Chew and Other Musings

Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th February 2012

Yellow-browed Warbler, Stratford Hide

A good day's birding with Andy on Friday in Somerset started at Chew Valley Lake before 8am. In -8^oC temperatures at Herriot's Bridge the SPOTTED SANDPIPER still had frost on its back before the sun was up. Lot's of Goldeneyes and Goosanders were off Picnic Area No.1 plus the drake Red-breasted Merganser. A Cetti's Warbler and a few Siskins were at Picnic Area No. 2, but the star bird of the day was the YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER at Stratford Hide in the afternoon. We watched it for some time in front of the hide, and later fly-catching in the sun from trees to the left. Also here was a Chiffchaff, this was very grey looking with just the merest hint of buff on its flanks; with no call though we weren't able to confirm Siberian tristis but it looked very good. At Portishead four Purple Sandpipers were at Battery Point at high tide, and we stopped of at Avonmouth on the way back where a Bittern was still showing, one of two that had been seen earlier. No sign of the Little Gull here, but viewing is very difficult through the only gap in the hedge. There was also no sign of Shorties at Aust Warth.

Spotted Sandpiper at dawn, now with added spots ... and frost,  Herriot's Bridge

The WWT Festival of Birds was very enjoyable on Saturday, the snow giving a picturesque look to everything, though the severe frost had disrupted the wild birds with no sign of Bittern at Zeiss Hide. It was nice to see the LESSER SCAUP again though in a very crowed Rushy Pen late afternoon.

Teasel, near South Lake hide, Slimbridge WWT

The South Lake causeway

The mostly ice-covered South Lake

No Bitterns showing from Zeiss Hide - a bleak-looking Top New Piece

These Willows in the snow look stunning, like a Renoir

The Rushy Pen - waiting for the afternoon feed

The Rushy again - The Lesser Scaup can be seen if you look hard

A crowded Rushy Pen at dusk, seen from Sloane Tower

Twite at Oldbury Power Station

Sunday 22nd January 2012
It was great seeing the four Twite this morning with Andy and Mhairi. After a leisurely saunter around the site we located the Twite in a Maize stubble field SSW of Lagoon III, perching on the hedges surrounding the field (ST603934) among a small party of Linnets. After flying across the field a couple of times, the Twite eventually settled hidden amongst the stubble to feed. Lots of other birds were noted including on Lagoon III 130 Dunlin, 280 Lapwings and four Ringed Plovers; along the shore c15 Turnstones, a Redshank, and another 40 Dunlin; and around the stubble field c20 Yellowhammers, six Reed Buntings, six Skylarks, a few Chaffinches and Goldfinches, c40 Curlews, and c150 Starlings. Magic!

Garden Visitors

Thursday 12th January 2012

Lesser Redpoll

Two Lesser Redpolls were on my Nyger feeder on Thursday, competing with the Goldfinches. Hopefully the Redpolls will be regular visitors for a while. A male Great Spotted Woodpecker is also being seen on a regular basis, and a male Bullfinch has been feeding on cherry tree buds beyond the back of the garden. I haven't seen the male Blackcap since 1st but I'm sure he's still around. Good number of Greenfinches are coming to the feeders, the twelve on Thursday being the highest number so far this winter.

Lesser Redpoll on Nyger feeder

Goldfinch - one of up to five visiting currently

Green and Gold together

WWT Slimbridge Birding

Saturday 7th January 2012

Female Lesser Scaup

... the best kind of birding when it's like this morning and it's your first birding of the year. The target birds initially proved elusive though. I had to wait over half an hour to eventually locate one of the BITTERNS as it crept through the reed-bed in front of Zeiss Hide. A Cetti's Warbler was more accommodating showing a couple of time near the hide and singing. After an earlier unsuccessful search I returned to the Rushy and then Robbie Garnett Hide where the female LESSER SCAUP was showing nicely, albeit in its usual sleepy state. Each raise of its head was accompanied by a burst of shutters from within the hide. More photos below. 

The Tack Piece was teeming with thousands of waterfowl and waders, the latter being frequently panicked into the air by a young Peregrine causing the Dunlin, Lapwing and Golden Plover flocks to take to the air. The waders also included at least three Ruffs and 15 Redshanks.

Male Pochard

From Holden Tower the 225 White-fronted Geese was the highest count so far this winter (though still no Beans). A large gull in the Rushy was appeared to be the result of a Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed liaison. My year list is looking bit healthier now (though I still haven't seen a Dunnock in 2012!).

Apparent Herring x Lesser Black-backed hybrid

Magpie Inkcap

Monday 2nd January 2012

Magpie Inkcap Coprinus picaceus

I was doing mainly doing family things over the festive break, and hindered by seasonal germs this meant I haven't been able to get out birding for what seems like quite some time. Monday's outing involved a ride on the superb Severn Valley Railway stopping off at Bridgnorth in Shropshire. In Castle Gardens at Bridgnorth we came across a group of the fruiting bodies of Magpie Inkcap (above). I'd never seen them before, and very attractive they are with dark brown with cream scales. Oh I almost forgot, I did do some birding - on the return ride back to Kidderminster station I year-ticked Pheasant near Bewdley; also Elephant and Rhinocerous as the line passes the West Midland Safari Park! It was nice to see a male Blackcap turn up in the garden just after Xmas, it should stay around for a while. A high count of 20 Chaffinches in the garden on Monday gives hope of Brambling, so fingers crossed.

GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor at Kidderminster Station

Lesser Scaup at WWT

Wednesday 28th December 2011

Some photos here of the female LESSER SCAUP taken this afternoon from Robbie Garnett hide at WWT Slimbridge. The photo above was taken in one of its rare and all too fleeting waking moments, as most of the time it looked like in the photos below, bobbing around among the Tuftys and Pochard. In fact I spent so long trying to get a decent 'head-up' shot I hardly had time to study the thousands of other birds on the Tack Piece, including Dunlin, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and Wigeon.

Temminck's Stint at Shorncote

Friday 9th December 2011

'Always rather distant' - but you can see the yellow legs!

The TEMMINCK'S STINT was at Shorncote again yesterday. I arrived at the hide overlooking pit 84 at around 1.50pm to the news that it was there earlier but had 'flown left'. I was getting a distinct sense of déjà vu after arriving to the same news last Saturday and dipping. At 2.15pm however, it flew right and back into view. I watched it for a good hour and it was still there when I left, quietly feeding on the muddy margin at the back of the lake, and for a period dozing / basking in the sun (photo). The views were always rather distant (c240m - I measured it on Google Earth), but at least it was nicely lit in the afternoon sunshine. Other birds noted included 16 Teal, 30+ Lapwings, and at least three Water Rails were squealing from within the reeds in the area. 

View from the hide overlooking pit 84, Cotswold Water Park (West)