CBC Evening Walk - 18th May 2010 - Coombes Valley RSPB

Twelve club members enjoyed a balmy and enchanting evening at the RSPB's Coombes Valley reserve, near Leek.  This scenic, peaceful site features dense ancient woodland sloping down to the Coombes brook, punctuated by an open meadow at its centre.  The promise of Pied Flycatcher and Redstart, and most of our visiting warblers, were born out but there were also plenty of other species logged during the two hours or so before dusk settled upon the valley.

It was disappointing there were no Dippers or Grey Wagtails busy among the stones and boulders of the brook, but the ultimate compensation was the sight of a male and female Pied Flycatcher on their final feeding foray of the day.  Particularly touching was the male's gift of a juicy fly to the female just before she repaired to a nestbox where - the group imagined - she was about to settle on a clutch of eggs.

Redstarts were elusive, but several of the group had a good view as one popped onto the top of a hawthorn bush in the middle of the meadow. 

Garden Warbler and Blackcap were obligingly close, allowing leader Roger Carrington to counterpoint the vocal differences of the two species (always tricky!). 

There were plenty of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, heard if not necessarily seen, and woodland species included Nuthatch, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush and four species of Tit - Great, Blue, Coal and Long-tailed. 

A Raven was only 'spotted' by its "kronk" call as it flew very high overhead.

The other species logged by the group (and not mentioned above) were:  Robin, Mallard, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Wren, Swallow, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Pheasant, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Buzzard, Jackdaw, Rook, Whitethroat, Goldcrest and Dunnock.

Gary Atkins