KENT BIRDING

As I am spending a few days with family in Kent, it seemed an ideal opportunity to visit the rspb site Cliffe Pools which is only half an hour away, especially as a grey phalarope has been reported there for the past few days.

It was a straightforward trip to get there although I did have to ask instructions for the exact location of the car park once I was almost there. Having found it and parked up I donned coat and hat - yes there was a cool breeze blowing - and followed the track leading to the trails. 

I didn't see anyone for a while, though a group of birders were just arriving as I set out on my walk. I had a trail map and followed it, in the general direction of the Flamingo pool where I read the phalarope was seen yesterday. Meeting another birder I asked if he'd seen it, but he said no and was about to ask me the same question.  Whilst stopped to talk, the group of birders I'd noticed in the car park approached, they hadn't seen it either; they were a group of RSPB members/volunteers  and we ended up joining them as they showed us where the phalarope might be and told us some of the history of the site.  It appears that there were once great plans to develop the reserve with a large 360 degree hide, but sadly the money wasn't forthcoming and all that was achieved was an improved car park and a central path through the reserve.  Sadly we were unable to find the phalarope, despite scanning with binoculars and telescopes.  Being such a small bird makes it very difficult to spot especially if the water is churning and it wasn't possible to see the whole perimeter of each area of water due to a lot of overgrown areas. Great for the wildlife but not so good for birders! There were, however, plenty of birds of interest, albeit mostly distant. I understand that in the winter months bird numbers increase and as high tide approaches more birds move from the creek into the lakes. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to stay for that today.

Birds seen included; litte egret, marsh harrier, kestrel, ringed plover, lapwing, lesser black backed gull ,pochard, wigeon, little grebe, great crested grebe, tufted duck, mallard, pied wagtail, shelduck, shoveler, dunlin, golden plover, redshank, curlew. 

Today was another sunny day, and I arranged to meet some friends at Haysden Country park, Tonbridge. After enjoying a cup of coffee from the cafe, we started our walk around one of the lakes where we found  tufted ducks and mallards and a pochard, mute swans, canada geese and an individual which appeared to be a cross canada/greylag. I also spotted a grey wagtail flying low across the shoreline.   We then ventured into one of the woodland areas. Here we spent time checking the trees for woodland species,  and found nuthatch, tree creeper, blue and great tits, goldcrest and  jays. Our walk then continued alongside the river,  and under the railway line before returning to the original lake which then gave us sightings of little  egret and heron, and a chaffinch feeding under the picnic tables.

Birds seen here: wood pigeon, crow, jay, unidentified bird of prey ( buzzard/sparrow hawk?). grey wagtail, moorhen, coot, mallard, pochard, tufted duck, mute swan, canada goose, heron, little egret, black headed gull, blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, robin, blackbird, goldcrest, nuthatch, tree creeper, chaffinch, cormorant, great crested grebe.

Canada goose

mute swan

tufted duck

NEW HIDE AT WHELFORD POOLS

A new hide has been constructed to replace a dilapidated old one at Whelford Pools, a Gloucester Wildlife Trusts reserve near Fairford   and I decided to check it out today. It was a mild and fairly sunny afternoon with little wind as I parked in the small deserted car park. 

The hide in question is only a hundred yards or so from the car park, so I soon located it. Built with similar features to the previous hide, it overlooks a small pond on one side, and has views to the lake in front of it. Sadly the lake is at a distance and I think it would benefit from a feeding station in front of the hide to attract the birds. There was little wildlife on the lake itself, a few swans and a raft of black headed gulls were all that could be seen from the hide.  

A path through some a wooded area leads to a second hide, which has better views of two lakes with an area of scrub between them. Again only a few great crested grebes and cormorants were on the lakes but I sat for a while, enjoying the antics of a group of long tailed tits close in front of the hide. A wren also made a brief appearance as well as a few blue and great tits. 

the new hide

RSPB GUIDED WALK IN FOD

Although there is no local RSPB group in North Wilts, other local groups welcome birders to join them on their guided walks after payment of a small fee, and this is what I did today. I'd noticed a walk with the Gloucestershire group in the Forest of Dean today, aiming to see crossbills, redpolls, siskins, and possibly hawfinches and goshawks. 

Not ever having seen a crossbill, and without redpolls and hawfinches on my list so far this year, this was an attractive trip, so I headed over to Speech House Woodland car park to join the group. It is a fairly easy journey to the FOD and took me just over an hour. I had a  bit of a wait in the car park, but with 15 minutes to go, cars began to arrive, with occupants wearing suitable mostly green and beige clothing and holding binoculars, which made them easy to pick out as members of the RSPB group! 

Eighteen of us made up quite a large group, but just after ten o'clock we set off through the woodland. I soon got chatting to some other members of the group, it transpired that several had also made a journey of an hour, and one lady had even left her home  at Cheltenham  at 7 am to catch  4 buses in order to arrive at the car park in time for the walk!  I did offer to give a lift part way home but she declined as she had already worked out her route and timings. 

