Paul's Birding Diary

Croome Insects

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Sunday 12th July 2009
Here are some photos from a very pleasant afternoon spent at the National Trust's Croome Park in Worcestershire.

Brown Hawker:

Pond Skater:

Green-veined White:

Meadow Grasshopper:

Six-spot Burnet:

Blue-tailed Damselfly:

Ruddy Darter:

Black-tailed Skimmer:

BBS Hardwicke SO7713

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Sunday 5th July 2009

I carried out my second Breeding Bird Survey visit to SO7713 this morning; although not much to report there was at least a good showing of Yellowhammers (above) and Whitethroats, and flocks of 15 Swallows and 60 Wood Pigeons were notable. Butterflies encountered included a Small Copper, and lots of Ringlets and Meadow Browns.

Marsh Warbler

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Saturday 4th July 2009

A cracking day's birding with Andy thanks to Otmoor RSPB in Oxfordshire, where the star attraction was the singing male Marsh Warbler (above). A lifer for us both, the bird performed beautifully with its song, and showed occasionally, often flying between the reeds and the hedge behind. Other highlights were at least three Turtle Doves, a Marsh Harrier, seven Red Kites, three Lesser Whitethroats, four Whitethroats, several Sedge Warblers, many Reed Warblers and on the insect front, Black-tailed Skimmers, Ruddy Darters (below), Commas, Ringlets and two Five-spot Burnets (bottom).

Slimbridge

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Friday 3rd July 2009

This afternoon at Slimbridge WWT there was a total of 26 Green Sandpipers around the hides (above) (12 on the Tack Piece, three on the Knott Pool and 11 on the Top New Piece); also on the Top New Piece two Little Ringed Plovers, two Greenshanks, a Dunlin, a Little Egret and 7 Redshanks, including the fledgling, on South Lake 45 Black-tailed Godwits and 68 Redshanks and a Lesser Whitethroat at the Decoy. Broods of Tufted Duck were on the Top New Piece and near Martin Smith Hide (below).

This evening, Mark brought round this Poplar Hawk Moth (below) a colleague had found at his workplace along the Bristol Road.

Nightlife

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Friday 26th June 2009

A visit to Boys Grave, Forest of Dean, in the evening gave me good views of two male Nightjars (above) displaying actively from about 10:00pm onwards. Two Woodcocks were also seen roding and two Tawny Owls were heard calling. Another Tawny Owl was seen flying across the road at the Woorgreens car park.

Quails and Owls on the Wolds

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Friday 19th June 2009
A trip out to Hawling with Mark this evening produced two calling Quail, at 9:10pm, south of the the minor cross roads near the dilapidated barn at SP059217. Also a Barn Owl, a Kestrel, a Corn Bunting, four Pied Wagtails, two Curlews and three Red-legged Partridges. A Little Owl was at Withington and four Tawny Owls (two seen and another two heard) around Chedworth Woods.

Firecrests in the Forest

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:31:00 +0000

Saturday 13th June 2009

I spent an excellent day's birding in the Forest of Dean today making the most of the pleasant weather, with four singing male Firecrests (above and below) in the Speech House Walk/Great Saintlow/Yewtreebrake area, also a Tree Pipit, a mating pair of Garden Warblers, a pair of Chiffchaffs with two juveniles, four Willow Warblers, two Blackcaps, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly, a Black-tailed Skimmer and several Large Red Damselfies. A quick visit to Nagshead RSPB produced the target species there, a Spotted Flycatcher.

Photos below: Golden-ringed Dragonfly and Large Red Damselfly

Little Bittern

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:28:00 +0000

Sunday 7th June 2009
I saw the Somerset Little Bittern this evening at 7:00pm, and what a cracking bird, but it hadn't been easy. I arrived with Linda at about 2:30pm with news that it hadn't been seen since this morning when it had flown deeper into the reed-beds. This didn't sound promising, and so we decided to visit the Peat Moors Centre and walk around the western end of Shapwick Heath. We later returned to Ashcott station to check out the eastern end of Shapwick Heath, but it soon became apparent after talking to some happy-looking birders that the Little Bittern had been seen recently several times around Loxton Marsh. We arrived at the spot (ST459396) to find it had been seen minutes before, and several times over the previous hour, but we had to wait an hour and a half, with it calling almost constantly, before someone managed to get on it with their scope. We had good views of this fantastic bird deep in the reed-bed as the reeds swayed out of the way, and after 20 minutes it climbed up the reeds, took to the air and flew further along into the reeds. Brilliant! This was the icing on the cake of what was a very pleasant afternoon, which also included two Black Terns (towards Street Heath), a Bittern (briefly in flight), a Little Egret, two Cuckoos, three Hobbies, two Buzzards, numerous Cetti's Warblers, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats, and a Garden Warbler.

