Paul's Birding Diary

Friday 30th May 2008 I left work at 4pm today to get down to Slimbridge WWT in time to see the Ring-billed Gull , which was a welcome sight on the Dumbles (photos above and below, but for some much better photos see Mike's on The Gloster Birder ) . A real bonus came at 5pm when a Spoonbill appeared in front of the Holden Tower from the right and was just about to land on the pool in front of the hide when it was rather discourteously seen off by a Shelduck . It then headed off north and was last seen going in the direction of Frampton. As I said, that was a real bonus, and has taken my county year list total to 185. I don't think I've mentioned my year list much on my blog, but I'm increasingly hoping I might just crack the magical 200 this year. I've certainly had a run of luck lately, which is what is needed, and it would be a nice achievement. The next 15 will be the hardest though since I have already ticked most of the usual birds, only a few left I can usuall...

Wednesday 28th May 2008 Another day's leave, and a return to very wet weather. Despite the mist-enshrouded hills, that didn't stop me going to Hawling to year-tick a Quail which was calling in a cereal field at 1.00pm near the minor road off the A436 at SP057217. I spent the rest of the afternoon at Upton Warren , in Worcestershire, where Avocets are the star attraction. I saw 10 adults in total plus a brood of four young on the Flashes Pools. The weather seemed to be improving when I got there, but when the inevitable rain started again, the youngsters retreated for cover under the body of one of it's parents (photo above and movie below) . Other highlights were two Common Sandpipers , three Little Ringed Plovers , a Redshank and two Common Terns . A Cetti's Warbler , several Reed Buntings , Reed Warblers , Sedge Warblers , a Little Ringer Plover and a Ruddy Duck were at the Moors Pools. (More photos of Avocets below, bottom two of Common Sandpiper and Little Ring...

Tuesday 27th May 2008 The highlight of the day out birding with Andy was the Purple Heron at Lydney Marsh (SO637017), which was present until 11.15am at least and showing well on the far bank of the east lake, and seen catching and eating a large eel (fourth photo below) - a lifer for me. In the Forest of Dean, at least four Turtle Doves were at Oakenhill Wood (SO626076) late morning. Listen to one of the Turtle Doves here: We then went on to Newport Wetlands RSPB reserve in Gwent, where the highlights were Bearded Tit (heard only), a Cuckoo , many Cetti's Warblers , Sedge Warbler , Reed Warblers , Reed Buntings and Whitethroats , and a Lesser Whitethroat . This was my first time here and it's a great place, with extensive reedbeds and a variety of other habitats including the coastal salt marsh and shoreline.

Sunday 25th May 2008 Yes, despite the rain, the local male Blackcap was singing strongly in the garden this morning, and again this evening, as was the Chiffchaff . Listen to the Blackcap (supported by Blackbird) here: It had finally stopped raining by the end of the Monaco Grand Prix (a great race and a superb win to Lewis Hamilton - also despite the rain, or maybe thanks to the rain!) so I spent an hour or so at Slimbridge WWT. From the Holden Tower there was a good variety of waders on the exposed mud of the falling tide with five Knots , three Turnstones , a Bar-tailed Godwit , a Greenshank , four Curlews , a Little Egret , and 180 small waders mainly Ringed Plover and Dunlin in roughly equal numbers with c20 Sanderlings . A Black-tailed Godwit was on South Lake. I stopped off at Frampton on the way back where c150 Swifts , House Martins and Sand Martins were feeding on and around the sailing lake as a Great Crested Grebe sat on the water close by. (Photos of Swift, above, a...

Saturday 24th May 2008 In mainly sunny conditions but with a stiff north-easterly breeze, I carried out two surveys this morning, starting with a Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) in grid square SO7713 in Hardwicke. 32 Species were encountered along the two 1km transects, these were: Mallard 1 Common Buzzard 2 Common Kestrel 1 Pheasant 2 Moorhen 2 Herring Gull 30 Woodpigeon 6 Collared Dove 5 Cuckoo 1 Swallow 6 Wren 9 Dunnock 5 Robin 2 Blackbird 9 Song Thrush 4 Lesser Whitethroat 2 Whitethroat 13 Blackcap 1 Chiffchaff 3 Long-tailed Tit 2 Blue Tit 3 Great Tit 1 Magpie 3 Jackdaw 3 Carrion Crow 14 Raven 1 House Sparrow 4 Chaffinch 11 Greenfinch 2 Linnet 3 Yellowhammer 2 It was nice seeing the Cuckoo back again at Hockley Hill and picking it up within the survey, and there were good numbers of Whitethroat. I then went on to Brockworth to carry out my third and final early breeding season visit for the BTO Atlas survey in SO81Y. The following birds were seen or heard here: Stock Dove 6 Woodpigeon 1...

Tuesday 20th May 2008 At Fretherne this evening before high tide there were eight Sanderlings , 12 Ringed Plovers , six Dunlins and an Oystercatcher . On the way home, there were two Little Owls , one at Longney and the other at Hardwicke. (Photos: Sanderlings)

Sunday 18th May 2008 An Orange Tip posed nicely (above) near Lower Slaughter this afternoon, and was one of the few butterflies on the wing in sunny but coolish conditions. I spent an excellent morning with Mark in the Forest of Dean, the highlights being a Firecrest , two Garden Warblers and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Cannop, and at Nagshead two Spotted Flycatchers (one bird seen feeding, another bird was calling nearby), two Goldcrests , a Pied Flycatcher and a Wood Warbler (same singing male as yesterday near the top gate on the short trail). Two Tree Pipits , 7-8 Linnets , a Whitethroat and numerous singing Willow Warblers were at Tidenham Chase. (Photos of Wood Warbler, above, and Spotted Flycatcher below)