Newton St Loe, Middle August

Date: 17/08/2017

Location: Patch - Newton St Loe

Weather: Starting Grey with Warm, Sunshine to End

Other Species: 
Spotted Flycatcher, Buzzard, Kestrel, House Sparrow, Chiffchaff, Little Egret.
Spreadsheet:

Observation: 

Started walk today with the company of Tony Cook, another local birder. 

Out through Bath Mill fairly quiet along and up onto dog track a single Brown Argus with Bullfinch being best, again not much going on across fields with no Skylarks heard or seen.

Into village 20+ House Martin buzzing overhead and busily nesting. Only around 4 Barn Swallow seen on our first pass.

Send A Cow woodland it all seemed to come alive with many Tits plus Treecreeper, Chiffchaff and 2 Spotted Flycatchers, the Spotted Fly's seem to have moved from lakes maybe looking at leaving soon?

A Comma on where else but Butterfly alley.

Onto Lakes Billy the Swan still "no mates" on Bottom Lake. 

This Dragonfly a 

Migrant Hawker carrying something and on looking at pictures its Speckled Wood!

Don't think Dragonflies cache food but this male seemed to be attaching its prey to underside of leaf then flew off empty handed?!

On up to top lakes all Mute Swans present and the adult male still chasing everything! 

The Poor Mallards getting no peace. 

2 Grey Herons seen, plus a couple of Black Headed Gull with 5 Lesser Black Backed Gulls.

After a brief stop by Palladium a Nuthatch could be heard, on around to top of Lake and really pleased to see Little Egret still.

Been present for 3 weeks now, still fishing extremely well to the displeasure of the other Lake residents.

Buzzard still calling top woodland but otherwise fairly quiet. 
Out onto Campus playing fields and a crow taking advantage of the now very warm sunshine. 

Not seen to many Small Tortoiseshells this year despite my many travels, a great looking butterfly.

On up to top Ponds and a few Dragonflies and Damselflies present. 
Mainly Common Darters and another Migrant Hawker.

On return route the Heron had relocated and seemed to think it was a duck! 
Thought it unusual to see them floating along.

Butterfly alley again and the Comma still perched on same flower but this Brimstone looking fabulous in the sunshine.

Can you tell it was a slow day for bird pictures!

Along back into Village and many more Barn Swallows with numbers around 30+ plus  perched and over Farm Shop. 
Pig Pen a single Pied Wagtail taking our species count to 35.

Also Pig Pen lots of House Sparrow 50+ feeding of scraps.

Taking grit or dust baths, really good to see so many, a female Kestrel took of from telegraph pole taking us to a final count of 37 species.

A lovely walk with some nice company, thanks Tony :)

Thanks For Looking! 

&

  Thanks For All Your Support!

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Slimbridge Ending With Sunset

Date: 23/03/2017

Location: Slimbridge + Newton St Loe Patch

Weather: Starting Cloudy then Sunshine

Other Species: 
White Fronted Goose, Brent Goose, Garganey, Golden Plover, Oystercatcher.
Patch: 
Barn Owl, House Sparrow (Pair)

Observation: 
Went to Slimbridge with Robert today, mainly to go for the Garganey but always good at Slimbridge and my 54th visit! 
Straight into the South Hide to see if we could see Garganey but nothing spotted, so the Black-Tailed Godwit's kept us entertained with Avocet and Black-Headed Gulls screaming around the Lake.

Pochard's also looking stunning in the now bright spells.

With no sign of a threat from above, everything on Lake went skyward, great to see.

Wandered over to Holden Walkway dropping into the hides along the way. Wigeon in flight little else from first hide.

Lots a tree cutting going on but spotted 2 White Fronted Geese, hanging on I would think soon to depart.

From the Holden with the 120+ Barnacle Geese a Brent Goose, at least 1 new bird for my year list.

 After wandering around reserve checking out the captives we went to Zeiss Hide where a Spotted Redshank was spotted, bit far for me to even see so not countable but a Lecustic Greylag flew by. We left a headed to South Hide to check on Garganey.

