Birthday treats

Date: 
02-05 December

Location:
Somerset Levels, Slimbridge, Newton St Loe 

Weather: 
Cold but mostly blue

Species Highlights: 
Starling, Treecreeper, Kingfisher, Whooper swan, Slimbridge, Bittern, Water Rail, Stonechat.

Observation: 
Lauren at work so I headed down to Ham Wall to see what was around a very cold morning but beautiful blue skies, This blackbird was sunning himself near the visitors center.

 I walked to hides but seemed to be very little to snap at, so drove down to Greylake. In the car park as usual a few birds coming to the feeders. 
Dunnock.

Reed bunting, female.

Chaffinch

But the stars were the Starlings, squawking and scrapping over and around the feeders

Wren- Troglodytes Troglodytes

From the hides Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon numbers starting to build, on returning back to the van my Fit-bit fell off, didn't notice till much later. 
I left for Wells, Bishops place

At Wells this Treecreeper landed almost next to me, letting me have a few nice pictures.

The reason I went to Wells was to see the Kingfishers but although I saw 2 the light was disappearing and I'd now realised I'd lost my Fit-bit! 
That night I got home and posted a few pictures on Facebook, mentioning my lost Fit-bit, which I'd thought i'd never see again........

Tuesday and more blue skies a early patch walk, very quiet but this Mirror Carp at around 15 lbs was a great breakfast for this Robin, not so lucky for the Carp.

The Moorhen was also digging in.

I then had a Facebook message saying "I think I've found your Fit-bit" from a very nice chap called Kieran, whose gonna post it back to me, Whoohoo!

Back to the Walk and this Raven flew over Honking.

Along the back drive to University a small group of Meadow Pipit plus a pair of Stonechat (not pictured) unusal here.

Wednesday 4th December was my birthday 53, so after opening a few presents I set off to Slimbridge.

As a birthday treat the Bittern had arranged to give me a viewing from the Zeiss hide!

Saw 2 birds for a few minutes then they both disappeared into the reeds, as they do.

Such amazing camo, blending into the reeds, some people couldn't see them even though they were in plain sight!

The sun was shinning and the captive ponds looked fantastic.

 Goldeneye - Bucephala Clangula

Greater Scaup - Aythya Marila

Eider - Somateria Mollissima

Smew - Mergus Albellus

From the Willow hide a Water Rail had also decided to show for my Birthday.

From the other hides Wigeon, Lapwing and Curlew could be seen,

And Pintail, such a stunning duck

Not much flying past so dropped back to the captive ducks.

Redhead - Aythya americana

Greater Scaup female

Ring- Necked Duck - Aythya collaris

The Eider were mating and this the after shot, wouldn't want to evade their privacy.

Had to head home for my my birthday tea but dropped into the Rushy hide this Bewick taking a well earned drink after its long flight.

Thursday I met with Nigel Sluman at Church for a guided tour, not much going on but Nigel, Eagle eyed, spotted this female Tufted Duck, first for the year on top lake. 
Whooper still present in to its 44th day. 
Teal numbers at 16 and Little Grebe still present.

Walking along the back drive managed to get a picture of the Stonechat which I'd seen on Tuesday.

Showing well as they do. Leaving Nigel I carried on home.

This Kestrel was the last tick of the day, and the week.

Still no change but next week hope to add a few to Lauren's list.

Wayne Year Bird List: 205
Lauren Year Bird List: 195

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Sanderling to Treecreeper

Date: 
18th-21st November

Location: 
Porthcawl, Barrow Tanks, Newton St Loe

Weather: 
Blue Skies, Very Overcast & Grey.

Species Highlights: 
Sanderling, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Black Throated Diver, Long Tailed Duck, Treecreeper.

Observation: 
In pursuit of now Lauren's effort to get to #200BirdYear we headed of on Monday morning to Porthcawl again, 3rd week in a row!
Red-Backed Shrike, plus Firecrest, Siberian Chiffchaff had been seen so off we went, our first stop was at Newton Point and a few waders, in fact Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher.

A excellent little spot, dog walkers moved on the birds after a few shots, from here we drove the short distance to Porthcawl to look for the Red-Backed Shrike, finding the field and no sign so we met a couple more birders who were looking with no sign we turned around and re-entered the field where now 3/4 birders were lined up watching the
Shrike by the time we got to them the bird had disappeared, after almost a hour still no sign. We moved on to Kenfig a Chiffchaff was the best of it. A walk from there down to Sker across badly marked footpaths, Golf Course (say no more!!!) prove unsuccessful.

