Dick Focks Common (Tuesday 14 March)

Thankfully, we were blessed with a windless, virtually cloudless day. This was in marked contrast to the previous Wednesday, when we cancelled a similar walk.

The conditions appeared perfect with the light being especially good for viewing across the valley to the distant conifers and very little peripheral sound to mask any birdsong, however, our eyes and ears perceived very few birds in the first couple of hours. After an hour at the viewpoint, with little more than buzzards,  we walked up the track towards a lone house and disturbed two Woodcock which took flight.

Returning to the ridge, we waited patiently and were eventually rewarded with reasonable views of Brambling, Crossbill, Raven and Siskin. The Merlin app heard Marsh Tit nearby but we could definitely only identify Coal Tit. We didn’t see any Hawfinch or displaying Goshawks, possibly due to the lack of wind, but I believe everyone enjoyed the special birds that we did see and the early Spring conditions.

By Rebecca Dunne