Paul's Birding Diary

Saturday 23rd - Sunday 24th  February 2013 A dull and cold weekend brightened up by excellent birding. On Saturday six Hawfinches were present at 12.25pm around Dimore playing field, Quedgeley. Even in gloomy conditions they still look fantastic (photos above and below). I saw at least six again this morning at 9.00am in a quick search. Earlier, me and Mark had been to see the PIE-BILLED GREBE in Somerset at RSPB Ham Wall. This was an easy tick, although it remained a little distant, but a smart bird in summer livery and a lifer for us both. Great White Egrets and Marsh Harriers were also nice to see here. Pie-billed Grebe, RSPB Ham Wall On the way back we stopped off at Aust Warth for the two Twite , which very obligingly flew into a nearby tree, where they sat for several minutes (below) . Twite, Aust Warth Meanwhile in the garden two Bramblings continue to visit regularly, as do four Siskins , a pair of Bullfinches , a female Blackcap , a male Great Sp...

Friday 8th - Sunday 17th February 2013 One of the four Hawfinches at Quedgeley on 10th February I have been lucky to see a great range of birds in and around the garden lately. These have included up to five Siskins , three Bramblings , three Bullfinches , two Goldfinches , 25 Chaffinches (including a half-albino reminiscent of a Snow Bunting!), 15 Greenfinches , a female Blackcap , and a male Great Spotted Woodpecker . But a most remarkable event brought back memories of late winter 2009 . On Saturday 9th February two HAWFINCHES were seen by Jonathan Connor in trees at the edge of Dimore playing field, to the rear of my garden in Quedgeley. The next morning I checked the field to find FOUR HAWFINCHES perched in tall trees at the west end of the field nearest the canal. Since then I have since at least one on two occasions from my conservatory in the trees just beyond my back fence, including yesterday, when I also saw one one the other side of the field near the entrance. With...

Sunday 20th January - Sunday 3rd February 2013 The adult Great Northern Diver - a smart bird acquiring breeding plumage I started the morning's birding off, with Mark H, at Pitville Park in Chemltenham, where the GREAT NORTHERN DIVER ,  was thankfully still present for its fourth day on the boating lake. We stopped briefly at Hester's Way, where 33 Waxwings , were present atop a tree in Hester's Way Road. After the diver, we pressed on to the Cotswold Water Park. Here at Shorncote, the SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF showed well briefly for us, in the company of two common Chiffchaffs . The 'Sibe' also called a couple of times putting the ID beyond doubt. Also here, two Cetti's Warblers , a Goldcrest , a Water Rail , and two Snipe . I returned to Pitville Park this afternoon hoping for better light, and better photos, but it was still pretty dull; still this is a super bird even in poor light. With a tasty Perch This beautiful photo taken by Ma...

Saturday 12th January 2013 The Bittern on the WWT Top New Piece reed-bed, giving a brief full-body view At the second attempt this year the Bittern finally showed for me at WWT Slimbridge. Thankfully Mark and I didn't have to wait long, and it even came out into the open for a short time. Around 10 Gadwall on South Lake were a another year tick. A more typical view this morning, but we could see it for most of the time we were in Zeiss Hide - around an hour Head-on view Later the Water Pipit was at Berkeley Pill, and a Stonechat was a just south of the mouth of the pill. We found a Jack Snipe too, which was very welcome after not seeing on at all in 2012. Other birds here included seven Common Snipe , c20 Meadow Pipits , six Skylarks , a Redshank , two Ravens and a Great Black-backed Gull on the river. Andy had found an apparently injured Grey Partridge in a tree by the canal back at Quedgeley earlier, near Rea Bridge car park. We went to check it out on the...

Tuesday 1st January 2013 One of three Lesser Redpolls visiting the garden today The first bird of the New Year was a Robin singing near my house at 1:00am in the morning. Three Lesser Redpolls were in the garden today, where other visitors included a male Sparrowhawk . Later I year-ticked a range of common species on a walk around Moreton Valence, including Skylark , Yellowhammer and Stock Dove . A detour to Cheltenham after the walk added WAXWING to my 2013 list, with 22 still present at 3:00pm near Edward Wilson House on Princess Elizabeth Way. Some of the 22 Waxwings at Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, including a nice adult male (centre left)

Saturday 15th December 2012 The dove-grey cladding of GL1 makes for a pleasing backdrop Since 1st when I saw my first WAXWINGS of the season, I have been lucky to see many more. On 8th, four flying overhead at c8.30am whilst I was standing in my garden were a garden tick. Later that morning Andy found c40 at Rea Bridge, and I arrived on my bicycle just as they took to the air and flew north. Then on the morning of 12th, a work colleague told me she had seen  6-8 along Bruton Way near GL1. I had seen these birds on the way to work earlier, though couldn't be 100% sure of the ID at the time as I had been driving past, and wasn't able to check myself during the day. On 13th I checked the area, and 18 were present, coming to feed on small Rowan trees on the central reservation between Asda and GL1. The birds were competing with four Blackbirds and later three Wood Pigeons for the dwindling berry supply. At lunchtime on 14th eight were present, and later Mike saw  around ...

Saturday 1st December 2012 Waxwings look so good in the sun - I just can't get enough of them Out with Mark this morning I finally saw my first Waxwings of the winter. We found the first Waxwing along Hempsted Lane, Hempsted (approx.GR SO817171 ) , initially perched in a tree and then feeding in a roadside line of small trees and shrubs on Rowan. Deciding to head for the forest, we looked for the Cinderford birds seen yesterday at the Forest Vale Industrial Estate. We arrived to find 15 here, feeding on an ornamental Rowan, but also on Alder seeds and apparently on the small buds of some larger trees. We watched these for some considerable time in the sunshine, before heading for Mallard's Pike for a cuppa, and then stopping at Wenchford where we noted a pair of Dippers on the Blackpool Brook just downstream of the lower bridge. We found a Caddis Fly, Halesus digitatus I think, crawling across the road at Blakeney - we rescued it of course! These p...