Cannock

Headed down the M6 with Nick, Playful & Sinesy this morning to have a look around Cannock Chase, with Dartford Warbler in mind. We gave it a good go, but with rain and strong winds we failed to find any - not the end of the world as plenty of other nice stuff to see and hear. Highlights included a singing Wood Lark, five male and two female Redstarts, two singing male Pied Flycatchers, six singing Tree Pipits, Garden Warbler, Cuckoo and several Green Woodpeckers. A nice patch of heath with some nice mature woodland too. 

Male Pied Flycatcher, Cannock Chase. 10/05/13. 

Singing Tree Pipit, Cannock Chase. 10/05/13. 

Dotteral - Pride of Pendle

I got up early on bank holiday Monday morning and picked up Pete Allen in Standish at 6.15. We headed up the M6 and A59 to Pendle Hill. Pendle is one of those places that is great to look at and a complete nightmare for the legs and lungs to walk up. But walk up it we did and quickly saw the four migrant Dotterals there. Cracking birds, a real delight to see in such a wonderful setting. It was great to meet the folks from wader quest up there - they're doing a top job raising money for Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation. 

Black Grouse

In April I accompanied the Birdwatching & Beyond group on a trip to North Wales with the primary objective of seeing lekking Black Grouse. We achieved our objective seeing six at a lek next to the road and lots more scattered across the moors. The sound of the hissing, coughing & bubbling the lekking males make as they square up and dance is truly wonderful. We also heard a few Red Grouse and were lucky to see a wonderful male Hen Harrier ghosting across the moor. 

Grand weekend

A good day birding with the Birding & Beyond group in the Southport area produced a good range of species on Saturday; excellent teamwork! At Marshside a female Hen Harrier over the saltmarsh was enjoyed by all as were an adult Greenland White-fronted Goose (initially on the saltmarsh) & two adult Dark-bellied Brent Geese (initially on the mudflats) that showed well with Pink-footed Geese on Suttons marsh. Spring migrants were represented by two male Wheatears on Suttons and three Chiffchaffs along Marshside Road. 18 Ruff and 220 Golden Plover were on Rimmers marsh with Black-tailed Godwits and Avocets spread across both marshes. The 'resident'  Spoonbill on fast asleep on Suttons then fed busily on Crossens inner. Large numbers of Pink-footed Geese were present with c.600 on Suttons & 3800 on Crossens outer, where a juvenile Peregrine drifted over. Two Goldcrests were around Sandgrounders/Sandworks. 40 Whooper Swans could be seen distantly, looking restless on the main Ribble channel, .

After lunch at Royal Birkdale Golf Course at least six Crossbills showed eventually (up to 30 there recently) with other birds of interest there including a leucistic Mistle Thrush, Chiffchaff, five Goldcrests, two Siskins, displaying Sparrowhawk, two Kestrels & four Buzzards.

Record shot of a female Crossbill feeding at Royal Birkdale Golf Club 06/04/13.

 

 The group then headed up to Crossens and saw 34 Waxwings fly from Mr Clappy's near the BP garage along Preston New Road and were seen well by the group perched in the cherry trees lining the road.  Along Gravel Lane in Banks 23 Redwings, two Stock Doves & several Buzzards were of interest. Finally at Hesketh Out Marsh things were very quiet but a female Stonechat was worth seeing.

Record shot of one of 34 Waxwings along Preston New Road, Crossens. 06/04/13

 

This morning I took the dog for his daily trek around the fields (Red Cat Lane, Burscough Moss, Crabtree Lane areas); this was productive as we bumped into a Grey Partridge, 65 Fieldfares, two Redwings, nine Corn Buntings, 28 Tree Sparrows and a singing Chiffchaff.

 

After the dog walk family time beckoned and we headed off to visit relatives in Marshside. On the way we had a quick look for the Little Owl along Gravel Lane and Ruth spotted it in a tree - Jacob was delighted. As we drove down Preston New Road we saw the Waxwings (c.30) in the cherry trees (further south than yesterday).

 

The Botanic Gardens in Churchtown is one of mu old childhood haunts and mu kids also love visiting there. It's actually a good spot for birds (when I worked for RSPB I occasionally used to set up  a stall there to promote the society's work and also make new members). Today we saw the drake Pintail that Ron Jackson recently found, a hybrid Wood Duck x Mallard that's been there for a least eight years, a Cormorant, two Mute Swans, two Nuthatches (they would have been a major local rarity until fairly recently), a Treecreeper, singing Goldcrests and Coal Tits, a Redwing, four Coots, four Moorhens and 115 Mallards. A superb Ring-necked Parakeet that's been around for a couple of years was floating about in the trees above the aviaries.

 

Ring-necked Parakeeet, Botanic Gardens, Churchtown. 07/04/13.

 

Ron's Pintail, Botanic Gardens, Churchtown. 07/04/13.

 

I spent a couple of hours at Martin Mere late afternoon and as usual enjoyed counting wildfowl and waders. Highlights included a pair of Ravens, a cracking pair of breeding plumage Med Gulls and a Water Rail on Woodend Marsh, a Dunlin, four Snipe, 63 Avocets, 38 Ruff, 38 Black-tailed Godwits, seven Ringed Plovers and tow singing Chiffchaff Good to see the place busy with visitors; especially families having a good day out.

 

Last bird of the day was least expected; Jacob and I were playing footy on Mere Ave park and a Kittiwake was circling over Red Cat Lane calling - patch tick.....



