Butterflies, Dragonflies and Fieldfare!

Date: 09/11/2016

Location: Newton St Loe

Weather: Started Blue but soon turned Grey.

Other Species:

Red Admiral 2+1 (Seven Acre Windy/Cold. But Sunny) 

1 Yellowhammer, 2 Stock Dove, Skylark, 3 Buzzard, 5 Linnet 

2 Greenfinch, 1 Sparrowhawk, 60+ Redwing, 3 (Female) Goosander, 4 Teal 

50+ Fieldfare, 40 Chaffinch, 2 Stonechat (M/F), Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Full List Here

Observation: 
No walk with Andy today so headed around Patch to see what was about and 3 Red Admiral at Seven Acre! Wasn't expecting that! They look pretty fresh so maybe newly emerged?

2 Stock Dove with Wood Pigeon and Corvids on Top Fields, could only see 3 Skylark feeding also 1 Yellowhammer and a group of Linnet. At Village thought I saw a fly over Lapwing!! 50% sure but no photo doesn't go on list, first time I saw a Lapwing was May 2010 on patch now a very very rare visitor.

On to Lakes and Goosander!

3 Females Top End, Top Lake last year they arrived in December and stayed till March so hoping they do similar as a excellent edition to Lake!

Keeping over far side but managed to sneak down to the Log.

Did full Patch walk so out past College football fields and the 2 small ponds where a couple of Common Darters were catching a bit of Sunshine.

Had a small number of Redwings at lake maybe 5 or so but as I approached Stanton Prior a large mixed flock was overhead Fieldfare and Redwings.

Gun Dicks were shooting in nearby Stantonbury Woods and this Roe Deer was having none of it, watched it run across 4 fields from the direction of the woods!

Could see Fieldfare and Redwings in Trees but couldn't get picture so this Goldcrest was a nice distraction.

Such a great little bird when they stay still!

The Fieldfare and Redwing now seemed a bit more at ease distant but not all flying off when I pointed the camera at them.

I'd estimate 50 Fieldfare and 60 Redwing.

With a ISO of 2000 managed a couple of flight shots.

Then a large group of Fieldfare flew right over the top of me!

They Flew out of sight but i'm sure they'll be back soon. Ended walk on 45 not too shabby! Also worth a note was a Chaffinch flock at Park Farm some 40+ individuals!

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Sunday Patch & Grey But No Egrets

Date: 6/11/2016 - 8/11/2016

Location: 
Newton St Loe + Chew Valley Lake

Weather: Grey with Rain - Sunday. Then very Grey - Tuesday.

Other Species:
Patch: 2 Kingfisher, Coot, Nuthatch, 250+ Corvids,  Mistle Thrush, Jay - (Full List Here)
Chew Valley: Gadwall, Shoveller, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Goosander, Common Gull, Snipe - Plus many more... 

Observation: 
Sunday went on patch walk with @rojobus not much about but a nice walk anyway, 9 Skylark in Fields, Seven Acre lots of gulls on fields plus lots of Corvids @rojobus counted, I estimated 250 assorted :)
This Lesser Black Backed Gull in village managed a beak full.

On Lakes, normal stuff Nuthatch in between and a single Coot has returned! He/she been away for 3 months! Probably not same one but nice to see one back.

Tuesday went to Chew Valley Lake, a very Grey day but no Egrets :)

This small Perch never stood a chance! 
Black Headed Gull and Common Gull in hot pursuit!

Counted 18 Little Egrets constantly hunting, 
Doing their little dance with there feet, stirring up the the mud and the fish.

Doing pretty well, Little Egrets catching just Perch or that's all I saw them catch.

1/2llb Perch down the Hatch, Gulls no hope with this one!

With the 18 Little Egrets, 6 Grey Heron and many Cormorants all fishing it was a massacre!

This a little Jack Pike gone in seconds!

Common Gulls constantly harassing anything that caught a fish. Screaming after the the Black Headed Gulls. 

I thought this one looked like he was chewing a wasp!!

Second winter Common Gull or Mew Gull.

       

While I was sat watching the action there was one Great White Egret in Heron's Green Bay, But as the day went on a few more joined in.

