The "Posh" End

It was a reasonable afternoon for a short walk, so I decided to familiarize myself with the area around Bestwood Lodge, which is now a posh looking hotel - it's not that posh, though!

I walked along the path behind Warren Hill seeing lots of Chaffinch at their stronghold, the garden next to Big Wood School Field. There were also Great Tit, Blue Tit and a single Coal Tit there too. Walking on towards the lodge, I stopped around the Main Gate. One tree here attracted lots of attention with all four of the commoner tits, a couple of Goldcrest, two Nuthatch and one Treecreeper. With good views of all, it was typical that I'd left the video camera at home. I didn't realize at the time, but this was just by the tree I'd seen and filmed my first Nuthatch in the park.

This area seemed to be that of the Three Ponds that the experienced birder was describing to me on Saturday - to me it's more like a small bog, though. Anyway, after fifteen minutes or so here, I went on to the lodge area in the hope of seeing some woodpeckers. At this time of day I wasn't going to have much luck with anything other than a timid Jay at the back of the housing estate, but at least I've become more familiar with the area.

On the way back it was starting to rain and not much was around. A single Dunnock was at the side of the path in a woodpile with a Robin. Lots of Chaffinch and tits were still at the corner of the school field, but the light was fading, so didn't stop to look. A little past here a noise above caught my attention and looked up to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker. In the trees by the exit there were about ten Goldfinch and a single Greenfinch - it seemed the rain had brought them into the trees from the nearby gardens. In all I managed 21 species; mainly woodland birds, with good views of the Treecreeper and Goldcrest.