Dorset Bird Break Weekend

Friday 6th - Monday 9th November (99 species - 183 for year)

I've been doing the Heights Hotel Bird Breaks for a number of years now. Spurred on by an offer at Bird Fair of a free Sunday night room, I returned this weekend for my fifth visit. Having been previously in February, April, May & October, I thought I'd try an October visit this time. The weekend is led by local birder, Bob Ford (@bobthebirder) and we were a small group of six.

Friday

Heavy rain meant that I had to curtail my original plan of stopping off en route at RSPB Arne. As I approached Weymouth, the omens weren't great with driving rain and thick mist. Thankfully by the time I reached Portland, the rain had stopped even if the mist hadn't disappeared. By the time, I reached the Bill at around 2pm, that had gone too and I was able to fit in a couple of hours birding. The most visible birds were rock pipits, which were numerous. I stopped to watch some oystercatchers on the rocks, when a turnstone appeared followed by a pair of purple sandpipers trying to appear inconspicuous. A walk around the fields revealed a stonechat, a pair of kestrels then a very close, confiding raven who allowed some excellent views.

Saturday

The forecast for Saturday morning was heavy rain that was due to clear by lunchtime, so we made our way to RSPB Arne, where we could at least shelter in the woods and hides. The woods in the windy conditions were bird less, but from Shipstall Hide, there was a good selection of waders & ducks to be seen including no fewer than 14 spoonbills. Heading back to the car park for lunch, we watched the feeders whilst we ate and were rewarded by a male and two female bramblings. We headed out to Middlebere in the afternoon. It was too windy for dartford warbler, but there were lots of waders to be seen including avocets and a spotted redshank, which allowed close comparison with common redshank. Raptors were well represented with both buzzard and kestrel, but the undoubted highlight was a fine ringtail hen harrier that drifted across the reeds, my first since 2012.

Sunday

The day got off to a good start with a fly by peregrine falcon at breakfast.

We spent the day birding locally staring off with a short sea watch at the Bill. No skuas, but I added a couple of year ticks by way of razorbill & shag.  We also had a flyover brambling and sparrowhawk. A walk through the beach huts rewarded us with views of a female black redstart and migrant chiffchaffs & blackcap, before we stopped in the Observatory, where warden Martin Wade was able to show us a redwing, which he had just caught in the ringing nets.



A walk around the Top Fields failed to give us the hoped for short eared owl, but there were a number of stone chats and our only reed bunting of the weekend. At the quarry next door to the Observatory we were delighted to see the little owl was in his usual spot. I made my first attempt at phone scoping.

 

 

The afternoon was spent at three different sites. At Ferrybridge, there were an impressive number of brent geese and red brested merganser was a year tick. Lodmoor RSPB added several common birds to our weekend list plus a female marsh harrier. We didn't get to Radipole RSPB until just before dusk, so spent our time at the visitor centre, where we just added common gull to the weekend list.

 

Monday

 

En route home, I decided to visit two new reserves in Hampshire. Blashford Lakes near Ringwood was my first stop This is an impressive little reserve. From the first hide, a peregrine falcon zipped past the hide window and two goldeneye were a welcome add to the weekend list. From the woodland hide, I also added treecreeper plus another year tick in lesser redpoll. With osprey & bittern recently seen there, this is certainly a reserve I shall return to.

 

My final stop was RSPB Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth, where it was blowing a gale, which didn't bear well for my hoped for target species. A local birder didn't give me much hope as headed disconsolately back to the car park, but I persevered around the sea wall, where eventually some movement on the marsh caught my eye. It was a couple of rabbits but as they headed along the bank of a stream, they surprised my target bird, a fine short eared owl, which gave some great close up views on the ground. It eventually flew a short distance, which put up all of the nearby brent geese, which was an impressive sight in itself - a fine end to a terrific weekend,

 

 

 

 

Sussex Weekend

Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th October (41 species - 171 for year)

it's been a quiet few weeks on the birding front due to work and other commitments plus a dodgy back last month, which caused me to abort a trip to Tring Reservoirs, where a green sandpiper was the solitary decent birds in the one hour I managed there.

This weekend I was at my parents in Sussex. Saturday's birdwatching was to be at Weirwood Reservoir. However, the morning's fog was slow to clear meaning views were limited at best. A calling kingfisher and possibly the largest flock of Canada Geese, I've ever seen were the only birds of note. There must have been a couple of hundred geese at least.

The birding highlight of the weekend came whilst watching Final Score, when a year tick in the form of a marsh tit appeared on the fence outside the sitting room window.

Sunday I headed up to Old Lodge, which gave me my first real opportunity to try out my new Swarovski scope. It was a beautiful sunny morning and birds were out in good numbers. The first one I saw was an overflying mistle thrush followed shortly by a family of stonechat. Great spotted and green woodpeckers were around as well as a mixed tit flock - blue, long tailed & coal plus some goldcrests and a solitary chiffchaff. The highlight was a large flock of thrushes - mistle & song but careful searching revealed several redwing too, my first of the autumn. The rest of the walk was quiet save for a kestrel.

