Ashdown Finch Fest!

 So today we decided to head up to Ashdown Forest, Old Lodge Nature Reserve is one of our favourite walks so that was the destination, rumours of an early Redstart and large numbers of Redpolls an extra pull, didn't get there that early, Margie getting up early is a bit like a Party Political broadcast, there are lots of promises, lots of claims of action, but very little actually happens!! Still we got to Old Lodge just before 8 o'clock! Margie stated in reply that I get up "unreasonably early", tell that to the birds😲!! Was a very cold wind in the Car Park, Margie had made a rookie error in forgetting her gloves I gallantly offered mine (in the full knowledge they were miles to big 😉) she compounded her error by going with the fleece/waterproof combo rather than the big winter coat and consequently suffered hypothermia just after leaving the Car Park! (well that's what it sounded like!😳). A birder who was just leaving said there were a lot of Redpolls about and a couple of flocks of Crossbills which was encouraging! 

Note today's excuse for the poor quality pictures is the grey overcast conditions which has resulted in me having to lighten a lot of the pics to reveal detail, if only I knew what I was doing!!!😢😱😲

Out on the reserve the firsts birds encountered was a very noisy Coal Tit and an equally vocal Chiffchaff. 

Coal Tit

Chiffchaff

Some lovely views from the top path even on this grey old day!

View by Margie

As we walked along the top path some groups of Redpolls were flying around calling but not settling, then the chupp-chupp call came as a small group of Crossbills flew into some dead trees, they appeared to be dropping down to a puddle on the ground to drink, unfortunately the puddle was in a dip so couldn't get pictures so concentrated on the birds in the tree whilst taking pictures of two distant birds Margie pointed out there was one in a tree right next to us, what would I do without her!!!

Fairly distant Female

Crossbill

Flock was about 10 strong 

The Redpolls were still flighty but a few touched down as did some Linnets.

Lesser Redpoll

Linnet

We headed down to the stream, couple of Stonechats in this area, a flock of Long-tailed Tits and more Linnets! We also had several Willow Warblers calling along this stretch!

Linnet

Stonechat

Pony, to my relief and Margie's disappointment they were on the other side of the fence today!!

Tree by Margie

View by Margie

Margie's take on the Ponies

We followed the path around the edge of the reserve, couple of Treecreepers, more flocks of Redpoll, Linnets and Chaffinch flying about but not landing, we eventually found a small flock of Redpoll feeding in a Birch tree, though the light was even worse here!! A Raven was being mobbed by a crow here getting a taste of it's own medicine!!

Lesser Redpoll

Raven

Crow mobbing the Raven

Treecreeper

Treecreeper

Whilst taking pics of the Redpolls I noticed a bird that was much larger than the others, bear in mind here they were all pretty much silhouettes, dreams of a Mealy or even an Arctic flittered through my mind!! Probably the first time I've ever been disappointed to see a Brambling!!!😃 At this point Margie found something cute, she can't help herself!!

Brambling stubbornly refusing to be an Arctic Redpoll 😢

Brambling

Rabbit by Margie

She also found some interesting trees and a nice view.

This tree looks how my back feels most of the time!!

Some of the pines have been cleared here creating a nice view point!

Talking of interesting trees, a bit further on we came upon a couple of birders intently studying a distant tree trying to string a twisted bit of wood into a Nightjar, this is stringing on an Evans type scale,but in their defence I could see where they were coming from😀😂😂

To be fair at distance you can see how it does look a bit Nightjar like, put it this way in June at Twilight I could be tempted😀😀😀 

So we made our way back to the car it was blooming cold but had been an enjoyable couple of hours, no sign of any, Redstarts, Tree Pipits, Dartford Warblers or Woodlarks not a real surprise bit early for the first two and any DW's would sensibly have their heads down in this wind although I was desperately trying to make a small bird flitting about in the heather into a Dartford when Margie piped up isn't that a Wren call, yep move on!! I feel her "I'm not a birder" catch phrase needs revising!!!,I was also a bit disappointed not to get a Woodlark usually get a flyover at Old Lodge at least!!

Goldfinch

Linnets

Gorse close up

 

Gorse by Margie another couple of weeks when this is fully out there are going to be some fantastic views up on the forest!!

So that was the that and we headed home, stopping to pick up some supplies from Plawhatch Farm Shop, this was a bit of a mistake, compounded by the shops Covid policy which meant I had to go in on my own, (I'm not usually allowed to shop on my own😢) we needed a couple of Peppers and some Broccoli, though it turned out we needed, Almond Croissants, Hot Cross Buns, Haloumi, Chocolate Buttons, several kinds of veg, Brie, a large Sourdough loaf  and two Meat Pies!! £53 later we are heading home as my regular reader knows a couple of years ago we decided to only eat Organic Food, mainly because of a hatred of pesticides and what intensive farming has done to the countryside, Plawhatch Organic farm shop is basically heaven on earth!!!!