Weather: warm, bright but cloudy. 4 to 5:30pm.
A quick stop at Welney for the reported bluethroat with Kim on the way back to London. We were told that it hadn't been seen for most of that day & it proved to be the case for us too despite lingering in the area with a few other hopeful people.
Car-park to Hides:
Swallow - one on footbridge before visitors' centre, apparently nesting underneath the boardwalk!
Skylark - heard. Swift, Goldfinch, Pheasant, Lapwing, Grey Heron, Collared Dove, Jackdaw, Crow, Starling.
Blackbird, House Sparrow, Wren, House Martin.
From Lyle & Allport Hides:
Avocet x2.
Whitethroat, Mallard, Coot, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Canada Goose.
Woodpigeon, Mute Swan, Common Tern.
Reed Warbler, Black-Tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Shoveler, Moorhen.
Back to Car-park.
Sedge Warbler, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Kestrel.
Turtle Dove - on the drive out from Welney towards the roads back to London one flew up from the roadside, from a puddle & off into the hedgerow. Always nice & sad that it's become an infrequent sighting nowadays.
Monday, 31 May 2010
Saturday, 29 May 2010
RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk, 29/05/2010
Weather: Cold, raining. 11:30am to 1pm.
After seeing the Montagu's nearby I headed to Titchwell as the weather closed in. Subsequently I stayed in the Island Hide watching the birds hunker down against the rain.
Carpark:
Robin, Woodpigeon, Swift, Blackbird.
Chaffinch, Willow Warbler, Dunnock - all heard.
Feeders:
Greenfinch, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Collared Dove.
Freshwater Marshes Path:
Cetti's Warbler - heard.
Wren - heard.
Reed Warbler, Blackcap.
Moorhen - with chicks already.
Chiffchaff - heard.
House Martin - 6 to 10 over.
Reed Bunting.
Island Hide:
Lapwing, Black-Headed Gull, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan.
Mallard, Tufted Duck, Marsh Harrier, Wren, Crow.
Gadwall, Great-Crested Grebe, Sedge Warbler.
Ruddy Duck - 1 male.
Bearded Tit - heard.
Linnet, Little Egret, Coot, Shelduck, Shoveler.
Swallow, Egyptian Goose, Pochard, Redshank, Oystercatcher.
Wigeon - 2 x males.
Avocet, Pied Wagtail.
Ringed Plover - 2.
Cuckoo - heard from towards Titchwell Village.
Herring Gull - 3 or 4 juveniles.
Skylark - heard.
Meadow Pipit - heard.
Dunlin - c10.
Quite a number of species considering I just stayed in one hide but a testament to staying put & to Titchwell's avian draw!
52 species.
After seeing the Montagu's nearby I headed to Titchwell as the weather closed in. Subsequently I stayed in the Island Hide watching the birds hunker down against the rain.
Carpark:
Robin, Woodpigeon, Swift, Blackbird.
Chaffinch, Willow Warbler, Dunnock - all heard.
Feeders:
Greenfinch, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Collared Dove.
Freshwater Marshes Path:
Cetti's Warbler - heard.
Wren - heard.
Reed Warbler, Blackcap.
Moorhen - with chicks already.
Chiffchaff - heard.
House Martin - 6 to 10 over.
Reed Bunting.
Island Hide:
Lapwing, Black-Headed Gull, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan.
Mallard, Tufted Duck, Marsh Harrier, Wren, Crow.
Gadwall, Great-Crested Grebe, Sedge Warbler.
Ruddy Duck - 1 male.
Bearded Tit - heard.
Linnet, Little Egret, Coot, Shelduck, Shoveler.
Swallow, Egyptian Goose, Pochard, Redshank, Oystercatcher.
Wigeon - 2 x males.
Avocet, Pied Wagtail.
Ringed Plover - 2.
Cuckoo - heard from towards Titchwell Village.
Herring Gull - 3 or 4 juveniles.
Skylark - heard.
Meadow Pipit - heard.
Dunlin - c10.
Quite a number of species considering I just stayed in one hide but a testament to staying put & to Titchwell's avian draw!
52 species.
Undisclosed, North Norfolk, 29/05/2010
Weather: cool overcast, spots of rain getting heavier. 9:10 to 11am.
First outing to a well-known (its documented in Lee Evan's site guide book) but apparently still undisclosed site for a rare speciality at the edge of its breeding range. I was soon joined by three others in the fields waiting patiently.
On arrival/car-park:
Skylark, Swift,Woodpigeon, Swallow - all over fields.
Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit - all in hedgerow.
Lesser Whitethroat - flying back & forth from straw bails to hedgerow, singing as well. An unexpected bonus!
Lesser Black-Backed Gull - over.
Black-Headed Gull - over.
Pheasant - fields.
Yellowhammer - hedgerow.
Buzzard - drifting distantly above coppice.
Marsh Harrier - another that drifted through.
Crow, Blackbird.
Pied Wagtail - 2 amongst crops & hedgerow.
Montagu's Harrier - all of a sudden the main event! After waiting for about 20 minutes, a beautiful male bounced into view shortly followed by another. They then quartered the fields more or less together before one caught something & did an amazing mid-air food-pass to a female who appeared up from the area where the nest apparently was. The males continued to hunt after but got further & further away before disappearing out of view. Although the weather began to close in I stuck around hoping they'd reappear to no avail.
Kestrel - over fields.
Whitethroat - hedgerow.
Stock Dove- over fields.
Mute Swan - over.
22 species, 1 new.
First outing to a well-known (its documented in Lee Evan's site guide book) but apparently still undisclosed site for a rare speciality at the edge of its breeding range. I was soon joined by three others in the fields waiting patiently.
On arrival/car-park:
Skylark, Swift,Woodpigeon, Swallow - all over fields.
Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit - all in hedgerow.
Lesser Whitethroat - flying back & forth from straw bails to hedgerow, singing as well. An unexpected bonus!
Lesser Black-Backed Gull - over.
Black-Headed Gull - over.
Pheasant - fields.
Yellowhammer - hedgerow.
Buzzard - drifting distantly above coppice.
Marsh Harrier - another that drifted through.
Crow, Blackbird.
Pied Wagtail - 2 amongst crops & hedgerow.
Montagu's Harrier - all of a sudden the main event! After waiting for about 20 minutes, a beautiful male bounced into view shortly followed by another. They then quartered the fields more or less together before one caught something & did an amazing mid-air food-pass to a female who appeared up from the area where the nest apparently was. The males continued to hunt after but got further & further away before disappearing out of view. Although the weather began to close in I stuck around hoping they'd reappear to no avail.
Kestrel - over fields.
Whitethroat - hedgerow.
Stock Dove- over fields.
Mute Swan - over.
22 species, 1 new.
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, Hertfordshire, 23/05/2010
Weather: glorious, hot & sunny; shorts & t-shirt. From 1 to 3pm.
After the outing to 70 Acres Lake I set off for Wilstone hoping to see more hobbies in some glorious weather.
Car-park:
Chaffinch, Goldfinch.
Reservoir:
Common Tern, Coot, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Mallard.
Cuckoo - heard.
Whitethroat - in the hedgerow alongside the reservoir wall.
Red-Legged Partridge - from the fields behind the hedgerow.
Woodland & Hide:
Chiffchaff - heard.
Buzzard x2,
Skylark - heard.Jackdaw, Great Tit, Wren.
Robin - heard.
Red Kite - 1 over.
Great-Crested Grebe, Pochard, Gadwall, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose.
Shoveler - 2 x male, 1 x female.
Hide to Dry Canal:
Stock Dove, Crow, Pheasant.
Green Woodpecker - heard.
Dunnock, Blackbird.
Yellowhammer - singing from hedge at the top of the field, next to the canal.
Blackcap - 1 male in hedge on path back down to reservoir.
From Cemetery Corner:
Reed Warbler - heard from reeds next to wood.
Swallow, Swift, Starling.
A lovely day but no hobbies, which seemed unusual because I didn't think I was too late to see them in numbers; seems I was wrong!
38 species.
After the outing to 70 Acres Lake I set off for Wilstone hoping to see more hobbies in some glorious weather.
Car-park:
Chaffinch, Goldfinch.
Reservoir:
Common Tern, Coot, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Mallard.
Cuckoo - heard.
Whitethroat - in the hedgerow alongside the reservoir wall.
Red-Legged Partridge - from the fields behind the hedgerow.
Woodland & Hide:
Chiffchaff - heard.
Buzzard x2,
Skylark - heard.Jackdaw, Great Tit, Wren.
Robin - heard.
Red Kite - 1 over.
Great-Crested Grebe, Pochard, Gadwall, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose.
Shoveler - 2 x male, 1 x female.
Hide to Dry Canal:
Stock Dove, Crow, Pheasant.
Green Woodpecker - heard.
Dunnock, Blackbird.
Yellowhammer - singing from hedge at the top of the field, next to the canal.