The photo below is of the Konik ponies recently released in the reserve.

Birdfair 2015

I made my second ever visit to Birdfair this weekend, this time spending both the Saturday and Sunday there to take in as much as possible.

Last year's Birdfair was especially memorable for me, as I won the holiday competition being run by Birds & Nature Portugal, which I took back in March. It was great on the Saturday to meet Bernardo Barreto, our guide for the first part of the trip, together with Joao Jara, who heads up the business. Both great guys. I also dropped in and saw Bob Ford, who runs birding weekends based out of the Heights Hotel on Portland. I booked myself a weekend there in November, getting the Sunday night free of charge.

There  were some interesting talks on potential birding destinations - the Baltic coast in Germany, Varanger in Norway and the Gambia. I also spent some time in the authors forum listening to Charlie Elder, author of Few & Far Between and Mark Avery & Keith Betton, authors of Behind the Binoculars. The latter interviewed a personal favourite of mine, birdwatching great Ian Wallace, who is always great value to listen to. Needless to say I bought both books - Charlie Elder particularly was a lovely chap.

Having stayed overnight at a Days Inn on the A1 near Peterborough (not bad despite the poor reviews on TripAdvisor), I was back on site again early on Sunday.

The day started with a talk by Ruth Miller & Alan Davies on their new book The Joy of Birdwatching. They're always very entertaining to listen to.

Talks on potential birding destinations covered France (poorly delivered as he was late) and Costa Rica. Young South African birdwatcher, John Kinghorn was inspirational with his account of his Southern African Big Year of 803 species. Nick Acheson of Naturetrek performed admirably after his projector broke down to inspire us with his attempt to see all of the world's big cats.

I paid a visit to David Lindo's stand to pick up a copy of his new book Tales from the Concrete Jungles, which he very kindly signed for me.

I then finished my Birdfair experience on the Swarovski stand, where courtesy of the good folks at Viking Direct, I purchased a new ATS60 scope with a 25m-50m eyepiece at a very attractive price.

A footnote. On both days I wore a distinctive t-shirt designed by @yolobirder to raise funds for the hen harrier protection campaign.  It was great to spot a number of other wearers, and to get positive comments about it from so many people. My picture has since been tweeted by Dr Mark Avery and 'Henry' the Hen Harrier, whose head I  got to try on. For further information, please visit www.henharrierday.org and sign the petition to ban driven grouse shooting here

All in all, another excellent & enjoyable event.

North Norfolk Weekend

With the quieter summer months, I haven't done much birding of late. The one highlight was a year tick of a corn bunting whilst walking along the Ridgeway near Sparsholt Firs in Oxfordshire in July.

Friday 31st July - Sunday 2nd August (101 species - 170 for year)

With Jennifer visiting her family in Ireland, I took the opportunity to spend a few days in North Norfolk in search of some year ticks. I based myself in Blakeney at an excellent new B&B called Number 58, A reasonable price and the most amazing breakfast.

Friday

I started the day at RSPB Lakenheath. Sadly the golden orioles no longer breed there, but it's still a lovely reserve. On the walk down from the visitor centre, I saw both green and great spotted woodpecker.

The latter posed obligingly for a photo. I then had a lovely lengthy flight view of a bittern heading across the reed beds. At New Joist Fen another bittern showed well in flight and the family of common cranes were bugling close by, but sadly never came into view.

The new mere hide gave me a super close up flew of a third bittern in flight as well as this obligingly perched kingfisher.

I then moved onto the NWT reserve at Weeting Heath and had some reasonable close up views of a single stone curlew. Little else around other than a blackcap in the pines and a couple of juvenile kestrels,

En route to North Norfolk, a likely looking field yielded grey partridge and a close up singing yellowhammer.

I finished the day with an evening at another NWT reserve, Cley. This yielded a distant barn owl and a supporting cast of waders including whimbrel, greenshank, green sandpiper and my first ruff of the year. On the sea, numerous gannets were fishing just offshore.

Saturday

Saturday turned into something of a marathon with twelve hours of birdwatching. I started on the seawall at Burnham Overy Staithe, but this was disappointingly quiet bird wise - a few buzzard, curlew and egyptian geese to add to the weekend list, but little else. Cholesey Drying Barns was similarly barren - just a pheasant to the weekend list.

Titchwell RSPB was much more productive. A little stint and curlew sandpiper were in close proximity and enable comparisons with both each other and the nearby dunlins. From Parinder Hide, the eight spoonbill were visible, but I just missed seeing the wood sandpiper, which was to remain hidden during my visit. Someone claimed one of the eclipse moult ducks looked good for a garganey, but I wouldn't want to have put any money on this. On the beech were a couple of knot, whilst an obliging chinese water deer was a nice bonus on the walk back.

