FOD and Hawfinches

Date: 13/02/2017

Location: Forest of Dean

Weather: Some Blue Skies, plus a little Overcast

Other Species: 
Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Hawfinch, Buzzard, Marsh Tit, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Dipper, Mandarin Duck, Mute Swan, Raven, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Waxwing, Goldcrest, Siskin, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Greylag, Canada Goose, Sparrowhawk, Jay.

Observation:
Been waiting for blue skies and today they were forecast, so headed the 40 miles to the fabulous Forest of Dean. Our mission was Hawfinch, Crossbill and Great Grey Shrike.
Started early and arrived at Parkend at 7:30AM first light, even better we were the only ones there! Parked up and waited.... waited and waited nothing going on, had Nuthatches, Coal Tits and plenty of Blackbirds but not the target, Hawfinches. We watched from van, people walking under the Yew trees disturbing everything but held our ground, sat a waited then just after 8:30 HAWFINCH! 
Grabbing camera and getting a few shots of these cracking birds.

 Saw 4/5 Enter the Yew trees where we were and 2 came on to ground, 

Light was hard and a bit dim but managed some half decent shots.

6 mins later they were gone!

Then 3 Deer wandered across green, a bit unusual.

We waited until 9:15 but Hawfinches didn't return so boots on and up to Parkend Church for Crossbill. Stopped on small stream and we saw 2 Dipper, excellent, one was cleaning and the other flew down stream and out of view.

Parkend Church saw Greater Spotted Woodpecker and more Nuthatches but little else so headed back to Van. 
A few more cars had turned up with lens popping out of car windows.

Next we headed to Mallard Pike, we parked on road and walked in, there is a toilet there so after making use of, walked around small lake finding a leucistic Mandarin and several other Mandarins also Greylag and lots of dogs, O Joy. 

Next stop was Crabtree Hill for Great Grey Shrike we hunted all it's normal spots but no joy, on walking back towards Woorsgreen lake Lauren, eagle eyes spotted 3 Waxwing.
A real surprise to see and a bonus.

No GGS or Crossbill were seen, so next stop Cannop Ponds always a great place to park up.
Filled the logs and feeder up and sat back to wait in fact didn't have to wait Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Great, Blue Tits, Robins were on logs before I even turned around! 

Always good to get close to Nuthatches.

Marsh Tits also.

After a hour or so headed for wander round Cannop Ponds.
To our surprise no Mandarin were on lake Gadwall, Little Grebe, Tufted and Cormorant were present so took a few pictures.

Little Grebe being a bit elusive.

Then about to go and a single male Mandarin flew in, such stunning birds.

So almost tea time and headed up to Fancy View for Chunky Chicken and potatoes and a last hunt of the skies, nothing more was spotted but tea was lovely!

To end another shot of the Hawfinch, you just gotta!

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The Crabtree Hill - Great Grey Shrike

Date:15/03/2016

Location: Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

Weather: White Cloud with some blue temp - 10c

Other Species: 
Great Grey Shrike, Linnet, Greenfinch, Nuthatch, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Stonechat, Little Grebe, Mandarin, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Greylag, Siskin, Crossbill (Heard), Hawfinch.

Observation:

Had a bit of spare time today, well 6 hours! So thought I'd head over to the Forest of Dean to See that Shrike which keeps eluding me my 5 attempt !  

But today I was lucky.

The Lanius Excubitor or the Great Grey Shrike means "sentinel butcher": Lanius is the Latin term for a butcher, while excubitor is Latin for a watchman or sentinel. The small but deadly spike on beak used for ripping and tearing its prey!

Always at a distance but relocated bird a number of times, saw it catch, cache and eat a Common Lizard.:)

After spending some 2 hours watching it with some very smart looking Stonechats buzzing it from time to time and Wrens hopping through undergrowth I headed on back to car park, where I was surprised to find this Buzzard in the forest, had his eye on something ! 

Thought I'd now give the Hawfinches a go spent, 1.5 hours but nothing going on apart from the sheep and a few very cute Lambs.

Did see this Coal Tit, given background a touch up!

Then for dinner and on to the nearby lake, Cannop Ponds. 

Plenty of Nuthatch and Tits about although no Marsh Tits today.

After a hour or so walked around lake, Little Grebe and muddy knees for this shot!

Losing the light now so final shot the lovely Gadwall, but mission accomplished the Great Grey Shrike in the bag, not literary!! 

Still plenty to find in this Great Forest :)

Thanks For Looking,

Hope You enjoy, I know I do !!

Slimbridge - WWT

Date: 20/08/2015

Location: Slimbridge

Weather: Cloudy, then rain then... cloudy temp 19c 

Other Species: Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Ruff, Common Crane, Greylag, Rook, Kestrel - Plus many many more .

Observation: Spent a couple of hours at Slimbridge today, very full car park and lots of kids :( So headed for hides out the way, At Holden saw a Sparrowhawk buzz by, saw him again 3 more times around reserve sadly no pictures. But Monty(black,green,red) was out front of hide for while and a single Green Sandpiper.

On Rushy Common Sandpipers, Ruff, Greylag and Lapwings. 

The Lego Work is great definitely bringing in the kids !

