Bath on Red Alert, Beast from the East Hits..

Date: 1st March 2018

Location: Home Feeders

Weather: Heavy Snow, Windy and Very Cold

Species Highlights: A huge 22 species counted from our Garden feeders. Goldcrest, Blackcap and Lapwing the highlights.

10+ Blue Tit, 5+ Great Tit, 40+ Goldfinch, 1 Coal Tit, 4 Long-Tailed Tit, 2 Bullfinch, 10+ Chaffinch, 1 Wren, 1 Dunnock, 3 Robin, 3 Blackbird, 5 Wood Pigeon, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Magpie, 2 Crow, 1 Jay, 1 Goldcrest, 5+ Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 15+ Black-Headed Gull, 1 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, 1 Lapwing - 22 Species Total with 100+ total birds visiting today!

Observation: After being sent home from work, due to the Snow, I decided to do a Window count. We put huge amounts of seed in top the Van, across the car park and filled every feeder. We also put out some fresh water (which froze within the hour)

Goldfinch

Robin

Bullfinch (M)

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Pied Wagtail

Chaffinch (F) 

Goldfinch Flock

Redwing

Goldcrest

Lapwing!!

Blackcap (M)

Blackbird (F)

Current Snow Depths 

We are going to re-fill and put out fresh seed and water tomorrow morning, and try and visit the Patch to put down seed also, so another blog may be posted tomorrow!

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The Return + catch up

Date: 03/12/2017

Location: Newton St Loe

Weather: 
Grey, ending with some blue much warmer. 

Species Highlights: 
Goosander, Teal, Fieldfare

Observation: 
Headed out through Bath Mill with Brook and even fields very quiet, apart from Blackbirds on dog walk near apple trees, as of other years at least 10 birds with a couple of Redwing. Also here 1 male & 1 Female Blackcap, hidden in trees so couldn't get picture.
Into village and mostly quiet too,farm shop seemed busy with BMW, Mercedes and Audi all checking out the bargains! 
A few more chaffinch in village and at church yard orchard Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbirds and Robin feeding on fallen apples. All very jumpy.

All keeping a eye on me, took me 15 mins of keeping still to get these shots!

A lack of Jackdaw numbers today, numbers normally into the 30-50 but today i see on Avonbirds blog, large numbers at Marksbury so could explain where ours were, Rook and Crow numbers the same as usual here. 

Down on to lakes, all number rising with some new additions, 3 Goosander have returned. I'm really pleased to see them back and hope the numbers rise into the 20's as they have previous years.

7 Teal plus Mallard numbers into the high 30's all regulars present apart from Little Grebe who seems to come and go, all looking good for next WEBS count.

Bit of older news

Was getting ready to go to work on the Friday 01/12 and had a phone call from Robert Hargreaves and Anne, WOODCOCK present on patch a few words and my coat was on camera in hand, i drove to village and ran down to Fisherman's carpark where i met them both, the Woodcock went down under tree towards security office. I ventured into field to look under tree, Robert had his camera pointing in case i flushed it. I found a hare almost stood on it! 

Then all of a sudden the Woodcock flew straight at Robert and Anne, No Picture!! It Flew past and disappeared over bottom lake never to be seen again, i did search for 30 mins but nothing. But a great bird to get on patch. 

This takes our Patch record ticks this year to 85 species and all time patch count to 94.

On the 30th November i went to Slimbridge, Freezing cold but blue skies for some parts and some great birds .

Curlew

 The Water Rail showed extremely well from the Willow hide.

Little Stint saw 3 birds but always very distant.

The funniest thing i've seen in ages was this Hooded Merganser, he caught a monster fish then the decided someone was chasing him, there was no one chasing him! He continued to splash his way across the pen with his prize wedged in his jaws......

Once he made dry land he dropped it!
 But continued to run then swim, another bird did eventually pick it up, and eat the fish. The Merganser didn't quite know what had happened to his prize,  The glory comes from the chase anyway, Lol.

The Buffleheads looking fantastic in the sunshine.

The last couple of hours i spent in the Rushy hide where Bewick's and the light were perfect!

Shelduck, Pintail were entertaining me flying in front the hide against blue skies.

A brief visit from this Buzzard made all rise to the skies and panic.

Golden Plover one of the species that took to the skies, looking golden in the sunshine.

Now very cold after 5 hours at Slimbridge, i decided on departing just as this Bewick's family arrived, always a great place and even better when the skies are blue!

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Forest of Dean , what a Boar !

Date: 02/11/2017

Location: Forest of Dean

Weather: Grey overcast, misty

Species Highlights: 
Wild Boar
Nuthatch, Redpoll, Siskin, Raven, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit.

Observation: 
Not been to The Forest of Dean since February this year so a visit was overdue and some sightings of the Great Grey Shrike clenched the deal. 
After clearing the heavy traffic of the ring road had a clear run up to Parkend where i thought i'd sit, make breakfast and see if any Hawfinch turned up, they didn't but 3 Nuthatch did along with Coal Tits, Magpie and a few Chaffinch.

Magpie's were getting a mouth full of raisins, healthy breakfast!

The Crow just patrolled the area , keeping a eye on things.

After a couple of hours i headed up to towards Crabtree hill to look for Shrike, on entering the car park saw this beast rooting around in the grass.

My closest ever encounter, cars and people walking and driving past he just carried on. Amazing to see so close, my 400mm was to big even at the 100mm end so had to step back to get him into frame!

After plenty of shots i headed on to look for the Shrike my first sightings were Goldcrests and Jays, then a few Redpoll always nice to see these smart birds.

After speaking to a few other visiting birders there was no sign of the Shrike, i walked around all its usual spots with nothing much showing apart from a group of Siskin flitting through trees. 
Walked back to car Park, 2 hours had past and the Boar was still there.

He was massive i'd say up to my hip, car for scale .

Next Dinnertime so of down to Cannop Ponds, sad to see no Mandarin on lake although a few Wigeon, plenty of Little Grebe and 5 Tufted duck were present. 

Parked up, a few handfuls of seed and this is what it attracted.
5 Blackbirds 

5 Nuthatch.

2 Marsh Tits. 

6 Robin's

4 Chaffinch

Plus at least 10 Coal tits.
Most of these pictures were taken in overcast conditions Camera setting was 
F5.6= 320 shutter and 3200 ISO, not the best setting!

A great day was had, i shall return, took me 3 attempts last year to see Shrike, so plenty of time.

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