9 Grey Herons, weird. Must have been a siege !

Date: 26/11/2015

Location: Patch Walk - Newton St Loe

Weather: Grey, Overcast + Dry

Other species: Redwing, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Buzzard, Kestrel, Green Woodpecker plus 

9 Grey Herons of note.

Started out through Bath Mill with Long Tailed Tits and Goldcrest at least 10 LT's and 4 Goldcrest.

Such tricky little things never stop moving !

Just before dog track a Green Woodpecker took off and flew into large tree on roundabout

More Goldcrest at Seven Acre and around 150 Wood Pigeons on top fields

Looking down onto fields by Globe pub spotted 9 Grey Herons, weird. Must have been a siege :)

Nothing other than usual on lakes, still no Little Owl, seems to be a Jackdaw nesting in his old hole ! 

Out through College and this Roe Deer almost well hidden.

Magpie having a word in the Sheep's shell like !

The male Kestrel last spot and shot of the walk .

Thanks For Looking :)

A Slight Murmur On The Levels !

Date: 23rd November 2015 - All Day

Location: Greylake > Shapwick Heath > Ham Wall

Observation: Decided to head down to the Somerset Levels today, to watch the Starlings, we started off at Greylake as all hides have re-opened.The car-park was full of the normal birds on the seed tables.

In the picnic area a lovely Greater-Spotted Woodpecker was feeding on the peanuts.

The reedbed route provided some nice surprises including Fieldfare on the riverbank and Redpoll feeding in the Alders.

At the treetop hide there were plenty of Teal, Wigeon, Snipe and Lapwing along with a Buzzard, Meadow Pipit, and a small group of Chiffchaff. 

We stopped in the car-park to get some birds, and to warm-up with some soup! 

Reed Bunting, Starling, Wren, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin. 

The starlings were causing confusion at the bird table by mimicking the sounds of Buzzards and Sparrowhawks, amazing to listen to ! 

We moved onto Shapwick Heath, the Scrape was pretty barren due to water levels being high. A low-flying Marsh Harrier to the right of the Scrape who then dived, but didn't see him come back up after the dive. At Noah's Lake there were hundreds of Wigeon and Teal along with Cormorants, Mute Swans and Greylag Geese. 

After a quick coffee back at the Van we moved onto Ham Wall lastly to see the Starling's roosting. We managed to get to the new Avalon Hide gate and seen 250,000+ Starlings murmurating in the distance, we headed (quickly) to Avalon Hide but they had already gone down before we got there. We hung around for a little while to see if they made another appearance, more arrived, but settled down quickly. So lucky we got these pictures when we did ! 

A Marsh Harrier and large group of Lapwing finished the day off. 

Weather: Blue Sky, Cold Wind + Sunny 

Other Species: Great White Egret, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Lapwing, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Redpoll, Fieldfare, Long-Tailed Tit, Snipe, Starling, Greater-Spotted Woodpecker, Reed Bunting, Kestrel, Buzzard, Greylag Geese, Marsh Harrier - + Lots More ! - 47 Species 

Thanks For Reading !

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A Damp Patch

Date: 19/11/2015

Location: Newton St Loe (Patch)

Weather: Rain at times, Grey, Overcast

Species: Full list today 40 total

Goldfinch, Robin, Coal Tit, Magpie, Goldcrest, Crow, Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon, Buzzard, Collared Dove, Pheasant, Blackbird, Skylark, Linnet, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Great Tits, Blue Tits, House Sparrow, Jay, Rook, Mallard, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Jackdaw, Moorhen, Black Headed Gull, Starling, Common Gull, Stonechat, Kestrel.

Song Thrush feeding on entrance to Bath Mill Lodge Retreat

 Along drive upper part, Redwing numbers around 15 but always distant.

Heard this Greater Spotted Woodpecker first, chirp! chirp!  

Then a Green Woodpecker a few trees along.

Nothing new on lake a very large group of Corvid's around 50 + continual calling over college and lakes, with 2 large groups of Gulls on surrounding fields mostly Black Headed gull with a few Common gulls, around 50 +

House Sparrows along hedgerow by old farm seem to have gone no sign ?

More Gulls fielding on Horse fields and then a highlight a pair of Stonechats feeding in rain !

Bad Shots I know but raining it was !

Male best I could manage :( seen 2 Stonechats few weeks back on fields by Seven Acre but not seen before in Village, NICE !

Almost home and good timing me thinks :)

This looking across Pennyquick and towards Lansdown in the mist !

Thank For Looking !

Weymouth Reserves

Date: 12/11/2015

Location: Weymouth - Lodmoor, Radipole and Ferrybridge 

Weather: Rain at first then Grey clouds and wind :( 

Other Species: Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Stonechat, Snipe, Brent Geese, Oystercatcher, Sanderling.

Observation:

Thought sunny day forecast so headed to Weymouth, it rained most of the way down, got diverted at Yeovil cost me 15 miles and 20 minutes so not boding well! Went to Lodmoor first seemed very quiet first bird was Marsh Harrier other side of reserve then a pair of Stonechat perched briefly.

Had a very very long chat to Danny Dench! A few Teal, Snipe, Canada Geese assorted Gulls was about it ! 

So headed to Ferrybridge as Brent Geese were on low tide.

I got there watched them for 10 mins and they flew off up the Fleet and away leaving distant Med Gulls not alot else !

So my final hope for pictures was RSPB Radipole....... Seen a lovely Swan

Cormorant with Herring, Common and Black-Headed Gulls some Mallard, Coot.

Think the Cormorant was saying go home, that way !

I persevered saw the Hooded Merganser male looking fine then went home.

on that quack, here to brighter days with birds everywhere !!:)

Thanks For Looking !

Full Patch Walk

Date: 10/11/2015

Location: Newton St Loe, Bath

Weather: Grey, Overcast, Warm

Other Species: Buzzard, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Goldcrest, Common Gull, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher - Plus a few more

Observation: 

Its been a while for a patch blog, I have been out lanes but got rained on twice so cut short and not much to report.

But with a drier forecast headed out on full patch walk. Long tailed Tits through Bath Mill Retreat not much else, on dog track Blackbirds and Goldcrest at least 4 Goldcrest here.

4 Skylark and a small flock of Linnet on top fields with Lesser Black Backed and Black Headed Gulls, Wood Pigeon and Rook feeding on field closest to road. Out through Village few Pied Wagtails at Church, Greater Spotted Woodpecker looking a bit worn.

Lots of cars now parked in Village, not sure think from Newton Park College :(

Very quiet on lakes Kingfisher, 3 Grey Heron, 20 Mallard, 5 Mute Swan plus Moorhen and a few Black Headed Gulls.

Walk on out through College and up hill towards Home Farm, a Linnet and Lesser Black-Backed Gulls feeding on fields with 2 Buzzards overhead Wilmington way. A small group of birds across two fields could just about make out Yellowhammer and Redwing.

Best shot of the day was this fine chap one of the many Pheasants that scared the crap out of me today !!

Few more Buzzards and this Kestrel really showing how grey it was today, but nice to back round patch !

Thanks For Looking :)

Good Day For Ducks !

Date: 05/11/2015

Location: Slimbridge 

Weather: Rain, Grey Skies 

Other Species: Curlew, Wigeon, Pintail, Barnacle, Greylag and White Fronted Geese, Plover, Snipe, Peregrine, Kestrel, Lapwing, Dunlin, Crane, Godwit - Plus lots and lots more

Observation:

With rain forecast I went to Slimbridge and it rained, no surprise.

But the Ducks didn't seem to mind here's a few pictures. First one of Grey Wagtail from the Rushy hide.

Headed down looking briefly in other hides bit of work clearing foliage so not much about got to Holden Tower, very busy with scopes and camera looking for Semi Palmated Sandpiper that's my effort :) no ideal if its there !  

If you can see let me know :)

From the Zeiss Hide the Wigeon took flight every 10 minutes

He didn't seem to mind .

Like water off a ducks head !

Final spot was a Snipe landed on the rushy. 

Here's To Drier Days :)