Monday 23 May 2011

Sightings 23/5/11

SEVERNSIDE:
Severn Beach: 1 Gannet and Kittiwake in the evening (per severnsidebirds).


PORTBURY WHARF:
4 Great Black-backed Gull on the island pool and 2 Goldcrest along Wharf lane, 30yds before the first hide (S Hale).

CLEVEDON COAST:
Ladye Bay: 25 Eider (5 males)*, 43 Manx Shearwater and a Great Skua (per clevedonbirds).

* presumably part of the same lingering flock that was seen off Severn Beach on 12th.

Lesvos May 2011 - Gordon Youdale

Our club chairman has recently returned from a birding visit to Lesvos and sent us these photos. Full report to follow later.

Many thanks Gordon.

Short-toed Eagle © Gordon Youdale

Scops Owl © Gordon Youdale

Krupers Nuthatch © Gordon Youdale

Collared Pratincole © Gordon Youdale

Sunday 22 May 2011

Sightings 22/5/11

Strong south-westerly winds in the estuary today with the 'schwerpunkt' of the seabird activity inevitably being recorded off Severnside and Sand Pt.

Reports per severnsidebirds, per westonbirds, B Lancastle, J Martin, S Hale, H Taffs.



Severnside
Avm Docks
Portishead
Clevedon
Sand Pt
Fulmar
5+

1
4
4
Manx Shearwater
8
2
9
25
180
Storm Petrel
1



1
Gannet
3+

4
15
49
Shag
1




Pomarine Skua
2




Arctic Skua
6




Skua sp




1
Kittiwake
80+
80


1
Little Tern
1




Arctic Tern
2



1
Razorbill



2

Guillemot




5
Auk sp. (G or R)
4+


1



Severnside photos

22.5.11 Storm Petrel © Sarah Loaring, many thanks
our first Petrel of the year
22.5.11 Pomarine Skua © Paul Bowerman, many thanks

22.5.11 Arctic Skua © Paul Bowerman, many thanks

Other sightings:

Severn Beach: 8 Ringed Plover, 2 Sanderling and 12 Dunlin (1 of the race 'arctica') at the beach this morning.

RSPB Ham Wall: A female Red-footed Falcon, first reported at Meare Heath on 19th.


Saturday 21 May 2011

Sightings 21/5/11

MARSHFIELD:
21.5.11 Spotted Flycatcher © Martyn Hayes, many thanks
2 pairs back in the Shire valley area of the patch


PORTBURY WHARF:
21.5.11 Reed Warbler near the D'arcy hide.
The Barn Owl was still out hunting early this morning (S Hale).

SAND BAY:
35 Ringed Plover, 2 Sanderling, 135 Dunlin, 1 Whimbrel and 10 Curlew (per westonbirds).

Friday 20 May 2011

Sightings 20/5/11

BRISTOL:
Clifton: a newly fledged party of 5 Mistle Thrush at the Christ Church green at mid-day (K Williams).

Fishponds:
20.5.11 Blue Tit © Allan Chard, many thanks
ragged because it has a family to feed....

MANGOTSFIELD:
20.5.11 Mallard © Sarah Loaring, many thanks
Several Mallard seen resting on roof tops today.

PORTBURY WHARF:


20.5.11 Barnacle Goose at the main pool early am
jaw-dropping photography from the Sightings Page team
Also at the pools, 4 Gadwall, 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin and a Redshank (A Middleton).


PILL:
The Raven family (at least 5 birds) still loafing around the M5 bridge area today (V Savery).

Slimbridge WWT 19/5/11:


19.5.11 Oystercatcher © Gordon Youdale, many thanks
many hatchings of various species around the site now



Thursday 19 May 2011

Sightings 19/5/11

SLIMBRIDGE WWT:
An immature Night Heron reported on site today (per slimbridgebirds).

YATE:
Heroic deeds on the Common this morning: 10 House Martin, 2 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 1 female Blackcap, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, single Whitethroat and 2 Reed Bunting (D Pearce).


PORTBURY DOCK:
Whimbrel 19.5.11 © Chris Stone, many thanks

22 Tufted Duck, 1 Peregrine (mobbing 2 Raven), 3 Whimbrel, 8 Curlew, a flock of c.50 small waders, Ringed Plover/Dunlin and a Cuckoo (CJ Stone).

