Paul's Birding Diary

Saturday 27th - Sunday 28th April 2013 Pasqueflower, Barnsley Warren With Mike at Coombe Hill Meadows the GREAT WHITE EGRET was still present Saturday morning, but always distant towards the Long Pool. Also three Yellow Wagtails , including a stunning male, a Pied Wagtail and a White Wagtail , three Tufted Ducks (2m, 1f), three Shelducks , five Common Sandpipers , two Redshanks , two Curlews , 10+ Lapwings , a Little Egret , two Swallows , and along the canal two Lesser Whitethroats , plus Whitethroats , Willow Warblers , Chiffchaffs , and  Sedge Warblers . Pasqueflower, Barnsley Warren Later my attention turned to botany with a visit to Barnsley Warren to see the Pasqueflower display, and then to North Meadow, Cricklade (Wilts) for the Snake's Head Fritillaries . The Pasqueflowers are just coming to their peak and looking superb. I left it too late last yer and they had all gone over, so it was nice to see them in flower. I also noted a Wheatear here and c10 Linnets...

Friday 12th - Tuesday 23rd April 2013 Arctic Tern, Epney Spring has arrived at last and everything seems to be happening at once. Yesterday (22nd) I made it in time to Witcombe Reservoir to see the cracking adult  WHISKERED TERN , resplendent in breeding plumage, found by Duncan Dine. I'm glad I made the effort  although the light was fading fast by the time I got there, hence the rather grainy photos! The Tern eventually settled on a buoy, where I left it at dusk. It departed early this morning. Whiskered Tern, Witcombe Reservoir Another shot of the Whiskered Tern Going back to Friday 12th, a welcome day off work found me at Fretherne/Saul Warth for the tide. A Sanderling  was the highlight, but news of Velvet Scoters  at Chew Valley Lake still, from the previous day, had me heading there for the afternoon. The four Velvet Scoters  were always rather distant, and gave me a bit of a runaround, but views of them on the water and in fl...

Sunday 7th April 2013 Male Ring Ouzel, West Down Finally the wind direction has changed to the south, giving a much more spring-like feel to the day. With Andy and Mark this morning I managed to locate a male Ring Ouzel at West Down near the track to Wontley Farm. After being flushed by dog walkers who decided to walk straight into where it was instead of using the footpath, it did return to the same area. A female bird Andy found from nearer the farm was not seen again. Eventually it flew off in the direction of Postlip Hill. Also of note, two Wheatears were on the track from Wontley Farm towards Cleeve Common and two Red-legged Partridges near West Down Car park. We couldn't, however, nail a Black Redstart found by Mike between West Down and the masts. And finally, yes it's more Hawfinch photos; these from this morning when I finally had decent light.

Saturday 6th April 2013 The sun really brings out the colours in this lovely image by Richard Tyler Some more photos of my garden Hawfinch here, taken this morning by Richard Tyler, in perfect conditions (above and below) . We think this could be a different individual The definite highlight of a trip to the forest later with Andy and Mark was the group of four Garganeys (three drakes and a female) on north Cannop Pond. The birds showed down to a few feet giving absolutely cracking views. Other than the Garganeys, still pretty quiet in the forest; very few finches about generally but we did see some nice Bramblings at Parkend Church. Drake Garganey Drake Garganey Female Garganey Close-up!

Thursday 28th March - Tuesday 3rd April 2013 As the cold weather continues, and over a week since the male last put in an appearance, a visit by a female Hawfinch to the garden at 7.00am cheered me up no end (photos above and below) . Around six Hawfinches are still present around the Dimore playing field, and yesterday I made a sound recording of calls and song here: Other news: on Thursday I spotted a Water Rail wandering around beneath the Wild Cherry trees just beyond my back garden, very nice to see. Some inscet interest in the garden recently too with both Buff-tailed and Tree Bumblebees nectaring on Mahonia japonica and Helleborus foetidus flowers. Two Buff-tails were present on Friday. They start feeding surprisingly early, just after 6.00am on that day with frost still on the ground. Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee on Helleborus foetidus Queen Tree Bumblebee on Mahonia japonica Another Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee on Mahonia japonica On Saturday,...