Painted Ladies

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:37:00 +0000

Saturday 30th May 2009

A couple of photos here of Painted Lady butterflies taken at Stokesay Castle, Shropshire.

Ferruginous Duck

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Tuesday 26th May 2009

After completing my BTO Atlas survey this morning (details later) and with little around locally, I decided to travel to Chew Valley Lake to see the drake Ferruginous Duck which was showing nicely from Stratford Hide (above). Other birds here included 67 Great Crested Grebes, 120 Coot, a Cetti's Warbler (plus another at Herriot's Bridge), a Reed Warbler and 29 Cormorants.
Below: Stratford Bay, Chew Valley Lake, Somerset

BTO Atlas Survey - SO81K Huddinknoll Hill
Here are the counts for my 2-hour early breeding season survey this morning:
Red-legged Partridge 4
Pheasant 1
Buzzard 1
Wood Pigeon 15
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Skylark 5
Swallow 3
House Martin 3
Pied Wagtail 2 (plus two recently-fledged young)
Wren 13
Dunnock 3
Robin 20
Blackbird 17
Song Thrush 1
Blackcap 4
Chiffchaff 9
Blue Tit 5 (plus recently-fledged young)
Great Tit 8
Magpie 7
Jackdaw 18
Rook 11
Carrion Crow 18
Chaffinch 9
Greenfinch 3
Goldfinch 2
Yellowhammer 3

Weekend Update

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:23:00 +0000

Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May 2009

I returned to the forest Saturday morning with Andy and Mark, and saw a similar range of birds at Woorgreen as I had seen Friday, but this time there were two Pied Flycatchers near Woorgreens car par. A pair of Redstarts (male above) plus another male were at Speech House, while two Tree Pipits were at Tidenham Chase plus several Small Heath butterflies (below).

A Buzzard was over the garden in the afternoon, and a Large White (below) was on Allium.

I have received confirmation that the ringed Mediterrnean Gull I saw on South Lake, WWT, on Friday was ringed in June 2008 as a pullus in the Seine-Marne area of France, near the River Seine, approximately 22 miles SSE of Paris. The bird turned up in Ireland, in the Dublin area, in July 2008 and several sightings of it in this area were reported through to February of this year.

Mediterranean Gulls

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Friday 22nd May 2009

This afternoon at WWT there was a total of three Mediterranean Gulls on South Lake, all first-year birds. First, I spotted the bird in the photo above, sporting a green ring on its left leg marked '0M8'. Checking the European Colour-ring Birding website indicates this bird was one of 33 young birds ringed in the Seine-Marne area of France (east of Paris), which carried the alphanumeric codes 0M0 - 9M9 on green rings. I then spotted the bird I saw last Saturday, instantly recognisable by its eye-mask and vermilion bill; this is it in the photo below, just before all the gulls took off at 15:10. The other two Meds came back but I didn't see this one return.

The third was this one below, which I recognise from The Gloster Birder site as the one photographed by Richard Tyler last Sunday.

Here's a photo of birds 1 and 3 together:

Here's a couple more Med photos:

There wasn't much from Middle Point earlier between high and low tide, just two Whimbrels, five Curlews, 80 Shelducks, a Peregrine and two Oystercatchers.

This morning, after completing my BBS survey at Hardwicke, I spent some time in the forest, at Woorgreens/Crabtree Hill, noting a Pied Flycatcher, a Wood Warbler, seven Garden Warblers (photo above) five Willow Warblers, three Blackcaps, two Tree Pipits, a Buzzard and a Stock Dove.