The Mallard above is in Swan Lake just outside Visitor Center and the Grey Heron here feeding 7ft from footpath caught 3 fish while I watched him .

Stunning Birds

 After a couple of hours the final tour of hides and I saw a male Kingfisher from Martyn Smith hide nice ! Caught a fish but I missed the strike.

Spent a couple of minutes on perch as the hide filled up with aahhh oooo !

 Tis a great looking bird !

 My 30th trip to Slimbridge and a great way to end day ! 

Thanks For Looking :)

November 5th The Levels

Date: 05/11/2014
Location: Westhay-Shapwick-Ham Wall 
Observation: Headed to Westhay as i thought a quiet start to the day, car park almost full and a coach there ! But on wandering round reserve i only see 5 people !
There were 2 Cettis singing away on walk down to hide with nothing from hide, looks like they've cut reeds very recently. A Few Dragonflies about mostly paired up.

On Drive to Ascott Corner in Field 5 Egrets feeding, Parked up and headed along to Noahs and Ham Wall, Scrape Bear ! Noah hide full ! So surveyed the the lake from bushes all distant so walked over to Meare Heath Hide A Gang of Long Tailed tits Abushed me on way  Blue,Great TIts And a Goldcrest in flock.

Its a Goldcrest ! You know what there like !

       Some Pretty Shrooms Outside Hide

Flyover Cormorant @ Meare Heath

 Also a Stonechat got to hide, thinking 5 species before i leave, opened shutter nothing !! Sat for about 10 mins still nothing then a lone cormorant landed followed by Gadwall, Teal, Kingfisher and Coot popped out then a Marsh Harrier ! Followed by Cettis, Moorhen to end Mute swan flyover nice. Now to Ham Wall on way back a Great White Egret was on Scrape with 5 snipe.

 Ham Wall saw Marsh Harrier from new Tor Hide with another Great White Egret.

Distant But !!

With the sun starting to set headed home happy, I'll be back soon for Starlings !

On drive home in field A39 Coxley at least 10 Buzzards on ground feeding on ploughed field .

Greylag Geese Over Noah's

Weather: Blue Skies - Cloudy + Cold

Other Species: 2 Marsh Harrier, 15 Buzzard, 2 Great White Egrets, 5 Snipe, Goldcrest, Cettis, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Teal, Gadwall, Cormorant, Stonechat, Jay, Mute Swan, Kingfisher, Little Egret, Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

Thanks For Looking !

Trip to Slimbridge

He's thinking "wtf is that bloke doing led down in all that duck sh*t !"

Date: 07/10/2014

Location: Slimbridge WWT

Observation: Headed to Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, weather said rain but headed there anyway blue skies all the way there with very bright sunshine. Staff doing Work on Rushy, well almost everywhere so no birds on the Rushy Pen or Tack Piece ! Walked down to Holden Tower, Barnacle, Greylag, Lapwing but distant so went to South Lake to see Pink Footed Geese very distant no pics. Lots of Greylag and Black Tailed Godwits about, but as always in the South hide sun in wrong place, blinding !

Saw a Chiffchaff by Decoy hide and lots of fly over Greylags but a bit bare.

So took a few snaps of Captives birds and the Golden Eye.

Hooded Mergansers one of my favorites !

Common Crane Posing in the sunshine

Weather: Sunny,Bright,Cloudy,then Rain.

Other Species: Chiffchaff, Greylag, Crow, Rook, Raven, Jackdaw, Buzzard, Teal, Black Tailed Godwits, Lapwing.

Black Swan, love the eyes !

 Mute & Menacing !

A Simple Moorhen.

Thanks for Looking !

Lesser Whitethroat - Another Tick !

Date: 28/08/2014

Location: Slimbridge - Gloucester 

Observation: Headed to Slimbridge with the promise of clear skies and a dry day! ..umm they got that wrong then, on arriving it poured down ! 

Headed into the Martin Smith hide where two Common Cranes were feeding in fields noticed a few Shoveler and Teal but not much else.Two Green Sandpiper in next at a distance. No feeders up in Willow hide but Blackcaps buzzing in trees with Chiffchaffs. At the Holden Tower a massive Gaggle of Barnacle and Greylag Geese sunning themselves in the rain and a hovering Kestrel.

At South Hide, 1 Ruff, 5 Snipe and lots of Lapwing. Wandered round as rain has stopped snapped a few captive birds then decided to go back to Robbie Garnet hide as had not seen many little birds. Heard one bird when entering hide was a Lesser Whitethroat !! Not seen one before so snapped happily away well 5 shots before it receded back into Elderberry Tree. Another tick (Wayne's life list stands at 178 ) Sky was now blue and sun was shinning ! And I've gotta go, ain't that always the way !? Anyway here's some pictures of my day. 

Weather: Grey overcast + Sunshine on leaving ! 

Other Species: Common Crane, Shovelers, Ruff, Black Tailed, Godwits, Snipe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Redshank, Barnacle & Greylags.

Hooded Merganser

 A Ruff Shot among the Lapwing 

 Pretty Greylag Pic

 Kestrel doing what they do Best !

 A Lesser Whitethroat ( my first !)

 And a Red Admiral to Finish :)

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