Sunday 4 November 2012

Friday at Amwell

Had Friday off, and being a week day I hoped that it would be possible to get down to Amwell-all the level crossings are still closed, even the one at Stanstead St Margerets.
I was able to park at the old entrance to the works on Hollycross Road and walked through to the towpath and north to Tumbling Bay. It was a nice sunny day and there was a lot of activity in the woods. Several parties of tits, a few finches and thrushes, including a pair of Bullfinch. Have not seen any here for a couple of years (and my local ones seem to have vanished too).
Tumbling bay is not easy to watch without a scope-I had brought my camera and so the 1w drake Scaup proved tricky to locate as most of the diving ducks were distant. Found a couple of vantage points that gave reasonable binocular views.
Walked back down through the wood and up to the watchpoint. A few Siskins and Redpolls as usual. The water levels are slowly rising but this has not as yet led to any increase in duck numbers, and there are no reports of Goldeneye yet.
Several buzzards took advantage of the sunshine and a pair of Sparrowhawks were being mobbed over the woods.
No butterflies or dragonflies seen despite the conditions.

No comments: