A walk around the top and bottom of Coombes Edge this afternoon 14:00 - 17:00.
I thought I would check out the area where the three pools are near Far Coombes. This is from where I heard a Cuckoo call last week.
As I descended from near the top, I thought I heard a single Cuckoo call, then as I approached, a largish grey bird flushed from one of the small Hawthorn trees.
Bingo ! 1 Cuckoo !!
It flew a short distance and landed in another Hawthorn. I didn't see it again. I hung around for a while and noted the following:
2 Stonechat (pair m & f) 2 Redstart (fem or possibly juveniles) 2 Chaffinch 1 Robin 1 Redpoll 3 Tufted Duck (2m, 1f on one of the pools) 10 Canada Geese
On top of the Edge: Swifts in good numbers Skylarks 1 Wheatear
A walk up to Coombes Edge yesterday 13:30 - 16:00.
Cuckoo heard calling briefly down below the Edge from the vicinity of the small pools. A noisy battle between two Canada Geese then ensued and I didn't hear it again.
Seeing the Edge from Ludworth I've been meaning to frequent the area a bit more, managed to get over their yesterday afternoon and walked a small circular. Parked up on Gun Road and headed up the picking Rod path over the edge, came back along the bottom past Coombes farm and then over the fields back to Far Slack farm.
Highlight was a small family of Stonechat, 1m, 1f and 2 possibly 3 Juvenile.
Other than that;
A few small parties of Swift along the edge with the odd Swallow mixed in. 4 Pied Wagtail 2 Redpoll 1 Raven 4 Mistle Thrush 6 Willow Warbler 1 Siskin a number of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.
