The Magic Tunnel at Lynford Arboretum

28th February 2024

There is an old track at Lynford Arboretum which can be viewed from a wooden gate just 100 yards south of the Shepherd's Baa Cafe. The track has a brick wall on one side and mature trees on the southern side where the sun is for most of the day and therefore, apart from a few episodes in the afternoon, is very shady and dark, not ideal for photography.

However, for many years now seed has been put down around an artificial pond and attracts good numbers of tits, Nuthatches and Chaffinches, but also the occasional Great Spotted Woodpecker, Yellowhammers, Bramblings and the occasional Hawfinch. The last couple of winters have been a bit quite but this year it has been fairly busy and has attracted a fair number of birders and toggers alike and basically we need a bigger gate!!!! So time to just settle down and wait to see what appears.

As said above there is a pond half way up the track and seed is cast either side of the pond so that one side is much closer to the gate and fortunately this was where the Yellowhammers were feeding.

Lovely to see them so close.

Then a cheeky Nuthatch appeared and nearly bumped into a Brambling.

From my experience Bramblings have been incredibly scarce this winter and I have hardly heard any reports from my home county of Hertfordshire and surrounds, and not a single one in the garden whereas I normally get one or two. Luckily this doesn't appear to be the case at Lynford and today there were 10+ making the most of the seed, but unfortunately on the far side of the pond.

And then they were photo-bombed.............by a Hawfinch. Just how good is that?

Just the one today and in appalling light but so much better seeing them close as opposed to 100 yards in the paddocks.

Just love the Magic Tunnel.