WAXWINGS!!

Having heard that there are waxwings about in the Cotswolds this year, and having missed the ones that were in Highworth last week, I was pleased to read on the local blog that a couple had been seen in Swindon yesterday, and this morning there were 6 spotted. On that optimistic note I decided it was worth a trip into Swindon to see if I could see them, as I've never seen any before. 

As I drove down Bristol Street I noticed a couple of people with long lenses on cameras looking up at  the Rowan trees, so found a car park close by and made my way down to where they were.  A local birder I know was there and pointed to a group of birds high up in a tall tree in little way away, and said that every so often ( maybe 20 minutes or so) they would swoop down to grab a few berries before returning to the same tree to preen.  True to his word, I didn't have to wait long before they came down, but quickly were frightened away by one of the buses that frequent the road.  However, in an hour and a half of waiting they appeared about 5 or 6 times more, and on the last occasion the light was better and I was able to get a half decent photograph.  Glad I went!

SLIMBRIDGE HIGHLIGHTS

The last day of the school holidays dawned sunny  and frosty so I left at 8.30 am  to get to Slimbridge in good time. 

I'd heard that the Kingfisher hide had been getting busy with regular sightings of bitterns so that's where I made for straightaway. Actually there were only a couple of people there who told me to go the few yards back to the previous hide as bitterns were showing there. I managed to see two of them, one flew out of the reeds over to another area of reeds and disappeared, as I peered through someone's telescope at another one which was skulking at the edge of the reedbed. Although I was able to watch it through my own binoculars making its way along the edge of the reeds , I was unable to get a photo before it disappeared again.  I returned to the same hide a couple of hours later, but  I don't believe they had reappeared, but I did see a water rail there.

There were still a number of Bewick swans on the Rushy Pen where they are fed each morning, but numbers dwindled during the day.  I did a tour of the hides, clocking up a number of new year sightings, before leaving for home, 

species seen:
Bittern
Bewick swan
Greylag goose
Canada goose
mute swan
lapwing
common sandpiper
dunlin
snipe
water rail
tufted duck
mallard
pintail
gadwall
shelduck
shoveler
teal
chaffinch
reed bunting
robin
dunnock
house sparrow
blackbird
blue tit
great tit
long tailed tit
herring gull
lesser black backed gull
black headed gull
crane
buzzard
cormorant
magpie
jackdaw
rook 
crow
wood pigeon
coot moorhen

Bewick's swan

Bewick's and shelduck

Bewick's swan

buzzard

pintail

teal

snipe

Rushy pen

FROSTY MORNING

Thursday 29 Dec
I had a quick visit to Stanton park this morning, before visitors arrived.  The lake was frozen in the centre, whilst mallards and swans collected at the edges. Usual visitors to the bird tables, and a somewhat fierce looking robin on the frosted branch whilst another sang happily where it had thawed.

BIRDING IN THE FENS

A bright day today for a trip  out on the fens, firstly to WWT Welney followed by Ouse Washes RSPB reserve. 

We arrived at Welney around 11am, having passed a couple of fields which had flocks of whooper swans in them as we neared the centre. My first job was to join the WWT after which we walked over the road bridge to  visit the observatory then the hides. Mute and Whooper swans were in evidence, but no sightings of Bewicks. Also a range of ducks including tufted, mallard, shoveler, shelduck, wigeon, pochard and teal. Waders included blacktailed godwits, redshanks and a snipe and an unidentifiable small wader, possible a little stint. A whinchat also perched on the reeds outside the observatory.  Whilst having our lunch in the restaurant, a kingfisher perched for 10 minutes in a tree by the pond outside. 

We took a route home via RSPB Ouse Washes, where we spotted tree sparrows on the feeders viewable through the window from the visitor centre, but strangely not visiting the feeders near the picnic area which would have provided some better photos!  

Birds seen today:
whooper swan, mute swan, mallard, greylag goose, canada goose, little egret, grey heron, lapwing, black tailed godwit, snipe, redshank, mallard, teal, tufted duck, pochard, wigeon, shoveler, shelduck, kingfisher, whinchat, cormorant, blue tit, great tit, robin, blackbird, wood pigeon, buzzard, kestrel, pheasant, house sparrow, tree sparrow, goldfinch,  magpie, reed bunting.

whooper swans grazing in a field

whooper swan

lapwing

pochard

house sparrow

TIT FAMILY

A visit to  Stanton Park produced  five members of the tit family in a flurry of activity around the feeders. I saw 2 marsh tits and 2 coal tits, together with a flock of long tailed tits and several great tits and blue tits. It was hard to get any decent photos as they perched for only a second or two before flying off.  There were also a couple of robins, 3 male chaffinches, a dunnock, blackbird and 2 nuthatches all trying to get a share of the food I had put out for them.  A tree creeper was also visible on a nearby tree. At home I had a flock of redwings and a goldcrest.

chaffinch

great tit

long tailed tit

marsh tit

nuthatch

coal tit

redwing

OTMOOR BIRDING

A lovely afternoon for a trip out so drove over to Otmoor RSPB straight from work. I walked along the main path to the wetland hide and then on to the first screen.  At the hide I focussed on the finches which gather there next to a path where they are now regularly fed. There were various flocks of reed buntings, gold finches, with some linnets and chaffinches. Then I  made my way to the first screen, which overlooked an area of water, where the sun was shining on the variety of water birds there. Above the moor I saw red kites, a kestrel and a sparrow hawk, the latter dropped its catch of a starling on the path  a little way in  front of me, but sadly I had been looking behind  where the sun was shining on the reeds and it was pointed out by a visitor who was coming towards me and had seen it! 

Birds seen today included:
mute swans, canada geese, snipe, teal, mallard, shoveler, moorhen, gadwall, cormorant, fieldfare, redwing, blackbird, robin, blue tit, chaffinch, dunnock, reed bunting, linnet, goldfinch, kestrel, sparrowhawk, red kite, lapwing. 

goldfinch

linnet

shoveler teal and snipe

reed bunting

JAY AT STANTON PARK

I had time to drop by at Stanton park on my way home from shopping this afternoon, I had bought a fresh supply of seeds and peanuts so decided to see what I could tempt to the bird table. 

Being later than usual there wasn't the usual flurry of activity, but visitors to the bird table included blue tits, great tits, coal tit, nuthatch, robin, dunnock, and blackbird. After half an hour I could make out the jay in the trees round about, but although it came near enough to photograph, it was very wary of my presence I think so didn't come right down. I thought about crouching behind the bench but it was very cold and wet so decided against that this time.

jay

robin

nuthatch

blackbird

dunnock