Sunday, October 10, 2010
Wishmoor
After much circulating and swearing I finally managed to park at the crowded Lookout on Nine Mile Ride, and walked down through Swinley Forest to sun-drenched Wishmoor. It was a gorgeous day - perfect for exploring this area of heathland and gravelly ridges.
On the boggy Wish Stream, a flock of redpolls foraged low down in a tangle of branches.
Across the heath near the oak trees, a long-tailed white bird perched on the top of a dead pine. I crept closer and confirmed that it was a great grey shrike - a nice surprise, though not strictly self-found. I learnt of Wishmoor as a wintering site for shrikes some years ago, having twitched one here via Birdline Southeast. 
I sat on the "horse jump" and ate my sandwiches. The shrike meanwhile disappeared and then returned to the tree with something slightly less appetising. (Possibly a wireworm - Click Beetle larva).
As I wiped my mouth with my hand and the shrike wiped its bill on the tree, it seemed a bit mean to keep the find to myself, so despite my retirement I called it in and continued with my walk.
Over the border in Surrey I was passing a lonesome pine when I heard from within it a kind of repeated "chack" that didn't sound right for the stonechat I was hoping for. I then saw the silhouette of what I thought was a blackbird, got the bins onto it - and realised from the silvery wing that it was a ring ouzel!
As I stood there hardly daring to move, an answering call came from up the hill and a second bird came flying strongly towards me and swooped into the now not-so-lonesome pine.
This side of the heath was becoming busy. The ouzels had clearly been flushed from the ridge and my attentions weren't helping, so I continued with the walk and eventually found a family of stonechats.
// posted by Christine @ 11:20 AM 