13 Great White Egret's in this shot but more joining every 10 mins or so.

I ended the day on 17 Great White Egret,18 Little Egrets, 6 Grey Heron plus 3 Goosander in Heron's Green Bay, plus the rest. 

@bristolbirding before dusk counted 20 Great White Egret and 23 Little Egret amazing!!
A scene similar to the Amazon.

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Patch Walk With First WEBS Count Done.

Date: 03/11/2016

Location: Newton St Loe 

Weather: Started Blue ended Cloudy and Dim.

Species Highlights
30 Redwing, 2 Buzzard, 9 Skylark, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Common Gull,
7 Teal, 1 Stonechat, 1 Meadow Pipit - Full List Here.

Observation: 
Head out as normal through Bath Mill with not alot going on, Top Fields farmer sowing seeds so, many Gulls covering fields with 30+ Black Headed Gulls and 50+ Lesser Black Backed Gull on fields. Probably a few Herring Gull and Common Gull but difficult to see. While watching a group of Skylark flew over, I counted 9. This Buzzard scanning for worms but was constantly harassed by gulls and corvids.

In Village quiet, but Redwings in their favorite Yew trees by Duchy Offices, group of around 5+ also Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush here.

Covert Woodland Greater Spotted Woodpecker singing sort of, in Fir and a flock of 10 birds including Goldcrest, Blue Tits and Great Tits in Butterfly Alley leading to Lakes.

Bottom Lake only 7 Mallard including the "Blonde" Mallard. Top Lake 17 Black Headed Gulls on Lake plus a 1 Common Gull and 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls.

Started my first WEBS count today so counted as best I could with  4 Moorhens, 2 Mute Swans, 1 Grey Heron, 7 Teal and 18 Mallard making up the rest.

Grey Heron only 1 on Lake but spotted another on backdrive in field with cows.

Not much to photograph today!!

Followed on out along drive and a few Goldcrests under trees with Redwing in.

Almost back now and fields by playgroup 1 single Meadow Pipit. That was the lot. ended walk on 45 also saw one Red Admiral! 

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A Fantastic Day Near The Mendips!

Date: 31st October 2016

Location: Westhay + Cheddar

Weather: Blue Sky, Calm Winds and Sunny

Other Species: 

Observation: Teal, Wigeon, 10+ Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, Shoveler, Great White Egret, Great-Crested Grebe

Westhay Highlights - 15+ Bearded Tits
Cheddar Highlights -  1 Lesser Yellowlegs, Snipe, 1 Mandarin Duck, 2 Great White Egret, 1 White-Fronted Goose
Chew Valley Lake Highlights - 4 Bewick Swan, Kingfisher, Common Gull, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, 3+ Cetti's Warbler

As Monday's are my days off, me and Wayne headed down to Westhay as the Bearded Tit's seemed to be popping up lately. As if by magic on our arrival the fog cleared and the blue skies appeared, and after 5 minutes chatting to other birds (who had been there for some time). Initially only a pair were present but after a further 10 minutes and just like the buses, a further 15+ flew in! Here's a few of the shots we got!

In the sunshine, cracking little birds!

Pair of Female Bearded Tit's.

Another cracking Male posing for us!

They were feeding on the gravel on the boardwalk and showed extremely well down to 5-10 feet most of the time. After 200+ images all taken with our 400mm lenses and around an hour photographing and watching them we left them to it. This is a new life tick for me, although Wayne has photographed them back in 2014.

On our way home, we popped into Cheddar Reservoir as I hadn't had chance to see the Lesser Yellowlegs yet due to work commitments! Although Wayne has been down previously.

We even managed some nice low-level shots, the bird was around 30 foot away but came right over in front of us at one point!!

Whilst led photographing the Lesser Yellowlegs, the single White-Fronted Goose swam across in front of us, didn't manage both in one shot but a nice isolated shot none the less!

We left both the Lesser Yellowlegs and White-Fronted Goose with the other birders who were constantly arriving, and had a wander around the rest of the Reservoir, not much else to photograph as they were all out on the drained islands but 2 Great White Egret and the Female Mandarin Duck by the second tower.

We stopped off at Chew Valley Lake on the way home also, and the 4 Bewick Swan were still present from Herriott's End, and a fly-past Kingfisher ended a fantastic day with 2 new life ticks under our belt!

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