Club 15 August 2018 report
The August Club 15 meeting consisted of an evening walk from Finchampstead to the Tally Ho pub in Eversley and back, led by Robert Godden. About 10 of us (including 2 youngsters) set off from Longwater Road, soon branching off on to footpaths leading past a gravel pit lake, beside oak woodland and past Fleethill Farm.
At the Tally Ho pub a few others who were unable to walk were waiting to join us for a welcome drink. We deliberately delayed our return walk until after dark (we had been warned to bring torches!) as one of the main aims of the walk was to try to see owls and bats. Robert had brought with him a bat detector and also an app and loudspeaker and we stopped several times to broadcast the calls of tawny and little owls in the hope of getting a response from the real thing. In contrast to the noisy little band we had been on the way to the pub, all of us, even the youngsters, tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to frighten off the wildlife. Initially there were no answering calls and no sign of owl eyes reflecting from the torchlight as Robert searched in the trees. But, once we’d given up this strategy, as luck would have it, we did all hear a female tawny owl calling clearly and repeatedly. There did not seem to be any bats on the wing in our vicinity that evening, but nevertheless it was a very atmospheric walk, with the wind whispering in the trees and calls from birds on the lakes, such as little grebes and geese. With thanks to Robert for organising – a walk to be repeated on another evening, I’m sure.
Trish Needes
