Since moving to Henlow my local patch has been an
area 2km x 1km around Henlow Grange, stretching from the A507 in the south to
Langford in the north, lying to the west of the East Coast main line and either
side of the River Ivel. The patch comprises a variety of habitats including
worked-out gravel, now fishing lakes, alongside the River Ivel and its
tributary the River Hiz; some woodland and parkland around the Grange plus
farmland, mainly arable, between the rivers and the railway but including some
paddocks for horse, sheep and cattle. This mix of habitats attracts a wide
range of species and in eleven years I have noted about 120 species. In 2013, I
participated in the Patchwork Challenge (http://patchworkchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/)
and recorded 111 species for my patch.
On 8 December 2013, the Bedfordshire Bird Club (BBC) came visiting.
Starting from Henlow Bridge Fishing Lakes, where we had been given permission
to park, my plan was to walk round the Lakes, then north past Henlow Grange following
the footpath over the River Ivel towards Langford, checking out the Poppy Hill
gravel pits before doing a circuit of the fields to the east and then heading
back the way we had come (just about all in tetrad TL13Z for atlassers). Shortly
after 08:30 thirteen BBC members had gathered.
The walk got off to a good start with a Sparrowhawk
flying fast and low through the car park scattering a small flock of
Goldfinches. The fishing lakes were sadly devoid of waterfowl save for a few
Mallards and Moorhens but a male Great Spotted Woodpecker landed in a lakeside
tree and posed in full view. Those at the back of the party added a female
Bullfinch as we approached the Grange while those at the front saw a Black Squirrel
(probably one-in-three of the local squirrel population are this black form).
The bridge over the River Ivel has been a reliable
site for Kingfisher and we were not disappointed, one landing just downstream
and sitting long enough for a scope to be
set up and good views had by all. A new footpath/cycle track, replacing
the previous narrow footpath, has only recently been completed along the east
side of Poppy Hill fishing lakes. From the track we viewed the pits, the duck
flock was much reduced from the numbers in the autumn, but included 32 Tufted
Duck, two Pochards and a female Gadwall and still represented a good haul for
these lakes. A Mute Swan family of two adults and two immatures were on the
northernmost pit.
Up until this point we had been largely sheltered
from the south-westerly wind, somewhat abated from the gale force winds of the
previous week but still quite brisk. Heading east across the fields we were
more exposed to the wind and this probably contributed to the small numbers of bird
noted. We did find a small flock of Linnets and Meadow Pipits plus, the
highlight for many, a couple of Corn Buntings sang from the overhead wires.
We
recorded 44 species (full list below) on our walk which is about average for
this time of year.
Special
thanks to Dave Curson of Henlow Bridge Fishing Lakes for allowing us to use
their car park.
Species
List:
Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Mallard, Gadwall,
Tufted Duck, Pochard, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Coot, Moorhen, Black-headed
Gull, Common Gull, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Great
Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied
Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Blue
Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Starling, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw,
Carrion Crow, Rook, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Corn
Bunting.
Originally published in The Hobby 132:3-4
