Paul's Birding Diary

Friday 19th June 2015 Melodious Warbler - posing nicely I travelled to the West Midlands this afternoon to meet up with Paul Fitzgerald and do a bit of a twitch. After eight days, the singing male MELODIOUS WARBLER at Marsh Lane, near Hampton in Arden, was thankfully still present. A very obliging bird, and regularly singing its incredibly varied song, it was a real joy to observe. Further interest was provided by a Hobby overhead and a Painted Lady . It favoured a perch near the top of the foliage Singing for quite extended periods - the song full of mimicry What a beauty   The MW favours these bushes, along the bridleway east of the A452 at GR SP227803, south of Mill Covert: Habitat view After having our fill, Paul took me to the fantastic nearby Marsh Lane Nature Reserve. The best bird here was a summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe , present for its second day on Railway Pool. We had to avoid parking in the car park as a Little Ringed Plover pair h...

Friday 5th June 2015 Use your Emargination (apologies, I couldn't resist that one!) After  hearing it and seeing it only briefly on Tuesday evening, I went for another look at the Reed Warbler at Saul Junction at lunchtime. It has a very varied song, recalling at times Marsh, but for me it isn't that unusual but interesting nonetheless. It splits it's time singing-wise between the hawthorn bushes and the reeds nearer the path. It seems that when it is in the reeds its song has more of the chug-chug type notes that when it is in the bushes. Perhaps it is auditioning as a Marsh Warbler - but it will never be one :) There is an excellent comparison of Reed and Marsh on the Portland Bird Obs website here which I found extremely useful: http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/bpp_marsh_vs_reed_warbler_310506.htm A very obliging bird A good view of remiges - note the positioning of the emargination (on p3) and claws - long Posing nicely Here's a bit of footage ...

Friday 15th May 2015 Hairy Dragonfly Some photos here I took at Frampton on a sunny afternoon off shortly before my holiday. Azure Damselfly Helophilus pendulus hoverfly Orange-tip

Saturday 16th - Saturday 23rd May 2015 Dotterels, Choseley I recently spent a very enjoyable week in East Anglia based in King's Lynn. Although by now means a birding holiday, I naturally found the time and opportunity to visit some familiar and not so familiar sites great for birds and other wildlife. Seeing 15 Dotterels at Choseley drying barns was one of the highlights, as was seeing four species of nesting Tern along with Grey and Common Seals at Blakeney Point on a boat trip from Morston Quay. After several attempts to see a Golden Pheasant at Wolferton, only 15 minutes from our base, and failing, I must conclude they are not easy to see! Oystercatchers on the other hand were everywhere, including at several inland sites: two on a cricket pitch at Castle Rising, one at Flitcham Abby Farm and one near Choseley. Given our cottage was 80 yards from the Great Ouse, we could here and see them almost whenever we stepped outside. I enjoyed seeing Round-leaved Sundews at Ders...

Friday 1st May 2015 A couple of photos of the HUDSONIAN GODWIT at Meare Heath, Somerset - a cracking bird and a lifer for me, and many others who saw it being only the third British record. The afternoon was complimented by a range of other good birds including  Marsh Harrier , Great White Egrets , Bitterns , Hobbies , Swifts  and last but not least a fine drake Garganey .

Friday 24th April 2015 Pie-billed Grebe, Berkeley shore I was pleased that the PIE-BILLED GREBE found at Berkeley on the Severn by Paul Taylor hung on long enough for me to get there after work, what a cracking bird. When I got there, with Andy and Mark, it was sat up half asleep on the rocks, but after a while had a bit of a swim around and dived to feed a few times.I'll excuse my rubbish shots on the poor light! The site - south of Berkeley Power Station First view - blending in with the rocks and seaweed Head up Go for a swim Smile for the camera Have another rest - head down Head up again

Friday 10th - Tuesday 21st April 2015 Snake's Head Fritillaries, North Meadow, Cricklade On Saturday afternoon, 18th, me and Linda made what has become an annual pilgrimage to admire the wild Snake's Head Frtillaries of North Meadow, Cricklade. In several years of visiting, I have never seen them look as stunning, the meadow a haze of purple; indeed a purple haze - see what I did there? The town's St Samson's Church forms the backdrop in this shot Thousands of plants in full flower The white form is quite common amongst the chequered 'standard' type The fascinating pattern of the dominant purple form The morning high tide at Hock Ditch with Andy had been rather quiet, no waders, but a fine adult summer Mediterranean Gull was a year tick, floating somewhat distantly with c150 Black-headed Gulls . Going on to WWT Slimbridge afterwards was more productive with four Little Ringed Plovers and a White Wagtail around the Holden scrape, and an ...