SS15 wildlife watching: Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve

Wednesday 14 April 2021

Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 14th April 2021

Date: 14th April 2021

Time: from 8:50 a.m.

Weather: dry, hazy sunshine/sunny, light wind, 3°C to 10°C

After the amazing sighting of a male Pied Flycatcher at my local patch site around St. Nicholas Church (see here), I couldn’t help myself but take a quick walk up there again this morning before making my way to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of the Pied Flycatcher so hopefully he is winging his way safely to an oak woodland somewhere in mid-Wales and hasn’t been predated by one of the local Sparrowhawks. I did, however, hear a singing male Blackcap and a singing male Chiffchaff and had a very good view of one of the latter in the Blackthorn bushes just along from Larkins Tyres. I also had a very good view of a loudly calling Green Woodpecker clinging to the top of one of the tall trees along the track from Larkins Tyres.

From the path from Asda to the bridge over the A127, I heard a calling and singing male Chiffchaff on the way to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve and on the way back I heard a singing male Blackcap.

And so to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve ….

There were 2 main highlights during my visit this morning.

Firstly, I heard a singing male Chaffinch in the trees just along the track from the Spanish Steps and then eventually spotted it at the top of probably the tallest tree. The sighting was my first record for the site and brought my site total for bird species to 41.

Secondly, as I walked back along the track from the Eastfield Road gate to the storage shed, I had a very brief glimpse through the trees of what I believe was a Common Buzzard given the broad and slightly upturned wings. The bird was also being harassed by 2 Carrion Crows which appeared noticeably smaller.

Unfortunately, it was by no means a confirmed sighting but what was certain was the sound of a Common Buzzard calling 3 times nearby when I was at Meadow Pond. This is my first confirmed record of the year, albeit a “heard only” one.

The presence of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs right across the whole site was very evident this morning. I saw 2 singing male Blackcaps and heard a further 7 birds (either singing males or alarm calling males/females). I also saw 5 Chiffchaffs (including 2 evident pairs) and heard a further 4 singing males.

The other bird highlights during my visit were a briefly calling Green Woodpecker when I was at Puckles Pond, a pair of Moorhens on Meadow Pond and another calling on Willow Pond and a fly-over Lesser Black-backed Gull.

I saw 4 Grey Squirrels during my visit: 1 in the trees around Meadow Pond, 1 in the Thorny Wood area, 1 in the wooded area near Puckles Pond and 1 in the trees immediately alongside the Spanish Steps.

Finally, the reserve looked beautiful this morning in the spring sunshine, not least the abundance of flowering white Blackthorn.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Blackbird

Song Thrush

Chaffinch