AVALON MARSHES - BITTERNS AND GREAT WHITE EGRETS

 Another free Saturday, saw me driving down the M5 to the RSPB reserve Ham Wall which lies to the north west of Glastonbury in Somerset. No real rarities were targeted but  I knew there was  a good chance of seeing a bittern or two and even a glossy ibis which has been there for a while now. 

The weather looked promising but still required several layers of clothing at 8.10 am when I arrived. The car park already held a number of vehicles, but I had noted that there was an early morning 'Bittern' walk from 6 - 8.30 which would probably account for most of them.

After scanning my membership card, I made for the first viewing platform where I was told that there had been two bitterns seen just ten minutes earlier. I could already hear bitterns 'booming' so decided it was worth waiting around. A common whitethroat was singing firstly in a bush nearby and then in the reed beds whilst a variety of ducks paddled around the large area of water in front of me. I was also told that the ibis was thought to be in the vicinity, although currently tucked in out of sight the other side of a bramble bush ahead of us. 

It wasn't that long before a brown heron-like bird appeared from the left and continued to fly in a horizontal line across in front of us - my first bittern of the day. I followed it with  my binoculars as it went towards the distant Avalon Hide.

I crossed a disused canal to access some other hides, a great white egret was on one of the islands but then flew off and I managed a few flight shots though it was a bit too close really. Not something I usually complain about! 

 I walked alongside the canal, hearing birdsong all around, including chiffchaffs and blackcaps in the trees and reed warblers hiding in the reed beds. Marsh harriers were also fairly easy to spot flying low over the reeds in search of prey. As the day warmed up, the butterflies started to appear; mostly orange-tips but also green veined white, brimstone, peacock and small white. 

Reaching the Avalon hide, I found it had 360 degree windows, and it was hard to decide where to seat myself. The direction where I thought the bittern may have landed had people already seated at the windows, though they were letting in cool north westerly breeze. I decided to try the opposite side where I had some good views of marsh harriers hunting low over the reedbeds. After a while I turned and stood up behind others looking north west. I thought I glimpsed a bittern fly in and down  but no one seemed to notice even though I was sure one photographer was looking in the right direction. I  kept looking then suddenly noticed a shape amongst some cut reeds, though it was hard to see with the naked eye due to the distance and its excellent camouflage.

Is that a bittern?

There was a sudden surge of interest as I pointed it out, and others came across from the other side to look too. I asked the chap with the camera and he said he'd seen it and was keeping an eye out but hadn't said anything!

Retracing my steps I passed the viewing platform again where a group of U3A birders had just arrived. They were all watching the glossy ibis which had found its way on to the top of the sand martin nesting box!  Just in front of us a Great white egret was feeding in the ditches below the viewing platform and gave some really good views of its fishing skills. 

After eating lunch I called in at a few other small reserves nearby without any significant sightings, then headed home.

A few record shots of the day are below.

great white egret

 

bittern - yes it was distant!

blackcap

glossy ibis

whitethroat

blackcap

Brimstone

four spotted chaser

green veined white

orange tip

female orange tip

peacock

POOLE HARBOUR AND THE NEW FOREST

The glorious spring sunshine we are experiencing was perfect for another boat trip round Poole harbour, one of many organised by the charity 'Birds of Poole Harbour'. After setting off from my house while it was still dark, I arrived in Poole in plenty of time to enjoy some sunshine sitting on the quay while the boat was being prepared for the trip. These boat trips are the main income for the charity towards its conservation projects, and have become very popular;  this is my fourth one, and a good number of people travel from outside Dorset to go on the trips. 

I wasn't sure what birds to expect to see at  this time of year, but was pleasantly surprised to see not only some remaining winter species ( great northern divers and red breasted mergansers) but also some spring migrants ( little ringed plovers and sandwich terns) as well as the usual species for which the harbour provides a habitat all year round. A Forsters Tern, a rare american bird, was also present but today gave only distant views from the Brownsea lagoon. A very distant sighting of a White tailed eagle was another year tick. Altogether I logged over 45 species, including 15 new for the year, which was pretty good, I thought, and together with the calm and sunny weather, made for an excellent trip. 

Whilst in the area, I visited a couple of places in the New Forest, during the afternoon. Sadly I missed the great grey shrike, and despite a visit to Holbury, failed to see the boat tailed grackle, though this was hardly surprising as I got there just as schools were out, and there was a steady stream of pupils passing through the area which likely would cause it to lay low for a while. Next morning I did watch a couple of dartford warblers actively foraging in the gorse at Acres Down, (though the lesser spotted woodpecker failed to show on its usual dead tree)  and logged a stock dove and woodlark for the year.

great northern diver

  

Forsters tern in centre of photo very much cropped

oyster catchers on Brownsea island lagoon

mediterranean gulls

turnstones

sandwich tern

a calm and peaceful Poole harbour

Egyptian geese

New forest ponies

linnet

a busy dartford warbler

LARGE TORTOISESHELL AT ORLESTONE FOREST

 With reports coming in of Large Tortoiseshell butterflies flying in parts of Kent, Sussex and the Isle of Wight, I felt it would be a nice opportunity to spend a few days in Kent with my daughter,  and combine it with a butterfly trip, particularly with a promising weather forecast.

Leaving home late morning , I decided to  drive straight to Orlestone forest near Ashford , thinking that by the time  I arrived the temperature would have risen to a suitable level for butterflies to fly. It was rather foggy when I left home and only 10 degrees, but by the time I drew up in the car park it was around  14 degrees with clear blue skies and I felt conditions would be  perfect for butterfly spotting.

