Christine's walking & birds blog

Combe

Greger is almost back to full fitness, but as I'm still not completely well I'll continue to post bad pictures (there's logic there somewhere). We set off on a clockwise round of the route, hearing at least four willow warblers singing on Walbury Hill.

A mixed finch flock was flying around but the birds were high and difficult to see; there were chaffinches and goldfinches, and I was pleased to get my first redpoll on a Combe walk.

Along Sheepless Hill a garden warbler was singing in the hedgerow (another first for the route) and I managed a glimpse of the bird as it made its way slowly through the bushes picking off insects. A blackcap was singing nearby for comparison.

Here are two of three ring ouzels, feeding on the scrubby slopes south of Combe Gibbet.

Greger had already returned to the car and was too tired to walk back to the road; however, with the bins he was able to see all three birds from the car park. A great end to the walk.