Blackcap - 1 male in hedge on path back down to reservoir.
From Cemetery Corner:
Reed Warbler - heard from reeds next to wood.
Swallow, Swift, Starling.
A lovely day but no hobbies, which seemed unusual because I didn't think I was too late to see them in numbers; seems I was wrong!
38 species.
Saturday, 22 May 2010
70 Acres Lake, Lee Valley Park, Essex, 22/05/2010
Weather: bright & sunny, warm. 4:30 to 7:30pm.
Out to the Lee Valley with Sian because she wanted to hear singing nightigales & I thought this would be just the place. It was another lovely May spring day with the hawthorn in full bloom. Unfortunately the nightingale were mostly silent & it felt like we were too late in the season despite May getting off to a cold start & spring migration generally thought to have been delayed due to colder weather in the previous few weeks.
We walked the same path I had when I came for the Savi's warbler, visited the Bittern hide then took a long loop round the back before coming back along the same path.
From Car-Park.
Chaffinch, Magpie, Woodpigeon.
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose.
Blackcap - heard.
Wren - heard.
Chiffchaff, Dunnock.
Sedge Warbler - heard.
70 Acres Lake.
Great-Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tufted Duck, Crow.
Mute Swan, Mallard, Pochard.
Robin, Common Tern, Reed Bunting, Garden Warbler, Long-Tailed Tit.
Nightingale - as we neared the Bittern hide, suddenly a nightingale broke out with a brief burst of song. Unfortunately before it could get into full swing a couple of people walked along the path ahead us & past the bush the bird was singing from. They were talking the whole time & this stopped the singing & it never started again though we waited for some minutes afterwards. Unusually we didn't hear any later as the evening wore on either.
Bittern Hide.
Gadwall, Reed Warbler.
Continuing Around Lake.
Bullfinch - a couple, male & female, quickly into the thick hawthorn & away, showing distinctive white rumps.
Whitethroat - several around, one flew up in song-flight.
Blue Tit, Great Tit.
Hobby - heading back around the lake, one flew over quite high up, typically like a large swift. When we got back to the car another was hawking around a field adjacent, coming closer every now & again but generally staying close to the river.
Swift, Swallow, Jay, Blackbird, Jackdaw.
Song Thrush - heard.
Cetti's Warbler - heard.
37 species.
Out to the Lee Valley with Sian because she wanted to hear singing nightigales & I thought this would be just the place. It was another lovely May spring day with the hawthorn in full bloom. Unfortunately the nightingale were mostly silent & it felt like we were too late in the season despite May getting off to a cold start & spring migration generally thought to have been delayed due to colder weather in the previous few weeks.
We walked the same path I had when I came for the Savi's warbler, visited the Bittern hide then took a long loop round the back before coming back along the same path.
From Car-Park.
Chaffinch, Magpie, Woodpigeon.
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose.
Blackcap - heard.
Wren - heard.
Chiffchaff, Dunnock.
Sedge Warbler - heard.
70 Acres Lake.
Great-Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tufted Duck, Crow.
Mute Swan, Mallard, Pochard.
Robin, Common Tern, Reed Bunting, Garden Warbler, Long-Tailed Tit.
Nightingale - as we neared the Bittern hide, suddenly a nightingale broke out with a brief burst of song. Unfortunately before it could get into full swing a couple of people walked along the path ahead us & past the bush the bird was singing from. They were talking the whole time & this stopped the singing & it never started again though we waited for some minutes afterwards. Unusually we didn't hear any later as the evening wore on either.
Bittern Hide.
Gadwall, Reed Warbler.
Continuing Around Lake.
Bullfinch - a couple, male & female, quickly into the thick hawthorn & away, showing distinctive white rumps.
Whitethroat - several around, one flew up in song-flight.
Blue Tit, Great Tit.
Hobby - heading back around the lake, one flew over quite high up, typically like a large swift. When we got back to the car another was hawking around a field adjacent, coming closer every now & again but generally staying close to the river.
Swift, Swallow, Jay, Blackbird, Jackdaw.
Song Thrush - heard.
Cetti's Warbler - heard.
37 species.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk, 15/05/2010
3:45 to 6:20pm. Weather: Bright & sunny, light breeze (NE).
Not that any excuse is required to visit Titchwell but reports of a stint & curlew sand drew me on a wonderful spring day.
Car-park:
Woodpigeon, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Wren.
Willow Warbler - heard.
Chiffchaff - heard.
Freshwater Marshes:
Sedge Warbler, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Coot, Black-Headed Gull, Swift, Reed Bunting, Mallard.
