Spring birdwatching walk in Brock Valley.

Sunny, breezy spring day so we decided to go to Brock Valley to see the Bluebells and Wild Garlic. The path follows the river amongst Oak, flowering Hawthorn and Lime trees that shade patches of Bluebells and swathes of Wild Garlic with the delicate flowers of Lesser and Greater Stitchwort gently nodding between them. As we walked alongside the river, sometimes the scent of the garlic was strongest and sometimes the delicate scent of the bluebells. Lots of Red Campion out too and the sturdy flower spikes of Butterbur look really ornamental now covered with white downy seed heads. Watched a young Thrush trying to balance on ivy stems waving in the breeze. Right next to the path, with dogs and people walking past, we spotted a Great Tit going into a hole in a tree about 3 ft up from the ground. As it entered we could hear all its chicks calling. Perhaps the people and dogs going past and their scent deters any would be predators, it didn't seem at all perturbed by us sitting and watching it as it came back with juicy caterpillars. We also saw three dippers, one of which was a youngster with mottled plumage, feeding itself. Watched two Grey Wagtails battling in mid-air and bobbing over the rocks in the river bed. Click photos to enlarge

Juvenile Thrush	Grey Wagtail
Great Tit going into nest...	Young Dipper
....and out again.	Young Dipper
	Adult Dipper