Sunday 25 January 2015

Great Grey Shrike at Slapton

I arrived at Slapton Lock before 08:00 and made my way along the canal towpath to bridge no 118. Then across a couple of fields and after some searching I connected with the Great Grey Shrike. Although the bird showed quite well the light was really poor. The Shrike was in the hedgerow quite close to the canal, grid reference SP 92659 21485. It then flew towards the farm buildings and I managed to re-locate it, first on the hay bales and then in the hedgerow at SP 92932 21028. I had to get back home so I hurried off back along the towpath and as I did so I was able to give some other birders directions to the shrike. Of course the sun was now shining and a pleasant end to my trip was a Kingfisher that showed well close to Slapton Lock.








Hawfinch's at Bramfield

24th Jan 2015
A trip to Bramfield Churchyard with Paul F. We arrived at Bramfield before 08:00 and the light was quite poor, however, a quick scan of the churchyard with our bins and 3 big finch like shapes were in the treetops. On closer inspection with our scopes they were indeed 3 Hawfinch. We re-located to the churchyard but the Hawfinches had gone. We did not have too long to wait before they turned up again. Then promptly disappeared. This was the pattern for the next couple of hours although the length of time between the birds showing seemed to get longer. Some pics below.




Sunday 18 January 2015

Choseley, Titchwell, Burnham Overy, Lynford

Sat 17th Jan 2015.
Another trip to North Norfolk with Paul F. I was behind the wheel so we made good time.
On route near Ely two Barn Owl hunting along a hedgerow were a great start to our day.
Nearer to Titchwell on a minor road near Cholesey 4 Grey  Partridge were seen from the car. We stopped briefly and also added  2 Mistle Thrush to our "day list".
Next stop was nearer to Cholesey Drying Barns, there were about 40 Partridge here mostly Grey with just a few Red-legged. At the Barns, 8 Golden Plover, 2 Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Pink-footed Goose. Onwards to Titchwell. Opposite the entrance to the reserve a large flock of Greylag Goose with a handful of Brent Whilst viewing the feeders near the Visitors Centre in hope of finding a Brambling a kind lady informed us she had been watching a Woodcock in the undergrowth a short distance away and her husband was still watching it. We made our way along the boardwalk but the Woodcock had wandered out of site. A walk around the reserve and along the beach to Thornham Point. A good number of species were encountered, a Spotted Redshank showing well was the highlight of our walk towards the beach. A quick sea-watch next, the best we could manage were several Goldeneye and a couple of flocks of Common Scoter. On our walk towards Thornham Point, Sanderling, Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit. At Thornham Point no sign of any Twite but 2 Greenshank were a nice surprise. On our walk back towards the reserve a Great black-backed Gull was feasting on dead Seal. Walking back through the reserve a flighty flock of c35 Twite showed briefly. Then as a bonus the Woodcock had been re-found but this time it was in the undergrowth viewed from the path from the Visitors Centre to the car park, a quick look and off to Burnham Overy. At Burnham Overy we joined lots of other birders in the corner of a field near the layby. It wasn't long before we enjoyed good scope views of first a Short-eared Owl then a Rough-legged Buzzard was on a fence post, it got it up and flew and was immediately joined by a second Rough-legged. A Red Kite flew through. Common Buzzard and Kestrel added to the raptors seen here.
Lynford Arboretum was our last stop of the day. On route to Lynford another Barn Owl was seen from the car but I'm afraid the location escapes me! Added to our "trip list" here were; Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Grey Wagtail, Siskin and Goldcrest.
Trip list below then Paul's pics below list.

