Wellacre Country Park

Chiffchaff, Jack Lane

I'm occasionally asked why I don't do my birdwatching at dawn, which can be very productive even outside the breeding season with its dawn chorus. The plain fact is that dawn's usually when I'm finally getting to sleep, which is bad enough at Midsummer but this time of year is a dead nuisance. After two nights running where I heard the 0722 train arrive at the station before I dropped off I was all for lolling about drinking too much tea and not doing any housework but eventually I had to admit I'll soon be spending all my time moaning about the weather so I'd best make use of a nice day while it was on offer.

Meanwhile, in the back garden, I'd filled the bird feeders yesterday but only the blue tits and great tits were taking advantage. The house sparrows have been keeping a very low profile, in fact I've hardly seen any of them down our road all week. Perhaps they're keeping out of the way of the turf war between the magpies and parakeets. The magpies are very disgruntled that the parakeets are using their roost tree and are making so much noise about it and are making almost as much noise to show their displeasure.

Wellacre Wood 

I got the 256 into Flixton and walked into Wellacre Wood. Not much was calling attention to itself save the parakeets in the treetops and the robins singing to establish their Winter territories. A mixed tit flock by the school included a dozen great tits.

Normal service resumed as soon as possible 

It was reassuring to see puddles on the paths by the fields even though I'll spend all Winter cursing them. A few goldfinches twittered in the hawthorns, carrion crows and magpies rummaged about in the fields and a robin sang from the hedgerow. The swallows and martins have moved on.

Chiffchaff

A Cetti's warbler sang at the Jack Lane end of the nature reserve. I had to dodge the Southern hawkers patrolling the path and for some reason the big hoverflies found me attractive. The large mixed tit flock in the reedbeds included half a dozen very vocal juvenile chiffchaffs and a blackcap.

Woodpigeon

Dutton's Pond was quiet, I only saw a moorhen and a coot.

Robins sang in the bushes on Green Lane. The mixed tit flock moved quietly through the willows by the path to Carrington Road, the great tits making themselves conspicuous, the blue tits, long-tailed tits and a chiffchaff keeping under cover.

A chiffchaff squeaked and goldfinches twittered in the elderberry bushes by the river on Carrington Road. There was nothing on the river at Flixton Bridge. A quiet end to a pleasant walk.