A Black Throated Diver was at Barrow Tanks, so on way home we dropped in. The Diver as they normally are, was in the middle of the tanks but a year tick for us both.

Long Tailed Duck looking great, also present was a Snow Bunting but despite other birders seeing this bird we couldn't locate, mainly due to a Sparrowhawk and the sun disappearing.

The Sun had now dropped below the skyline so we headed home with 2 ticks for the day.

Busy at home, decorating my next outing was Thursday and this week I had company, Tony Cook joined me. We started off slowly but once into Village had little pockets of birds, the Yews near Newton St Loe Church prove to be good with Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, and Greenfinch, sorry skies were very grey and photography was a challenge.

3/4 Greenfinch also feeding on berries.

A closer subject Robin, looking for a snack.
Send a Cow woodland we had a good flock of Blue tits, Great Tit and Treecreeper.

Kingfisher, Grey Heron on bottom lake and flocks of Goldfinch.

While trying to work out if there was anything else in the Goldfinch flock a Treecreeper flew and landed close to us.

It stopped and just sat there allowing me to get some decent shots, a bit unusual!

Whooper Swan still on top Lake, 28 days days now.

At the Dam end it came within feet of us!

Also Top Lake 150+ Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull and Herring Gull it was full of Gulls, with more circling overhead. This Raven flew over checking out the commotion on his Patch.
Me and Tony ended our walk with a respectable 45 species.

So another week over and a further 2 ticks added to Lauren's list, join us next week to see if she'll get the last 5..... or not.

Wayne Year Bird List: 205
Lauren Year Bird List: 195

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A Snowy WeBs Count

Date: 19th March 2018

Location: Newton St Loe

Weather: Snow on Ground, Cold Wind but Sunny

Species Highlights: 3 Hawfinch, 1 Blackcap (M), 15+ Siskin, 4 Fieldfare, 35+ Redwing, 1 Treecreeper, 9 Song Thrush, 1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Goldcrest, 40+ Meadow Pipit, 3 Buzzard, 1 Jay, 4 Yellowhammer, 27 Stock Dove, 35+ Goldfinch
WeBs Count: 4 Mute Swan, 13 Mallard, 5 Moorhen, 3 Coot, 23 Teal, 1 Grey Heron, 9 Black-Headed Gull

Full 42 Species Count Here - https://goo.gl/q9xrq3

Observation: Out through Bath Mill as normal, plenty of snow still on the ground, so quite a few little birds about. Robin, Dunnock and Blackbirds mostly, along with some Goldfinch, using the Brook to have some fresh drinking water.

Entering the Dog Walk, we heard a drumming Greater Spotted Woodpecker, a little unusual for here.

Up over Seven Acre Fields, it was pretty quiet, as the snow cover was alot deeper with drifts along the Lanes. No Yellowhammer seen along the track today.
From the Lookout over onto Globe Fields, the Stock Dove were still present in the corner a count of 26 seen. 2 Buzzards also seen.

Into the Village, again fairly quiet, with only a single Jay and some House Sparrow seen.

By Send A Cow, there were quite a few Meadow Pipit feeding around the Sheep and on the snow free grass.

 We checked out the Heronry, as the Heron's had been nest building over the last few weeks, no sign of any Heron's today but a few nests although full of snow!

A single Stock Dove landed in the tree behind us, which was nice.

As we couldn't get out due to the snow yesterday, we done the WeBs count today.


Bottom Lake, was very quiet for the WeBS count, with only 1 Moorhen, 1 Mute Swan (Billy) and 2 Mallard.

Although a good count of Siskin in the Alders along the Lake, we counted at least 15.

Top Lake, the 3 Mute Swans still present, although the Cygnet is being chased off alot now, a low count of Mallard only 13 seen, 3 Coot, 5 Moorhen, 23 Teal, 1 Grey Heron and 9 Black-Headed Gulls. Also 1 Little Grebe (as per Anne, which we must have missed).

Onto the Keep, to search for the Hawfinch, after a short wait, one flew across the tree's and landed where we found a further two, taking the total to 3! 

A poor shot of them here!

Back along the College Drive, the wind was bitter so nothing spotted.

Back through the Village, and along the Lane, 4 Fieldfare spotted in the tree's, also heard up to 4 Yellowhammer calling along the Lanes.

Lastly back in Bath Mill on Sunnybank, a further 5+ Meadow Pipit feeding on the grass, nice to see them so close to home!

Local birder, Anne, also had the above count along with Little Grebe on Top Lake and a count of 50 Fieldfare!

There were high counts of Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Robin on the walk today.

Back at Home, our pair of Collared Dove were present and the Male Blackcap who has been visiting for a few weeks was feeding.

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