PORTBURY WHARF:
4 Great Black-backed Gull on the main pool of note this morning (S Hale).

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Sightings 18/5/11

AVONMOUTH DOCK:
11 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin and 1 Whimbrel (S Hale).

NAILSEA:
A Little Owl seen 4pm (M Saffery).

Norfolk May 2011 Allan Chard

Club members Allan and Marion Chard have just returned from a birding break in north Norfolk, mainly around the 'gold coast' stretch between Titchwell to Cley.

Inspired by the Sightings Page teams' awesome photograph of 2 Egyptian Geese (see the homepage), Allan sent us some more pictures of the Norfolk classics....

Avocet

Sanderling

Shorelark
(4 late birds near the Swarovski hide at Cley)

male Marsh Harrier

Egyptian Goose

Little Tern

Sandwich Tern
all photos © Allan Chard, many thanks

By coincidence, we have a Club field trip to the same venue this weekend and we hope to post the report on this next week.

Norfolk is still producing some good stuff at time of posting with Temminck's Stint, Great Snipe, Red-necked Phalarope and Gull-billed Tern recently being reported so the party should be kept busy.


Tuesday 17 May 2011

Sightings 17/5/11

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds
Chittening Warth:

Bullfinch 17.5.11

6 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler and single Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Bullfinch along the Stup Pill leg.

PORTBURY WHARF:
Pools: a 2nd Little Grebe brood out on the water, 7 Dunlin and a Redshank on the island.

Bushes: the Little Owl still in situ (S Hale).

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
Heron's Green: the Garganey pair still on the pool (S Davies).

Monday 16 May 2011

Sightings 16/5/11

PORTBURY WHARF:
16.5.11 Little Owl again
fresh pic today, not one we've recycled!

CHEW VALLEY LAKE: early returns:
Heron's Green: a Garganey pair on the pool 7.30am this morning.

Stratford: a Ringed Plover and a Cuckoo.

Herriott's: a 2cy Yellow-legged Gull and 9 GBB Gull on the pool (S Davies).

a distant Cuckoo, pic taken 14.5.11 around the lake
© Chris Stone, many thanks


Sunday 15 May 2011

Poland May 2011 John Martin

John Martin and 3 other local birders spent 4 days birding in eastern Poland 8-11 May, around the usual hotspots and sent us these pics. Many thanks John.

John writes:

We flew from Luton Airport to Warsaw on Sunday morning then drove up to Bialowieza where we had rented a house for four days.

Immediately went to look for the Great Snipe lek after eventually locating the right village for our local guide for the first 24 hours. They were brilliant - 'a symphony of icicles' to quote Lars Jonsson - leaping into the air, scrapping a bit and doing their stretches and tail fanning thing in the middle of a large bog that we'd never have found without the guide.

Next day round the forest with Pygmy Owl, White-backed Woodpecker and Hazel Grouse as our main targets.

Pygmy Owl


We quickly had great views of the owl, mobbed by loads of small birds. White-backed Woodpecker nest news reached us during the morning and that secured my only lifer of the trip (bit of a bogey bird - spent 11 hours failing to find them in Turkey last year).

White-backed Woodpecker at nest

Black Woodpecker

Hazel Grouse was seen by most of the group but I had to wait til the last evening before getting a decent view of a male of this very shy grouse. While attempting to lure on in by playing the high-pitched call we attracted a Pine Marten onto the forest ride.

Next day was the marshes around a big Reservoir near the Belarus border. We found singing Citrine Wagtail, hundreds of Marsh Terns (mainly White-winged Black), White-tailed Eagles and Penduline Tit at its fab nest.
Middle-spotted Woodpecker mobbing the Pygmy Owl


All the while we were checking sites for Bison but failed to see Europe's largest mammal. Quick look round dipping on Bison again before driving back for our flight home.

The visit was a tad early for some specialities e.g. Thrush Nightingale, Bluethroat, Barred and Icterine warblers and Rosefinch (two in on the last morning but would be common in a few days time).

Collared Flycatcher

male Ortolan Bunting
This was ok as we wanted the woodpeckers (we had 7 species), owl and grouse before everywhere got too leafy as the other lads had missed them on a later trip last year.