Ducking out of Easter Sunday

I managed to get out on Easter Sunday and headed to Bodenham Lake nature reserve (halfway between Hereford and Leominster). Redwings, Fieldfares, Redpolls, Siskins and a yaffling Green Woodpecker initially brightened things up on this freezing cold and dull day. I set off insearch of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and failed so  scoped the ducks on the lake counting 10 Goldeneye, c.30 Teal and 52 Eurasian Wigeon. I noticed an odd looking female Wigeon floating about in the flock, I only had distant views and managed some record shots of what I'm convinced was a female American Wigeon - I shall probably not submit a description seeing as I didn't see its greater coverts of axillaries for clinching the ID, but I'm happy it was one and Phil Whittaker, another visiting birder, also saw the bird a couple of times.

Female American Wigeon, Bodenham Lake Nature Reserve, Herefordshire. 31/03/13.

Female American Wigeon (left) and female Eurasian Wigeon (right), Bodenham Lake Nature Reserve, Herefordshire. 31/03/13.



Anyway, I had to get back to Hereford for Easter Sunday lunch and left the bird. I came back later and had more poor views. I bumped into Paul Downes (he of CCC fame....) and we had another look before heading off to Wellington gravel pits. At Wellington we had good views of the drake Lesser Scaup Paul had found a couple of weeks earlier and also managed to see two drake and a duck Garganey hiding on one of the 'hidden' pits (I'd managed to see both these species late of Good Friday too). Otherwise things were quite with just a couple of Chiffchaffs representing spring migrants, although 74 Shovelers was a good count.

Drake Lesser Scaup, Wellington Gravel Pits, Herefordshire. 31/03/13.

Forest of Dean on Easter Saturday

Seeing as Ruth is from Hereford we spend a fair amount of time there during holiday periods and this Easter was no exception. On Easter Saturday I headed out to the Forest of Dean (only 40 minutes south of Hereford) for some lone birding. First stop was Speech House, where in 20 years of visiting I've never failed to see Hawfinch; two duly obliged, however I was more impressed by the 23 Song Thrushes on the primary school playing field. A disciple of the raptor spotting 10 o'clock rule I arrived at the well known Goshawk watch point at New Fancy View in good time. I was immediately rewarded with a displaying male over the western ridge and then a distant perched female was picked up by a fellow birders  non-birding wife! A pair of Ravens entertained by displaying around us in ice cold conditions.

Raven displaying at New Fancy View

 

Post Goshawk spotting I needed a warming walk and headed off to Cannop ponds for a trudge around to see if I could pick up Marsh Tit and Kingfisher. I saw neither but did see plenty of Siskins, a couple of Nuthatches and Treecreepers and counted 46 Mandarins; stunning birds in this almost 'wild' setting. As I trudged round the ponds enjoying a couple of Grey Wagtails and a trilling Little Grebe I noticed some movement at the far end of the pond and thought I'd better scope the movement - I was surprised and delighted to see three drake and a duck Garganey, they were confiding and I managed some reasonable record shots.

 



Pair of Garganey, Cannop Ponds, Forest of Dean. 30/03/13

 

Four Garganey, Cannop Ponds, Forest of Dean. 30/03/13

 

After the excitement of the Garganey I headed over to Symond's Yat to see if the famous Peregrines were showing from the watchpoint; indeed they were, a pair and an intruding male all showing well and putting on a display for the RSPB 'prospects' enjoying them. A displaying Sparrowhawk and numerous Buzzards were the only other raptors on show in the hour I spent there - again freezing cold. I was glad to get back to Hereford for a warming brew. 



Avalon heron heaven

I was recently passing through the Glastonbury area and took the opportunity to nip down to the Avalon marshes and have a nose around Ham Wall, one of RSPBs flagship reserves in that area. Wow, I wasn't disappointed. As I walked down the main track I could hear several Water Rails, Cetti's Warbler and at least two Bitterns. Several Goldcrests were singing and I saw two Chiffchaffs flitting amongst the willow scrub. I happened upon a few birders who were watching a Pied-billed Grebe and I enjoyed watching this rare American visitor (only my third ever in Britain) going about its business. I joined these birders to look for a drake Ring-necked Duck that has been in the area for a while (also a hybrid Aythya bearing a resemblance to this species......); a local birder had found the Ring-necked Duck and I enjoyed scope views (someone else's scope, I hadn't brought mine) of it amongst a group of Tufted Ducks and Pochards. I thanked the helpful birders and explained I had to be somewhere else and headed back towards the car park - on the way back  I heard at least another three Bitterns, many more Cetti's Warblers and Water Rails and saw three Marsh Harriers, a Bearded Tit and hundreds of Gadwall.

At the car park I decided to head out the other side and check out Shapwick Heath NNR and the flock of Great White Egrets that reside on the reserve. I wasn't disappointed, seeing eight Great White Egrets straight away; three in pink-legged, dark-billed breeding plumage, four in non-breeding plumage and a single that I thought was a first winter bird. Amazing to think that I twitched the first one I saw in Britain at Rutland Water back in the 80s - I would never have thought they would be breeding here! But then who would have thought that the Avalon marshes would have 30 booming Bitterns and that Cattle Egret and Little Bittern would be breeding in Somerset, with Purple Herons breeding in Kent and a productive Spoonbill colony in Norfolk? What next Glossy Ibis breeding, or maybe Night Heron? Both I reckon.......

But back to Shapwick Heath. A Little Egret and several Grey Herons were feeding with the Great White Egrets. Almost as good as the Ribble. Okay, just as good, but certainly very different. I'll be back to Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath early in the sunmmer, can't wait, a brilliant, bird-filled wetland. Love it.

Pair of breeding plumage Great White Egrets (right hand bird ringed) at Shapwick Heath, Somerset.

 

Five of the eight Great White Egrets at Ham Wall, Somerset.

 

Record shot of Pied-billed Grebe at Ham Wall, Somerset.