Cuckoo Walk on Kit Hill

Posted May 17th, 2010 by INash

in the quarryFourteen members met in the former sidings car park at the foot of the railway incline. We followed the marked horse trail on the north east slope of Kit Hill, a gentler approach to the summit.

We were all soon listening and trying to identify the birdsong.  Pete and John were able to explain the mining evidence we encountered which added to the interest of the walk.

We passed below the massive spoil heap from the quarry and then round into the quarry itself with it's very deep pool. Several sticklebacks were netted but there was no sign of frogspawn or newts. Unfortunately the resident peregrines nesting high on the cliff, were not to be seen either.

 

 

The quarry face Rock outcrop Rock face pictures taken by Adrian Thomas.

 

On exiting the quarry we headed to the west side of the hill where a little brown bird obligingly perched on a fence post showing off relentlessly giving us time to agree thattree pipit water crowfoot he was a tree pipit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                              

   bilberry

A picnic lunch was enjoyed on the sheltered side of the chimmney stack before heading back down the hill via the steep incline. 

kit hill former railway incline

Calendar Event associated:
Cuckoo Walk on Kit Hill
Species Seen:
Birds observed and/or heard:Blackbird, carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Cuckoo, Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon, Tree Pipit, Robin, Skylark, Swallow, Great Tit, Willow warbler, Wren, Yellowhammer. Other fauna: Stickleback, Deer (Roe?) slots, Fox scat & scent, Rabbit fur & droppings, Red tailed Bumble Bee Queen, Bloody Nosed beetle (several). Plants noted: carpets of Wood Sorrel still in flower under shrub layer, Tormentil, Whortleberry in flower, very pale form of the Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratense), Lousewort, Water Crowfoot, Hemlock Water dropwort, new shoots of Water Horsetail in the quarry pool.