During the weekend, notes were made of the birds
seen. Hike Parker's report is appended.
Roy Masefield
Note on the Birds seen on the Bristol Trip:
By Monday, the 28th May, the party had seen
or heard 52 different species of birds. There were
few birds about when we visited Aust Cliff, however
members did see a heron in flight near the Severn
Bridge. Near the lunch site, blackcaps were heard in
full song. The Barnhill Quarry provided nesting sites
for jackdaws and starlings. It was here that we
heard the Chiff chaff and willow warbler. Later on
in the day at Tortworth Copse a nightingale was heard.
On Sunday, 27th May, at Portishead, a lesser
Whitethroat was heard singing from the cliff face.
Dundry Hill provided the first kestrel noted. At
Kilmersdon Colliery tip, which seemed to dominate
the fields nearby, a tree pipit was seen and heard
singing from the top of an oak tree; Nearby a green
woodpecker uttered its plaintive 'yaffle'.
Monday — Cheddar Gorge — here there were too
many cars for attention to be paid to the birds. In
contrast, at Ebbor Gorge we noted some of the best
bird song of the weekend, robins, chiff chaffs,
goldcrest, song thrush, blackbird, blackcap and
willow warbler.
During the weekend we visited many different
habitats, and a total of 52 birds was a good reward
for such an interesting weekend. One bird that was
only notiiced three times was the cuckoo.
Mike Parker
Page 23