Spring Bird Walk
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Saturday 2nd May, 2026
Sunshine and no wind is always a good start to a bird walk, but you can never be sure that the expected birds will actually appear. Thirteen of us walked from the Oxleas cafe towards the lower path of Jackwood. Very few birds were visible out in the open, other than the common and noisy Ring Necked Parakeets. As we approached the woods we could hear several birds. The song of Blackcap warblers were mixed with the calls of Chiffchaff, Wren and Dunnock. Alas views were limited and fleeting.
A Dunnock, which used to be called a Hedge Sparrow, provided a good view.
Views were also had of several Blue and Great Tits. There were also several sightings of Stock Doves. These are often overlooked and mistaken for Feral or Wood Pigeons. However, they have no white on their neck and have dark rather than red eyes.
A distant view of the tiny Chiffchaff was had but not close enough to see it's subtle features. This bird has a variety of calls but is easily identified when it repeatedly calls out it's name.
Throughout the walk there were views of Carrion Crows, Magpies and of course the ever present Ring Necked Parakeets. There was also a fleeting view of the most elegant member of the Crow family, the Jay.
Through a gap in the canopy a keen eyed group member spotted some distant Herring Gulls. On viewing with binoculars it was also clear that there was a Common Buzzard up there as well.
The walk showed the importance of sound in identifying woodland birds in the spring. It also proved the value of using a bird call / song identifier app on a mobile phone such as Merlin. But most of all it proved, yet again, that despite being at the right location at the right time, there is an element of blind luck in getting good views of birds.
Pictures are stock images from Pixabay.
TheOtherKev Parakeet, Dunnock, Chiffchaff and Jay
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