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Birds

A few of the Birds that you might see on this walk:

Birds
Goldfinch	Wren

I love these brightly coloured birds. They are often seen in small flocks. They can be seen a lot in the Autumn on this walk, getting the seeds out of the old heads of the knapweed flowers.	The wren is a very pretty wee brown bird. I can often hear it's song and chattering before I see it. They jump about the places such as piles of sticks and walls. Often appearing on the tallest part to see what is going on.
Blue tit	Robin

A pretty wee bird. Easy to spot with it's bright colour. They jump and flit about the twigs of trees often hanging upside down to get to their food.	Our robin is a very familiar bird and very easy to get a lovely photo of. You can hear them and see them all year round but they are more noticeable in the winter with their bright colours and songs.
Heron	Great tit

The heron is a large tall bird. I usually see them at the water but also the farm fields, they eat rodents as well as fish. They stand extremely still and quiet for a long time while waiting to catch something.	The great tit is a bigger bird than the blue tit. You can tell it by the thick black line down it's front. You can hear their alarm calls when near them.
Kingfisher	Blackbird

The beautiful kingfisher is stunning and a real treat to see. Mostly I see just a flash of electric blue zooming along, low down the banks of the river as they speed past. Occasionally I am lucky enough to see them sitting. They sit on a perch often a small branch or twig and wait to catch a fish then dive with an incredible force and power.	Blackbirds can be seen often pecking away among the ground leaves for food. They have a lovely bright yellow ring around their eye that matches their beak colour. If you hear loud rustling under the hedges and bushes it is often a blackbird.
Yellowhammer	Magpie

There are often a number of yellowhammers together in the same area. They are easy to see with their bright yellow colour. Usually one will be at the top of the small trees and bushes looking out. They have a distinctive song.	I never used to see magpies around here. Now they are quite common. Although they look black and white they actually have a beautiful blue on them as well.
Long tailed tit	Woodpecker

The long tailed tits flit around from twig, branch and tree to tree in flocks. They have small bodies with a pink tinge to them and tails that are longer than their bodies. They are difficult to get a photo of as they are often high up in the trees and rarely stay still for long.	I often hear woodpeckers but they are harder to see, often high up in the trees. The best way to spot them is when they fly to the next tree as their bright colours catch the eye. The ones I see on this walk are greater spotted woodpecker they have bright red on them.
Buzzard	Coal tit

The buzzards have a very distinctive whistling call. When you hear it look up in the sky and you will most probably see a buzzard soaring above.	The coal tit is a lovely wee bird, smaller and not so colourful as some of the others.
Chaffinch	Sandpiper

The chaffinch is a beautiful bird. The one in this photo is the male which has brighter colours than the browner female. I am always surprised to see the patch of green that is on it's back between where it's wings are folded.	In the summer you can see the sandpipers. They have a sharp pitched 3 whistle call. They are seen at the water edges often on a small rock or log.
Mute swan	Oyster catcher

It is lovely to see the swans on this walk. There aren't many but we often get a nesting pair. They are mostly mute swans here, although I have seen a whooper swan. The one in the picture, with it's orange bill is a mute swan. Although they don't make a honking noise like other swans, if you listen you can hear them making whistling sounds to each other with the young and hissing when danger is about.	For a few months you can see and hear the oyster catchers with their loud calls and brightly coloured bill and legs.