Date: 09-12/12/2018
Location:
Dorset, Devon Newton St Loe
Dorset, Devon Newton St Loe
Weather:
Overcast with a bit of blue
Overcast with a bit of blue
Species Highlights:
Little Bunting, Black Redstart, Surf Scoter, Common Scoter, Siberian Chiffchaff, Yellow Browed Warbler, Black Necked Grebe.
Little Bunting, Black Redstart, Surf Scoter, Common Scoter, Siberian Chiffchaff, Yellow Browed Warbler, Black Necked Grebe.
Observation:
In the pursuit of my last 2 species to get to 200 for the year we decided on doing the miles Monday morning and headed down to Portland first Chiswell to be more precise and the Little Bunting which had been showing well, a early start and we arrived by 8:30am. Chatting to another birder and the Little bunting landed almost at our feet!
It made a few attempts to feed in the very busy Pebble Lane, cars, fishermen and people made it fly up and disappear but after 5 mins it came back.
A female Black Redstart was also flitting around the rooftops.
The Little Bunting is a First for me and Lauren and my 199th bird of the year.
As we had a few miles left we left after 30 mins and checked out Ferrybridge and Sandsfoot Castle, Red Breasted Merganser were the best of these location all very distant so we continued on down to 3 beaches headland in Devon just short of Broadsands.
From the coast path we spotted the Scoters, 1 fw Surf Scoter, 5 Common Scoter. another life tick although i'm not counting it on my Life list as picture was awful!!
But counted it on my year list making 200 birds, whoohoo.
(lauren now on 190)
On a high we made the short drive to Broadsands car park where a Yellow Browed Warbler had be showing along with Siberian Chiffchaff.
The chiff didn't take long to find we homed in on the birders in the corner of the car park on spotted it.
At least 2 of these in the bushes along with other normal Chiffchaff.
Noticed this also, left hand picture from Devon / right hand picture from patch this year. I think it's a Siberian Chiffchaff, only had one picture so won't add this year but, i'll look harder next year.
Saw the Yellow Browed Warbler a few times but couldn't get a picture, had brilliant views through binoculars, It all seemed a bit familiar as Lauren got a picture back in 25/10/14 at Radipole but his bird was still not on my life list.
So was very pleased to eventually get a picture.
These are Laurens pictures as it landed where she was stood!
So ended the day on 202 birds for me and 192 for Lauren a excellent day.
Still a couple of birding trips left before the end of 2018 so still a chance Lauren will get the 200 too.
Back on patch but wednesday this week as got the dreaded dentist today, so wandered through Bath Mill with not much to report. Top fields again all very quiet, had a call from Tony and I knew Anne were out on patch looking for that Dipper so headed towards lakes.
In churchyard orchard af few bird were feeding on the fallen apples Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Redwings.
A single Fieldfare also, I wonder if it's the same one that seemed to stay in the orchard last year ??
30+ Ramblers greeted me at Waterfall, scarring away anything that would have been about.
so waited for them to move on .
Nothing much on lakes but met Tony & Anne and wandered up to where I'd seen Dipper, The Ramblers had just rambled through, just after they'd disappeared we heard a high pitched whistle followed by gunshots and gun dogs running around in top woodland, giving us little chance of seeing anything!! No Dipper was seen.
I left and walked back along back drive and was pleased to see a few Common gulls.
15 birds seen mixed up with Black Headed.
That was almost all until I could see my house and crossing the Brook in Bath Mill a Little Egret took flight! A neighbour told me 2 weeks ago he'd saw an all white heron on brook so very pleased to see it so close to home.
In the pursuit of my last 2 species to get to 200 for the year we decided on doing the miles Monday morning and headed down to Portland first Chiswell to be more precise and the Little Bunting which had been showing well, a early start and we arrived by 8:30am. Chatting to another birder and the Little bunting landed almost at our feet!
It made a few attempts to feed in the very busy Pebble Lane, cars, fishermen and people made it fly up and disappear but after 5 mins it came back.
A female Black Redstart was also flitting around the rooftops.
The Little Bunting is a First for me and Lauren and my 199th bird of the year.
As we had a few miles left we left after 30 mins and checked out Ferrybridge and Sandsfoot Castle, Red Breasted Merganser were the best of these location all very distant so we continued on down to 3 beaches headland in Devon just short of Broadsands.
From the coast path we spotted the Scoters, 1 fw Surf Scoter, 5 Common Scoter. another life tick although i'm not counting it on my Life list as picture was awful!!
But counted it on my year list making 200 birds, whoohoo.
(lauren now on 190)
On a high we made the short drive to Broadsands car park where a Yellow Browed Warbler had be showing along with Siberian Chiffchaff.
The chiff didn't take long to find we homed in on the birders in the corner of the car park on spotted it.
At least 2 of these in the bushes along with other normal Chiffchaff.
Noticed this also, left hand picture from Devon / right hand picture from patch this year. I think it's a Siberian Chiffchaff, only had one picture so won't add this year but, i'll look harder next year.
Saw the Yellow Browed Warbler a few times but couldn't get a picture, had brilliant views through binoculars, It all seemed a bit familiar as Lauren got a picture back in 25/10/14 at Radipole but his bird was still not on my life list.
So was very pleased to eventually get a picture.
These are Laurens pictures as it landed where she was stood!
So ended the day on 202 birds for me and 192 for Lauren a excellent day.
Still a couple of birding trips left before the end of 2018 so still a chance Lauren will get the 200 too.
Back on patch but wednesday this week as got the dreaded dentist today, so wandered through Bath Mill with not much to report. Top fields again all very quiet, had a call from Tony and I knew Anne were out on patch looking for that Dipper so headed towards lakes.
In churchyard orchard af few bird were feeding on the fallen apples Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Redwings.
A single Fieldfare also, I wonder if it's the same one that seemed to stay in the orchard last year ??
30+ Ramblers greeted me at Waterfall, scarring away anything that would have been about.
so waited for them to move on .
Nothing much on lakes but met Tony & Anne and wandered up to where I'd seen Dipper, The Ramblers had just rambled through, just after they'd disappeared we heard a high pitched whistle followed by gunshots and gun dogs running around in top woodland, giving us little chance of seeing anything!! No Dipper was seen.
I left and walked back along back drive and was pleased to see a few Common gulls.
15 birds seen mixed up with Black Headed.
That was almost all until I could see my house and crossing the Brook in Bath Mill a Little Egret took flight! A neighbour told me 2 weeks ago he'd saw an all white heron on brook so very pleased to see it so close to home.
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