Bird Race
Saturday 12th May 2007
I spent a hectic but enjoyable day bird racing with Andy, the object being to see how many species as possible we could see in the county in a day. To count, each bird had to be seen by both of us. We had to contend with the showers, but dsepite that reached a grand total: 101. The full list is below, but out of those the highlights that stood out for me were: seeing the Hoopoe again at Wotton-under-Edge; four Common Sandpipers, one near The Pilot, two at Parkend Bridge, Moreton Valance, and another at pit 41 in the Cotswold Water Park; three Garden Warblers also at pit 41, Arctic Terns, two on pit 16, CWP, with four Common Terns, and one on the 
high tide at Fretherne; two Cuckoos, one near the A429 between Cirencester and Chedworth and another at Cassey Compton; watching Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings at the pit 6, CWP; two Grey Partridges and a Tree Sparrow at Harnhill; a singing male Redstart at Woorgreens near the car park; a male Siskin singing at Woorgreens along the forest road at the back of the lake, and others feeding with a Lesser Redpoll; Wood Warblers at Nagshead, two heard singing on the long trail including one showing well; a Kingfisher flying over the roundabout at Over; a good selection of waders at Fretherne, although not in great numbers, there were two Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Whimbrel, four Curlew, 30 Dunlin, c5 Ringed Plover and a Grey Plover on the river at high tide, and later on the flshes on Saul Warth the small-wader flock included a Little Stint and a Sanderling; three drake Garganey on the flashes and three Glossy Ibises, two Ibises also flew overhead as we walked along the canal towpath; and finally, Red Wine and Spaghetti Bolognese followed by Terry Wogan and the Eurovision Song Contest - always a great laugh - especially after some wine. (Photos: © Paul Masters)
The List
Severn Vale (1)
Quedgeley: Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Magpie, Starling, House Sparrow
Hardwicke: Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Moorhen, Common Sandpiper, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Nightingale, Song Thrush, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet
Whitminster: Grey Heron
Cotswolds
Wotton-under-Edge: Kestrel, Hoopoe, Robin
Water Park: Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Buzzard, Coot, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Swift, Sand Martin, House Martin, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting,
Driffield: Yellowhammer
Harnhill: Grey Partridge, Tree Sparrow
Chedworth: Cuckoo, Skylark
Cassey Compton: Red-legged Partridge
Compton Abdale: Grey Wagtail
Hawling: Lapwing, Corn Bunting
Forest of Dean
Woorgreens: Greylag Goose, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Redstart, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll
Cannop Ponds: Little Grebe, Mandarin
Nagshead RSPB reserve: Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher
Severn Vale (2)
Over: Kingfisher
WWT Slimbridge: Cormorant, Shelduck, Gadwall, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit
Fretherne: Glossy Ibis, Garganey, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Sanderling, Little Stint, Dunlin, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Raven
Frampton: Long-tailed Tit
I spent a hectic but enjoyable day bird racing with Andy, the object being to see how many species as possible we could see in the county in a day. To count, each bird had to be seen by both of us. We had to contend with the showers, but dsepite that reached a grand total: 101. The full list is below, but out of those the highlights that stood out for me were: seeing the Hoopoe again at Wotton-under-Edge; four Common Sandpipers, one near The Pilot, two at Parkend Bridge, Moreton Valance, and another at pit 41 in the Cotswold Water Park; three Garden Warblers also at pit 41, Arctic Terns, two on pit 16, CWP, with four Common Terns, and one on the 
high tide at Fretherne; two Cuckoos, one near the A429 between Cirencester and Chedworth and another at Cassey Compton; watching Reed Warblers, Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings at the pit 6, CWP; two Grey Partridges and a Tree Sparrow at Harnhill; a singing male Redstart at Woorgreens near the car park; a male Siskin singing at Woorgreens along the forest road at the back of the lake, and others feeding with a Lesser Redpoll; Wood Warblers at Nagshead, two heard singing on the long trail including one showing well; a Kingfisher flying over the roundabout at Over; a good selection of waders at Fretherne, although not in great numbers, there were two Bar-tailed Godwits, eight Whimbrel, four Curlew, 30 Dunlin, c5 Ringed Plover and a Grey Plover on the river at high tide, and later on the flshes on Saul Warth the small-wader flock included a Little Stint and a Sanderling; three drake Garganey on the flashes and three Glossy Ibises, two Ibises also flew overhead as we walked along the canal towpath; and finally, Red Wine and Spaghetti Bolognese followed by Terry Wogan and the Eurovision Song Contest - always a great laugh - especially after some wine. (Photos: © Paul Masters)The List
Severn Vale (1)
Quedgeley: Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Magpie, Starling, House Sparrow
Hardwicke: Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Moorhen, Common Sandpiper, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Nightingale, Song Thrush, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet
Whitminster: Grey Heron
Cotswolds
Wotton-under-Edge: Kestrel, Hoopoe, Robin
Water Park: Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck, Buzzard, Coot, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Swift, Sand Martin, House Martin, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting,
Driffield: Yellowhammer
Harnhill: Grey Partridge, Tree Sparrow
Chedworth: Cuckoo, Skylark
Cassey Compton: Red-legged Partridge
Compton Abdale: Grey Wagtail
Hawling: Lapwing, Corn Bunting
Forest of Dean
Woorgreens: Greylag Goose, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Redstart, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll
Cannop Ponds: Little Grebe, Mandarin
Nagshead RSPB reserve: Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher
Severn Vale (2)
Over: Kingfisher
WWT Slimbridge: Cormorant, Shelduck, Gadwall, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit
Fretherne: Glossy Ibis, Garganey, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Sanderling, Little Stint, Dunlin, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Raven
Frampton: Long-tailed Tit
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