Paul's Birding Diary

Sunday 13th April 2008

The showers held off this morning as Andy, Mark and myself scoured Cleeve Hill for Ring Ouzel. Eventually Mark spotted a male which flew straight overhead and continued flying west until it was eventually lost from sight. Other highlights of an excellent morning's birding were a male Cuckoo, a singing male Tree Pipit, four Wheatears, a male Stonechat, several Willow Warbler plus numerous Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.A male Redstart was in the butterfly conservation area. We stopped at Witcombe Reservoir on the way back to find a Yellow Wagtail, also four Pied Wagtails(photo above, and Meadow pipit below - I couldn't get any photos of the more notable stuff, so instead of Yellow Wag you get Pied, instead of Tree Pipit you get Meadow!).

Saturday 12th April

Another day of the same weather, sunny intervals, a cold S-SW wind and increasing showers. A trip out with Andy around the river this morning bore meagre pickings. The highlights were a House Martin over the Perry Way near Court Lake at Frampton, three Swallows at Slimbridge village and two Willow Warblers, Pink-footed Goose(photos), Dark-belliedBrent Goose and a Peregrine at Slimbridge WWT.

In the garden this afternoon were a Brambling(below) and singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff.

Friday 11th April 2008
A cool, showery day and news of a White-tailed Eagle seen this morning at Slimbridge WWT left me feeling somewhat restless at work. When I finally got away I headed for Port Ham to look for a Marsh Harrier Andy told me he had seen at lunchtime. No sign of that so I tried Hempsted and found a Jack Snipe at a spot near the Severn Way Andy Jayne had kindly told me about. Other birds included 15 Common Snipe, three Sylarks, five Meadow Pipits, a Kestrel a Blackcap and a Reed Bunting.

Tuesday 8th April 2008

Another cold day with plenty of sun but then increasing showers, and I headed for Newnham-on-Severn straight after work to look for the Franklin's Gull found there yesterday. Unfortunately there was no sign of that, despite many pairs of eyes on the case, but an adult Mediterranean Gull(photos below) was a nice consolation prize. Thanks to John Phillips (the Franklin's Gull finder) for spotting that and Dave Pearce for putting me on it. It was fairly distant so I walked up-river towards the White Hart Inn to get a better view from across the river. The mixed weather also produced an impressive rainbow across the river (top photo). Seven Swallows were also present, five of them were heading south down-river, probably going back to Africa having had enough of the weather!

Sunday 6th April 2008

Waking up to snow gave the day a wintry feel, though the sun meant it was still a pleasant one, and let's face it, snow is very picturesque. Seven Willow Warblers had arrived along the canal south of The Pilot since yesterday, and it was great hearing their wistful song again following their winter holiday. In fact they were almost outnumbering the eight Chiffchaffs, both species favouring the Blackthorn bushes with their fresh blossom in their search for insects. Other birds present this morning along the canal included a Goldcrest, Raven and a Jay. A female Brambling was still in the garden today, and this afternoon a Swallow was spotted at Alderton whist on route to Hidcote Manor Gardens.
(Photo: top and next two below - Willow Warbler, followed by Chiffchaff then bottom photo - Blackthorn blossom).

Saturday 5th April 2008

On a mainly sunny day, though not as warm as yesterday, Andy and I spent a couple of hours at Highnam Woods RSPB. The star bird was this female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker(above) from the path just above the pinetum at SO774198, giving stunning views and calling for several minutes. Drumming was also heard briefly a short distance away before we saw this bird. Other birds included a Green Woodpecker, three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Stock Doves, three Buzzards, three Blackcaps, several Chiffchaffs and a Raven.

Along the canal south of the Pilot at Hardwicke later there were five Sand Martins and a Kingfisher.

Friday 4th April 2008

A foggy start, quite slow to clear, but giving way to a warm, sunny and very pleasant day. With the whole day to myself I spent the morning at a couple of sites concentrating on photographing some of my favourite birds such as Hawfinch(above, at Brierley) and Brambling(below, Cannop Ponds), and getting lots of other birds along the way:

Forest of Dean
Cannop Ponds:
Six Brambling, two Reed Buntings, a Coal Tit, nine Mandarins, three Stock Doves, around five drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers plus one other seen, a singing male Blackcap, several singing Chaffinches, a Jay, a Grey Wagtail, two Little Grebes, three Wrens, a Song Thrush, a Dunnock, and several Robins, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Chaffinches(below: Brambling, Chaffinch, Wren and Reed Bunting).




Broadwell, nr. Coleford:
A male Swallow.
Brierley (Serridge Enclosure):
Four plus Hawfinchesshowing well (top photo and below) with two Bramblings (one in breeding plumage), a Raven, a Buzzard and a Chiffchaff.


Slimbridge …