An initially damp and gloomy morning greeted the nine members who attended this local walk. Cutt Mill Pond was the first destination. It held a good selection of ducks with five drake mandarins really catching the eye with their extravagant plumages while a couple of females lurked in the fringes. Close by were a pair of goosanders, the first of the autumn for most. the complement of ducks was completed by handfuls of shovelers and mallards. One each of great crested and little grebes were spotted as was a grey heron perched high in the bordering trees. A visit to the far end of the pond paid off when a kingfisher flashed by in a blur of blue. Next stop was the tarns which added tufted ducks, coots and black-headed gulls to the day list but they were otherwise quiet. A stroll through the woods followed as did a considerable improvement in the weather. Sadly bird numbers grew in inverse proportion to the emerging sun. On the walk to the bronze age camp only a red kite was seen and the call of a nuthatch heard. The views from the top of the ridge were stunning but the dearth of birds continued through the heathland area until finally a solitary stonechat was seen in the distance, followed by the glimpse of a buzzard and the call of a green woodpecker. A couple of tits, blue and long-tailed completed the tally. A final list of 27 species was well below the norm for the location, leading to the reflection that the unseasonably mild weather was having a major effect on bird numbers.