Monday 29 December 2014

At least 15 and probably 20 plus Brambling today at Blackdown. They associated with a large mixed flock of Greenfinches and Chaffinches and fed in the Beech litter just off the top path. Rant time: every time I go to a NT property it seems to be full of idiot dog walkers and their charges, badly behaved children (and I'm a dad BTW) and/or both. Do the NT not care about any other users of their managed space? Birders, walkers, mountain-bikers etc.? It would appear not for as long as you can shout/dog whistle/talk endlessly at the top of your voice at your barking/screaming/shouting/throwing charges you will be most welcome! East Head & Blackdown are both sad examples of this I'm afraid. Could the NT not run an education campaign to enlighten the noisy masses that there are other people also using the area who wouldn't mind just a smidgeon of decorum! I also wonder if any of these knobs ever actually see anything in the countryside apart from wildlife scarpering pronto?

At Petworth Park, two Treecreepers, two Nuthatches, half a dozen Coal Tits and a few Goldcrests.



Brambling & Greenfinch: