Avon Heath - 6th April

The weather was sunny and warm. Highlights were Sand Lizard, Swallow, Crossbill, Tree Pipit, Willow Warbler and Dartford Warbler.

The first birds we heard were Coal Tit, Great Tit and Robin singing in a few trees on the heath. A little further on there was a Chaffinch singing too. The area around a small green was very productive with a few Stonechat in the heather near there, a pair of Mistle Thrush and some Linnet feeding on the grass, Crossbills in the pines nearby and a Tree Pipit, newly arrived from the continent, singing in a birch. A Swallow flew over as we left this area. We walked around the heather on smaller paths seeing a couple of Great-spotted Woodpecker and a few more Stonechat. A couple of Dartford Warbler were singing and we got excellent views of a male singing low in a birch tree.
Walking back towards the Visitors Centre we saw more Stonechat, another Tree Pipit, heard a Redpoll singing and saw a Heron flying over. Barbara and Maggie found a couple of Roe Deer and Alan spotted a male Sand Lizard which disappeared very quickly. Just before the Visitor Centre there were a couple of Chiffchaff singing and we watched one in a Sallow bush. There must have been a good migration last night, because a newly arrived Willow Warbler started singing and joined the Chiffchaff in the same bush. On the way back to the cars 2 more Swallow flew over – summer must be here!
Simon Curson