This glorious balmy morning was bound to swell numbers of participants and so 21 of us set out for Highoredish with Paul Beard , our leader , to the fore. We were not the only ones abroad in the sunshine , every ivy patch yielding it’s nectar to a host of flies and wasps .Comma , Red Admiral and possibly a Painted Lady were also on the wing .
Birding aside it was a day for lingering to admire the autumn colours in the undulating landscape , spotting fungi in the wet grass ( at least a dozen species ) , and viewing distant church spires and landmarks on reaching our destination .
As usual the initial reaction was ” there’s not much about ” but the tally rose as did we !! Buzzards circling below us near Clattercotes , flights of migrant Redwings and Fieldfares , and a flock of approximately 18 Yellowhammers were perhaps the highlights . The species count for the main walk was 32 boosted to 40 as a couple of folk diverted to the hide and another couple ambled along the West bank for a spell at the end .
Great Crested Grebe , Cormorant, Grey Heron , Mallard, Teal, Shoveler , Tufted Duck hybrid, Buzzard, Kestrel , Pheasant , Moorhen , Lapwing ,Common Snipe , Black-headed Gull , Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove , Pied Wagtail ,Wren ,Dunnock , Robin ,Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbird , Long-tailed Tit , Blue Tit , Great tit , Coal Tit , Nuthatch , Jay , Magpie , Jackdaw , Rook , Carrion Crow , House Sparrow , Starling ,Bullfinch ,Chaffinch , Goldfinch , Yellowhammer ,
Plants still in flower : Ivy, Daisy, Water – lily , Shepherd’s purse , Mouse-ear Chickweed, Bramble , Hogweed, Betony, Harebell, White and Red Clover , Herb Robert, Scabious , Dandelion , Hawkbit , Buttercup, Gorse .
Jennifer Johnson