Enjoy nature walk along Stort from Grange Paddocks to Goodsyard development at Bishop’s Stortford railway station
Nature Notes columnist Jono Forgham covers your fortnightly look at nature around Bishop’s Stortford
Over the last few months, I have taken walks along the River Stort from Bishop’s Stortford town centre to Grange Paddocks and from Spellbrook locks to Sawbridgeworth.
Consequently, I thought of filling in the gap and checking the part of the Stort Navigation from Grange Paddocks to the Goodsyard development at the railway station.
Having parked in Cannons Mill Lane, I set off along the river to Grange Paddocks and picked up the path that runs parallel to the railway. Here, I met Brian and Sarah, who were complimentary about my articles, and we had a pleasant chat.
Brian asked if I had seen anything of interest, and as I replied “Not yet,” a little egret appeared, flying towards the leisure centre and weir area. I headed off to see if I could find it.
I took the path that runs diagonally to the river and tracked back towards the leisure centre. A lady out walking said she enjoyed my photos in the paper, and three other locals stopped for a chat to tell me where the egret was. Think I must have met my entire readership! I checked around the weir and under the bridge, but there was no sign of it so I continued.
A song thrush posed well by the path as I came to The Causeway and crossed over through Waitrose car park. With my long lens and binoculars, I checked the tower of St Michael’s Church. Just visible on the left of the eastern face was the resident peregrine falcon, so I headed up to the churchyard for better views.
En route I stopped off at the splendid Nostimo café for a morning coffee. Both in the empty car park by the Causeway and outside the police station were spectacularly coloured cherry trees, the latter being the most vibrant.
I arrived at the church and fired off several photos of the peregrine; such a brilliant bird to see in the town centre. It’s been roosting on the tower for quite a while now, but, as yet, there have been no signs of breeding activity. This is quite a large peregrine so I think it is female; the males are much smaller.
I wandered to Church Street, noting plants growing from a chimney, possibly a fleabane species, before I found myself searching for Gregg, the pied wagtail that makes a great living by hanging around the sausage roll emporium after which he is named. No sign today; possibly too early as it was only approaching 9am.
Recently, I have noted a large roost of 30-plus pied wagtails settling down for the night in the tree directly outside the Port Jackson. Can be quite noisy when they all come in. Obviously, I am in that habitat for purely ornithological purposes!
In Station Road I snapped photos of feral pigeons and a whole flotilla of mallards before accessing the towpath. Moorhens were ubiquitous along this stretch and a family party of mute swans and a small gaggle of Canada geese were also present.
Crossing the river on the huge footbridge, I headed through The Maltings car park and on to Havers Lane. My next habitat was to be the cemetery. Immediately, grey squirrels ran towards me; too close for a photo. I suspected someone must feed them on a regular basis as they were very confident, coming to within a metre of my feet. They were everywhere, but only the ones by the gate near the Tesco Express were eager to be close.
I was pleased to see small Union Jacks and a poppy had been placed next to each war grave here. A magpie landed upon a gravestone and the sun just caught the refracted colours on the mantle and long tail. It’s not often I get a chance to photograph these hues as often the bird just looks black and white.
I stopped to chat with a chap who worked in the cemetery and complimented him on keeping it so immaculate. It really is a wonderful habitat with some outstanding trees. As it is used frequenty by pedestrians the wildlife is more used to footfall and therefore easier to view. Do pop in to say hello to the squirrels. The cemetery worker told me a lady buys monkey nuts at Tesco a few times a week and gives them to the squirrels. Must say, they all looked very well fed on this diet.
A carrion crow called as I wandered past Apton Road pond. Shortly after, I was back at the churchyard, where the peregrine was still roosting. I was hoping for better light to improve on the snaps I took earlier, but, if anything, it was greyer and murkier, so I headed off back to Castle Park and along the river in pursuit of the egret.
From the bridge at the entrance to Sworder’s Field, small shoals of chub could be seen in the river and plenty of wood pigeons busied themselves.
Back on the riverside, I finally got back to the weir. The egret rose from the river and landed in a nearby tree. I managed to get myself into a reasonable position for some photos.
I noted this bird had some bling on: coloured rings on either leg along with a metallic ring upon its right leg. This ringing programme is going on in Europe, with all records documented.
I managed to get some clear shots of the rings and forwarded them to the chap overseeing the waders that have been netted and ringed so far. I learned that this bird was ringed in the nest as a recently hatched individual on July 13, 2016, at Netherhall Lake near Hoddesdon.
This eight-year-old spends the summer around the Lea Valley where it breeds successfully most years. In October to November it sets off to spend the winter in the Heybridge Basin near Maldon. It is possible that this bird has stopped off on the Stort on its way to the Essex coastline. It was recorded in Stortford on November 23, 2020 and again on November 15, 2021.
I arrived back at the car park, noting plenty of European hornets buzzing around ivy upon a tree trunk. One of these large and very passive insects landed close by on a tree trunk and I managed to get a few macro photos of it before it flew off.
It was very much an end-of-season specimen, with tatty wings and very slow movement. The recent cold nights with frosts will have finished off most of these for the year and the remaining few won’t last much longer.
It does seem to have been a good year for these hornets, Vespa crabro. I have had plenty in my moth trap over the last month or so. They are easy to deal with, just picking them up and putting them on a nearby fence. Wasps, Vespula vulgaris, are completely different and are not to be picked up. Always angry in autumn and will just sting for the sheer fun of it!
I have now covered most of the river this autumn and shall leave the final stretch, London Road to Twyford Locks, for another wander later in the year, when I shall also check out Great Hallingbury and Jenkins Lane.
This was my first walk since spring where I did not encounter butterfly, dragonfly or damselfly. Autumn must be well and truly here, even if the temperatures are not too autumnal as I write in shirt sleeves.
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