A small band of brave souls met for this walk but the weather was against us with strong wind and blustery showers, sometimes hail. We were all glad of hats and gloves.
We quickly picked up our first handful of birds, a few hardy swallows, a group of linnets, pied wagtail and sparrows. We did a short loop (having to shelter for several showers) down to the brook, up and along above the fields, which produced our first yellowhammer and we enjoyed watching several from then on over Throwleigh Common to Shilstone Tor. Sightings included the young robin as pictured, redpoll, mistle thrush, a family of ravens, stonechat, sky lark and pipit. Once at Shilstone Tor, we left the moorland edge down lanes, fields and tracks past Shilstone, and Forder, where we watched a handsome male siskin, along DeveLane where blackcap sang but stayed well hidden, and back via Throwleigh to the cars. The weather was not kind, but despite that we had 41 species seen and heard.
Many thanks to Mary Wallis for leading the group
