BBS Hardwicke SO7713

Sunday 5th July 2009

I carried out my second Breeding Bird Survey visit to SO7713 this morning; although not much to report there was at least a good showing of Yellowhammers (above) and Whitethroats, and flocks of 15 Swallows and 60 Wood Pigeons were notable. Butterflies encountered included a Small Copper, and lots of Ringlets and Meadow Browns.

Marsh Warbler

Saturday 4th July 2009

A cracking day's birding with Andy thanks to Otmoor RSPB in Oxfordshire, where the star attraction was the singing male Marsh Warbler (above). A lifer for us both, the bird performed beautifully with its song, and showed occasionally, often flying between the reeds and the hedge behind. Other highlights were at least three Turtle Doves, a Marsh Harrier, seven Red Kites, three Lesser Whitethroats, four Whitethroats, several Sedge Warblers, many Reed Warblers and on the insect front, Black-tailed Skimmers, Ruddy Darters (below), Commas, Ringlets and two Five-spot Burnets (bottom).

Slimbridge

Friday 3rd July 2009

This afternoon at Slimbridge WWT there was a total of 26 Green Sandpipers around the hides (above) (12 on the Tack Piece, three on the Knott Pool and 11 on the Top New Piece); also on the Top New Piece two Little Ringed Plovers, two Greenshanks, a Dunlin, a Little Egret and 7 Redshanks, including the fledgling, on South Lake 45 Black-tailed Godwits and 68 Redshanks and a Lesser Whitethroat at the Decoy. Broods of Tufted Duck were on the Top New Piece and near Martin Smith Hide (below).

This evening, Mark brought round this Poplar Hawk Moth (below) a colleague had found at his workplace along the Bristol Road.

Nightlife

Friday 26th June 2009

A visit to Boys Grave, Forest of Dean, in the evening gave me good views of two male Nightjars (above) displaying actively from about 10:00pm onwards. Two Woodcocks were also seen roding and two Tawny Owls were heard calling. Another Tawny Owl was seen flying across the road at the Woorgreens car park.

Quails and Owls on the Wolds

Friday 19th June 2009
A trip out to Hawling with Mark this evening produced two calling Quail, at 9:10pm, south of the the minor cross roads near the dilapidated barn at SP059217. Also a Barn Owl, a Kestrel, a Corn Bunting, four Pied Wagtails, two Curlews and three Red-legged Partridges. A Little Owl was at Withington and four Tawny Owls (two seen and another two heard) around Chedworth Woods.

Firecrests in the Forest

Saturday 13th June 2009

I spent an excellent day's birding in the Forest of Dean today making the most of the pleasant weather, with four singing male Firecrests (above and below) in the Speech House Walk/Great Saintlow/Yewtreebrake area, also a Tree Pipit, a mating pair of Garden Warblers, a pair of Chiffchaffs with two juveniles, four Willow Warblers, two Blackcaps, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly, a Black-tailed Skimmer and several Large Red Damselfies. A quick visit to Nagshead RSPB produced the target species there, a Spotted Flycatcher.

Photos below: Golden-ringed Dragonfly and Large Red Damselfly

Little Bittern

Sunday 7th June 2009
I saw the Somerset Little Bittern this evening at 7:00pm, and what a cracking bird, but it hadn't been easy. I arrived with Linda at about 2:30pm with news that it hadn't been seen since this morning when it had flown deeper into the reed-beds. This didn't sound promising, and so we decided to visit the Peat Moors Centre and walk around the western end of Shapwick Heath. We later returned to Ashcott station to check out the eastern end of Shapwick Heath, but it soon became apparent after talking to some happy-looking birders that the Little Bittern had been seen recently several times around Loxton Marsh. We arrived at the spot (ST459396) to find it had been seen minutes before, and several times over the previous hour, but we had to wait an hour and a half, with it calling almost constantly, before someone managed to get on it with their scope. We had good views of this fantastic bird deep in the reed-bed as the reeds swayed out of the way, and after 20 minutes it climbed up the reeds, took to the air and flew further along into the reeds. Brilliant! This was the icing on the cake of what was a very pleasant afternoon, which also included two Black Terns (towards Street Heath), a Bittern (briefly in flight), a Little Egret, two Cuckoos, three Hobbies, two Buzzards, numerous Cetti's Warblers, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Whitethroats, and a Garden Warbler.