MORNING WALK TO PAVYOTTS MILL VIA BARWICK
WEATHER: patchy cloud, quite bright, very cold with a strong easterly wind. Temp -1 to +2C
It was a biting cold wind coming from the east that made it feel like -6C but once you were out of the wind it felt really quite pleasant especially when the sun shone. Dawn and I set off at 9am and headed off towards Barwick Village we took our usual track which led us up to Rexe’s Hollow Lane, we walked past a couple of horse paddocks where we saw a few Redwings, Blackbirds and Fieldfares. Few birds were seen in the village, in fact, generally it was very quiet, I only heard a couple of Robins throughout the whole walk to Pavyotts Lane.
It really was quite chilly today, these cows look Friesian Cold!!
Once we were on Pavyotts Lane I checked the usual cow field for Lapwings and Golden Plovers, I was expecting a good turn-out of both, but neither was there, not a single one!! The beast from the east was supposed to drive thousands of birds our way, perhaps they will arrive tomorrow?
Fieldfares in the grass
The potato field and the stubble field, a little further along the lane, were full of Redwings and Fieldfares, I also counted 9 Magpies, a few Crows and lots of Pied Wagtails. Small gangs of Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Chaffinches were also in these fields. A flock of 29 Lapwings flew over the stubble field whilst I was there.
Fieldfare with a couple of Redwings next to sugar beet plants
We decided to walk down to the Mill across a couple of fields and along a footpath which is usually quite boggy, we got into the boggy area and found it was really still quite wet with squelchy mud, Dawn gave up at this point and decided to head back. I carried on as the muddy water went over the top of one of my boots, but not much.
At the Mill I took a path through what was left of a sugar beet field, I was hoping to see Skylark, Stonechat and Reed Bunting in this area. I was 33% successful when I found a pair of Stonechats. However the cold wind had really picked and was right in my face, I didn’t stay too long my hands began to freeze (I can’t wear gloves whilst operating the camera on the phone).
a pair of Stonechats, this species became No. 62 on my February list.
I returned to Pavyotts Lane and walked back up to the stubble field with the dung heap, standing next to the heap for a while I saw Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits and a larger flock of Lapwings (50+) flew over. I heard the twittering and wheezing of a Greenfinch but could not find it in the tall trees, I did find Goldfinches which were also singing.
My journey back through Barwick and along Rexe’s Hollow Lane produce more sightings of Redwings and Fieldfares and a couple of Ravens flew over whilst a Buzzard sat in a distant tree.
The sky darkened and we had a very light sleet shower, we decided not to venture out in the afternoon it was far too cosy at home.