Time was moving on, so I headed down to Snettisham RSPB for the early evening high tide. Just as I arrived, a swirling flock of 1,000-2,000 knot flew overhead - the sound of their wingbeats startlingly loud. The tide came in quickly with a hugely impressive cast of thousands of knot, oystercatcher, godwits, sanderling, turnstone and some stunning summer plumage grey plover. It was quite a sight.

With darkness rapidly approaching, I sped the short distance down to Sandringham Forest and a well known spot for watching nightjars. A couple of London birders were already in place and we didn't need to wait long before a pair gave good close flight views. The supporting cast was a flyover woodcock and a hooting tawny owl - a great end to a super day.

Sunday

After Saturday's marathon, Sunday was always going to be a much quieter affair. After another enormous breakfast, I popped down to Cley for another visit. There was another curlew sandpiper on Pats Pool, whilst several snipe were weekend ticks. On the East Bank, the bearded tits stayed hidden, but I joined a couple of local birders to go through the tern flock, where eventually we found a single arctic tern.

It was getting seriously warm now, so my final stop was the raptor watch point at Swanton Nowers. Some honey buzzards had been seen for a few days a couple of days earlier, but sadly they had not lingered nor apparently bred locally, so I dipped on these. Compensation came in the form of a high flying red kite passing through.

All in all a successful weekend, but a few omissions I would have expected to have seen - little gull, little tern, wood sandpiper, red legged partridge, corn bunting, both song & mistle thrush, jay, spotted redhank, hobby, turtle dove, jay, bullfinch. Another time.

A Weekend in Sussex

This weekend was spent at my parents. My bird watching on Saturday was focused on Weirwood Reservoir followed by a circuit of Old Lodge. On Sunday I visited a new Ashdown Forest site - the Old Airstrip near Chelwood Gate. I  added two year ticks. However, a review of my list revealed, I'd missed counting a couple species earlier in the year, so my revised year total is now 157 species.

Weirwood Reservoir (20 species, 156 for year)

This was always going to be a short stop of half an hour or so to pick up an easy year - and so it proved. The water levels have fallen and started to reveal some mud at the back of the reservoir, where I soon picked up three green sandpipers. There were also impressive numbers of great crested grebe (easily 100+) and a number of female mandarin ducks lurked in the margins. A garden warbler sang in one of the car park trees and two treecreepers gave good views. There were several common terns and black headed gull numbers seemed to building.

Old Lodge / Old Airstrip (26 species - 157 for year)

From Weirwood, I headed up to Old Lodge for a circuit. it was a warm sunny day, and the birds were generally fairly elusive. Over the horse paddocks a large number of juvenile swallows were flying. A hovering buzzard quickened the pulse slightly, as it reminded me that it was one year ago exactly that we were graced by the short toed eagle just up the road at Gills Lap. in the valley, a whitethroat was calling and a healthy looking fox trotted up the path ahead of me. As I headed around the back of the reserve, I found a female redstart and a lone tree pipit was on the telegraph wires just before I headed up the hill back to the car park. From the top of the hill, I had two common buzzards overhead with at least another six in the distance.

With rain forecast, I decided to try a different part of the forest for a change and paid a visit to the Old Airstrip near Chelwood Gate. This was last year's Short Toed Eagle's other feeding area, It was fairly windy and rain wasn't far away, but the area looks to have good potential for birding and merits a return visit. Linnets were perhaps the commonest bird. A lone skylark sang over the heat and I soon came across a pair of stonechats. The bird of the morning, however, was a couple of flyover common crossbills calling loudly. Heading back to the car park, a song thrush sang loudly and several greenfinches were also calling - perhaps surprisingly not a bird I see that often on the forest.

A Year Tick

Little to add recently, but I did manage a year tick earlier this week in a most unlikely location - Baker Street Station. A grey wagtail has been keeping me entertained, whilst I wait on Platform 3 by calling from nearby rooftops. I have seen them here before and wonder if they might have a nest in the vicinity.

Scotland Weekend

I've been neglecting my blog lately, but a free Sunday afternoon has finally given me a chance to update it. June has been a barren month bird watching wise, only one addition to my year list with a common guillemot flying past the ferry as we neared Newhaven last weekend.

Friday 22nd - Thursday 26th May - Scotland (67 species - 152 for year)

However, the undoubted birding highlight recently was a trip to the Cairngorms in Scotland with my walking group. Although the main aim of the weekend was primarily walking, there was lots of opportunities to include some great birding, and I managed to add another twelve species to my year list.

