Sightings 17/4/11

BRISTOL:
Henbury: a Treecreeper and 2 Brambling still at Moorgrove Wood (B Lancastle).

CHIPPING SODBURY:
1 Ring Ouzel left on the common this morning (D Pearce).

ALMONDSBURY:
Lower Knole Farm: a Cuckoo (heard), 9 Song Thrush, 2+ Lesser Whitethroat and single Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler (M Dadds).

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds, B Lancastle, J Martin:

17.4.11 Greenfinch, nNew Passage © B Lancastle, many thanks

we can't remember having posted this species before

Passerine migrant totals across the patch: 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 10 Whitethroat, 3 Whinchat (Aust, our first of the spring), 6 Wheatear, 5 Tree Pipit, 3 Yellow Wagtail and single Brambling and Siskin.

Pick of the waders were: 2 Little Ringed Plover and 2 summer-plumage Black-tailed Godwit

A Rosy-faced Lovebird was seen at Severn Beach, heading off over the water to Wales.

PORTBURY WHARF:
Restful here, just 2 Cetti's Warbler and 3 Lesser Whitethroat disturbing the peace (S Hale).

PORTISHEAD:
Battery Pt: 7 Purple Sandpiper on the rocks this evening.

Not much on the seawatch, 2 GBB Gull and c.40 Cormorant spooked off Denny Island by something but no Terns or Skuas seen (S Hale).

GORDANO VALLEY:
Caswell Moor: a singing Lesser Whitethroat and a Yellowhammer off Gypsy lane (S Hale).

CLEVEDON COAST:
Numbers on the low side due to early morning mist, inventory as follows:

6 Mute Swan, 10 Canada Goose, 40 Shelduck, 2 Teal, 10 Mallard, 1 Tufted Duck (male on estuary), single Little Egret, 8 Oystercatcher, 12+ Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Plover, 4 Lapwing, 1 Sanderling, 19+ Dunlin, 5 Whimbrel, 13+ Curlew, 4+ Redshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Turnstone, 38 Herring Gull, 6 LBB Gull, 4 Yellow Wagtail to NE, 20 Blackbirds (high number), 4+ Reed Warbler, 2+ Chiffchaff, 70+ Starling and a Reed Bunting (HE Rose).

SAND PT:


17.4 11 Stonechat © Keith Williams, many thanks



A Stonechat pair, 4 Rock Pipit and plenty of Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Linnet (K Williams).

BARROW TANKS:
35 Sand Martin, 6 Common Sandpiper, a Wheatear, 2 Willow Warbler and 2 Whitethroat (D Nevitt).



BREAN DOWN:

Swallow 17.4.11 © Paul Bowyer, many thanks

5 Swallow, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 12 Whitethroat, 3 Stonechat, 1 Wheatear, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Tree Pipit,  and a Common Redpoll (combined reports, S Matthews, per westonbirds).

SOMERSET LEVELS:
Tealham Moor: the 3 Yellow Wagtail ('channel sp') reported again (S Matthews).

VELVET BOTTOM (Mendips):
1 Tawny Owl, 1 Nuthatch, 5 Redstart, 2 Stonechat (pair), 3 Wheatear and plenty of Ravens (P Baber).

Walton Bay 15/4/11:
A late (and bizarre) report of a Lesser White-fronted Goose in the observers' (coastal) garden (HE Rose).

We're looking forward to seeing the description, it'll have to be a belter...