12 Feb Hatfield Forest

Took a morning walk through West Wood and up the W side of Hatfield Forest. The bright sun and the fact that many birds are claiming territories made it ideal for photography, but I’d taken my telescope instead for scanning distant tree lines. I didn’t use it and the strap broke. Oh well.

Birds were disappointing in variety. In West wood Chaffinch numbered 50+ in West wood, but I could get nothing else with them. Redwings were making a loud noise too, and then Mistle Thrush – two fighting – masses of Blue Tits, Great Tits, some Long-Tailed Tits, a vocal pair of GSW, a Wren, a Nuthatch calling, and outside the wood masses of Jackdaws and Wood Pigeons.

The highlights were a couple of small groups of Fallow Deer. Outside the woods they run when they see you, but here they stop and stare. There were a couple of bucks with fine antlers, a spotted doe, and various others whose age and sex I cannot identify. Also, masses of Grey Squirrel.

Back in Hatfield Forest more of the same. Two pairs of GSW, one drumming, another Nuthatch. A Jay, a Marsh Tit and Goldfinchs around. So some nice views, but hard work for not much of a list.

8th-11th Feb Half-Term Break pt I

Cycling through pines, Coal Tits, Goldcrests, Robins calling and the odd flock of Siskins, yes its another visit to Centre Parcs Elveden Forest at Thetford.

Previous visits have had Crossbills round the Village centre, but no such luck this time. There were Goosanders (2m4f), c30 Barnacle Geese (freely flying, but I assume Feral), Pochard, Tufted Duck, Marsh Tit, calling Tawny Owl, and on Sat 9th my first Brimstone Butterfly of the year.

Oh and an Eagle Owl so close I could touch it. In fact I did touch it. And a Peregrine/Lanner hybrid and a Harris Hawk on my arm. All expertly demonstrated by this man who I assume is not responsible for the captions.

A proper Weymouth and Portland day-list

Here is what a proper birder can see in a day in weymouth and Portland.

Tetrad Count Allen's Green

After a rare night out – a friend’s Stag evening in central London - I felt the need to blow away the cobwebs this morning, so I took the opportunity to do the Feb count for one of my tetrads. I took the same route as last time but in reverse. In the (slightly over) two hours I clocked up 29 species (same number as before), in generally greater numbers as many species are now singing or disputing territory. There was no sign of the Golden Plover seen here last weekend.

The birds are listed below in order of quantity. Species seen this time but not last time in bold.

Wood Pigeon c 300
Fieldfare c 100
Redwing c40 i in a completely separate flock to the Fieldfares
Rook c30 - at the rookery in Allen's Green
Chaffinch 25
Blackbird 24
Great Tit 16
House Sparrow 15
Skylark 15
Starling 10
Goldfinch 9
Carrion Crow 9
Blue Tit 9
Dunnock 7
Long-Tailed Tit 7
Greenfinch 7
Robin 6
Yellowhammer 6
Collared Dove 5
Magpie 5
Stock Dove 4
Song Thrush 3
Kestrel 2
Great-Spotted Woodpecker 2
Moorhen 2
Jay 2
Mistle Thrush 2
Goldcrest 1
Common Buzzard 1

After The Lord Mayor’s Show

Just a couple of trips out following the Sheppey extravaganza. Saturday I went round Allen’s Green in the freezing cold. A couple of flocks of Thrushes totalling over 200, with about 20 Redwings and the rest Fieldfares. Two flocks of Golden Plover totalling about 170 birds. Then, in one of those spooky moments, just as I was thinking this was ideal conditions for Merlin, a Merlin turned up. A few miles away. Seen by Graeme.

Then Monday back to SLRS in the late afternoon. Generally very quiet now, trying to put a decent list together was hard work. A Little Grebe on the river was a first for me at this site. A pair of Stonechats now approaching pristine spring plumage at the top end of the scrape field. A flock of 10 Magpies. 7 Moorhens. Green woodpecker and a distant GSW. Then a few Rooks over on their way to roost. Rooks are scarce in this immediate area, and were new for my site list for this year, which now stands at 44.

30th Jan Isle of Sheppey

Steve took Kevin and myself for a Gentleman’s Day Trip. We went to the Isle of Sheppey. Never an attractive place, in these conditions it resembles a slice of Soviet-era Siberia transplanted to Kent, complete with run-down holiday camps and its own prison.

We tumbled out of the car at Leysdown and straight into Arctic conditions. There were hundreds of Oystercatchers lining the distant sea-shore, and as we worked our way down to Shell Ness added Barwit, Dunlin, Knot, Curlew, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Sanderling, Redshank, Brent Goose and 5 species of Gull. As I gently nudged the scope round with the frozen stumps that used to be my hands we found a huge flock of Lapwing and Golden Plover, some Meadow Pipits and Stonechat, with a backdrop of Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards patrolling the area.

The corner bushes held Reed Bunting, House Sparrow and Chaffinch. A local told us there were a couple of Twite on the marsh, a Hooded Crow by the reserve, and not much else. As we trudged down the Sea Wall to the Swale NNR I saw in the distance a Crow with grey on the wings and body but this would be clearly easier to pick up later. We got to the first hide and ticked off Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, and Shelduck, a couple of hundred or so Greylag Geese, and eventually Steve located a few tens of White-Fronted Geese amongst them, a Little Egret flew past, but no sign of the Hooded Crow.

