My local patch is a quiet corner of Soham bordered by the railway line on on side and the river lode on the other. When we first moved to Soham many years a go part of the patch was used to keep horses while the other was used for cattle in the summer. Both have now gone and in doing so have had an impact on my little patch.
To gain access to my patch you have to walk through the old railway sidings (see the first every blog entry for a description: Welcome to My Patch. Cross the railway line with care and pass the now derelict stables.
Once you get to the river turn left and welcome to my patch! When horses were kept here the grass was no existent and the trees that overhang the path and river were chewed back. When it had rained the whole area was one great mud bath and walking was difficult. The horses have now been gone for a good while and the vegetation has returned and is taking over.
This hedgerow is a great habit for Long, Blue and Great Tits with large flock roaming them during the winter. In summer it is alive with Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat. The autumn berries are snapped up with large flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing.
Passing through the old horse field you come to a more open area of scrub. Cattle used to be placed on here in the early summer and the grass was cut for hay. This hasn't been done for a while.
This area has a tendency to flood and in previous years was a great location for Snipe and I often saw or put up a dozen or more while walking through it. Sadly those numbers seem to have dropped and I now only get the occasional snipe rising as we walk along.
Thanks to the railway people we now have a nice cut through that takes us across the ditch that floods in winter and onward along the hedgerow to the far side of the patch.
Here we used to cross the line and enter what passed for the only bit of woodland in my patch. Sadly the exit into the old station yard has been blocked and so we can no longer investigate that area, which has always held Garden Warblers and in the early summer passing Willow Warblers. It was also in this little wood that I found not one but two Yellow Browed Warblers.
What was once a linear walk is now a circular walk as we turn right and walk along the Lode. Thankfully the nettles have recently been cut but before that walking along the bank was near impossible for most of the year. While walking the bank it is worth checking out the reed and margins for Water Rail. Strangely I've never heard them but have seen them on a number of occasions and last winter had three birds in a short distance. I'm unsure whether they have breed but do hope to find some evidence one day.
The area on the opposite bank is part of Soham Mere, once a vast lake that must have held many an interesting species. What must have it been like for a birdwatcher in those days. Still interesting species can be found flying over or resting in this area. In the past I've spotted Great White Egret along the bank and Marsh and Hen Harriers quartering the fields. The pylons often attract common buzzard and they can be seen perching on them.
For a complete list of birds seen: Click Here