Brent Goose - 7, always seems strange to see wintering wildfowl still present on a sunny spring day!
Bearded Tit - 2, up briefly flying over the reeds, plenty of 'pinging'.
Common Tern, Shelduck.
Temminck's Stint - 2, it didn't take me long to see where these secretive little birds were hiding as there was a big group of people with optics trained on a nearby island in the lagoon. Before I got to that point though I was pointed to where the pair were by a couple of wardens & got good, if distant views. I sooned joined the other group for closer views, although the birds were fairly nondescript & they crept about, staying close together, about like a couple of avian mice. I watched for a while, getting sunburnt & bitten by horseflies before heading to the beach happy with a great life tick.
Red-Crested Pochard - 1 male & 1 female), a first for me at Titchwell.
Pochard, Wigeon, Gadwall, Redshank, Avocet, Greylag Goose, Cormorant, Moorhen, Dunlin.
Wood Sandpiper - another great wader to see, amongst the more common waders.
Oystercatcher, Canada Goose, Herring Gull, Turnstone.
Little Tern - a few flying around, charisma inversely proportionate to their size.
Black-Tailed Godwit, Carrion Crow, Shoveler, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing.
Grey Plover - 3.
CURLEW SANDPIPER - 1, eventually I picked out the other species that initially lured me out, it was with the dunlins but was distinctively different with handsome russet breeding colours. A first for me in the UK.
Yellow Wagtail - 1, a bonus, it flew in & out pretty quickly but a splash of colour. A lot of people were keen to see it & were disappointed when it had apparently disappeared.
Little Ringed Plover - 1, I seemed to be seeing this bird a lot more frequently recently!
Knot - 3, again amongst the more typical waders.
Cuckooo - heard from the direction of Titchwell village.
To the beach:
Skylark - singing along the path.
Swallow - mainly zipping amongst the dunes.
Linnet- 2.
Beach:
Meadow Pipit.
Sanderling - 8, along the seashore.
Great Crested Grebe - 3, at sea.
Bar-Tailed Godwit - 3, dotted along the beach amongst the oystercatchers.
Coming back:
Jackdaw, Little Egret.
Whitethroat - heard.
Marsh Harrier - 1 male.
Sand Martin - 1 over.
Blackbird, Pheasant, Magpie.
Collared Dove - 2.
A great day with great weather & a stack of great birds, some I hoped to see & did & others that I hadn't expected to see.
64 species, one new species.
Not that any excuse is required to visit Titchwell but reports of a stint & curlew sand drew me on a wonderful spring day.
Car-park:
Woodpigeon, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Wren.
Willow Warbler - heard.
Chiffchaff - heard.
Freshwater Marshes:
Sedge Warbler, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Coot, Black-Headed Gull, Swift, Reed Bunting, Mallard.
Brent Goose - 7, always seems strange to see wintering wildfowl still present on a sunny spring day!
Bearded Tit - 2, up briefly flying over the reeds, plenty of 'pinging'.
Common Tern, Shelduck.
Temminck's Stint - 2, it didn't take me long to see where these secretive little birds were hiding as there was a big group of people with optics trained on a nearby island in the lagoon. Before I got to that point though I was pointed to where the pair were by a couple of wardens & got good, if distant views. I sooned joined the other group for closer views, although the birds were fairly nondescript & they crept about, staying close together, about like a couple of avian mice. I watched for a while, getting sunburnt & bitten by horseflies before heading to the beach happy with a great life tick.
Red-Crested Pochard - 1 male & 1 female), a first for me at Titchwell.
Pochard, Wigeon, Gadwall, Redshank, Avocet, Greylag Goose, Cormorant, Moorhen, Dunlin.
Wood Sandpiper - another great wader to see, amongst the more common waders.
Oystercatcher, Canada Goose, Herring Gull, Turnstone.
Little Tern - a few flying around, charisma inversely proportionate to their size.
Black-Tailed Godwit, Carrion Crow, Shoveler, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing.
Grey Plover - 3.
CURLEW SANDPIPER - 1, eventually I picked out the other species that initially lured me out, it was with the dunlins but was distinctively different with handsome russet breeding colours. A first for me in the UK.
Yellow Wagtail - 1, a bonus, it flew in & out pretty quickly but a splash of colour. A lot of people were keen to see it & were disappointed when it had apparently disappeared.
Little Ringed Plover - 1, I seemed to be seeing this bird a lot more frequently recently!
Knot - 3, again amongst the more typical waders.
