A LITTLE LOCAL BIRDING

I visited Stanton Country Park today, thankful to see l that the huge potholes along the entrance track, had been filled in. 

There are two spots I favour for photographing woodland birds here, both near bird tables, but the first location already was already occupied by a photographer so after staying a few minutes, I went over to another area, where there are a few benches in a semi circle facing a bird table. Someone had already set up a  half log with some ivy on one of these benches and put some bird seed on it. It was already attracting a variety of small birds, including five species of tit, chaffinch, dunnock, robin and nuthatch so I sat and watched for a while, but then decided to move the half log on to the top of the bird table where there was some more light for any photos I wanted to take.   Behind me, up in the trees I noticed my first jay of the year, although it wasn't quite brave enough to come down for the peanuts I had put out while I was sitting there. Maybe it did later on. 

dunnock

robin

nuthatch

chaffinch (m)

marsh tit

coal tit

jay

looking skyward from my seat

BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH AND ANOTHER VISIT TO WWT

With the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend, I made sure my garden  feeders were filled with sunflower hearts, peanuts and seed, and put out fat balls and a suet block, then after scattering  a mixture of bird food and scraps on the top of the bird table ( an old sewing machine table) and on the paving below, I sat by the window and waited...

It was only a matter of seconds before the first visitors arrived; two smart male blackbirds, which went straight for the bird table. A minute or so later, a magpie flew into the top of next door's walnut tree which gave it a vantage point over my garden, then flew off again. Meanwhile the feeding station was visited by a dunnock, a blue tit and a robin, whilst a wood pigeon perched on top of the willow. 

Ten minutes into the birdwatch, a single longtailed tit arrived, had a peck at the suet block and went again. I waited for some more of this species to join it as they usually go around in flocks but none appeared. The crow and magpie reappeared which frightened off the other smaller birds. After grabbing a piece of bread the magpie flew off, as did the crow.

As the minutes passed the bird feeders were  visited regularly by various smaller birds, including a couple of goldfinches and house sparrows. Four starlings also flew down and feasted on the pink berry suet pellets and two wood pigeons fed from the table. 

By the end of the hour, I had seen 32 birds of 11 species:

blackbird 4, robin 2, dunnock 2, magpie 2, wood pigeon 6, blue tit 3, great tit 2, house sparrow 3, crow 2, goldfinch 2, starling 4. (No sparrow hawk!)

(P.S. I did the bird watch with groups of pupils at school today; from memory we counted:
blackbird 5; robin 2; blue tit 4; great tit 1;  wren 1;  long tailed tit 2; dunnock 2; collared dove 2; wood pigeon 2; jackdaw 7; house sparrow 25 ( mostly bathing in the pond); song thrush (singing from a tree continually during our birdwatch) 1; chaffinch 2;   13 species 56 birds.

Significantly higher than in my own garden; the school's wildlife garden backs onto fields and hedgerows in the Cotswolds.)

Once I had reached the end of my hour's bird watch, I packed the car ready to make another visit to Slimbridge WWT centre.  I don't usually visit the centre three weekends in  succession, but with nothing else planned, and a few species currently there that I hadn't yet seen this year, I decided to go, even though it was pretty overcast. I had also been given instructions  to locate a particular tree favoured by a tawny owl for roosting during the day time, so decided to include a visit during the day too. 

Arriving at 10.15, the car park was not particularly busy, no doubt the dull weather had put off some of the family visitors, but there were still a good number of birders around the reserve, with many of the hides having several occupants. I made straight for the Zeiss hide, towards the far end of the reserve, where a green winged teal had been reported  recently. I couldn't find it amongst the birds I could make out through my binoculars, but was kindly shown it through another birder's telescope, the vertical white stripe on its side just showing amongst some sleeping teal, which distinguished it from the usual teal with the horizontal stripe.  (This is the second rarity I have seen this week, the first being an Eastern Lesser Whitethoat in the Cotswold Water parks, which although much closer, has been impossible to photograph due to its preference for remaining in the undergrowth!)  

Continuing to the Kingfisher hide, I located a large goose flock, comprising barnacle, greylags and white fronted geese, and a small group of pink footed geese which have been on the reserve for most of the winter. Again I benefited from another birder's 'scope' to see them clearly.

At the opposite end of the reserve, I walked along the estuary walkway,  visiting the willow hide, where I had a quick view of a resident water rail, which had been joined in its channel by five teal. Here the feeders were busy with the usual garden visitors; tits, house sparrows and chaffinches and three squirrels too. 