Soon after leaving the car park, our leader heard the calls of crossbills, coming from the conifers above us, but sadly we didn't actually see the birds themselves. If on my own, I would have probably waited longer, but as we had only just started out we didn't stop for long. However, having heard them early on the walk, I was hopeful of seeing or hearing some more later on.. (we didn't!) 

The route we took passed by a deserted lake ( apparently the presence of carp was blamed for eating all the food that the birds would normally have fed on) and then through some more woodland to an area of heathland. This was where  I saw the great grey shrike in early 2018 but it wasn't seen last year, so whether it will return again this winter I don't know.   We saw several stonechats, and a flock of siskins and goldfinches land at the top of a distant conifer. Further on we stopped for a while in an open area, and our  guide pointed out a goshawk flying across although, again at a distance. We watched it for a while, noting its different wingflapping which determined that it was not a buzzard. 

The weather was sunny and felt quite warm in the autumn sunshine, with little wind. It was certainly a pleasure  to be out in the open air, and have the opportunity to chat to like minded people with an interest in birds. It's  nice to hear recommendation of other reserves to visit and to tell others about one's own experiences.

No photos again today, but the here is the list of birds we saw today:

blue tit, 
great tit,
robin,
song thrush,
chaffinch,
coal tit,
linnet
goshawk
buzzard
siskin
goldfinch
crossbill (h)
stonechat
wood pigeon
jay
crow

SPOTTED AT SAVERNAKE

A couple of weeks back, someone from my local U3A birders group sent me a link to some events  being held at Savernake Forest near Marlborough, which included a guided bird walk. 
I have not visited the forest very much except in July searching for Purple Emperor butterflies, so thought this might be a good opportunity to find out what can be seen there. 
Consequently 9.30 am. this morning saw me signing in for my prebooked place on the walk starting from a central point on Grand Avenue, a track which runs north to south through the forest. 

There were about a fourteen of us including five children, plus our guide and his companion who kindly carried his telescope around for us to use if something interesting  needed a closer view. 

We started off down one of the tracks and walked for a while before stopping to listen for any birds that might be around. Blue tits and great tits were unsurprisingly the first birds we saw, then a little further we stopped to use the telescope to see a flock of mistle thrushes which had just flown into perch on top of a conifer. 

At this point, I happened to turn round and saw a small brown bird with a light breast perched on the edge of a branch overhanging the path firther on. I couldn't identify it straightaway but then thought.. surely it can't be a spotted flycatcher? 

I wanted to take a photo but just at the moment a cyclist approached from the oppostite direction which caused it to fly off. I mentioned what I'd just seen to someone next to me and he agreed that it was a bit late for them. It must have been a more common bird then, but I hadn't really had a good enough view.
As we got ready to continue our walk, there was a bit of movement in the bushes to our left, a marsh tit flew out and landed in a nearby tree. Then I saw that bird again.. this time, the leader confirmed my original thought,  it was in fact a spotted flycatcher, though an exceptionally late one!  Most of managed to see it though I couldn't manage a photo. I also found a goldcrest in a nearby conifer. 

Along the walk  we also heard and saw a number of nuthatches and tree creepers, as well as the more common robin and dunnock. 

After doing a circuit, we returned to Grand Avenue at which point the families with children left us ( it was nearly 11 am when the walk was scheduled to end) . However, our guide volunteered to take the remaining 5 of us on a further loop of the forest which took another hour. In this time we saw a buzzard and kestrel, but nothing else additional to our sightings so far. 

However, with calm and dry weather, it was an enjoyable morning in the forest.

Bird seen on the walk:
blue tit, great tit, coal tit, marsh tit, robin, dunnock, tree creeper, nuthatch, blackbird, wood piegeon, goldcrest, spotted flycatcher, buzzard, kestrel, mistle thrush, jackdaw, rook. 

GARDEN BIRDS

chiffchaff

This week has been busy at my garden feeders, with at least one chiffchaff associating with a regular tit flock (blue tits great tits and a coal tit) . It doesn't actually use the feeders but regularly emerges from the bushes where it is feeding to perch on the branch holding my feeders for a few seconds. I've been hearing it singing in the mornings from my bedroom window too. It has also been good to see the return of some goldfinches and a greenfinch after an absence over the summer months. Other regular species include robin, dunnocks, blackbirds, magpies and woodpigeons. 

ACROSS THE BRIDGE

When I last visited Slimbridge, someone suggested that a good place to visit was Goldcliff Lagoons just over the  Severn Bridge into South Wales. This is close to the RSPB reserve of Newport Wetlands so I headed there this morning. It looked like being the last of the spell of sunny weather for a time, so I left soon after seven o'clock and got to Goldcliff just after eight. 

One other car was parked by the roadside; after checking with a dog walker that this was the correct location ( no signs!) I started up the public footpath next to a cottage. l came across a grassy area where another car was parked and realised that I could have parked here too. 

The reserve consists of three salt water lagoons, and these can be viewed from a number of hides and viewing screens. The first lagoon was quite dry and all I could see from the window were some sheep who had freedom to graze around the hide.

