A dozen people attended our third bird walk of the year. Led by Andy Scott and David Holland, we assembled at Childwall Lane and explored the 3 fields and the beechwood, returning via the ponds. The weather was threatening but thankfully stayed dry and pleasant. After all the recent rain the paths were muddy in places and incredibly overgrown on the two lower fields.
At this time of year with the lush foliage it is more a case of bird listening than bird watching, and for this the Merlin app is invaluable and highly recommended. There were some lovely moments as the group stood silently in various glades sound bathing in bird song.
The numbers of birds seen and heard was significantly lower than on the earlier walks – 15 rather than 25 species. This suggests that April and May are the best months for these bird walks. Already by June the pressure on birds to find a mate and hold territory is reduced – they are getting on with the business of rearing young and so they sing less.
As a result of fewer birds being visible, and because of questions from the group, the walk became more of a nature walk as we explored the site and its different habitats. Ponds, veteran trees, wildflowers, managing invasive species, the history of the site – all were topics we discussed and explored.
These walks really are a wonderful way to explore our site and to meet some friendly interesting people.