Flowers and Birds

Saturday 27th - Sunday 28th April 2013

Pasqueflower, Barnsley Warren

With Mike at Coombe Hill Meadows the GREAT WHITE EGRET was still present Saturday morning, but always distant towards the Long Pool. Also three Yellow Wagtails, including a stunning male, a Pied Wagtail and a White Wagtail, three Tufted Ducks (2m, 1f), three Shelducks, five Common Sandpipers, two Redshanks, two Curlews, 10+ Lapwings, a Little Egret, two Swallows, and along the canal two Lesser Whitethroats, plus Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, and Sedge Warblers.

Pasqueflower, Barnsley Warren

Later my attention turned to botany with a visit to Barnsley Warren to see the Pasqueflower display, and then to North Meadow, Cricklade (Wilts) for the Snake's Head Fritillaries. The Pasqueflowers are just coming to their peak and looking superb. I left it too late last yer and they had all gone over, so it was nice to see them in flower. I also noted a Wheatear here and c10 Linnets.

Snake's Head Fritillary, North Meadow, Cricklade

At North Meadow, it was a different picture. Very few of the Fritillaries are in flower this year following the effects of the prolonged cold spell and standing water earlier in the year. There will be more flowers to follow, but the meadow was looking very different from previous years. Bird interest here included two Yellow Wagtails and a Pied Wagtail on an adjoining field alongside the Thames, a Sedge Warbler, and a Kingfisher.

Arctic Tern, WWT Slimbridge South Lake

This morning at WWT Slimbridge, the high tide was quiet with just 23 Curlews and a mixed flock of c50 Ringed Plovers and Dunlins on the river. Five White Wagtails and a Yellow Wagtail turned up on the Holden scrape, and a Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat were near the tower. A Peregrine and Buzzard were on The Dumbles, and a Kestrel near Middle Point. Arctic Terns continue to linger locally, with nine still on South Lake, also a Common Sandpiper here

Arctic Tern, WWT Slimbridge South Lake

Arctic Tern, WWT Slimbridge South Lake

Common Sandpiper, WWT Slimbridge South Lake

Terns and Things

Friday 12th - Tuesday 23rd April 2013

Arctic Tern, Epney

Spring has arrived at last and everything seems to be happening at once. Yesterday (22nd) I made it in time to Witcombe Reservoir to see the cracking adult WHISKERED TERN, resplendent in breeding plumage, found by Duncan Dine. I'm glad I made the effort  although the light was fading fast by the time I got there, hence the rather grainy photos! The Tern eventually settled on a buoy, where I left it at dusk. It departed early this morning.

Whiskered Tern, Witcombe Reservoir

Another shot of the Whiskered Tern

Going back to Friday 12th, a welcome day off work found me at Fretherne/Saul Warth for the tide. A Sanderling was the highlight, but news of Velvet Scoters at Chew Valley Lake still, from the previous day, had me heading there for the afternoon. The four Velvet Scoters were always rather distant, and gave me a bit of a runaround, but views of them on the water and in flight were a treat, being a lifer for me. A first-winter Little Gull and two drake Scaup were the other highlights here.

Back at Fretherne /Saul Warth the following morning, and highlights were a Yellow Wagtail, and a few hirundines; not much else.

Monday 15th, and James had found two adult summer Little Gulls on Frampton Townfield Lake, which I had to go for after work. And lovely birds they were too, one especially with a rosy blush underneath/. Also here, a Common Sandpiper and a White Wagtail.

Adult summer Little Gull, Townfield Lake, Frampton-on-Severn

White Wagtail, Townfield Lake, Frampton-on-Severn

The next evening I found a local Nightingale singing at Ash Bed, Hardwicke. I am pleased this species has returned to this site, quite close to home. Also a close encounter with a Brown Hare which approached me to within feet before cottoning on to me presence and dashing off. I also found a Common Sandpiper along the canal south of Sellars Bridge (The Pilot) and a Kingfisher.

Friday 19th, a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling from bramble scrub near the Dimore Brook sluice early morning, next to the canal. I returned a bit later to record it reeling for extended passages. South of Sellars Bridge I also noted three Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, a Whitethroat, a Common Sandpiper, and two Mandarins; a total of six Willow Warblers, four Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap were around the patch. Up to four and latterly two, Hawfinches were still present at Dimore playing field, but not seen since 19th. A recording of the Grasshopper Warbler below:
 
A quick visit to Frampton lunchtime where two Arctic Terns and a Reed Warbler were highlights; then Coombe Hill Meadows in the evening to try and find a Savi's Warbler found earlier by Andy Jayne. Sadly no further sign of that, and also sad to see the state of the boardwalk and hide wrecked by winter floods. On the plus side, a good range of birds included two Arctic Terns, three Yellow Wagtails, a Greenshank, three Redshanks, a Ringed Plover, a Little Ringed Plover, two Oystercatchers, two Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, and two Reed Buntings.

Arctic Tern, Townfield Lake, Frampton-on-Severn

Arctic Tern, Coombe Hill Meadows

The tangled remains of the boardwalk at Coombe Hill Meadows

Saturday 20th, and although the garden visitors have drastically reduced, up to three Bullfinches are daily visitors and I also had two Siskins and two Lesser Redpolls on the feeders. At Fretherne with Andy, off Hock Ditch, c60 Arctic Terns were an amazing sight, and they were joined by a first-winter Little Gull. A Lesser Whitethroat was heard, but not seen, singing from the hedgerow near the sluice.

First-winter Little Gull, off Hock Ditch, Fretherne

Jeremy reported more Arctic Terns at Epney, so we stopped off on the way back to watch nine here feeding on the river, and looking fantastic in the sun.

