2011 Year List

Today, I did BTO Atlas square NZ42G in Norton. A good start at Tesco car park with 11 species recorded - Pied Wagtail, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Carrion, Blackbird Rook, Robin & Great Tit. Then onto to Basselton Lane where an old hedgerow near the school gives us the first opportunity to record House Sparrow and Dunnock. Then onto to Norton in particular Station Road which leads down to the railway line and then to the fields.

The recreational sports ground holds plenty of birds eventhough all the sports fields were in use with a good number of supporters. Robins were singing loud from the Beach hedge and the Common Gulls still found a spot to roost in area of the fields. The railway line once again proved to be a wildlife corridor with birds flying up / down and across the tracks. We even spotted a Grey Squirrell jumping across the lines.

On to the fields, past Calf Fallow Farm and a male Sparrowhawk was on patrol from gardens. A small section of grass nearby held 18 Redwings, 16 Blackbirds, 1 Song Thrush and a Great Tit. The hedges, scrubs and trees were full of birds, so we finished our 2 hour count with 27 species.

2011 Year List = 70 species (Mistle Trush)