Trip reports

Keynsham, Elm Farm

Saturday, 10 January 2009

Elm Farm is a wonderful place at any time of the year. On the morning we went it was magical. With the temperature at minus 3 degrees C, everything was covered in hoar frost when 15 of us set on our walk. With us were the owners, John and Philippa Paget, who maintain the farm under a Stewardship Scheme to attract birds and other wildlife. Apart from suitably planted fields, there are bird feeders and nest boxes. We were led by Roger Palmer, who regularly surveys the farmland and has built up an impressive list of birds. Bats and moths are also recorded regularly there and I have recorded grasshoppers and dragonflies.

Unfortunately, we did not see our target species, brambling and yellowhammer, nor any owls. The highlight, however, was a flock of over 300 linnets which flew alternately between feeding in a field and perching in a single tree. There were also about 100 chaffinches with them initially. They split off later to perch in a tree on the other side of the field. For some of us, the house sparrows were a rare sight. Other birds seen included great-spotted woodpecker, dunnock, coal tit and buzzard. We also had good views of foxes. I am very grateful to John and Philippa for the privilege of looking around their land, Roger for leading us, and John for returning to the farm to pick up a tractor and trailer to transport us up the hill back to the farm.
Alan Barrett