Cleeve Hill & WWT
Saturday 11th April 2009
I headed for Sudeley Castle first thing hoping to see the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, but with no sign I thought things could only get better. They did. Cleeve Hill provided an excellent morning's birding with five Ring Ouzels (above and below) near the north side of the electric cattle fence (around the 'heather enclosure') at the head of Postlip Valley, two Redstarts were also here, then a male Grasshopper Warbler (next photo below) was reeling in Gorse next to the Cotswold Way (east of the 'heather enclosure' - thanks to Steve Owen for putting me on that).
Other birds included two male Stonechats (below), a Swallow and a House Martin over, two Stock Doves, 2+ Yellowhammers and 12 Ravens displaying and mobbing one of two Buzzards.
As if that wasn't enough: later at WWT Slimbridge, three Avocets and an immature Little Gull were on the Top New Piece, viewed from the Zeiss Hide (the Little Gull remained until 2:50pm when it flew off NE over the hide). Also, a male Reed Warbler was singing from the reeds and three Snipe were around the edge of the main scrape. Near the restaurant, an Orange Tip butterfly was my first of the year.
Record shots of Avocet and Little Gull below:
I headed for Sudeley Castle first thing hoping to see the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, but with no sign I thought things could only get better. They did. Cleeve Hill provided an excellent morning's birding with five Ring Ouzels (above and below) near the north side of the electric cattle fence (around the 'heather enclosure') at the head of Postlip Valley, two Redstarts were also here, then a male Grasshopper Warbler (next photo below) was reeling in Gorse next to the Cotswold Way (east of the 'heather enclosure' - thanks to Steve Owen for putting me on that).
Other birds included two male Stonechats (below), a Swallow and a House Martin over, two Stock Doves, 2+ Yellowhammers and 12 Ravens displaying and mobbing one of two Buzzards.
As if that wasn't enough: later at WWT Slimbridge, three Avocets and an immature Little Gull were on the Top New Piece, viewed from the Zeiss Hide (the Little Gull remained until 2:50pm when it flew off NE over the hide). Also, a male Reed Warbler was singing from the reeds and three Snipe were around the edge of the main scrape. Near the restaurant, an Orange Tip butterfly was my first of the year.
Record shots of Avocet and Little Gull below:
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