Arctic Tern, Epney

Arctic Tern, dive mode

Lesser Redpolls continue to visit the garden regularly, with five arguing over the nyger feeder this morning. To bring me right up to date, I had a Barn Owl and a Lesser Whitethroat along the canal north of Sellars Bridge this evening. The Barn Owl flew across the canal from the Quedgeley estate side, a local patch first for me.

West Down

Sunday 7th April 2013

Male Ring Ouzel, West Down

Finally the wind direction has changed to the south, giving a much more spring-like feel to the day. With Andy and Mark this morning I managed to locate a male Ring Ouzel at West Down near the track to Wontley Farm. After being flushed by dog walkers who decided to walk straight into where it was instead of using the footpath, it did return to the same area. A female bird Andy found from nearer the farm was not seen again. Eventually it flew off in the direction of Postlip Hill. Also of note, two Wheatears were on the track from Wontley Farm towards Cleeve Common and two Red-legged Partridges near West Down Car park. We couldn't, however, nail a Black Redstart found by Mike between West Down and the masts.

And finally, yes it's more Hawfinch photos; these from this morning when I finally had decent light.

Hawfinch and Garganeys

Saturday 6th April 2013

The sun really brings out the colours in this lovely image by Richard Tyler

Some more photos of my garden Hawfinch here, taken this morning by Richard Tyler, in perfect conditions (above and below).

We think this could be a different individual

The definite highlight of a trip to the forest later with Andy and Mark was the group of four Garganeys (three drakes and a female) on north Cannop Pond. The birds showed down to a few feet giving absolutely cracking views. Other than the Garganeys, still pretty quiet in the forest; very few finches about generally but we did see some nice Bramblings at Parkend Church.

Drake Garganey

Drake Garganey

Female Garganey

Close-up!

Female Hawfinch in Garden

Thursday 28th March - Tuesday 3rd April 2013

As the cold weather continues, and over a week since the male last put in an appearance, a visit by a female Hawfinch to the garden at 7.00am cheered me up no end (photos above and below).

Around six Hawfinches are still present around the Dimore playing field, and yesterday I made a sound recording of calls and song here:
Other news: on Thursday I spotted a Water Rail wandering around beneath the Wild Cherry trees just beyond my back garden, very nice to see. Some inscet interest in the garden recently too with both Buff-tailed and Tree Bumblebees nectaring on Mahonia japonica and Helleborus foetidus flowers. Two Buff-tails were present on Friday. They start feeding surprisingly early, just after 6.00am on that day with frost still on the ground.

Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee on Helleborus foetidus

Queen Tree Bumblebee on Mahonia japonica

Another Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee on Mahonia japonica

On Saturday, a confiding Chiffchaff was feeding near the kitchen window. Later, on the way back from a family afternoon out at Tintern, I called in to Woorgreens to catch up with the Garganeys there, a male and two females, which were busy feeding in the evening light. On Sunday, a Coal Tit was in the garden, the first for some weeks. On Monday Mark and I finished a fairly fruitless morning, apart from a nice singing Dipper at Frome Banks (Stroud), by stopping off for the female Scaup Nick had found on Townfield (sailing) Lake at Frampton. Meanwhile Bramblings, Bullfinches, Lesser Redpolls and Siskins continue to visit the garden feeders regularly.

Chiffchaff, garden

Drake Garganey, Woorgreens Lake, FOD

Female Scaup, Townfield Lake, Frampton-on-Severn

Yesterday, my first hoverfly of the year was this Tapered Drone Fly, Eristalis pertinx, at Sudeley Castle. Other highlights here were Snowy Owl and Reeve's Pheasant, sadly not wild (!) but in the collection.

Eristalis pertinax, Sudeley Castle

WWT Sightings and Garden Latest

Saturday 23rd - Sunday 24th March 2013

Yes it's the Hawfinch again

The bitterly cold weather continues but at least some of the bird arrivals remind me that it is spring. A trip to WWT Slimbridge this morning provided year ticks for Little Ringed Plover, with two on the Holden scrape, and an adult Spoonbill, feeding on the Tack Piece. A Common Scoter was distant on the river, one of two seen this morning, while 14 White-fronted Geese were on The Dumbles, and a Water Rail was showing well at Willow Hide. A drake Garganey seen briefly on the Top New Piece, however, eluded me.

Spoonbill

Water Rail

In the garden, the male Hawfinch continues to visit, and I saw four, including at least two males, perched in trees beyond the bottom of my garden yesterday morning. These trees are at the edge of Dimore playing field. The general finch-feast continues in the garden, and a female Blackcap has also been seen recently feeding on the Mahonia flowers. Three Ravens flew over the garden heading east early this afternoon.

Female Blackcap - drinking nectar from Mahonia flowers

A walk around the Oxenhall area yesterday to see the Wild Daffodils produced a Crossbill over Greenaways Wood, and a Marsh Tit ar Shaw Common nearby, where a pair of displaying Ravens were also seen. It was unusual to see the Daffodils surrounded by the snow, still covering the ground in the area north of Newent, although they are mostly still in bud - I would expect them to be in full flower by this date in March.

Wild Daffodils and snow, GWT Betty Dawes Wood nr. Oxenhall

Hawfinch and Other Garden Birds

Friday 22nd March 2013

On the bird table at 7.20am today

The male Hawfinch has continued to visit the garden throughout the week, much to my delight. Some more photos here from this morning and also photos of some other recent regulars.

Head-on view of that massive bill

Chomping the sunflower seed

A composite image showing the size difference between Hawfinch and Chaffinch

Female Brambling

A particularly striking male Brambling - one on three males visiting the garden

A different male Brambling - breeding hood not as advanced as the bird above

Male Bullfinch

Male Lesser Redpoll

Female Siskin

Tree Bumblebee nectaring on Winter-flowering Honeysuckle