1 : Carrion Crow : on route
2 : Magpie : on route
3 : Jackdaw : on route
4 : Barn Owl : near Ely
5 : Mute Swan : on route
6 : Kestrel : on route
7 : Starling : on route
8 : Grey Heron : on route
9 : Wood Pigeon : on route
10 : Pheasant : on route
11 : Rook : on route
12 : Black-headed Gull : on route
13 : Mallard : on route
14 : Collared Dove : on route
15 : Blackbird  : on route
16 : Moorhen : on route
17 : Grey Partridge : Choseley
18 : Mistle Thrush : Choseley
19 : Red-legged Partridge : Choseley
20 : Golden Plover : Choseley
21 : Dunnock : Choseley
22 : Robin : Choseley
23 : Wren : Choseley
24 : Goldfinch : Choseley
25 : Buzzard : Choseley
26 : Marsh Harrier : Choseley
27 : Pink-footed Goose : Choseley
28 : Lesser black-backed Gull : Choseley
29 : Greylag Goose : Titchwell
30 : Brent Goose : Titchwell
31 : Lapwing : Titchwell
32 : Wigeon : Titchwell
33 : Teal : Titchwell
34 : Gadwall : Titchwell
35 : Shoveler : Titchwell
36 : Shelduck : Titchwell
37 : Goldeneye : Titchwell
38 : Tufted Duck : Titchwell
39 : Pintail : Titchwell
40 : Redshank : Titchwell
41 : Spotted Redshank : Titchwell
42 : Greenshank : nr Thornham Point
43 : Dunlin : Titchwell
44 : Bar-tailed Godwit : Titchwell
45 : Black-tailed Godwit : Titchwell
46 : Ringed Plover : Titchwell
47 : Grey Plover : Titchwell
48 : Sanderling : Titchwell
49 : Snipe : Titchwell
50 : Woodcock : Titchwell
51 : Twite : Titchwell
52 : Linnet : Titchwell
53 : Chaffinch : Titchwell
54 : Reed Bunting : Titchwell
55 : Blue Tit : Titchwell
56 : Great Tit : Titchwell
57 : Long-tailed Tit : Titchwell
58 : Greenfinch : Titchwell
59 : Great black-backed Gull : Titchwell
60 : Little Egret : Titchwell
61 : Cormorant : Titchwell
62 : Common Scoter : Titchwell
63 : Curlew : Titchwell
64 : Egyptian Goose : nr Burnham Overy
65 : Pied Wagtail : nr Burnham Overy
66 : Rough-legged Buzzard : Burnham Overy
67 : Short-eared Owl : Burnham Overy
68 : Red Kite : Burnham Overy
69 : Marsh Tit : Lynford Aboretum
70 : Coal Tit : Lynford Aboretum
71 : Grey Wagtail : Lynford Aboretum
72 : Siskin : Lynford Aboretum
73 : Goldcrest : Lynford Aboretum

Paul Frost's pics below; Spotted Redshank, Great black-backed Gull and Ringed Plover all at Titchwell.


Sunday 11 January 2015

Dipping in the Wind

Sat 10th Jan 2015
A days birding with Paul and Ephraim. At our pre trip group huddle we hatched the following plan; Gosport for Waldo the Ring-billed Gull, Farlington Marshes for waders and maybe Spoonbill, Southsea Castle for Purple Sandpipers and Chichester Gravel Pits for Dusky Warbler.
We made good time on our trip to Walploe Park. The weather was lousy with high winds and some rain. The high winds and the fact there was some kind of renovation works going on around the pools did not fill us with confidence. We spent the next couple of hours waiting and searching for Wally, however, he didn't come out to play. Only Common Gull, Brent Goose, Curlew, Redshank and Rock Pipit of any interest here.
Over to Farlington Marshes next, more in hope than expectation of anything decent given the weather conditions. The walk was a bit of an ordeal with the high winds nearly lifting the lighter members of our group off their feet. Viewing was difficult too, holding bins or scope steady was not easy and a heavy shower didn't help much either! We didn't see any Spoonbill but we did encounter; Dunlin, Brent Goose, Pintail, Grey Plover, Goldeneye.
Next stop Southsea Castle where we encountered a lone Purple Sandpiper. We spent 30-40 minutes admiring this confiding bird as it fed on the waters edge.
Our final site of the day was Chichester Gravel Pits. Here we were hoping to connect with a reported Dusky Warbler. On arrival we joined a group of birders who though they had located the Dusky Warbler. Some fleeting glimpses of an LBJ but no decent views for any i.d. Best guesses seemed to favour a Cetti's Warbler. We had a bit of a wander and hung around until dark but no luck with the Dusky. A Kingfisher and Red-crested Pochard were of some interest here. Just before posting this some posts on Twitter seem to indicate the Dusky was a Cetti's all along! I knew we should have gone for the Lesser Yellowlegs!
A few Purple Sandpiper pics below.



