Ashley Warren / Nuthanger Down: 23 rd.

Transcription

1 Ashley Warren / Nuthanger Down: 23 rd. 11 attended on a mild but increasingly breezy autumnal morning that soon saw us high on the downs overlooking Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire to the north, Highclere Castle and Beacon Hill to the west, the mist covered hills and coast to the south and the more widely known Watership Down to the east; the earlier arrivals having already seen a pair of Raven over the latter and Red Kite off over the farmland to the west. On gathering two Red Kite were noted to the south, Skylark were obvious as they chased one another over the nearby downside fields and the first fly-overs of the trip were recorded, Goldfinch and Chaffinch. Moving off under the protection of the Beech the effect of the recent dry weather was noted, a lack of fungi, except a stricken bracket, being obvious on the mature trees fringing the track. Chaffinch moved up off the track while others were dropping in to the canopy, their building numbers again something commented upon. A distant Black-headed Gull remained no more than a flying sliver of cleanliness against the dirt of the fields while a Red Kite was distant off over the lower ground, three however showing far more closely in the valley where the wind was allowing birds to sometimes hang almost motionless. A dew pond though now devoid of water yielded many table decoration Teasel, the mass of vegetation again highlighting the lack of precipitation recently and the possible end of this one water source on the downs. Starling were moving low over the downs, all westwards and seemingly intent on getting somewhere. The same appeared to be the case for c.15 Golden Plover rapidly moving southwards, however, they flew behind a handful of Beech and were never seen again, their expected exit from behind the trees never happening! Moving out on the exposed arable farmland covering much of the higher downs Skylark became obvious, perhaps two dozen, or more, being seen and heard as they worked the gradually greying skies. Chaffinch were on the move about the now more sparsely sited Beech, Greenfinch sat atop distant skeletal boughs and Linnet moved up from the low-growing Rape. Buzzard joined the Red Kite in the valley, several of the latter dropping down to the field, both adult and immature, to presumably feed on invertebrates.

2 Red Kite Milvus milvus Two of the more notable sightings of the day Red Kite and Flint! Pheasant, Yellowhammer and Meadow Pipit also were on the move, all heading off from amongst the crops, while a distant flock of thrush were seen to be Fieldfare, their flashing underwing standing out against the darkening hillside and woodland; the first of these to be seen in the late year by many of those present. A Green Woodpecker flew low and was seen by just the lucky. Skylark surrounded us as we neared the hill fort, the summer flowers there having all but gone now, an occasional umbellifer, campion, speedwell or cranesbill adding colour to the all encompassing blanket of gone-over grass. Lingering to look out across the A34 to Beacon Hill, just climbers visible and none of the already spoken of migrant Ring Ouzel, the now clearer skies to the south and the vast array of wood and farmland to the north, further Red Kite were picked up almost wherever you looked, five Red-legged Partridge trotted up a field edge and two Kestrel were separately seen hunting over and drifting about the exposed fields. A field way below held a loose flock of grounded Lesser Black-backed Gull, the next a far more mobile collection of Black-headed while ears instead of eyes picked up Long-tailed Tit in one of the closer stretches of woodland. A field of short grass on the southern slope of the downs had encouraged further gulls to alight, an adult Herring joining the more expected Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed. From here three male Yellowhammer flew towards us, the late morning sunlight showing off their chrome yellow feathering before they dropped out of view. The Skylark were also, again, obvious here with yet more singing and chasing low over the flint encrusted fields, another two dozen or so seemingly the only inhabitants of this habitat.

