Prawle Point

Prawle Point

Saturday, October 8^th 2011

A small car load met up at the Barn Owl on a very grey morning. Leader Richard became chauffeur Richard. We arrived and the chauffeur became leader again. About the first bird we saw was a Cirl Bunting on a telegraph wire. We did not expect to see one actually in the village but there it was. There were also several House Sparrows chirping around, which was good to see. There were Swallows swooping overhead, about to go to warmed climes. We also saw that often overlooked bird, the Collared Dove. We were joined by Mary, who came independently, and off we went.

We saw a Grey Heron on the pond so went to check it out and see if there were any other birds there. Nothing there, but the Heron. Then we went off down the lane towards Pig’s Nose valley. There were small flocks of Goldfinches and Linnets flying over the fields, and Skylarks were singing their hearts out. There were lots of birds around making contact calls and were very difficult to see as there was a lot of thick ivy and the leaves were still on most the bushes. We managed most the usual suspects, Robins, Tits, Wrens and so forth, and heard a Chiffchaff. We saw a Kestrel hovering, and then a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a Crow. We had good views of Yellowhammers in several places, those pretty bright yellow streaked birds. We saw a Buzzard, behaving very much like a Kestrel, hovering, and there was a great debate as to what it was, but the size and colour gave it away. We had excellent views of Wheatears, on posts at the side of the footpath, and in the neighbouring field.

We carried on down the track, past the lower car park, and had lunch in the field below it, almost sitting in the sun. Blackcaps were heard in a shrubbery, and more Yellowhammers and Cirl Bunting. We watched Gannets diving out to sea. There was a group of Oystercatchers in the rock edge, but no ducks, and a single Curlew. Also there were a few Stonechats around, often sitting on the top of gorse bushes, as is their wont.

It was a lovely day out, and was surprisingly warm. We saw over 40 species which is a lot for that area. Thank you Richard for all your hard work. It was encouraging to see so many Cirl Buntings, which are obviously thriving there, the conservationists in that area have good reason to be proud of their work.

Number of species seen: 46

Ann Crawford

Birds seen, in BOU order or alphabetic order

BOU order

Pheasant

Gannet

Cormorant

Shag

Grey Heron

Sparrowhawk

Buzzard

Kestrel

Peregrine

Oystercatcher

Curlew

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Stock Dove

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Magpie

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Raven

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Sky Lark

Swallow

House Martin

Chiffchaff

Blackcap

Wren

Starling

Blackbird

Robin

Stonechat

Wheatear

Dunnock

House Sparrow

Pied Wagtail

Meadow Pipit

Rock Pipit

Chaffinch

Greenfinch (Heard only)

Goldfinch

Linnet

Yellowhammer

Cirl Bunting

Alphabetic order