SNOW BUNTING AT CLEEVE HILL

 

This afternoon I had originally planned to go over to Blenheim  to see if I could spot some bramblings amongst the finch flocks that had been reported there. However, I  thought I'd just check the Glos birds twitter sightings before I left 'just in case' and was drawn to a report that a snow bunting was still at Cleeve Hill near Cheltenham where it had been for a few days and it gave a precise location. These birds, which breed mainly in Scandinavia,  are usually found near the coasts of the UK during the winter so it would be a  great opportunity  to see one nearer to home especially as  I've never seen a snow bunting before.  I knew where Cleeve Hill was  so I swiftly changed my plans especially as  I know that they can be very confiding and often feed in the open which would make it easier to find and might provide some  good photo opportunities. 

I drove the 40 minute journey to Cleeve Hill and parked in the carpark which is right next to the hill. I was unsure exactly where to find  the 'dew pond' so was relieved to find it marked on a map of the reserve at the entrance gate. It was only a 100 yards or so  away so I  headed in that direction I thought it meant. I noticed a couple of people ahead who had stopped for a chat, and thought Id check the exact location with them when I caught up with them. But  I didn't need to.. they were standing at the edge of a fence surrounding a pond, and there was the snow bunting feeding on the grass a few yards in front of them!! 

One of the people, who was walking her dog, soon left, and it was just me and the other person, who was also there for the snow bunting. 

The snow bunting was feeding on the grass quite happily for a while, before it flew up onto a fence post  then onto the barbed wire.  There was ample time to watch and take photos, as it  moved to various positions on different posts, wires, and the ground, never being more than a few metres away. We soon realised that some seeds had been left out for it, which was perhaps why it felt no need to go elsewhere. The weather had been gloriously sunny all day, but after watching the bird for an hour or so, it had started to become a little chillier and I made my way back to the car. It hadn't been much of a walk today but it was great to see such a beautiful little bird  at close quarters and I felt quite satisfied with my afternoon's outing! 

Dew pond at Cleeve Hill. 

FARMOOR

 It was very still and peaceful at Farmoor this afternoon. 

I walked the length of the causeway where there were good numbers of coots on the water with great crested grebes amongst them. There was a little egret preening on one of the rafts at the far end, with several little grebes in that area too .Sadly, the great northern diver reported over the weekend had gone and I couldn't see the female scaup among the tufted ducks that I saw. 

 I made my way down to the Shrike Meadow hide but that was quiet apart from some  tits on the feeders so I then went on to the  Pinkhill Meadow hide. The feeders were busy here, including a reed bunting but my hopes of seeing a water rail feeding beneath them did not materialise. 

Walking back over the causeway, I thought the silhouetted birds and boats against the late afternoon sky made some nice photos. 

IT'S AUTUMN

 The autumn colours are beautiful at the moment and I have been out on several occasions this week enjoying the exceptionally mild temperatures.

On Thursday I had a stroll around the lake at Coate Water, whilst the following day I joined the local U3A birders group walk at Lydiard Park.  

Today, however, I went over to Slimbridge hoping to see some of the newly arrived Bewick swans. So far there have been 10 arrivals and my first point of call at the Rushy Hide allowed me to see a few of them. There were a good range of birds on the ponds here including pintails and a lone avocet. Further along the walkway I spent some time watching some redwings feeding on berries and some fieldfares higher in the tree tops. I also saw a chiffchaff along the edge of the reeds; not where I was expecting to find it, I have to admit. 

There were a range of geese to be seen from the estuary tower, including, greylags, canada geese, barnacle geese, a Ross's goose, and a hybrid bar headed. Despite scanning the greylags I couldn't spot the white fronted geese though. 

I heard the water rail calling from near the willow hide but it didn't appear; something to look forward to on a future visit hopefully. 

autumn at Coate water

black swan and mute swan at Coate

Lydiard house

Canada geese heading for the lake at Lydiard Park

Newly arrived Bewick swans at Slimbridge

fieldfare

chiffchaff

redwing

long tailed tit

Hybrid goose amongst Barnacle flock

Bewick cygnet

pintail

Bewick swan

OARE MARSHES

 

I had an unexpected opportunity to do a bit of Kent birding this afternoon  so headed over to a popular birding site near Faversham known as Oare Marshes owned by Kent Wildlife Trust.

It was a beautiful autumn day with temp of 16°and with a low tide there was a large area of mud flat exposed which was attracting a variety of waders.  I spotted  up to a dozen avocet, several redshank,  a couple of curlews along with some other  distant waders which I was unfamiliar with but checking with the information boards, I realised they must be winter plumaged grey plovers which I hadn't seen before.   There were also half a dozen or so  ringed plovers. 

A face book post earlier the day had also mentioned the presence of an eider duck but I  wasn't sure if it was still there or where it might be. So I was pleased when I found someone who pointed it out in the estuary  though  very distant. I could just make out its distinctive black and white plumage and bill shape to enable me to include it in my year list. Perhaps I will make 150  after all!

 a few avocets on the mudflats

the eider is the white speck towards the left of the photo!!

redshank

VERY QUIET AT SLIMBRIDGE

 It's half term this week and with nothing planned I decided to pay a visit to Slimbridge. The weather was rather dreary but it was nice to get out and see how the numbers of wildfowl are increasing ahead of winter. 

Some newly returned pintails were on the Rushy Pen; hopefully it won't be long before the first of the Bewick swans start to return too. I believe morning feeds have already started and there were certainly large numbers of geese and ducks there. Most of the other hides were pretty quiet, I waited for an hour or so in the Martin Smith hide where a bittern has been seen on a couple of occasions recenlty but not today. A sparrow hawk passed through quickly, and there was a flock of wigeon grazing on the field behind the pool. There was also a little egret and heron. Other than that there weren't any particular highlights although I did see a respectable total of 39 species. 

GETTING IN A KNOT AT FARMOOR

 

With still 9 species to find to achieve my minimum yearly target, I was pleased to notice that a knot had been reported at Farmoor Reservoir. It was a sunny afternoon with a bit of chilly wind as I reached the car park before heading up to the shores of the reservoir. As the knot had been reported on the eastern side of F2, I  turned south rather than heading straight for the causeway as I usually do.  

I couldn't see any photographers along the eastern bank, not could I see any waders, so I began to think the knot had departed;  through my binoculars I could only  see a few crows and black headed gull on the shore line.  But then  noticed a slightly smaller bird beyond them, was it the knot? I approached cautiously and was pleased to see that  the wader was, in fact, the knot I had been hoping for. I sat on the wall and waited to see if the bird would venture closer which it  eventually did and I was able to take some photos. 

I continued around this part of the reservoir, the larger of the two sections, then took the path leading to the  Shrike hide and meadow. There were a few common darters about, and I waited a short time in the hide  but there was no kingfisher around nor much else apart from a moorhen and wood pigeon. 

Back on the reservoir, I returned via the causeway, where I found a couple of dunlins and a juvenile ringed plover. A large number of cormorants were resting on the rafts; there must have been  up to a hundred in total. I also noted a few little grebes, great crested grebes, tufted ducks and mallards, greylag geese ( and feral snow goose)  and plenty of coots. 

feral snow goose amongst greylags

little grebe

ringed plover (juv)