Paul's Birding Diary

Saturday 31st October 2009 I spent an excellent day's 'gulling' with Richard and Andy at Appleford (near Didcot), Oxfordshire on Saturday. The target bird was the adult 'Azorean' Yellow-legged Gull, L. michahellis atlantis, which kept us waiting until mid-afternoon, long enough to become very familiar with the gulls on the pit just next to the level crossing. Gulls of particular interest noted were three Caspian Gulls , a first-winter and two third-winters (the third winters were very distinctive with their white head and, small dark eyes), seven Yellow-legged Gulls , an intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull (much darker mantle and smaller than the usual graellsii) and a few 'Scandinavian' Herring Gulls , L. argentatus arentatus (much larger than the other Herrings) . A count of other gulls on the produced 180 Black-headed Gulls , 560 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , eight great Black-backed Gulls , 160 Herring Gulls and a Common Gull . Other birds seen wer...

Friday 9th October to Saturday 17th October 2009 I have recently spent a great week's birding on the Isles of Scilly, with a host of fantastic memories and of course, photos. The weather was generally like Summer, with plenty of warm sun nearly every day and very little wind. OK, this did mean that the rarities were a bit thin on the ground, but I didn't mind at all. Being my first time on the islands I was wowed by the place, and whilst some Scilly birding may have been disappointed, I loved every minute. Thanks are due to to Richard, Geoff, Nigel, Stu and Paul T. for their great company and many laughs. ( photo above: St. Martin's from the B. N. Islander) Friday 9th After an early start, we arrived at Land's End in time for a search in Nanquidno Valley for a Wood chat Shrike which had been about. That was unsuccessful but we did see two Choughs , plus three Stonechats . After the short (15-minute) flight from the Land's End Aerodrome, we arrived on St. Mary's...

Sunday 4th October 2009 A Green Woodpecker in the garden this morning (above) , also on Friday a singing male Chiffchaff and again yesterday.

Saturday 26th September 2009 At Slimbridge WWT this morning with Mark, the best birding to be had was from the Zeiss Hide, where the highlights were a Little Stint , seven Ruffs , 22 Snipe , a Water Rail , two Spotted Redshanks , 12 Redshanks and six Black-tailed Godwits . Another five Snipe were showing well from Martin Smith Hide (above and below) and a Cetti's Warbler was seen at Robbie Garnett Hide whilst another was heard within the grounds; three Swallows were seen over the Tack Piece; 21 Black-tailed Godwits were on South Lake. There wasn't much of note at Middle Point, four Ravens , a few Curlews , lots of Shelduck and a Little Egret , and the only migrants noted were a total of five Chiffchaffs between Robbie Garnett Hide and Middle Point. A pair of House Martins were still active at a nest on the centre building feeding three young (below) .

Saturday 19th - Sunday 20th September 2009 A trip to the GWT Lower Woods reserve on Saturday afternoon turned up some interesting wildlife including a Hornet (above) , a Grass Snake and a Long-winged Conehead (below); Also a Helophilus pendulus hoverfly: Mothing at Jake's in the evening on National Moth Night produced a few species before it started raining: Setaceous Hebrew Character Lesser Yellow Underwing Broad-bordered Underwing Large Yellow Underwing Common Marbled carpet Brimstone Ghost Moth Dusky Thorn (below) Highlights of a morning's birding with Andy on Sunday were: Fretherne/Saul Warth - A Little Stint , two Ringed Plovers , c10 Dunlins and a Wheatear ; Sharpness - Three Chiffchaffs , two Blackcaps and c70 Goldfinches .

Friday 18th September 2009 In the Forest of Dean, there was no sign of yesterday's Black-necked Grebe at Woorgreens this evening, but three Willow Tits and a Chiffchaff were with a mixed flock of Long-tailed , Coal , Great and Blue Tits . A Little Egret , a Snipe , a White Wagtail and two Ravens were at the lake. A Marsh Tit at Cannop Ponds on one of the stone works feeders completed the local Tit collection.

Thursday 10th September 2009 I made it just in time after work to glimpse the probable first-winter Marsh Warbler at Slimbridge WWT. Let's hope it gets accepted; that would make it two in one year after seeing my first at Otmoor RSPB, Oxfordhire, in July.