From a further viewpoint I caught sight of  a kingfisher in flight; there were also several greenshanks, little egrets, and a heron as well as the usual ducks and gulls. A kestrel was hovering in the distance and grey and pied wagtails on the mud. 

Suddenly I noticed a large dark wading bird which had emerged from an island.. a glossy ibis|.  I knew that one had been seen here but I did not know that it was actually resident until informed by a photographer next to me. I hadn't been expecting it so that was a bonus.. and another year tick!  He also told me that there was usually a black swan about and a 'buzzprey'! ( a buzzard so pale it resembles an osprey!)

I continued along the footpath, noting the goldfinches and meadow pipits rising up from the scrub as I passed. A larger bird of prey also appeared over the bank.. the buzzprey!  I watched it fly off into the distance. 

At the last hide, I caught up with the black swan, there was also a peregrine sitting sillouetted on a distant bank against the blue sky. Taking a few steps up to the sea wall, some oyster catchers flew past and joined a larger flock further along the shore. 

After an hour and a half at Goldcliff, I drove the few miles over to Newport Wetlands. There were only a few cars in the car park so far and not many people around. I followed one of the trails, which was recommended by someone at the reception desk, though I have to admit there was very little birdlife to be seen. The reed beds were very high and restricted my view  somewhat, neither did I  hear or see any bearded tits. I did hear cettis warblers from time  to time, and on the mudflats by the estuary there were curlews as well as gulls. One one of the lagoons there was a little grebe and a few wigeon and gadwall. 

On reflection, had I known that the RSPB reserve would give only a few bird sightings, I would have stayed longer at Goldcliff.

Not a good day for photos as most birds were at a considerable distance, but I did have a decent total of 37 species, including another new bird for the year. 

Birds seen at the two reserves:

buzzard, kestrel, herring gull, black headed gull, grey wagtail, pied wagtail, moorhen, coot, heron, little egret, glossy ibis, greenshank, lapwing, little grebe, wigeon, mallard, teal, gadwall, shelduck, magpie, woodpigeon, whitethroat, chiffchaff, goldfinch, meadow pipit, robin, blue tit, curlew, peregrine, reed warbler, cettis warbler (H), mute swan, black swan, kingfisher, dunlin, greylag, swallow.

glossy ibis - poor record shot

view of lagoon where glossy ibis and little egrets were

peregrine

mute and black swans

mudflats seen from the sea wall where oyster catchers were feeding

view from hide at Newport Wetlands

wigeon

little grebe

WADERFEST AT FARMOOR

In contrast to yesterday's distant wader shots, today's were as near as one could wish! 
With yet another sunny afternoon forecast, I clicked on the link to Oxon Birding and immediately saw that a little stint had been recorded at Farmoor reservoir this morning, only an hour earlier. I'd only had a distant view of this bird several months previously, so thought it would be nice to get a closer view and who knows what else might turn up there too!  It is often possible to get within a few metres of some waders when you look over the causeway at the shoreline. 

Walking along the  central causeway which divides the reservoir into its two parts,  I expected to see a group of  stationary birders which would indicate where the little stint was located, if still there. But  I was disappointed. However,  I continued walking towards the western end where the bird had been recorded earlier and then realised that there was a single photographer crouched down with his lens looking over the wall.  I crept towards him and peered over the edge. There were  spotted two waders, though neither looked like a little stint. One was a juvenile ruff but I was uncertain of the other. On enquiry I was told it was a knot.... a species not yet on my year list!   Both birds gave good photographic opportunities  but where was the little stint?! 

Getting into conversation, we admired the birds in front of us, and then I was asked if I'd already seen the dunlin and little stint back down the causeway near the hide!  I'd been so busy heading towards the western end that I'd missed them entirely!  However, perhaps I might be forgiven when I tell you that they were spending quite a bit of time resting on the shore, heads under their wings, and very much camouflaged. 

I retraced my steps and then found the two birds in question, being watched and photographed by another couple of birders.  It was interesting to compare the sizes of these two small waders and their similar markings. Both birds spent quite a bit of time resting, but with an eye open for any danger. 

On the opposite side of the causeway, hundreds of geese were gathered; Canada geese, greylags and a flock of barnacles were perched resting or preening on the stone slope leading down to the water. Amongst them was a lone snow goose.  Also seen were several little grebes, swans and coots, as well as a yellow legged gull. 

With four waders all at close hand, today was a good day out and  with my year list now  standing at 159 birds , I wonder where the next one will be? 


Postscript: On checking my yearly records, I have discovered that in fact the knot seen yesterday was in fact my 160th bird of the year.  Hooray! (  I'd  written 157 birds on my previous blog when it should have read 158!

view along causeway

juvenile ruff

knot

                                       
                                                             juvenile ruff and knot

dunlin and little stint

sleeping waders - well camouflaged

dunlin

little stint

little stint

                                      

barnacle flock

three types of geese

Canada goose

goose flypast

snow goose

mute swan