Birds

During a few weeks in early 2005, Narroways Hill was host to a flock of waxwings, exotic pink crested birds from Scandinavia. Normally, though, the sights are less exciting – a flurry of feral pigeons over Church Field on their way back to St Werburghs church tower, several magpies balancing on the fence line on Narroways Hill, a snatch of robin song from a naturalised plum tree, a pair of blackbirds chasing each other through the hedge. But these are welcome residents; they belong here.

As the habitat of Narroways has changed over the years, so has its wildlife. Once there were very few trees beyond a small orchard area, the grassland was subject to frequent fires from the sparks of steam engines and nesting birds no doubt had to brave the depredations of egg collectors. From the 1950s onwards though, trees of ash and sycamore took root, the Midland railway line was closed, the old orchards and allotments became wild and overgrown and Narroways became a haven for birds and other wildlife.

If there is one bird you are most likely to see over Narroways it is a magpie. 13 were seen on the fence line and trees on the hill in November 2007. Along with carrion crows they seem to act as self-appointed guardians of the area, mobbing birds of prey such as buzzard and sparrowhawk and other large birds. Since September 2005 ravens, birds more associated with wild mountains, have visited the area, apparently roosting in the City of Bristol College rooftops at Ashley Down. Two settled for a while on St Werburghs church tower one day in September 2005.

Name	Latin name	Notes
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	Occasionally on nearby ponds
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
* Buzzard	Buteo buteo	Being mobbed by gulls high above Narroways(GW 14.8.2001)
* Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	Increasingly seen darting from trees and bushes
* Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Occasionally on gateposts and hovering overhead.
Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus
Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	On Boiling Wells Brook
*Woodcock	Scolopax rusticola	(RH & DL late 1994)
Black-headed Gull	Larus ridibundus
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus
*Stock Dove	Columba oenas
*Wood Pigeon	Columba palumbus
*Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto
Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	On Boiling Wells Brook
*Green Woodpecker	Picus viridis
Skylark	Alauda arvensis
*Swift	Apus apus	Regular visitor in Summer
Sand Martin	Riparia riparia	(DB 24.4.1988)
*Swallow	Hirundo rustica	(DB 23.4.89)(HMcP 29.4.2001)
*House Martin	Delichon urbica	Summer
*Meadow Pipit	Anthus pratensis
*Pied Wagtail	Motacilla alba yarrelli
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	On stream by Lynmouth Road
Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava	Flying through on migration (DB 30.4.2001)
*Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	Common
*Dunnock	Prunella modularis
*Robin	Erithacus rubecula
*Whinchat	Saxicola rubetra	(DB 26.8.90)
*Blackbird	Turdus merula
*Fieldfare	Turdus pilaris	(HMcP 11.2.1991)
*Redwing	Turdus iliacus	Winter
*Song Thrush	Turdus philomelos
*Mistle Thrush	Turdus viscivorus
*Garden Warbler	Sylvia borin	Summer
*Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla	Summer
*Lesser Whitethroat	Sylvia curruca	Summer
*Whitethroat	Sylvia communis	Summer
*Willow Warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus	Summer
*Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita	Summer
*Goldcrest	Regulus regulus
*Long-tailed Tit	Aegithalos caudatus
Coal Tit	Parus ater
*Great Tit	Parus major major	Common
*Blue Tit	Parus caeruleus	Common
*Jay	Garrulus glandarius	Up to 7 at a time
*Magpie	Pica pica
Jackdaw	Corvus monedula
Rook	Corvus frugilegus	(DB 18.10.89)
*Carrion Crow	Corvus corone corone
Starling	Sturnus vulgaris
*House Sparrow	Passer domesticus
*Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs
*Greenfinch	Carduelis chloris
Siskin	Carduelis spinus	Winter
Linnet	Carduelis cannabina
*Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
*Bullfinch	Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Budgerigar	–	Escaped from captivity (HMcP 2.7.1995)
Guinea Fowl	–	Escaped from City Farm(HMcP 22.10.2000)

* = Actually seen on Narroways

DB = Des Bowring:HMcP = Harry McPhillimy: RH & DL = Rupert Higgins & Dawn Lawrence: GW = Guy Watson