Next stop was the Capel Fleet raptor watch point. This is an excellent addition to the area from the last time I was here roughly 10 years ago, the main benefit being a couple of regulars who skilfully and patiently pointed out the various raptors across this vast panorama. Firstly there was a Rough-Legged Buzzard tangling with a Common Buzzard. New for all of us, the white upper tail and longer wings of the Rough-Leg were evident. It conveniently hovered, then sat in a bush where its pale head and white upper tail were clear. Otherwise there were two ringtail Hen Harriers, a Merlin shot across, and a Peregrine circled high above the hill on the south. All the while Marsh Harriers cruised the area agains the backdrop of the prison wall.

Then Harty Ferry Inn for an unexpectedly excellent lunch. The sun was coming out now, the island was warming up, and I could feel my fingers again. Great-Spotted Woodpecker was a surprise in the pub grounds, then another Ringtail Hen Harrier on the foreshore. We walked from Harty Church down to the Swale NNR again to have a last go at the Hooded Crow. A ringtail Hen Harrier sat in a tree - first time I've seen that - and another one giving excellent close views. Red-Legged and Grey Partridges were everywhere and Pheasants too – and so were shooters, distant figures with flags, dogs and guns being a consistent feature of the day. A distant passerine flock on the edge of a field contained Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Reed Buntings, a Blue Tit and a couple of Bramblings which were my first for a while. On the reserve were 50+ Stock Doves – by far the most numerous dove we saw on the island - 100+ of Rooks, Jackdaws and Crows but still no Hooded. 13 Avocet flew up the Swale and a Seal briefly breached the surface.

We just had time to return to the raptor view point as the light faded. 6 Marsh Harriers sat in a field. At least 4 more were flying around. A Merlin then shot past and sat on a post giving smashing views. A Barn Owl quartered a neighbouring field, and almost unnoticed a Cetti’s Warbler sang from the reedbed and a pair of Gadwall paddled out of the reeds.

Eight species of raptor! And Marsh Harriers in flocks! What a fantastic place. We totalled around 65 species. It will be much less than another 10 years until I’m back, and next time I’ll bring some gloves.

Photos courtesy of Kevin, the two birds being taken through his scope.

SLRS again

Went for a post-lunch walk with Mrs D down the Stort to SLRS, then back up through the fields to Bonk's Hill then home.

Highlight was 2 male Shovelers on the open water, a first for me and the site. One was slightly scruffy on the flanks - a 1st year? The second was pristine, but spent the whole time with head erect looking at us, obviously spooked, and it was no surprise when they eventually flew off.

The other notable was a flock of 34 Stock Doves flying around - the same flock that has been seen roosting just north of Sawbo presumably.

The Little Gull was seen here yesterday, and what is almost certainly the same one at Amwell in the roost tonight, so there's still a chance its around.

Hatfield Forest

A short consititional round the lake this afternoon with all the monsters. Despite the incessant moaning we managed to clock up a male Mandarin on the lake, a pair of GCG's nest building, a Kingfisher, a few Bullfinches which luckily were shriek-resistant so D#1 got some decent views of a smashing male, 2 Coal Tits and various other stuff. And for the third time in three visits some Fallow Deer on the southern perimeter road.

Unexpected.

Within two minutes of getting Steve's text I was parked up on Lower Sheering Road and scoping the field just the east side of the Railway line. Fortunately the bird was still there. By the time Mike arrived it had moved down with the other gulls to the currently very full flash at SLRS and we spent the next hour or so getting excellent views on the water and then as it flew around.

It was easy to pick out by its small size, more rounded wings and distinctive black W across the wings. Of all the birds I thought I might get here a 1st winter Little Gull hadn't even registered as a possibility.

Weymouth 25th Jan

My business in Weymouth was finished by Lunchtime, so I had a few hours of birding.

I kicked off at Castle Cove Yacht club with a Slavonian Grebe, two Black-Necked Grebes, a Great-Northern Diver, 26 Red-Breasted Mergansers, a couple of Razorbills,and some Med Gulls (more of those later). Then Ferrybridge (at low tide). 30+ Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Little Egrets, Shag, more Med Gulls, then finally the National Sailing Academy, Great-Northern Diver (same one?), more Med Gulls. I didn't stay long as it was getting seriously cold.

Earlier I had been pleased with spotting a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull at the sailing club. Then I noticed 7 more in a flock of BH gulls on some exposed rocks, then another 4, then at Ferrybridge another 7 on the shore line, and then I noticed that the mixed flock of gulls on the distant exposed mud contained many more Med Gulls – 10 in one scope view – and stopped counting. There has been over 100 seen here recently, and I think I saw most of those today.

I went on to Portland. There was a gale blowing, and hundreds of auks ( I saw nothing but Razorbills) were zipping past at a rate, with many more sat on the sea. There were a couple of Kittiwakes and a Gannet, and onshore a Rock Pipit.

Recently some Short-Eared Owls have been seen opposite the obs. I spent a couple of hours trudging the area, but with nothing to show by 4pm apart from a Sparrowhawk, c20 Linnets and c10 Chaffinches, headed for home via Newton’s Cove. No Black redstart, just 12 Great-Crested Grebes.

The day finished as it had started, with several hundred Starlings over Weymouth town as the sky turned a deep pink.

Inspired by the example of Boulmer Birder I’ve opened a second blog which is more static. Some details of the sites I went to today are on here.

The weather – an apology

It cannot have escaped your notice that there has been almost continuous rain from roughly last Thursday. Many cause have been proposed – global warming, La Nina, etc. However I can reveal exclusively here the true reason. I’m taking a month’s break from work, partly to do more birding. The inevitable result – continuous rain.

If you want a prediction for when it will stop – how about three and a half week’s time.