Saturday 3 January 2015

Swans, Egrets and a few Smew

A trip to Lydd/Dungeness with Paul F, Samuel and Ephraim P. Less than ideal weather for birding but the inclement weather could not dampen our spirits. Again another later start than normal as Mrs F had a plane to catch. After dropping Carol at T2 Heathrow we headed off around the m25 and m20 then briefly onto Bad Munster Eifel Road (which was nice!) Our first port of call was Walland Marsh our more accurately Horse Bones Farm. A less than thorough search and no sign of Bewick's, Tundra Bean Geese or Whooper Swan. No horse bones either which was a bit of a relief. Buzzard and Stonechat were nice "car ticks". We didn't waste too much time in this area as we were keen to find the Cattle Egrets at Dengemarsh Lane. On arrival at Wraxalls Agregates we immediately connected with the Cattle Egrets that were sheltering from the now heavy rain under a trailer. Encouraged by our success we headed back to look for some more horse bones. Whilst looking we stumbled upon a large flock of small swans. On closer inspection there were 70+ Bewick's, a single Whooper and 3 or 4 Tundra Bean Geese. Onwards to RSPB Dungeness a quick look at the feeders near the entrance track, no Tree Sparrows but double figures of Reed Bunting. On Burrow's Pit several redhead Smew and a Great White Egret. In some scrub near Dennis's? Hide a Firecrest played hardball for a while before giving itself up. We didn't linger on the reserve and headed off for a bit of a sea-watch, pausing long enough at the feeders at the entrance to the reserve to add 5 Tree Sparrow to our "day list". Sea-watching at "the patch", "fishing boats" and "the point". Good numbers of Kittiwake, Great-crested Grebe, Red-throated Diver, Guillemot and Gannet. Time was getting on so after a team meeting we decided to give the Cattle Egrets another bash. As we were about to trudge back to the car a distant Bonxie was found by Samuel and then after a couple of minute's a much closer Bonxie showed well before disappearing into the distance harassing a gull.
Back at Wraxall's Agregates the Cattle Egrets were even further away than before, but luckily as we were getting back in the car they flew towards us and landed with the nearest cattle, offering great views and photo opportunities. Not much daylight left now so we headed for home. A few Cattle Egret pics below and then below the pics our "day list".



1 : Robin : Maple Lodge
2 : Jackdaw : m25
3 : Carrion Crow : m25
4 : Magpie : m25
5 : Black-headed Gull : m25
6 : Wood Pigeon : m25
7 : Common Gull : m25
8 : Starling : m25
9 : Grey Heron : m20
10 : Blackbird : Lydd
11 : Kestrel : Lydd
12 : Mute Swan : Walland Marsh
13 : Herring Gull : Walland Marsh
14 : Lesser black-backed Gull : Walland Marsh
15 : Rook : Walland Marsh
16 : Buzzard : Walland Marsh
17 : Cattle Egret : Dengemarsh
18 : Chaffinch : Dengemarsh
19 : Bewick's Swan : Walland Marsh
20 : Whooper Swan : Walland Marsh
21 : Tundra Bean Goose : Walland Marsh
22 : Mallard : Walland Marsh
23 : Teal : Dungeness
24 : Wigeon : Dungeness
25 : Marsh Harrier : Dungeness
26 : Lapwing : Dungeness
27 : Reed Bunting : Dungeness
28 : Little Egret : Dungeness
29 : Shoveler : Burrow's Pit
30 : Great-crested Grebe : Burrow's Pit
31 : Goldeney : Burrow's Pit
32 : Coot : Burrow's Pit
33 : Tufted Duck : Burrow's Pit
34 : Cormorant : Burrow's Pit
35 : Great Tit : Dungeness
36 : Smew : Burrow's Pit
37 : Pintail : Burrow's Pit
38 : Pochard : Burrow's Pit
39 : Great black-backed Gull : Burrow's Pit
40 : Firecrest : Burrow's Pit
41 : Great White Egret : Burrow's Pit
42 : Moorhen : Burrow's Pit
43 : Kittiwake : Patch
44 : Gannet : Patch
45 : Pied Wagtail : Patch
46 : House Sparrow : Patch
47 : Brent Goose : Patch
48 : Great Skua : Patch
49 : Red-throated Diver : Patch
50 : Guillemot : Patch
51 : Stonechat : Walland Marsh
52 : Blue Tit : Burrow's Pit
53 : Tree Sparrow : Dungeness