3 Moving down the southern slope of the downs some brief shelter was found behind woodland, three chattering Fieldfare moving off from this. The lack of fruit on the hawthorn etc. here was commented upon, the thrushes presumed to have dropped in for a re-fuel. Further shelter provided a confiding flock of Long-tailed Tit, singing and alarming Wren, an on-the-wing geometer sp. and a high-flying Red Admiral; the last quite possibly the last butterfly to be seen on an Outdoor Meeting this year. Continuing along the woodland edge had a Red-legged Partridge hastily exiting from the sparse Beech and Spruce, the garish game feeders under the trees looking incongruous among the autumnal colours. The end of the outward walk brought us to a corner of the woodland and in to the teeth of the strengthening south / south-easterly wind, further Red Kite and Buzzard again being seen over both the close and distant woodland. Lingering here saw the flock of Long-tailed Tit catch up with us, before migrating across to the next tract of woodland, 16 of them flying low over the increasingly windswept fields. A Brown Hare burst from the woodland and hared off down the hill, the only animal seen until on returning a loping Roe Deer moved from one woodland edge to another. The deer was seen as the Group briefly split, several lingering to look over the sheltered woodland previously noted. Coal, Great and Coal Tit had replaced the Longtails, Bullfinch joining the Chaffinch and Goldcrest remaining hidden in the upper reaches of the conifers. Two Great Spotted Woodpecker moved off over an adjacent field, presumably local but just possibly migrants moving through. A Calling Dunnock was the last of the common species to be added here, Blackbird, Robin and Wren being noted earlier. More unexpected was a Hornet that flew past, still to be seen some hundreds of yards away as it crested the hill! Skylark continued to surround the Group on moving back up over the downs, the occasional Yellowhammer or Meadow Pipit being seen among them.

4 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella Mr. & Mrs. Red Kite also maintained their presence and the number seen began to blur, none being wing-tagged and so immediately identifiable, though immature and adult, tidy and tatty birds were seen; the sun at times really highlighting the colours of both flying and settled birds. Red Kite Milvus milvus One of the many! A further burst of colour was provided by a single late-flowering Harebell, this bringing focus on to the pathside banks, which were riddled with vole-type holes and runs. Shortly before returning to the cars a Raven dropped to a field, looking huge, but hardly ominous, even though there was nothing else close to hand to compare it with. This lingered, as did its partner on a nearby pylon, two Red Kite, a Buzzard and their escort of smaller crows suddenly appearing in the buffeting wind behind them a rather suitable way on which to end the walk. One of the Group however lingered a little longer about the hill fort: On the north side of the fort, the ground slopes very steeply and abruptly and is rough pasture with scattered Hawthorns. There I found a dozen Greenfinches and a similar no. of Goldfinches and around 7 Linnets loosely associating with around 35 Yellowhammers. Plenty of Skylarks about, too. 1 Buzzard in a dead tree nearby. The Blackbird I saw, far down the slope, refused to develop a white crescent on its breast. I found 3 Redwings scoffing berries. Five Mistle Thrush also being on the northern slope.

5 The Scorpion Fly was on the gate half way down the road through the beech hanger, below where we were parked. There was a major movement of Harlequin Ladybirds there, in the warm, calm air and scores flew past as I watched, some landing on me and others on every other available surface. There was a dozen, or so on the gate post; perhaps looking for hibernation sites The species recorded: Redwing Turdus iliacus Surrounded by a late lunch! Blackbird Black-headed Gull Blue Tit Bullfinch Buzzard Carrion Crow Chaffinch Coal Tit Dunnock Fieldfare Goldcrest Golden Plover Goldfinch Great Spotted Woodpecker Great Tit Green Woodpecker Greenfinch Herring Gull Jackdaw Jay Kestrel Lesser Black-backed Gull Linnet Long-tailed Tit Magpie Meadow Pipit Mistle Thrush Pheasant Raven Red Kite Red-legged Partridge Redwing Robin Rook Skylark Woodpigeon Wren Yellowhammer

6 Also: Brown Hare Common Storksbill Germander Speedwell Harebell Harlequin Ladybird Hogweed Hornet Ragwort Red Admiral Roe Deer Scorpion Fly White Dead-nettle Yarrow Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis A particularly unusual portrait of this aptly named fly

7 Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis Mr. & Mrs.