From the new estuary tower, there were good views of a large number of curlew, and wigeon as well as greylag and Canada geese. Bewick swans were feeding in the flooded fields. After eating my lunch in the heated Peng observatory I returned to my car to make the short journey over to Frampton to see if I could spot the Tawny Owl. However, disappointingly it was not roosting in its usual place today, but now I know where to look, I will try and re-visit next time I visit slimbridge. 

lapwing

Bewick swans

teal ( not green winged)

the channel where the water rail 'lives'

view from Estuary tower

glimpse of water rail

GARDEN VISITOR

I had recently refilled the bird feeders  and was watching them, when the sudden appearance of a larger bird caught my eye,  a male sparrow hawk!  It sat on the top of the feeding station for a few seconds before descending to the grass, just allowing a few photos through the glass before taking off again. It reappeared about an hour later when it was becoming dusk. Neither time did it catch anything though, but it obviously knows where the feeders are now :(  Would make a nice addition to my Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend though!

WWT WILD WINTER AND DUCK DECOY

Another, longer, trip to WWT Slimbridge today for their Wild Winter weekend, though the weather itself was far from wild and wintry!  It was blue skies all day, though a little chilly at times in some of the hides, where the wind was blowing through  windows. My first stop was, as usual, at the Rushy Pen, where a number of Bewick swans were still about, before they flew off to feed elsewhere.  Then along the renamed  'Estuary Walkway'  visiting the various hides en route.  After a short wait the water rails made an appearance at the Willow hide, while the bird feeders were busy with blue tits and great tits. I proceeded to the Estuary tower, opting to stay under cover rather than in the open air. With the estuary at low tide, many birds were in the distance though I was shown the white fronted geese through a WWT telescope by a 'guide in the hide'. At the Zeiss hide, a buzzard and a marsh harrier were seen hunting while a heron slowly made its way alongside the reed beds. I also saw my first cranes of the year. 

Bewick swans

oyster catcher

shelduck

robin

pheasant on a metal gate

teal

water rail

heron

Whilst at Slimbridge today I booked a 'Duck decoy' talk and demo session for an hour or so in the afternoon. I had been recommended this as being really interesting, and I found it just that! Contrary to popular belief that dogs chase the ducks into the decoy, we were told that the dog lured them in by pretending to be a fox! We saw this being demonstrated, with a lurcher; the ducks like to keep an eye on any predator so they follow it to make sure it cannot surprise them.  Then when inside the tunnel a human appears and they make a rush for the end of the tunnel where they can be caught and ringed 

(obviously in the past they were captured for the dinner table!)  However , they will only rush for the end of the tunnel if they are facing the oncoming wind, and today there was no wind at all, so when the decoyman appeared they all turned and went back out onto the pond!! Well, all except one female mallard!  The talk finished with a ringing demonstration. 

the lurcher weaving in and out of the willow panels to attract the ducks

the ducks all heading for the tunnel!

the end of the tunnel

retrieving the 'catch' from the basket

ringing the female mallard

weighing it inside a cloth bag

about to be released

BANKING ON A DIPPER ON THE FROME

I stopped off at Daglingworth this afternoon, hopeful of seeing the great grey shrike once more, but no birders were there neither was the  bird!  It had apparently been showing well during the morning so may be worth a return visit. 

Being only a short drive from Stroud I decided to visit the Frome banks nature reserve, by the Waitrose car park in Stroud in the expectation of seeing a dipper, always a welcome addition to my bird list.  As I approached the town, I could see a dark cloud coming up, and it looked set to rain. It had been sunny and there was a double rainbow viewable from the car park. However, it would be relatively sheltered along the river, so I donned my coat and after paying the required car park fee, made my way down the steps, across the road into the reserve, across the bridge and along the canal until I reached the start of the river. As expected it was muddy so I took care as I walked the length of the reserve, looking out for the bobbing action of a dipper along the bank and on the various tree roots which jutted out  into the fast flowing water. The only brown I spotted was, however, a tiny wren, which quickly  hid itself in the undergrowth.

Retracing my steps, the first spots of rain began falling, which quickly became heavier. It was then I spotted the dipper on the opposite side of the stream, its pale throat showing up amongst the dark edge of the bank behind. Now I had found it, I decided I may as well get wet!  Sheltering beneath the trees and protecting my camera as best I could, I managed a few photos.  The dipper kept up its bobbing motion, often jumping off its perch into the water to feed, although not always submerging and at one time flying over to the my side of the river before  disappearing off downstream.  Eventually the rain eased off and I walked back to the car to make my journey home. A few shots of the dipper taken through the rain are below!