzard (A, C)
Kestrel (C)
Herring Gull (C)
Woodpigeon (A, C)
Green Woodpecker (C)
Jay (A)
Magpie (A, C)
Jackdaw (B, C)
Rook (C)
Carrion Crow (A)
Blue Tit (A, B)
Great Tit (A, C)
Nuthatch (A, C – including three in tree by Dean Farm)
Wren (A, C)
Blackbird (A, B, C)
Fieldfare (C – single bird!)
Redwing (C – single bird!)
Robin (A, B)
House Sparrow (A )
Chaffinch (A, B)