Friday

Thursday was mainly a travelling day, but a stop at the renowned Inshriach Tea Rooms provided the first wildlife highlight. This is primarily a garden centre, but it has a great café and you sit facing out onto an impressive array of bird feeders. Coal tits and a great spotted woodpecker provided the birding highlights, but the star of the show finally made an appearance with this lovely red squirrel:

Saturday

Saturday was to be our main walking day with the plan being to start from the Cairngorm Ski Centre and see how far we got. Little did we realise, that this meant an ascent of Ben Macdhui, Scotland's second highest mountain.

As we set off from the car park, I soon picked up my first year tick with a close red grouse, that quickly flew away. Ad we climbed towards the corries and the plateau, I picked up a distant ptarmigan. However, any disappointment at the distant view was swept away with a succession of close up encounters of a bird that had previously proven difficult for me to see.

As we struck out for the summit, the going became rockier and there were several large snow fields to cross. The views from the summit were spectacular, and an added bonus were the large numbers of snow buntings flitting around the summit cairn.

As we descended, I caught sight of three low flying dotterel , a life tick for me. It got even better as we crossed the plateau and a pair flew in front of us and settled a short distance away. A great day.

Sunday

After the heights of the previous day, it was a more relaxed day today and a chance to explore the Caledonian pine forest around Loch Garten. Down by the loch, a spotted flycatcher was feeding and a redstart briefly alighted in a nearby tree. A flock of siskins noisily passed overhead, and as we pressed deeper into the woods a crested tit could be heard calling. Just before the car park, a goldcrest came down to head height to give great views.

Monday

Monday was spent in possibly one of my favourite places in the UK - the Findhorn Valley. There's always a frisson of excitement as you enter the valley and head up the dead end road. At our first stop, a common tern was fishing along the river, but a small group of visiting birdwatchers drew our attention to a lovely fishing dipper.

Towards the end of the valley we took a stroll up a hillside spotting a mountain hare and startling some feral goats.

Lunch was spent at the car park at the end of the valley where a very kindly guide from Aigas was able to point out a very distant golden eagle to us. We then headed over the spectacular Farr Road to drop into Loch Ruthen. The slavonian grebes were very distant compared to when we holidayed just up the road from here in 2013. A cuckoo could also be heard calling.

Tuesday

Our final day was a travel day, but we dropped into Loch Insh on the way back, where we were lucky to get good views of the pair of nesting osprey. This is a much better view of them, than you get at Loch Garten.

En route back to Edinburgh airport, there was still time for one final year tick with hooded crow in a field near Loch Leven.

A Weekend in Sussex

I took Friday off work to have a long weekend at my parents in Sussex. That gave me the chance to catch up on a number of local birding sights.

Friday 8th May - Pulborough Brooks RSPB (52 species - 136 for year)

Although the car park was full, I was the first birder onto the reserve and pretty much had it to myself for the first hour.

Heading down the zigzags, I very quickly picked up a number of summer migrants - willow, chiffchaff, blackcap & whitethroat and my first garden warbler of the year. Moving onto Fattengates courtyard, I caught a brief song of my main target species (more later). Two bullfinches landed in a nearby bush,

Jupp View was quiet, After much searching, I finally found a ringed plover. There were lots of shelduck and a couple of little egrets. From Nettleys Hide, a sedge warbler was singing and an Egyptian goose was a site tick. 

As I climbed the hill, I heard a lesser whitethroat sing from deep within the brambles. The Hanger produced a linnet with more warblers. Three distant buzzards were spotted.

At Little Hanger, a sudden burst of song meant, I'd found the nightingales. Two more birds were singing along Adder Alley, including one which sat nicely atop a bush.

The pool in front of Winpenny Hide had a late pair of pintail, whilst a kestrel hovered over the distant hills.

A great spotted woodpecker was on the feeders in the café area.

Saturday 9th May - Seaford Head (10 species - 138 for year)

I had intended to do a sea watch but when I got down to Seaford, it was blowing an absolute gale and before long pouring with rain. I grabbed a spot with a couple of the regulars on the benches half way up the cliff. They were soon calling out skuas, but I was struggling so much to hold my tripod still, I failed to spot any of them. I did manage to see a few gannets and a small group of common scoter flew past. The only other highlight was some sandwich terns.

Saturday 9th May - Bough Beech Reservoir (39 species - 138 for year)

With the weather on the coast so bad, I decided to head inland. As I hadn't been to Bough Beech this year, I decided to drop in here. Run by the Kent Wildlife Trust, I've seen some good birds here over the years - GWE, GND, bearded tit & rather bizarrely a pelican.

I picked up a few spring birds including a singing garden warbler with the willow warblers, blackcaps, chiffchaffs & whitethroats. I also had a nightingale singing from deep within the undergrowth.

A little egret fed next to two shelduck in the far bank and some common terns were fishing close in on both the reservoir and  the pool.

Other highlights were a close buzzard, a stock dove, a single lapwing and swifts, swallows & a house martin.

