Tuesday 9 March 2010

Another MARSH TIT survives the winter

Had a great afternoon up at Ivinghoe Beacon/Incombe Hole on Saturday. Not much around but it was just exhilarating being back up there again - it has to be my favourite local birding spot. Thought I had better check the area in case one of the wheatear arrivals had worked its way up there. Only thing moving near the sheep pens was a hare.

Sat in the sun watching a MARSH TIT feeding and calling quite close in the bushes between the car park and Incombe Hole. It really is a smart little bird. Heard bullfinch. A pair of buzzards circled over Incombe Hole and I saw two kestrels, 2 red kites and a great spotted woodpecker. At the southern (far) end of Incombe Hole were a flock of approx 20 Fieldfares. Not sure what they are finding to eat but there is ivy on the bushes so could be ivy berries. The farmer working in the field adjacent to Pitstone Hill car park attracted a large flock of gulls.

Can't wait to hear my first Willow Warbler up there or Lesser Whitethroat which I am sure bred in the bushes near the road as it was always in the same spot whenever I visited.

I still have an open mind about the possibility of redstarts breeding in the part of Ashridge which borders that area. That party of mixed juveniles and adults which stayed around Incombe Hole for quite a while in August and the beginning of September seemed to hang around longer than if they had been in the middle of migration.

Sally Douglas

No comments: