Spawning Frogs on Newton St Loe

Date: 8th-13th February

Location:
Newton St Loe, Chew Valley Lake, Stockhill, Ashleworth Ham, Slimbridge
Weather: 
Cold, Rain, Blue Skies.

Species Highlights: 
Frogs, Bearded Reedlings, Greater Scaup, Crossbill, Black-tailed godwit, Kestrel.

Observation: 
This year our frog spawn is early 2 weeks early, it appeared a day after we did a Pond clean, just pulling up dead and dying plants getting it ready for a bumper Dragonfly year I hope.

Lauren does the photos for the pond, and a great job she does!

Monday the weather wasn't great so a trip down to Chew Valley Lake was in order not long after entering the hide and seeing nothing in front...I mean nothing we left and we were gonna try another hide when I spotted a Bearded Reedling, year tick for Lauren, again Laurens pictures.

We heard 2 but this male put on a great show, such stunners.

We walked around to next hide with rain starting, on entering we spied Scaup another year tick for Lauren, 15 birds seen, really Scaup through the rain.

The rain eased off eventually leaving the great looking rainbow, with scaup at the end of it.

Next stop was Stockhill, It wasn't long before we spotted our targets Crossbill, male & female perched as always at the top of larch tree's very tricky as the wind was blowing a hooly!

Wednesday Lauren at work I decided to go to Ashleworth Ham in Gloucestershire, for a look for the Bean Goose after the drive up and an hour waiting for it, it was a no show. A bit of a Knightmare journey back, with a road closed, the diversion was flooded and my Van door falling off!

 I dropped into Slimbridge on way back eventually to at least see some birds, hardly anything from hides so wandered around the captive pools.

Canvasback duck- Aythya valisineria

Hooded Merganser F -Lophodytes cucullatus

Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis

Ferruginous duck - Aythya nyroca ( a Duck I keep missing for Uk but have seen in Rhodes)

This the male.

Not a bird I expect to see in the Uk but another Duck I've never seen, I've been to Slimbridge many times, seen photos of this bird there but never managed to see it! Its a Baikal teal (Sibirionetta formosa

What a beauty eh!

The captive Crane looks great close Up this one just a few feet away. 

A Jackdaw posed nicely too.

The only hide where anything was happening was the Hogarth hide, Black-tailed Godwits just outside the windows.

An airborne predator or something flew over spoking the Godwits.

So that was Wednesday highs and lows.

Thursday was patch walk day, and a grey day to start but on top fields, I had a view of the only Fieldfare of the year.

Not much else to report apart from the Whooper Swan now it's 115 days. Mute swans all showing aggression towards it now, I hope soon it will depart.

Another year Patch tick was this Kestrel in the horse fields.

Like buses another kestrel,  male/female.
Patch year list up to 55.

Wayne Year Bird List: 126
Lauren Year Bird List: 118

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Forest of Dean & Newton

Date: 14/17 January 2019

Location: 
Forest of Dean + Newton St Loe

Weather: 
Overcast then Beautiful Sunshine.

Species Highlights: 
Dipper, Crossbill, Marsh Tit, Short Eared Owl, Buzzard.
Observation: 
Monday morning we popped over the bridge to the Forest of Dean to see the Crossbills that had been all over social media, we've been going in January since 2014 but this year it seems everyone else decide to go! We arrived at 8am with just one other car there but soon the small car park was full with people walking, chatting and more cars arriving all morning long after 2.5 hours we left with no Crossbills. On a up note we did hear a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Drumming. 
From Parkend we went to our usual spot for Dipper and excellent to see a Pair.

After checking out Woolgreens with not a single bird on the lake or seen on the walk we headed to Cannop ponds for lunch and soon had all the normal birds visiting.

Marsh Tit always a little stunner.

Even asking fashion advice, Does my bum look big in this!

The light was very overcast so a very high ISO but the bird performing well.

Nuthatch

Not getting our target birds we headed back up to Parkend, even more people were there but after a hour of waiting a flock of Crossbill landed in tree above us then 2 came down to puddle.

A very brief visit in fact 30 seconds but great to see.

All targets ticked we drove back to England and stopped at Aust to check in on the Shorties, on pulling in we immediately spotted a SEO pearch on a distant branch. Another Short Eared Owl appeared and a brief tussle started.

We had a great day with Siskin, Crossbill, Dipper, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit all added to our year lists.

Thursday my normal patch walk and the sunshine was shining like a summer's day top field still quiet but did see 5 Skylark and this lovely Buzzard flew towards me for a change.

Love the colour on his tail almost Red Tailed Hawk!

He soon spotted me and drifted off.

Lots of small birds through Send a Cow woodland and this Grey Wagtail feeding on the lower Waterfall, bottom lake.

Teal numbers have dropped right of now only 17 birds all swans present but little else to report from lakes.
A few Common Gull on back drive in orchard at end of drive the single Fieldfare we busly feeding and fallen apples, along we a female Blackcap.

After a walk ending on 43 species a few birds were visiting my feeders, mostley Goldfinch, Tits.

But great to see a pair of Blackcap looking good in the sunshine.

Off to Canada wednesday for 10 days so check our Twitter feed for updates.

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Golden Plover on Patch

Date: 18th-22nd/11/2018

Location: 
Stockhill, Cotswold Water Park, Slimbridge, Newton St Loe

Weather: 
From Blue,cold to Grey drizzle

Species Highlights: 
Golden Plover, Crossbill,Water Rail, Jack Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Yellowhammer.

Observation: 
My travels this week started on the Sunday 18th with Chew Valley then Stockhill trying to get a few ticks for Lauren, none at Chew but Stockhill and was very pleased to see a group of Crossbill feeding in the pines along main track.

Needed a ladder really but great to hear them and see them feed for a few minutes.

Next off was Cotswold Water Park with a Old Mate from my Post office days,  Headed to pit 125 for a long staying Great Northern Diver but it seemed had gone, but did get a Red Crested Pochard from middle of the lake but tick number 197.

On walking around pit 125, 59,68 and 74 didn't see much it was very cold and drizzled for most of the day the highlight was the largest collection of Little Egrets i've ever see at least 60+ birds with 2 Great White Egret were seen.

After seeing so little decided on Slimbridge for some guaranteed Bird action, Martin Smith hide first and after looking for like 10 mins with other birders I finally spotted the Jack Snipe buried in the grass.

The Willow hide was on form with 2 Water Rail seen throughout the day showing extremely well.

Checked out the other hides, from the Holden watched a Peregrine chasing small flocks. This Jackdaw looked particular nice against the Dumbles

Looked back in at the Water Rail, yep still showing with a constant stream of a admirers.

A fair few Bewick's around the site and from the Rushy they were flying around.

I kept popping back to see if the Jack Snipe had moved but it stayed hunkered down for most of the day, Wigeon were very jumpy, but shows how many birds were on site.

Light was awful, very grey, this Sparrowhawk was from the Willow hide returned twice but missed his prey.

Amazing how flat how he looks when diving.

Some sunshine just as i was about to go, but stayed in the Rushy for the last few shots.

 Male Teal.

Pintail.

Tufted Duck.

To finish a full framed Bewick no crop!

Thursday Morning and my patch, started on leaving front door and seeing a patch first, a Muntjac deer running along Sunnybank!!
After seeing the local dog walkers having a nice chat, i know!
I scanned fields and spotted.....

Golden Plover, WOW 14 birds seen.

Light was head on so walked back to other side of field, some of the birds looked much paler, but thought it must be the light? Skylark behind.

Really great to see them makes you wonder how much we all miss on our patches!

By kneeling down and poking camera through hedge managed a few closer shots. 
Think it my closest ever Plover!

Wider shot of 10 birds.

All time Patch tick 98 and year patch tick 82 I need 5 more to beat last years 87, getting close.

Headed on smiling to myself and was shocked to see a group of Yellowhammer back in their normal spot overlooking Globe fields, 2 even perched for so half decent pictures.

Normal stuff around with Redwing still in numbers around Send a Cow Woodland also 2 Grey Heron along back drive. At lakes the Mute Swan family have gone again! Jen back up on top lake, 2 Cormorants and 10+ Black Headed gulls.

20 Teal along with a single Male Goosander top end.

From Keep Redwing could be heard with small flocks of Tits buzzing around but only 2 Fieldfare seen.

Kestrel last tick, again!

On a much sadder note found this Tawny Owl, it looked like it was hunting and got tangled in Barbed wire fence, I previously heard one calling in the small woodland here, very sad it was still quite flexible so guess it must have been previous night.

Not sure how it got so tangled, It took a real effort for me to get it off wire.

Poor thing. I ended walk on 43 species, not counting Owl. 
Golden Plover and Muntjac highlights for sure.

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