Cold and bright. The woods along Coombe Lane were busy with a male Bullfinch, a singing Marsh Tit (plus several others calling) and a Coal Tit, along with Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

As I walked through the Green Man fields, a pair of Siskins dropped down beside the pond near the village hall, and showed well, while a young Mute Swan flew over.

Back down at intersection with Cooks Lane, the small lake there held six Wigeon – the first I’ve seen in Awbridge – alongside the more usual Canada Geese and Mallards. A few more Siskins were hanging around in the surrounding alders.

On Sunday afternoon, Mike and I took a circular walk from the Duke’s Head to Fishlake Meadows and back along the incredibly-rubbish-to-walk-on main road.

At the river near the pub, a few Tufties, a Grey Wagtail, one or two Little Grebes and a Stonechat.

Down beside the old canal, two small ducks flew past giving an unfamiliar whistling – a pair of Mandarins, the first I’ve seen in the area. A few geese, Cormorants and herons commuted in and out of the dead-tree-lined lake (locals mentioned seeing an Osprey there in the autumn), while a Cetti’s Warbler tutted from the reeds.

Plenty of passerines fiddled their way through the trees – Treecreepers, Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, but unfortunately no Waxwings or Hawfinches (both reported today), despite a search of the usual parts of the housing estate.

Followed by a hard bright morning. Birds were streaming through, generally headed NW.

Best was a Brambling, with c.25 Fieldfares, 2+ Siskins, and quite a few Chaffinches and Skylarks.

A couple of overhead Yellowhammers may have been local birds, and the Bullfinches around the playing field almost certainly were.

In the woods down in the Coombe, Coal Tits everywhere, and this rather disturbing sight.

Later in the afternoon, a walk along the track at nearby Hillberry Farm coincided with around 40 Lapwings sitting on the newly ploughed field.

On the 5th August 2010, a flock of 150 Willow Warbler arrived at dusk to drink and feed up amongst the trees of millenimum woodland, next to Awbridge Village Hall. Several days later a flock of seventy arrived at the same pond at dusk. All were migratory, heading south on the wind.

Some 60 Chiffchaff observed passing through on 3rd September 2010 along with five Redstart, which stopped off for a few days.

Little Owl, Barn Owl and Tawny Owl all active during breeding season, as well as Kestrel and Buzzard.

An increase in Hedgesparrow numbers brought about by the new habitat creation and the building of dead wood hedges, has seen an increase in Cuckoo numbers, which had been absent from that area for a number of years till 2005.

“A nightingale could be heard singing for the first time in the millennium woodland next to Awbridge village hall from april 28th through may till early june during which time garden warbler, chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap, whitethroat and lesser whitethroat were all abundant.

“2 lapwing also nested but all 14 young perished due to careless farming activity and hay making.

“Other regular visitors through the winter included raven, with occasional sighting of the red kite, peregrine and a merlin. Barn owl breeding currently.”

Busy with birds in the Cooks Lane area over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Best concentration was on one of the less-frozen lakes, where I counted:

Mallard c. 160

Canada Goose c . 75

Teal 3

Tufted Duck 1

Cormorant 1

In the hedgerows and fields around Cooks Lane itself, good numbers of Marsh Tits, Coal Tits and Long-tailed Tits, several Fieldfares and Goldcrests, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and a Buzzard or two in the usual conifer wood.

Overhead, Siskin on several occasions and a single Lapwing on one, and one early morning a Tawny Owl giving its hunting call.

Found by birders making a speculative stop on the way back from the Spotted Sandpiper, perhaps?

This would rather a good record, although given their close similarity to the Common Sandpiper when not in spotty adult plumage, it may need to be confirmed before any crowds turn up to see it.

The area was, as usual, alive with nature. At the pond near the village hall, pond skaters were dashing about on the surface, and nearby there were primroses.

Plenty of resident birds in full song – Goldfinches, Robins, Dunnocks – but a few lingering winter visitors too, with several Redwings ‘seeping’ and Siskins ‘klewing’ overhead.

In the lovely rough area adjoining the stone circle field, a Mistle Thrush rattled, and best of all a Stonechat hunted from the fence – the first I’ve ever seen in Awbridge.

That tiny speck really is a stonechat

Meanwhile from the wet woodland below, a Chiffchaff sang, a Green Woodpecker gave a brief yaffle, and overhead Buzzards mewed.

This really is very special place, and a remarkable achievement on the part of ‘The Green Man’, Bryan Raines. With every year, new areas are enhanced, the existing habitat matures, and the biodiversity increases. Awbridge is so much the richer for it.

There are more pictures on Flickr, in the Awbridge Birds set.