Christine's walking & birds blog

At the top of the quarry road where we turn onto the hill path, a grey-brown bird swooped into the trees and landed on a low branch, clearly aware of us watching. It was a mistle thrush (we'd seen one here on Sunday), and it seemed to have something quite large in its bill. When it turned its head to look at us, I realised with a shock that it was either a newt or a lizard - I think, the former. The bird flew further into the trees before I could get the camera out.

When we were on the hill path I filled a large plastic mineral-water bottle I'd brought with me in a stream, and when we got to the tadpole puddle I emptied it in, much to Greger's amusement. A grey-brown bird, almost certainly a mistle thrush, flew up the hill and into some conifers. We continued along the path and found that the newt puddle had dried up. Had the newts been making their way to another puddle and been pounced on by the thrush? Don't know - but it was strange that there were no newts in the tadpole puddle, where food was plentiful.