Well worth the detour

Sunday 10th May - Old Lodge Nature Reserve (29 species - 140 for year)

This is probably my Sussex local patch, as I pay it a visit on every trip I make down there. At this time of year, it has some very special birds.

As I got out the car, a number of willow warblers were calling along with chiffchaff. From the top path, I spotted a distant great spotted woodpecker and a cuckoo was heard calling (I would hear at least two birds, maybe three throughout the morning).

At the ponds, I found a tree pipit perched on the wires. In the valley, I had a whitethroat and a long tailed tit on the gorse. On Pippingford was another whitethroat.

A pair of woodlark were performing a courtship routine on the telegraph wires on the long straight, as nine fallow deer ran across in front of me.  A loudly singing bird soon caught my attention and as I headed downhill back towards the valley, I found my main target for the day perched atop a pine - a beautiful male redstart.

I then had my bizarre moment of the day, as literally hundreds of racing pigeons flew over my head. They must have been released from a nearby car park. It spooked the local raptors two - with a kestrel and at least two buzzards suddenly appearing.

As I moved through the gorse back up to the top path, I finally found a pair of stonechats, and whilst I was chatting to a birder on the top path, I caught a glimpse of a female redstart flying into a gorse bush.

Just before the car park, I saw another birder photographing two birds close by on the ground. I crept up alongside him to find two stunning woodlark  a great end to a good morning.

Always a pleasure to visit this lovely spot.

RSPB Otmoor

Sunday 3rd May (62 species - 134 for year)

A weekend to myself meant I got to go on two birding trips. As I needed to be back for lunchtime to catch Chelsea winning the title, I stayed closer to home & ventured to Otmoor.

The weather was OK when I left, but around High Wycombe the heavens opened and didn't improve for the rest of the journey.  My first couple of hours' birding was in steady sometimes heavy rain, but there was lots about, so it didn't matter too much.

Whilst  I was putting my boots on, I heard a cuckoo. A wander down the Roman Road didn't deliver the hoped for grasshopper warbler, but two nice close male bullfinches were  nice compensation. Lots of singing birds in the hedgerows.

Arriving at Greenaways, I did a quick scan in the hope that the cranes that recently arrived in the area might be showing, No such joy. However, there were two marsh harriers over the back and a hobby dashed through.

The rain was heavy now, so I dived into the hide, where things were very quiet. Venturing out again I had an abortive search of Big Otmoor for the garganey that  had been reported the previous day. Swallows & swifts were overhead and more cuckoos were calling.

On the walk down to the first screen, I soon came across a loudly singing lesser whitethroat. Not much else to report on the walk down to the second screen - two cettis warbler and a pair of red legged partridges. Lots of very showy sedge warblers too.

At the first screen on the return was an incredibly tame muntjac. It fed just twenty feet away from me (bad mobile phone shot below)

I stopped to listen again and try and see better the lesser whitethroat. However, almost immediately I was onto the star bird of the day - a whirring grasshopper warbler. Result!

On the walk back to the car, no less than five hobbies were hawking over the reedbeds.

RSPB Rainham Marshes

Saturday 2nd May (66 species - 132 for year)

Looking back through my notes, I see it's been four years since I was last at this cracking reserve. After a very fruitful day yesterday with no less than eleven year ticks, it hopefully won't be as long before I am back there again.

I arrived just after 8am, so had an hour and a half before the reserve opened, so I went for a walk along the river wall. Whitethroats were immediately obvious with nearly every bush seeming to have one perched on top. I soon added my first year tick with a singing sedge warbler. My second shortly followed with a very showy wheatear on some waste ground, that was soon joined by a second bird.

The reserve was now open, so after a quick cuppa & a caramel shortbread, I ventured forth. My next year tick wasn't far away, as I heard a calling cuckoo which soon became visible flying into a distant tree.

The woodland around the old cordite stores held a good selection of migrants - blackcap, a very confiding chiffchaff, more whitethroat and as I made my way back into the reedbeds an incredible number of cettis warblers, including several birds that showed themselves. There were a good number of reed warblers too.

At the first hide, I caught a glimpse of two marsh harriers, which I would get much closer views of later. Along the boardwalk, I soon heard a close pinging in the reeds and a striking male bearded tit showed itself at the top of a reed. Over the water were a number of swallows and my first swifts of the year.

There were plenty of birders scanning the Target Pools, as a pectoral sandpiper had been present since midweek. Sadly, it wasn't playing ball today, so another twitching dip for me. From the hide, I saw four summer plumage black tailed godwits. The marsh harriers were much closer here and a buzzard was a site tick.

I decided to move to a nearby viewpoint, and my luck picked up - 3 ringed plover, then a little ringed plover before a hobby passed close by.

The walk back to the visitor centre was largely uneventful. The sun then popped out and I sat on a bench near the visitor centre to see what would come to me, Five whimbrel flew up from the scrape, and a careful scan revealed four more. The high tide on the river was pushing in waders with another little ringed plover and several redshank also spotted.