Sightings 15/5/11

BRISTOL:
Eastville Park:
Canada Geese © Richard Scantlebury

mum Canada Goose with kids © Richard Scantlebury, many thanks
Great Spotted Woodpecker at nest 15.5.11 © David Hill

Grey Heron with eel 15.5.11 © David Hill, many thanks
Also noted in the park, Grey Heron, 1 Buzzard, 2 Swifts, a Kingfisher 2 Swallow, Blackcap and Chiffchaff (combined reports, D Hill, R Scantlebury).

Stoke Park:
pale Buzzard with prey 15.5.11 © David Hill, many thanks

ALMONDSBURY:
A flyover Red Kite 3pm at the M5 interchange (J Hatch).

PORTBURY DOCK:

Wheatear 15.5.11
Also present, 11 Tufted Duck, 1 Whimbrel and a Cetti's Warbler (S Hale).

PORTBURY WHARF:
Pools: 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Great Black-backed Gull.

Bushes: 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Cetti's Warbler and 4 Lesser Whitethroat.

A few noisy Starling flocks starting to re-appear around the reserve, especially at the saltmarsh (S Hale).

CLEVEDON COAST:
Ladye bay: just 4 Common Scoter on a 2hr seawatch today (H Taffs).

Coast to Yeo: 115 Shelduck, a Little Egret, 13 Oystercatcher, 40 Ringed Plover, 6 Grey Plover, 12 Lapwing, 325 Dunlin, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit, 31 Whimbrel, 9 Curlew, a Little Gull, 2 Raven, 9 Skylark, 100 Swallow, 1 Wheatear, a Cetti's Warbler, 10 Whitethroat, a Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler and 50 Linnet (per clevedonbirds)

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
A Cuckoo at Stratford 9am and a male Great Spotted Woodpecker (C Porter).

LITTON RES:
This morning's WeBS count: 33 Mallard (+ 16 chicks), 2 Tufted Duck, single Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Coot and 4 Moorhen (C Porter).

FOREST of DEAN:
Highlight birds, a Tawny Owlet (heard), 1  Wood Warbler, a Firecrest, 2 Spotted Flycatcher. 4+ Pied Flycatcher and a few Crossbills (E Drewitt).

South Atlantic - John Sparks

Club member John Sparks has just returned from a cruise around the south Atlantic, visiting the Gough-St Helena-Tristan-Ascension areas and sent us these pics of some of the headline birds.

Sooty Tern © John Sparks

Red-billed Tropicbird © John Sparks

 Yellow-nosed Albatross © John Sparks

Northern Rock-hopper Penguin © John Sparks

Had it not been for the penguins, we suspect John might have had a rather good day at Severnside. Those rocks look suspiciously like the ones at Severn Beach.

Full report at www.johnsparks.org 

Many thanks John, please don't take this the wrong way but we think you should go off on another long cruise....

Saturday 14 May 2011

Sightings 14/5/11

LITTLETON WARTH:
Quiet on this morning's WeBS count, noteworthy were 47 Black-headed Gull (often absent in may) and a big female Wheatear, possibly Greenland (J Martin).

CLEVEDON COAST:
Reasonable number of waders, highlights were 82 Shelduck, a Wigeon (damaged wing), 10 Oystercatcher, 6 Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Plover, 10 Lapwing, 140 Dunlin, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit, 42 Whimbrel, 6 Curlew, 1 Redshank, a Wheatear and 2 Raven (HE Rose).

SOMERSET LEVELS:
An immature Night Heron at Shapwick Heath (Noah's pool) this morning (per SOS).

COLEFORD (Somerset):
Not too far from Chew, a Honey Buzzard reported heading westwards 5.45pm this evening (J Hansford).



Hi everyone, we're just back from birding in Norfolk.

The best bird we saw was a Collared Flycatcher near the Holme Bird Obs on 8 May. A 1 day bird only though.

Only about 30 UK records of this little gem and many of these records are from Shetlands and other hard to twitch places. The Norfolk tribe was buzzing to get the bird onto their county lists, the track up to the Obs was packed with 150+ birders within 3 hours of the news getting out.

The Sightings Page team was in the front row, camera poised for action. Sadly (or is it fortunately?), we couldn't get a decent shot so we're posting this photograph taken by the Recorder who saw one on his recent trip to Poland. What a stroke of luck!

Collared Flycatcher, May 2011 Poland © John Martin, many thanks

Normal service resumed later tonight.