Eyeworth Pond and Woods

A sunny and mild morning. Highlights were Mandarin Ducks, Grey Wagtail and Fallow Deer.

Eyeworth Pond is next to the small car park and there were plenty of Mallard, a few Coot and Moorhen and a male Mandarin that could be seen in the shrubbery of the island. A male Gadwall was sitting asleep at the front of the island and behind him were another male and two females. It is quite unusual to see Gadwall on such a small pond. A Carrion Crow came hoping down as we watched, hoping for some food and as we turned to leave the pond a Red Admiral butterfly flew past and over the pond – a November butterfly!
We walked up towards Fritham and then down a track towards Islands Thorn Inclosure. Dennis spotted a Redwing as we walked down and we heard a Treecreeper, but couldn’t see it. Further along a few of us saw a Fallow Deer on a woodland ride before it quickly disappeared. We made it out onto the heath where we hoped to see a Great Grey Shrike that had been here for a week or two, but no amount of scanning and searching could find it. We did see a Mistle Thrush fly over and 3 Pied Wagtails on the roof of a small building. As we walked across the heath we saw a few Meadow Pipits, 1 Stonechat, several Carrion Crows and heard a Wren. A caterpillar of the Fox moth crossed our path too. Just before we went back into the woods we saw a few Blackbirds, a Great Tit and 2 Robins.
The walk back through the woodland was great with the golden and ginger colours looking their best in the low autumnal sunshine. We saw a Grey Wagtail on a wet track and a herd of Fallow Deer crossed the track ahead of us. Apart from a Blue Tit seen and Robin and Wren heard when I pished, the woodland was very quiet. We were, however, amazed to see a few Lesser Celandine, Creeping Buttercup and Lesser Spearwort in flower along damp woodland rides.
Back at Eyeworth pond the Mandarins were out in full view, 2 males and a female and there were a few Great Tits, Chaffinches and Marsh Tit about.
Simon Curson.