I was then alerted by another visiting birder (Oliver Timms) to the presence of several greenshank on Aveley Flashes. A quick walk around soon had us watching three of these elegant waders with two oystercatchers bringing the wader total up to eight species. Two raptors then sped across the water towards us, one with prey in its talons. They were too large for hobbies and as they came overhead, we could see they were a pair of peregrine falcons.

A most enjoyable day!

Tring Reservoirs / Ivinghoe Beacon

Sunday 19th April (60 species - 121 for year)

Last weekend, I made my second trip of the year to Tring Reservoirs. Unlike my first fogbound visit, it was lovely to see some sunshine, even if the temperatures when I arrived were a little above freezing.

I started off by heading around to the jetty. It quickly became apparent, there were huge numbers of hirundines feeding above the lake, mostly sand martins but with a few swallows and house martins among them. The trees behind the jetty were alive to birdsong - chiffchaff, blackcap and my first willow warblers of the year. As I headed back around towards the car park, a beautiful male yellow wagtail landed on the bank just in front of me and a little further around, I found a second bird.

The hide itself was quiet. The water levels seem quite high at present. In the woods behind the hide were several singing blackcaps.

Heading up to the dry canal (which is now not so dry in places), I found a couple of singing whitethroats. A manure covered field did not yield the hoped for wheatears, but there were several yellowhammers and a song thrush in compensation.

Heading along the canal towards Tringford, the grasshopper warbler that had been heard earlier that morning was sadly silent, but heading across the field, I spotted a fine mistle thrush.

Tringford was quiet, but Startops held large number of common terns and another yellow wagtail. A closer inspection of the bales revealed both a redshank and a common sandpiper.

Marsworth held more terns plus a calling cettis warbler.

Back at Wilstone, an oystercatcher was the only new bird of note.

I then decided to head up to Inchcombe Hole near Ivinghoe Beacon, where large numbers of ring ouzels have been sighted recently. The Hole itself was heavily disturbed by walkers, so I headed over to the back where I spotted a group of birders intently scanning a far field. Sure enough, there were up to ten ring ouzels - mostly  male - to be found. Heading back to the car, a buzzard flew low overhead.

A great end to a good day!

The Ridgeway (Streatley to Bury Down)

Sunday 12th April (24 species - 112 for year)

It was a breezy day today, but some beautiful sunshine. In need of getting some miles in my legs in preparation for attempt to climb Ben Nevis in May, we headed out to the Berkshire Downs and the Ridgeway. It was a good chance to get some farmland birds and perhaps one or two migrant year ticks.

As we climbed the hill away from the car park, a singing blackcap soon got my attention. As we reached the top of the hill, a number of displaying red kites and buzzards soon appeared.

As the scenery got more spectacular, a sudden alarm call revealed two red legged partridge scurrying away from us.

just before our planned lunch spot at Bury Down, my second year tick put in an appearance, a beautiful male yellowhammer, which I almost trod on during the return journey.

The raptor count went up as a kestrel passed overhead, with another seen much closer shortly later. Just before the end, the buzzards and red kites provided more great close up views and a pair of red partridge were in the field by the car.

Old Lodge Nature Reserve

Wednesday 22nd March (30 species - 110 for year)

My first visit this year to one of my favourite bird watching spots - Old Lodge Nature Reserve on Ashdown Forest. No matter what time of  the year you visit, there's usually something good to see.

Thank goodness the wind had dropped today, but it was still rather chilly,

The top path was fairly quiet until two birds popped up on top of a small tree - woodlarks. As I headed down the hill past the paddocks, a nuthatch called loudly from the top of a nearby tree and a jay was by the pond. in the valley, a couple of overflying fieldfare reminded me that winter wasn't quite over yet.

Scanning the nearby fields revealed at least four soaring buzzards and one of the local ravens passed cronking overhead.

The back path was quiet save for some calling treecreepers and another buzzard to two. Lots of coal tits were calling from the pines on the long straight. Great spotted woodpeckers were drumming and calling, as were green wooodpeckers.

I then took a side path and came across a lovely mixed feeding flock - several goldcrests, blue tits, goldfinches, reed buntings, chaffinches, robins and wrens. A good way to finish.

Ouse Estuary Project / Newhaven Tidemills / Seaford Head / Weirwood Reservoir

Saturday 21st March (37 species - 109 for year)

A biting Northerly win continued to make birding difficult today, as I did a quick tour of local Sussex birding sides.

I started off at the Ouse Estuary Project where a richards pipit has been reported for the last week. I eventually found the right spot and waited, but alas it was to be my second dip of the weekend (the bird was spotted later that morning when sadly it apparently fell victim to the local sparrowhawk!). Little else of note, bar a number of redwings obviously waiting to start their migration.

