U3A Natural History Group
Field Trip 16th January 2019
The morning was bright and sunny but it was also cold and windy. From our gathering at the car park right down to the Loughshore there were lots of birds and birdsong. It started in the gardens where two Dunnocks were calling to each other and the sound was echoing around the walls and continued outside where Blue Tits and Chaffinches, Coal Tits and Great Tits shared the trees with Grey Squirrels. Greys were introduced into the UK in the 1800s. They can be damaging to Woodlands and have contributed to the decline of the Red Squirrel.
Our birds of the day were Siskin and Redpoll found feeding energetically on the tiny seeds within the Alder cones on the trees along the river. Male and female and their different plumages were visible in the good light.
Field Trip 16th January 2019
The morning was bright and sunny but it was also cold and windy. From our gathering at the car park right down to the Loughshore there were lots of birds and birdsong. It started in the gardens where two Dunnocks were calling to each other and the sound was echoing around the walls and continued outside where Blue Tits and Chaffinches, Coal Tits and Great Tits shared the trees with Grey Squirrels. Greys were introduced into the UK in the 1800s. They can be damaging to Woodlands and have contributed to the decline of the Red Squirrel.
Our birds of the day were Siskin and Redpoll found feeding energetically on the tiny seeds within the Alder cones on the trees along the river. Male and female and their different plumages were visible in the good light.
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- Siskin Male & Female
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- Redpoll Male
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- Black Capped Bob – Male
There was a good number of Grey Heron lounging about on the trees or river bank and some winter thrushes including Redwing but not the usual big flocks.
One Kingfisher was spotted and, thanks to a good shout, everyone got a glimpse of it as it zoomed upriver.
The Loughshore Coffee House did us proud with excellent coffee and scones and we returned to Clotworthy after another good day in the great outdoors.
Our Bird List for the morning was 29 species long:-
- Grey Heron
- Mute Swan
- Mallard
- Sparrowhawk
- Moorhen
- Black-headed Gull
- Common Gull
- Wood Pigeon
- Kingfisher
- Dunnock
- Robin
- Redpoll
- Goldfinch
- Siskin
- Song Thrush
- Mistle Thrush
- Redwing
- Blackbird
- Goldcrest
- Great Tit
- Coal Tit
- Blue Tit
- Long-tailed Tit
- Tree Creeper
- Magpie
- Rook
- Starling
- House Sparrow
- Chaffinch
