Paul's Birding Diary

Wednesday 29th December 2010 I caught up with the two first-winter Greater Scaups in the WWT Rushy Pen this morning (photos: above and below) . Despite the fog they were showing very well among the Tufted Ducks , Pochards , Pintails , Bewick's Swans and other birds populating this part of the reserve. A Water Rail was at the Robbie Garnett feeders. Back in the garden, a Mistle Thrush was feeding on an Apple.

Friday 24th - Sunday 26th December 2010 Two Bramblings were a garden highlight on Friday (below) ; other visitors to my 'grounds' included a Redwing and a Pied Wagtail (next photo) . Today, a Boxing Day walk in the snow around Quedgeley produced a Little Egret ; initially at midday between Dimore Brook and Clearwater wetland, in the stream, but later flushed by passers-by and eventually settling in the stream north of Clearwater by the footbridge. It fed here quite happily and was still there at 1.30pm despite passing walkers, their dogs, and joggers (top photo and below) . Significant numbers of Redwings (below) and Fieldfares (bottom photo) are on the estate and have been for the last few days, feeding particularly on Cotoneaster and Pyracantha berries. Fieldfare:

Tuesday 14th December 2010 In Littledean, 100 WAXWINGS were coming to feed on an ornamental Rowan tree opposite The Belfry Inn; present from 1:30.pm until 2:00pm at least (photos above and below) . The whole flock in a tree - exactly 100.

Monday 1st November - Sunday 7th November 2010 See a report of my holiday in Tenerife here .

Sunday 5th December 2010 I happened to be in Coleford yesterday afternoon when I got a message about a group of WAXWINGS in Berry Hill. I checked the map, it was only about a mile and a half away so I was there in no time, arriving at 1:30pm, to watch at least nineteen birds coming to feed on an ornamental Rowan in The Horesepool (above and below) , thanks to Lewis T. for finding them. They were still there when I left at 2:00pm. It's nice to see some at last as it seemed they had been avoiding Gloucestershire, but I needn't have worried. I'm sure we will see a lot more of them, and I'll still be scrutinising any likely looking tree with berries on. Earlier, a local walk around the patch had produced two Snipe at Clearwater Drive, a pair of Bullfinches at Dimore Brook and several Redwings . Yesterday two female Blackcaps were in the garden (below) , feeding on Euonymus berries, and my female Great Spotted Woodpecker was back after not seeing it for several days.

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th November 2010 A male Reed Bunting was present for much of today on my bird table (above) ; counts of 24 Chaffinches (yesterday) and nine Greenfinches (today) were the highest so far of the winter. A walk around the local Quedgeley patch yesterday produced a Water Rail at the canal end of Dimore Brook, and a Kingfisher between here and Clearwater.

Sunday 21st November 2010 I am still trying to re-acclimatise to the cold following my recent holiday in hot and sunny Tenerife; I'll post a report from the holiday soon. Perhaps a spell in the Holden Tower would be just the thing to toughen me back up, I thought! With just a flask of hot tea to keep me going, a coupe of hours this morning at the trust produced a good selection of birds including a gull apparently matching the one photographed by James on 12th , believed to be a hybrid Herring and Lesser Black-backed. The photographs below show the bird compared to the standard 'local' specification Argenteus Herring. The large size of the bird, especially the head and bill makes me wonder whether the Lesser B. liaison was with an Argentatus (Scandanavian) Herring.