Frampton & WWT

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sat, 16 May 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Saturday 16th May 2009

There was little of note at Saul Warth this morning, save a Little Egret, but a check on the Sailing Lake did produce a pair of Yellow Wagtails, plus two Common Terns (below) and lots of hirundines and Swifts. South Lake at Slimbridge WWT hosted two Mediterranean Gulls, one, a second-summer, I didn't see as it flew of just as Andy spotted it, but I then found a first-summer which was much more obliging (above). The strong southerly winds, with frequent showers, failed to produce any seabird interest on the early afternoon tide at Middle Point, but we did see 13 Sanderlings, three Ringed Plovers, three Dunlins, seven Curlews, five Oystercatchers, nine Shelducks and a summer-plumaged Grey Plover.

Spoonbill

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Sunday 10th May 2009

The appearance of a Spoonbill at Saul Warth this morning was very welcome, given the recent lack of county rarities. I'd also missed the one at WWT a few weeks ago. The Spoonbill spent most of the time asleep as I was observing it, but it did have the odd fidget (above). Three Redshanks, 18 Black-tailed Godwits and two Common Terns were also seen here, while a walk around to the estuary produced just four Whimbrels, a group of three plus a flyover. Two Hobbies, a Nightingale and a Cuckoo were around Frampton Pools.

Severnside and Windrush-side

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Saturday 9th May 2009

An excursion into South Gloucestershire this morning produced c60 Oystercatchers, a Turnstone, eight Dunlins, a Whimbrel and a smart male Wheater (above) at New Passage, but very little earlier at Severn Beach on the high tide, just some Swift and Swallow movement, and some House Martins collecting mud from the shore (below).

An afternoon's walk from the Fox Inn at Little Barrington taking in Sherborne Meadows and Windrush was extremely pleasant, with a good variety of birds including a Cetti's Warbler next to the River Windrush, a Peregrine, two Buzzards, two Kestrels, a Cuckoo, a Kingfisher, six Whitethroats (below), a Lesser Whitethroat, two Willow Warblers, three Blackcaps, three Skylarks, c40 Swifts, c30 House Martins, several Swallows and my first Red Admiral of the year.

Upton Warren

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:49:00 +0000

Monday 4th May 2009

An afternoon in Webbs of Wychbold at Upton Warren, on a Bank Holiday Monday, was rewarded with a visit to The Flashes part of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust's Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve, just opposite the garden centre. There is always a good selection of birds here at this time of year, and this visit didn't disappoint, with seven Avocets (above), four Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, two Dunlins, three Redshanks, two Oystercatchers, two Lapwings, two Sedge Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler.

Forest Songsters

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Sunday 3rd May 2009

A visit to the forest this morning produced a male Pied Flycatcher near Speech House, opposite the Woorgreens car park, and another three males were at RSPB Nagshead on the short trail. Also at Nagshead, a singing male Wood Warbler (above) was performing well along the long trail. I made these recordings of Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler:

Cotswold Water Park

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Saturday 2nd May 2009

At the Cotswold Water Park this morning eight Common Terns, a Common Sandpiper, two Red-crested Pochards, c30 Swifts and c40 mainly Sand Martins, with other hirundines, at pit 16; six Hobbies, 15 Common Terns, eight Red-crested Pochards and an early Broad-bodied Chaser at pit 58; and from Swillbrook Lakes to pit 58 five Nightingales (photo above) five Garden Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler, a Reed Warbler, a Reed Bunting and a Cuckoo. Also lots of butterflies about including Peacock, Orange-tip, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood and Brimstone and many Damselflies.

Here is a recording I made of the Nightingale in the above photo:

Canal Sightings

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Friday 1st May 2009
Along the Gloucester-Sharpness canal, between Sellars Bridge and Simms Bridge, this morning there were two Lesser Whitethroats and two Whitethroats, and a Cuckoo was calling from the direction of Hardwicke Farm. An Oystercatcher circling around the canal, calling, at the KFC basin was a complete surprise. This evening there were two Reed Warblers south of Sellars Bridge, both back on territories, but unfortunately there has been no further sign of the Nightingale from Monday evening.

Nightingale

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:26:00 +0000

Monday 27th April 2009
At Hardwicke, a Nightingale has at last appeared and was in full song just south of The Pilot this evening. This is a rather late arrival, with dates in recent years ranging from 14th to 19th April. There were several Swallows over the canal, and a Reed Warbler was singing again nearby. A Kingfisher flew south along the canal low over the water, the first I've seen here this year.