The Garganey turnned up!! Mmmm.... well the captive one anyway.
Still a great looking duck.

From the South Hide as we approached it, lots of scopes coming out all saying the Garganey has just flown off! Typical but the Little Grebe was right in front Hide, nice!

Just about ready to leave and it did show distant but a Garganey! 
Job done, mission accomplished.

A very nice day was had, and 2 new year ticks. On getting home had a new visitor on my feeders a second House Sparrow a Pair!

On the piece of astro turf which is about a meter long which I've mount in tree had 
2 House Sparrow
2 Bullfinch 
2 Goldfinch
1 Blue Tit
1 Great Tit 
Not bad at all for a meter square.

Had a spare half hour after tea so went looking for our Barn Owl, saw it but not hunting like last year. I'll keep trying. Did see this Buzzard, in fact when it got dark he was still circling over Village.

Great watching the sun descend while watching for the Owl, Sun seemed huge.

 Thanks For Looking! 

&

  Thanks For All Your Support!

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Short Eared Owls and Little Owl.. Its a Owl Fest!

Date: 03/02/2017

Location: Weymouth - Portland Bill

Weather: Blue Skies, Some Wind

Other Species: 
Snipe, Greenfinch, Teal, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Starling, House Sparrow, Kestrel, Buzzard, Short Eared Owl

Observation: 
Blue skies forecast so headed down to Weymouth area to see a few birds. Got there 7:30am and first stop was Lodmoor, very quiet here with Kingfisher and Greenfinch the best to see here. 

Next Radipole and again a very quiet, water level higher so all ducks further away from viewing platforms in fact at this point with 2 reserves visited I'd only taken 16 pictures!

So with this departing Pigeon, I followed on and headed to the
 Ferrybridge harbour areas.

But driving along causeway to Portland high tide and no waders present, windsurfers also in Portland harbour so headed up to Thumb Lane to try my luck at Hume's Warbler......... After 2 hours stood waiting with 2 other spotters had 3 very very brief views and heard bird for 3 or 4 minutes. No photos but bird is still there!

So not doing very well today, a quick stroll around Barleycrates and Reap Lane apart from wind not much here either. 

O well headed to Portland Bill car park for a walk round here. Pot noodle and coffee later, a Kestrel landed next to me on car park sign!

 At least a nice picture of a Kestrel I thought.

In background I saw 2 Short Eared Owls at top of fields, walked up footpath and SEO was coming straight towards me so I sat down against MOD fence and this was what happened!

I'm sure they saw me but I was almost flat against fence and they few past many times.

With a few people about, chasing owls across fields I sat and watched, Amazing!

Flying straight towards me, look at those stunning eyes!

Blue skies and 2 SEO, cant get much better!

I was using 560 mm so still keeping my distance despite people pushing the Owls towards me, being still and sat down worked a treat!

The next 3 only small crops, almost full frame!

OOOO!

So many pictures but brilliant to watch!

Short Eared Owls keeping his eye on the skies, the Kestrel and Gulls were flying over head.

Think she wanted to try to pick him up!

After a hour and a half of sat down watching and owls they seem to have gone quiet, I decided to check in on Little Owl. But beside the Pub and right next to the busy road one of the Owls was sat on post!

This one was taken with the the stunning Owl feeding or looking in roadside verge, still cars going past at this point!

Little Owl. Managed 5 pictures and the same people who were chasing owls thought they'd try to get closer to this owl, he scarped back in his hole!!
At this point I saw the 2 guys from earlier in the day who I stood with for the Hume's said they waited another 2 hours with no sign after i went, one guy had been there for 6 hours! That's dedication!

The light was now fading, even the Owl had his eyes shut!
So after a brilliant day in the end time for me to leave also.
O yeah and picture count now at 700! 700! 

You just can't help it, at least it'll give me something to do tonight!

Thanks For Looking! 

&

  Thanks For All Your Support!

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

Twitter

Facebook