Recent Sightings

Sunday 14th - Sunday 28th February 2010

A bit of a catch-up this. Today at WWT I finally saw the female Ring-necked Duck which I had just about given up on, after missing its earlier showings; thanks to Rich Tyler for pointing it out this morning on the Long Ground Pool. I got the other American duck on Friday, the Green-winged Teal, which was showing on the Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide at 4:40pm. In the garden, up to five Lesser Redpolls continue to visit the feeders (above and below) as do male and female Blackcaps and at least one female Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Other recent highlights have been:
Sunday 14th
A circular walk from Longborough to Bourton-on-the-Hill produced a nice little party of four Tree Sparrows at the top of Bean Hill, Longborough. A pair of Ravens were in Sezincote gardens. It was a great walk, but did mean I missed the aforementioned RND which meanwhile had been giving close views at WWT.

Monday 15th
An early flying visit to WWT hoping to see the RND didn't produce the hoped for result, but at least I saw my first Oystercatcher of the year on the Tack Piece.

Saturday 20th
I carried out the late winter visit to my Bird Atlas tetrad at Redbrook, in the Wye Valley with Andy. This is a lovely area, and the visit produced two Goosanders and a Dipper on the river, two Marsh Tits, 10 Siskins plus a good range of other species, the most numerous on the two-hour TTV count being Blue Tit (41), Great Tit (28) and Robin (21). In total, 32 species. We both year-ticked Goshawk at New Fancy View on the way back.

Saturday 27th
Yesterday, a trip to Berkeley shore south of Severn House Farm was rewarded with 14 Turnstones on Hills Flats Rocks.

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