An update from the weekend:

Sunday 26th April 2009
A couple of hours around Frampton pools produced two Cuckoos (possibly a pair) around the sailing lake, a Nightingale, and c20 Swifts with c30 Sand Martins and Swallows.

Saturday 25th April 2009
The highlight on Saturday was the Whiskered Tern at Frampton on the sailing lake, I arrived with Andy in the nick of time, as not 10 minutes after we arrived, it flew off toward the estuary. It was reported a couple of minutes later at Saul Warth but didn't stay there long, and was last seen at the trust on South Lake via the 100-acre. That was a close shave! I saw my first Swifts of the year whilst at the sailing lake, six of them, its always nice to see them for the first time each Spring.

Saul Warth/Frampton?WWT

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:04:00 +0000

Friday 24th April 2009

Above: Saul Warth at low tide

I started off the day's birding at Fretherne/Saul Warth, not much on the high tide but a Common Sandpiper at the edge of the river was a year tick. I then made to long walk round to view the south flash from the towpath viewpoint, where a pair of Garganeys were present, plus seven Black-tailed Godwits, 40 Sand Martins, 41 Shelduck, including an apparent RuddyX, and small numbers of Teal, Shoveler, and Gadwall. Next it was on the Splatt Bridge and the walk to Green Lane. A Cuckoo was calling from the direction of Nebrow Hill, and a Lesser Whitethroat was between the canal and Green Lane. From the viewing platform, a nice male Ruff, approaching breeding plumage, was on the 100-acre, plus six Redshanks and two Little Egrets. Next, Slimbridge WWT and a nice summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was on the Top New Piece (record shot below) along with a near-summer plumaged Spotted Redshank.

A walk down to Middle Point was unrewarding, but I could make out some waders distant on the sands back at Saul Warth, so I rounded off the day by returning there at low tide. Before that I checked out the Holden Tower on the way back, where five Whimbrels were on the pool in front of the tower, giving excellent views (bottom photo).

The waders I'd seen distantly from Middle Point turned out to be 19 Bar-tailed Godwits, including a few birds in stunning summer plumage (below); six Whimbrels and two Oystercatchers were also here as was the Common Sandpiper from this morning. All in all a good day's birding.

Sightings South of The Pilot

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Monday 20th April 2009

On a lovely, warm evening I took a bike ride south of The Pilot along the canal to Parkend Bridge. I counted three Lesser Whitethroats, my first of the year, plus four Mandarins (three drakes), six Swallows and a Grey Heron (above).

Coombe Hill/Highnam Woods

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:09:00 +0000

Saturday 18th April 2009
I tried Coombe Hill again this morning, but found even less than on Tuesday with no waders at all on the scrapes, although a Little Egret did fly through and a male Wigeon was still present, while along the canal there were no additions to the warblers. Highnam Woods was more productive with three male Nightingales singing well, also three drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Green Woodpeckers and a pair of Bullfinches, plus Speckled Wood, Comma, Orange-tip, Small White, Large White and Green-veined White butterflies.

Coombe Hill/Saul Warth

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Tuesday 14th April 2009

A couple of excursions out today:

In the morning, Coombe Hill Meadows - along the canal, six Willow Warblers, five Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps, a Sedge Warbler, a Whitethroat and a pair of Bullfinches. Not much from Grundon Hide, just two Redshanks and four Swallows of note. The floods of last summer apparently decimated the invertebrate populations here, resulting in poor numbers of waders seen. It will be interesting to see how this habitat recovers.

An afternoon trip to Frampton - two first-winter Little Gulls on Saul Warth south flash viewed from the canal (above, that's not a shark next to it, just an up-ended Coot! - another record shot below), also a drake Garganey heard, and a Whitethroat and Cetti's Warbler.

Damsells Mill

paul_masters@tiscali.co.uk (Paul) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Monday 13th April 2009

A walk in the superb weather today north of Painswick included a section along the beautiful Painswick Stream. This is one of my favourite areas in the county for walking, and a bonus was seeing a Dipper on the stream just south of Damsells Mill (above), and a Grey Wagtail (first of the year!) on the millpond. The views around here are just wonderful, this photo below is looking towards Painswick from Lord's Wood, near Sheepscombe.