I moved on to Newhaven Tidemills, which was dead. Too many dog walkers I fear. Dog mess everywhere as well. Only birds of note were a pair of stonechats

Next stop was Seaford Head, where it was great to see lots of kittiwakes and several fulmar nesting on cliffs. As I returned to the car, a rock pipit appeared on the breakwater.

My last stop was Weirwood Reservoir, hoping for an early osprey perhaps. The first birds I saw were a pair of mandarin ducks swimming just in front of the viewpoint. Lots of tits & finches on the feeders, though sadly not one of the resident pair of marsh tits. The heronry looked busy though with a number of birds on their nests.

The cold wind and a steady drizzle beat me, so I made tracks for home.

Dungeness / Rye Harbour / Pett Level

Friday 20th March (71 species - 105 for year)

The solar eclipse missed me completely today as I birded a murky & chilly Dungeness & Rye.

I started out at RSPB Dungeness. The ARC pit was quiet - a single marsh harrier, several goldeneye & a calling cettis warbler. The feeders at the entrance to the RSPB reserve held several tree sparrow. Burrowes Pit was quiet, so I headed off around the reserve. I soon spotted one of the great white egrets on Dengemarsh, and whilst I had him in my scope a bittern flew into the reeds behind. This was more like it! I was then treated to a stoat running up the path ahead of me, frequently turning around to look at me. Not much else on the reserve, but a pair of marsh harrier were a lovely sight.

I then spent about an hour around Brickwall Farm looking for the long staying cattle egrets. Despite being seen an hour earlier, they stayed hidden for me, so I decided to cut my losses and head over to Rye Harbour.

It was high tide, so lots of waders were on the Flat Beach, including several year ticks for me - avocet, ringed plover, grey plover & oystercatcher among them. Six brent geese were also a welcome sight. No early wheatear at the river entrance,, but four bar tailed godwit were on the beach and a few turnstone were on the seawall. Ternery Hide delivered its expected sandwich terns, then it was pretty quiet for the rest of the reserve until I reached Ray Parkes Hide, where I picked out a pair of fine breeding plumage mediterranean gulls to add to the great black backed gulls I'd picked up earlier. A raven flying along the beach was a new Rye Harbour bird for me,

Before heading home, I dropped into Pett Level. Nothing new, but a large group of brent geese were in the sheep fields and several curlew in the rock pools as it was low tide.

A good day!

RSPB Otmoor

Sunday 15th March (60 species - 93 for year)

The cold weather continued into Sunday with a visit to RSPB Otmoor - one of my favourite local birding spots. There's always some nice birds to be seen here.

As I left the car park, a pair of bullfinch flew across in front of me. In the first field, lapwings were already displaying and nest building.

As I made my way down to Greenaways, several reed bunting were feeding by gate. Careful scanning revealed several redshank and a single curlew. As I headed along the bridle path, I caught a tantalising glimpse of a large raptor before it dipped back into the reedbed. A few minutes later, it revealed itself as a stunning female marsh harrier, always a lovely bird to see.

The RSPB have spread seed on the track by the hide attracting large numbers of finches, buntings and a few stick dove. Among them were a few linnets. From the hide, a buzzard gave close views, whilst a large flock of geese in the distance held feral bar headed goose and ross goose.

The marsh harrier was soon back and scattering the waders, including a small flock of golden plover with a single dunlin. Careful scanning of the same field revealed a number of pintail swimming on a pool at the back.

Not a lot to see on the walk to the two screens, though a calling water rail was my first for the year. Two birders also showed me a photo they'd taken of a mink, which are never welcome.

The walk back to the car was quiet bar a hunting kestrel.

My last year tick was on my drive home when a red legged partridge decided at the last second not to commit suicide by running in front of my car.

Stockers Lake

Saturday 14th February (48 species - 83 for year)

The previous week, we had been bird watching in temperatures of 20°C & over on a trip to Portugal (which I will create a separate blog post for). Yesterday, it was a little over freezing as I made my second return of the year to Stockers Lake.

I'd been drawn by reports of a drumming lesser spotted woodpecker. I arrived to find a dozen birdwatchers already in situ. Over the course of the next two hours, we heard it calling twice and also a brief drumming, but sadly no sighting. It sounds fairly well established, so a return visit is in order.

The visit also saw three other year ticks. A calling chiffchaff was on the road down to the sailing club, whilst on Stockers Farm flooded field, a snipe was to be found. A stock dove was also in the woodpecker oak.

Other highlights were several goldeneye plus three Egyptian geese.

Staines Reservoir

Sunday 8th February (23 species - 79 for year)

A lovely sunny afternoon and some free time saw me heading over too the causeway at Staines Reservoirs where some interesting birds had been seen of late. Sadly the slavonian grebe seen yesterday was nowhere to be found, but I did succeed in tracking down my other three targets.

