Nether Worton :: 19 July 2020

It was forecast dry and so Charlotte and I decided to take a bit of fresh air. I'd previously enjoyed a walk with my eldest daughter around Nether Worton and suggested we take the same route. We set off along the gated road and enjoyed butterflies to our left and right. As we passed the turn for Over Worton I suggested we look for a path that made a future circular walk in the other direction.

We walked to the end of the road and from the corner could see a family group of whitethroat flying back and forward across the road between trees on our right, and the hedge on out left. Just on from here we could hear skylark in the fields and then had a yellowhammer over. There were also a couple of warblers in the bushes by the stream but we couldn't see them well enough for an ID but think they were reed warlber.

We turned left along a track and left again to circle the hill, now passing through crops of barley. It had rained the night before and so our shoes soon started to pick up mud. As we crossed a small stream we entered a small coppice and heard a number of species of which goldcrest and blackcap we our best. The goldcrest stayed out of reach and thwarted any decent photo. We stepped out from the trees to see a jay on the wing to our right, flying along the treeline and landing in some distant trees - although we saw movement we couldn't get a good view of the bird.

We forged on an when getting back close to the gated road we had better views of yellowhammer and a skylark that was trying to draw us away from it's nest. We had more butterflies here and some interesting flying beetles.

Back onto the gated road we spotted a green woodpecker in the gardens to our right, but the sighting was only fleeting and again no photo possible.

Finally, as we approached the church, I could see two spotted flycatchers on the wires to the left side of the road. As we got closer thet flew off with one heading down the driveway of the ajoining cottage. As I reached the driveway, I was surprised to see the bird sitting waiting on the gate. I took a couple of photos before it left and then took a couple of steps forward, in hope that the bird might return. It did, not one minute later - what a confiding specimen! A magical encounter.

The species we noted (21) on our walk included: blackbird, blackcap, blue tit, buzzard, canada goose, carrion crow, goldcrest, goldfinch, great tit, green woodpecker, grey heron, jay, lesser black-backed gull, red kite, rook, skylark, spotted flycatcher, swallow, whitethroat, woodpigeon and yellowhammer.