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 …