Sightings 30/4/11

Another day of large numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits flying up the estuary. The schwerpunkt was at Portbury Wharf (4 birds) and Severnside (1,760 birds).

BRISTOL:
Henbury: over the garden, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, a Hobby, 6 Swift and 2 Swallow (B Lancastle).

Purdown:

30.4.11 Whitethroat © John Bimson, many thanks

Seen 12.30-2.30pm: a soaring Cormorant (!), a male Kestrel, 4 Swallow, 2 Blackcap, 6 Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff and a Raven shooing off a Buzzard (J Bimson).

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds, J Martin: many birds heading NE into the headwind as is the custom here:

NP-NW: the male Gadwall still, 5 Teal, c.100 Bar-tailed Godwit (disappearing towards Aust) and 2 Yellow Wagtail.

Severn Beach: 25 Ringed Plover, 4 Grey Plover, 4 Knot, 1 Sanderling, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 90 Dunlin, 20 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, 12 Turnstone, 1 dark morph Arctic Skua, 110 Arctic Tern, 2 Commic Tern, 10 Swift, 2 Sand Martin, 7 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Wheatear and 5 Tree Pipit.



30.4.11 Curlew Sandpiper © Paul Bowerman, many thanks

photographed at Shaft rocks, our first of the spring



Ringed Plover & Dunlin © Allan Chard, many thanks

the small waders are starting to appear at Severnside.....

Chittening Warth: at the Holesmouth section: 8 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Knot, 13 Dunlin, 250 Bar-tailed Godwit (from yesterday), 7 Curlew, 15 Whimbrel, 1 Common Sandpiper and a Wheatear (S Davies).

Today's Severnside Bar-tailed Godwits:

Adding up all the various counts, an estimated 1,760+ Bar-tailed Godwits were seen on passage during the day. About 250+ birds in the morning and later c.1,500 birds during the afternoon, especially late afternoon/evening when there was a steady stream of birds moving upriver, often veering off to the north-east and over the Severn Beach shops.

1,760 birds is considered to be a conservative estimate, many more must have been missed.

Many thanks to Paul Bowerman at severnsidebirds for supplying the information, even before he updated his own site.

some of the Bar-tailed Godwits, © Paul Bowerman, many thanks

30.4.11 Bar-tailed Godwit © Allan Chard, many thanks



PORTBURY WHARF:

Shore: 2 Grey Plover, 14 Dunlin and 4 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Pools: too exciting for words (S Hale).

PORTISHEAD:
Battery Pt: 11 racing Pigeons seen on the seawatch.

Beach: a female Wheatear (S Hale).

CLEVEDON COAST:
Dowlais: 3 summer plumaged Knot and 3 White Wagtail of note (H Taffs).

Blake's pool: a Marsh Harrier this morning.

Kingston Seymour: a Cuckoo

BARROW TANKS:
4 Common Sandpiper and a Common Tern (S Davies).