Cuckooo - heard from the direction of Titchwell village.
To the beach:
Skylark - singing along the path.
Swallow - mainly zipping amongst the dunes.
Linnet- 2.
Beach:
Meadow Pipit.
Sanderling - 8, along the seashore.
Great Crested Grebe - 3, at sea.
Bar-Tailed Godwit - 3, dotted along the beach amongst the oystercatchers.
Coming back:
Jackdaw, Little Egret.
Whitethroat - heard.
Marsh Harrier - 1 male.
Sand Martin - 1 over.
Blackbird, Pheasant, Magpie.
Collared Dove - 2.
A great day with great weather & a stack of great birds, some I hoped to see & did & others that I hadn't expected to see.
64 species, one new species.
Sunday, 9 May 2010
RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex, 09/05/2010
11:15am to 3pm. Weather: grey, overcast, chilly, slight cold breeze (NE).
Spring visit looking for whinchat & first visit in a while.
Carpark.
Blackcap - heard.
Swift - 100+; the biggest gathering of swifts I'd ever seen accumulated over the marshes next to the river. A very impressive sight from the carpark, even more so when I got closer as I walked along the river.
Magpie, Starling, Great Tit, Chaffinch.
Chiffchaff - heard.
Song Thrush, Shelduck, Woodpigeon, Whitethroat.
Visitors' Centre Feeders.
Collared Dove, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow.
Riverside.
Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Comorant, Mallard, Black-Headed Gull.
Whimbrel - 2 overhead.
Jackdaw, Crow.
Common Sandpiper - one low over the water, wingbar & flicking wingbeats.
Wheatear - 3 females, 1 male, along the river defences.
Skylark, Linnet, Dunnock, Blackbird.
'Serin Mound'.
Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Herring Gull.
Back along river.
Kestrel,
Lapwing,
Swallow - downstream over the river.
Reserve 'Wood'.
Long-Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Robin.
Sand Martin - overheard North-West-ish.
Lesser Whitethroat -heard but remained hidden in the thick brambles though I waited a while for it to show.
Cetti's Warbler -heard.
Hide.
Tufted Duck.
House Martin - a couple in with the sand martins.
Pochard - 5 male, 1 female.
Mute Swan, Gadwall, Pied Wagtail, Great-Crested Grebe, Little Grebe.
Scrapes.
Little Ringed Plover.
Shoveler - 3 males overhead.
Canada Goose - 2.
Sedge Warbler.
Pools.
Greenshank.
Visitors' Centre.
Greylag Goose - 2 then 4, as I headed back to the centre.
Stock Dove - 1 at the feeders.
57 species recorded, none new.
When I departed, setting off up the A13, a very probable Cuckoo flew over from the reserve.
Spring visit looking for whinchat & first visit in a while.
Carpark.
Blackcap - heard.
Swift - 100+; the biggest gathering of swifts I'd ever seen accumulated over the marshes next to the river. A very impressive sight from the carpark, even more so when I got closer as I walked along the river.
Magpie, Starling, Great Tit, Chaffinch.
Chiffchaff - heard.
Song Thrush, Shelduck, Woodpigeon, Whitethroat.
Visitors' Centre Feeders.
Collared Dove, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow.
Riverside.
Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Comorant, Mallard, Black-Headed Gull.
Whimbrel - 2 overhead.
Jackdaw, Crow.
Common Sandpiper - one low over the water, wingbar & flicking wingbeats.
Wheatear - 3 females, 1 male, along the river defences.
Skylark, Linnet, Dunnock, Blackbird.
'Serin Mound'.
Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Herring Gull.
Back along river.
Kestrel,
Lapwing,
Swallow - downstream over the river.
Reserve 'Wood'.
Long-Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Robin.
Sand Martin - overheard North-West-ish.
Lesser Whitethroat -heard but remained hidden in the thick brambles though I waited a while for it to show.
Cetti's Warbler -heard.
Hide.
Tufted Duck.
House Martin - a couple in with the sand martins.
Pochard - 5 male, 1 female.
Mute Swan, Gadwall, Pied Wagtail, Great-Crested Grebe, Little Grebe.
Scrapes.
Little Ringed Plover.
Shoveler - 3 males overhead.
Canada Goose - 2.
Sedge Warbler.
Pools.
Greenshank.
Visitors' Centre.
Greylag Goose - 2 then 4, as I headed back to the centre.
Stock Dove - 1 at the feeders.
57 species recorded, none new.
When I departed, setting off up the A13, a very probable Cuckoo flew over from the reserve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)