Thursday 1 January 2015

Local Birding

A spot of local birding with Paul F (@frostybirding on twitter) to kick off 2015. We visited a few local sites and managed a decent 62 species in total. First stop was Stockers Farm which although no Little Owl or Stonechat did kick off our "year lists" with 18 species including; Red Kite, Snipe and Sparrowhawk. Then we did a circuit of Stockers Lake which bumped our total up to 42. The most noteworthy being; Siskin, Water Rail, Goldeneye, Nuthatch and the escaped Black Swan. On returning to Stockers Farm we were able to add another 5 species including Mistle Thrush and Redwing. Next stop was Broadwater Gravel Pits where we concentrated our efforts on a short stretch of the river Colne. A presumed Siberian Chiffchaff had been seen here recently and this was our target bird. There were not as many over-wintering Chiffchaff's as expected on this stretch of the Colne but we soon connected with the "Siberian" type with it's white underside quite noticeable even to the naked eye. Our visit to Broadwater took ou total up to 54.
West Hyde was next and the stand out bird(s) here were a flock of 50 plus Golden Plover also double figures of Skylark. A brief visit to Woodoaks Farm added took our final tally for the day to 62 with the addition of Yellowhammer, Collared Dove and Linnet. Day List below. After the list a Golden Plover at West Hyde.
1
:
Ring-necked Parakeet
Stockers Farm
2
:
Magpie
Stockers Farm
3
:
Wood Pigeon
Stockers Farm
4
:
Pied Wagtail
Stockers Farm
5
:
Sparrowhawk
Stockers Farm
6
:
Blackbird
Stockers Farm
7
:
Goldfinch
Stockers Farm
8
:
Blue Tit
Stockers Farm
9
:
Great Tit
Stockers Farm
10
:
Robin
Stockers Farm
11
:
Wren
Stockers Farm
12
:
Mallard
Stockers Farm
13
:
Cormorant
Stockers Farm
14
:
House Sparrow
Stockers Farm
15
:
Chaffinch
Stockers Farm
16
:
Moorhen
Stockers Farm
17
:
Snipe
Stockers Farm
18
:
Red Kite
Stockers Farm
19
:
Siskin
Stockers Lake
20
:
Tufted Duck
Stockers Lake
21
:
Pochard
Stockers Lake
22
:
Goldeneye
Stockers Lake
23
:
Shoveler
Stockers Lake
24
:
Gadwall
Stockers Lake
25
:
Grey Heron
Stockers Lake
26
:
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Stockers Lake
27
:
Herring Gull
Stockers Lake
28
:
Black-headed Gull
Stockers Lake
29
:
Dunnock
Stockers Lake
30
:
Mute Swan
Stockers Lake
31
:
Coot
Stockers Lake
32
:
Wigeon
Stockers Lake
33
:
Carrion Crow
Stockers Lake
34
:
Common Gull
Stockers Lake
35
:
Nuthatch
Stockers Lake
36
:
Song Thrush
Stockers Lake
37
:
Lapwing
Stockers Lake
38
:
Water Rail
Stockers Lake
39
:
Goldcrest
Stockers Lake
40
:
Long-tailed Tit
Stockers Lake
41
:
Great-crested Grebe
Stockers Lake
42
:
Starling
Stockers Lake
43
:
Green Woodpecker
Stockers Farm
44
:
Mistle Thrush
Stockers Farm
45
:
Redwing
Stockers Farm
46
:
Jackdaw
Stockers Farm
47
:
Canada Goose
Stockers Farm
48
:
Chiffchaff
Broadwater Gravel Pits
49
:
Siberian Chiffchaff
Broadwater Gravel Pits
50
:
Grey Wagtail
Broadwater Gravel Pits
51
:
Kingfisher
Broadwater Gravel Pits
52
:
Jay
Broadwater Gravel Pits
53
:
Little Egret
Broadwater Gravel Pits
54
:
Fieldfare
Broadwater Gravel Pits
55
:
Pheasant
West Hyde
56
:
Kestrel
West Hyde
57
:
Golden Plover
West Hyde
58
:
Skylark
West Hyde
59
:
Meadow Pipit
West Hyde
60
:
Yellowhammer
Woodoaks Farm
61
:
Collared Dove
Woodoaks Farm
62
:
Linnet
Woodoaks Farm