I was glad I had done some research, as I was able to take the right path into the forest which took me to a wide ride where I started to look. Apart from a comma butterfly which was sunning itself on the track, I didn't see anything at first. But then passing someone returning  towards me, I made enquiries and was told that there were a few people   watching two or three large tortoiseshells several hundred yards further down. I continued till I saw them and realised they were watching a particular tree, where a large tortoiseshell could be seen, wings closed a few metres from the ground.  After a while, its wings opened to reveal the upper wing pattern, not dissimilar to a small tortoiseshell but without the white spot at the tip of the forewings and a considerably duller orange.  The butterfly occasionally flew round but then landed back on the same tree trunk or a neighbouring one, giving opportunities for some close photos. We noticed another individual not far away so spent some time watching both butterflies before eventually they both flew off.  

It was certainly a pleasant way to spend a sunny March afternoon,  another butterfly to add to my life list  and a good start to the year. 

  

SLIMBRIDGE AT THE END OF FEBRUARY

After a busy week, I was glad of day where I could go out, so I went over to WWT Centre at Slimbridge. It would be probably be my final visit before the departure of the over wintering Bewicks swans  and some have already returned to their breeding sites, but there are still at least 35 remaining, together with a couple of whooper swans. 

Another reason to visit was to see a spoonbill, which had been present for the last few weeks. I quickly found it, a white shape amongst the many wigeon, shelducks and redshanks, but as usual, it was asleep! However it did lift its head once or twice to show its spectacular spoon shaped bill which gives it its name. 

A bonus for the day was a small group of redpolls feeding in some alders near to the café, which was another tick for the year. and I had a close view of a tree creeper near the kingfisher hide. An interesting bird on the Rushy Pond was a 'chocolate' tufted duck!  A brown and white version of the traditional black and white, with a pink bill!  Apparently it is a hybrid - tufted duck x red crested pochard. 

LONG TAILED DUCK AT RUSHY COMMON NR

 I went over to Rushy Common nature reserve, near Witney, yesterday, where a male long tailed tuck has been reported intermittently over the past 10 days or so. These ducks are rare visitors inland and the last one in Oxfordshire, was apparently five years ago. It would be a new lifer for me, so when I saw it had been reported at midday, I realised there would be an opportunity for me to go and see it during the afternoon. 

Due to local flooding, I  had been advised to wear wellingtons to reach the hide, but the duck in question had regularly been seen from the car park. On arrival, I could see someone with a camera standing at a gap in the hedge in the car park, so I joined him and he pointed it out to me, directly in front but at a distance in front of an island.  Through binoculars I could easily make out its colours as it regularly dived and remained beneath the water for a minute or so before resurfacing. Gradually it became nearer and I was able to take some photographs that, after some cropping, made a decent record shot.

NEVER A WASTED VISIT TO THE FOREST OF DEAN

 I usually make a day trip to the Forest of Dean around this time of year,  visiting four sites, in fairly close proximity  to each other so today I left early, intending to reach Parkend around 8 o'clock. My first stop was in Crown Lane, where I found a parking spot along the lane adjacent to the cricket ground, a place where  you can (often) see hawfinches under the yew trees  Although it seemed several others were of the same mind, no hawfinches appeared amongst the chaffinches, despite the vast quantities of  seed put out for them,  and so one by one, most people left. They are shy birds and do not come down to feed when humans, i.e. less informed birders, are standing around waiting, which sadly happened on this occasion. You have to stay in your car to have any chance of seeing them on the the ground. 

Next was a short walk up a steep path to New Fancy viewpoint, you sometimes can get good views of raptors from here, and on one occasion I have seen a crossbill,  but today  only a pair of ravens showed. 

Nagshead rspb failed to produce anything of interest either; the Campbell hide,  I was hoping to visit, was shut, being unstable, and there were no frogs in the pond where I'd seen them last year.

My last hope  for any new sightings today, was Cannop ponds,  surely there would be some mandarin ducks there? Though  things weren't looking good when I overheard someone saying they hadn't seen any today.  However, I  parked and headed over to some feeders where sometimes marsh tits can be seen, I hadn't found any at my local country park so far this year but was hopeful here. A lady told me she had seen some but I had to wait a long time until one did eventually appear! At last another tick for my year list! A grey wagtail nearby  provided me with a second tick for the day. There were no mandarins on the usual lake but the same lady had told me there were some in a pond the opposite side of the road, if you peered through the hedge! 

One more place I thought I'd check  was an area near some Stoneworks at the far end of the ponds so I drove round to the pull in area and took the footpath towards a bridge where once I had seen a dipper briefly.   Looking down beyond the weir, I spotted a brown and white bird perched on a jutting out stone ledge. However, while pointing the dipper out to a fellow birder, it suddenly took off and flew fast over the bridge and down the lake before I could get out my camera. Frustrating but at least another new bird for the year.  I followed the rather muddy path alongside this lake, but didn't catch up with the dipper, although I did see three goosanders and a couple more mandarins. 

Just before I returned to my car, I stopped to watch a constant flow of small birds, mostly tits, feeding from a ivy covered tree stump which had been supplied with bird seed.  Then a couple of birders stopped by and asked if I'd noticed the kingfishers further up the lake. One bird was sperched in a tree and I just managed to find it through my binoculars before it, too, flew off. 

Earlier in the day I'd overheard someone say that it was their worst day in the Forest of Dean (due to lack of sightings) and I was almost inclined to agree with him, but in the end Cannop Ponds came up trumps and gave me five sightings new  for the year. 

marsh tit (above and below)

great spotted woodpecker (and blue tit)

grey wagtail

blue tit

coal tit

goosander (f)

goosander (m)

great tit

tree stump - how many birds?

drake mandarin through the trees