First up was a male scaup that looked especially resplendent in the winter sunshine. Good numbers of goldeneye were keeping him company.

Looking across to the other basin, some hard searching found my next year tick, four black necked grebe. They must have been almost a mile away, so very hard to make out.

Tick three was the long staying great northern diver. The low sun made viewing difficult at first, but he soon swam into sight allowing for some good views.

A late bonus was a shelduck in among the wigeon just before I got back to my car.

This site isn't that far from me - just half an hour - I really should go there more often.

Stockers Lake

Saturday 7th February (45 species - 75 for year)

Stockers Lake near Rickmansworth is my local patch. I've been birding it for ten years now and built up a list of 100 species in that time - make that 101 now, with one of three wintering stonechats seen in the flooded field at Stockers Farm. Also present were a flock of meadow pipits, which were my first for the year, whilst in the fields behind were good numbers of fieldfare and redwing.

Stockers Lake itself held good numbers of wildfowl with goldeneye being the highlight. Both smew and goosander have been seen this winter, but not this weekend. There were however good numbers of red crested pochard.

Lots of common birds to be seen too with a calling treecreeper being a year tick.

There were signs of spring with singing great tits & chaffinches, displaying great crested grebe and drumming great spotted woodpecker.

A lovely morning.

Catching Up

I've been remiss in updating my blog recently, so before we look at this weekend, here's a catch up of the last few weeks:

Saturday 17th - Monday 19th January

A weekend away in Norfolk to celebrate my 50th. It wasn't intended as a birding weekend, but when you're in Norfolk, there's always something to see.

We were based in Coltishall, gateway to the Broads, and our meanderings took us as far as Horsey on the east coast.

An early year tick was a pair of egyptian geese in a field just outside the village. Our first stop was the picturesque How Hill Nature Reserve, where we had brief glimpses of a marsh harrier. The windmills draining water from the marsh were very picturesque.

Our main stop from a birding perspective was Horsey Mere. Skeins of hundreds of pink footed geese were flying over as we arrived. A field full of swans looked promising, but they were all mutes. A singing skylark from a nearby field was my first of the year. On the beach were a small breeding population of grey seals with a handful of sanderling skittering among them.

As we returned to the car park, we were bemoaning that we hadn't seen any owls, only to be met by a stunning barn owl quartering the field behind the car park in the gathering gloom.

En route home the following day, we stopped off at the RSPB reserve at Strumpshaw Fen. Lots more marsh harriers to be seen, as well as several Chinese water deer, which are fascinating creatures. The highlight though were some stunning bearded tits, which showed briefly from the reeds next to the River Yare.

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th January

A weekend at my parents at Forest Row in East Sussex. Little chance for much birding, other than out of the window - nuthatch and long tailed tit being the only birds of interest. However, three fallow deer stags in the woods behind the house were lovely to see.

Sunday 1st February

My brother very kindly bought me a photo experience day with the falconry centre, Feathers & Fur out near Reading. The birds here a lovingly looked after by owner Sadie. After some tuition by local photographer, David Mason, we got to practice ourselves on some very unique models - a barn owl, tawny owl, kestrel, harris hawk & eagle owl. I was pleased with the results.

These beauties or possibly the dead chick heads, they were devouring, seemed to attract the local raptor population - red kite, buzzard, kestrel and sparrowhawk were all seen.

A very foggy Tring Reservoirs

After yesterday's washout, I was keen to make the most of today, so a trip to Tring Reservoirs was in order. On opening my curtains, I was met with a foggy scene and a tumble on black ice as I was loading the car hinted at the cold conditions. The temperature was -2°C and it only rose to 2°C at most.

En route, a couple of perched buzzards were seen on the A41, as the fog thickened. I started at Marsworth, where unfortunately the bittern I saw earlier in the week chose to remain hidden. However, I soon started picking up new birds for my year list - wigeon, little egret & a drumming great spotted woodpecker.

As visibility reduced even more dramatically, I decided to walk up the Grand Union Canal, and was soon enjoying a pair of bullfinches. Further along the path, song thrush was also new for the year.  I then found in quick succession another two pairs of bullfinches - one behind Tringford and the other on the dry canal. There also seemed to be a lot more redwings around today compared with earlier in the week.

I made my way to Wilstone Reservoir, adding greenfinch & dunnock to my year list. Visibility from the hide wasn't great, but I soon added common gull, lesser black backed gull, greylag goose & shoveller. A sparrowhawk put up all of the teal & wigeon. From the jetty, I saw a lovely male goldeneye.

Back to Tringford, where I enjoyed a small flock of long tailed tits, before getting the most fleeting of glances at a kingfisher. There were also a number of pairs of red crested pochard.

By now, I was frozen, so a quick spring around Startops, added a few species to the day list before I called it a day and, given the conditions, a respectable final total of 51 species (65  for the year)

I also had my camera with me, so here's a selection of pictures from the day: