Sightings 18/4/11

66 Wheatears recorded today.

BRISTOL:
Sea Mills: 2 Shelduck, 9 Mallard, single Common Sandpiper and Greenshank, 23 Redshank and 2 LBB Gull (AD Scott).

LOWER WOODS (south Glos):



18.4.11 Nightingale © Allan Chard, many thanks

2 Nightingale present at the woods today (A Chard).

Nightingale is becoming increasingly scarce in Avon and for birders to tick this species locally is an achievement in itself, but to manage to photograph them so clearly is, well, positively rude!

YATE:
A Cuckoo heard calling 5.25am (per D Pearce).

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds, highlights:
Aust Warth: 4 Wheatear at the Cake Pill leg.

NP-NW: 10 Sedge Warbler (Grebe pond), a Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 5 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Raven of note. Another Wheatear nearby at the Shaft cottages.

Severn Beach: a Great-crested Grebe, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Wheatear.

Chittening Warth: a Little Egret and a Common Sandpiper.

PORTBURY DOCK:
1 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sandpiper and 10 Wheatear this evening (S Hale).

PORTBURY WHARF:
3 Wheatear near the 1st hide and a Grasshopper Warbler along the boundary rhine (H Parsons).

PILL:
M5 river Avon: at least 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff and singles of Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat and Blackcap singing this morning (V Savery).

KEYNSHAM:
2 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow and 5 Wheatear in fields alongside river Avon, upstream from Lockeeper Inn (L Wheatland).

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
A really good showing of birds here today: a Greylag Goose, a male Wigeon, 2 male Garganey, a Scaup,1 Little Egret, a Red Kite, 6 Little Gull (5 adults, 1 1st winter), 2 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Black Tern, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Common Tern,  a Raven family party including 3 juveniles, a female Wheatear, a Grasshopper Warbler, 6 Garden Warbler, a Lesser Redpoll and 4 Brambling (combined reports S Davies, and per SH).

BARROW TANKS:
Just 4 Whitethroat recorded (D Nevitt).

DUNDRY:
An impressive overnight 'fall' of 35 Wheatear in fields near the village hall this morning, additional cream supplied by 2 Ring Ouzel and a Redstart (D Nevitt).

Weymouth:
A couple of pics from Alex Rhodes who has just returned from a few days birding at Portland Bill and other local sites.

© Alex Rhodes, many thanks

Firecrest (at the Bill) and the LB Dowitcher at Lodmoor