Friday 21 October 2011

Sightings 21/10/11

OLDBURY POWER STATION:
3 Mute Swan, 38 Wigeon, 80 Mallard, 3 Cormorant, 2 Kestrel, 130 Lapwing, 17 Dunlin, 11 Curlew and 53 Turnstone (W King).

SPANIORUM HILL:
A very late Hobby seen (M Dadds).

NEW PASSAGE:
Little change, 300 Wigeon, 50 Teal, a Little Egret, 250 Dunlin, single Bar-tailed Godwit, 91 Redshank, 15 Turnstone and a Common Gull (RF Reader).

PORTBURY WHARF:
Absent in the morning, the Spoonbill was back on the island in the afternoon (A Gibb).

AVON GORGE:
A Common Sandpiper and a Raven near the suspension bridge stretch (AD Scott).

Thursday 20 October 2011

Sightings 20/10/11

CHITTENING WARTH:
At Stup Pill, a Goldcrest, single Fieldfare, a Sklark, 92 Starling, 26 Meadow Pipit, a Rock Pipit, 3 Grey Wagtail, 3 Pied Wagtail, 20 Chaffinch, 4 Redpoll, 3 Linnet and 2 Reed Bunting (M Dadds).

No sign of the recent Short-eared Owl today.

BATH:
2 Peregrine at the university grounds and a Tawny Owl at Quarry Rock Gdns (D French).

FROME:
20.10.11 Tree Sparrow © Allan Chard, many thanks

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Sightings 18/10/11

CHITTENING WARTH:
Stup Pill: a single flock of 150 Starling plus 350 more birds in small groups (M Dadds).

No sign of yesterday's SE Owl or Wheatear.

Monday 17 October 2011

Sightings 17/10/11

CLEVEDON COAST:
160 Shelduck, 30 Wigeon, 12 Teal, 140 Mallard, single Cormorant and Grey Heron, 8 Little Egret, single Peregrine, 26 Oystercatcher, 10 Grey Plover, 55 Lapwing, just 24 Dunlin, 100+ Curlew, 175 Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, 14 Turnstone and 2 Wheatear (HE Rose).


Steep Holm 15/10/11:
Crane seen high over the channel near Steep Holm and Flat Holm, then flew towards Burnham-on-Sea and inland towards the levels.

Staff at the Somerset Great Crane project have also reported 3 wild Cranes joining their released birds on this date also.

Many thanks to Julie and Peter Ottley for this information.

Sunday 16 October 2011

Sightings 16/10/11

LITTLETON WARTH:
WeBS count: 210 Wigeon, 110 Teal, 71 Mallard, single Grey Heron and Little Egret, 2 Buzzard, 1 Ringed Plover, 90 Dunlin, 145 Curlew, 65 Redshank, 8 Turnstone, 185 BH Gull, single Common Gull, 2 LBB Gull, a Green Woodpecker, 2 Redwing, 7 flyover Siskin, 7 Redpoll, single flyover Crossbill and Reed Bunting (J Martin).


PILNING:
2 Redpoll over the garden this morning (J Martin).

NEW PASSAGE:
Highlights were: a dark-bellied Brent Goose, the Spoonbill again, 1 Sparrowhawk, a Kingfisher, a late Reed Warbler and a flyover Crossbill.  Starling numbers increasing too (J Martin, per severnsidebirds).

SEVERN BEACH:
Noteworthy were: a Little Grebe (on the sea), a male Merlin and 5 Blackcaps (per severnsidebirds).

PORTBURY WHARF:
Plenty of common stuff on show, pick of the bunch as follows: 11 Little Grebe, a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, 47 Coot, a Green Woodpecker, 2 late Willow Warbler and 6 Reed Bunting (A Rhodes).

SEA MILLS:
WeBS count: 69 Mallard,8 Grey Heron, 30 Lapwing, 4 Snipe, 1 Curlew,  the usual Greenshank, 70 Redshank, 85 BH Gull, 6 LBB Gull, 8 Herring Gull, a Kingfisher and a flyover Yellowhammer (AD Scott).

CLEVEDON:
Wain's Hill mig watch: 180 Woodpigeon, 10 Skylark, 237 Starling, 3 Song Thrush, single Redwing, 11 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 844 Chaffinch, 26 Greenfinch, 25 Goldfinch, 12 Linnet and 8 Siskin (per clevedonbirds).







Saturday 15 October 2011

Sightings 15/10/11

CHITTENING WARTH:
Sea bank leg: single Goldcrest and Redpoll.

Stup Pill: best bird was a Short-eared Owl.

Migrants noted here: 70 Jackdaw, 20 Skylark, 12 Blackbird, 1 Fieldfare, 9 Song Thrush, 5 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 5 Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, a Stonechat, 13 Pied Wagtail, 31 Meadow Pipit, 12 Chaffinch, 8 Redpoll, 2 Bullfinch and 3 Reed Bunting (all M Dadds).


ABBOTS LEIGH:
Overhead migration 7.30-8.15am: 29 Woodpigeon, 3 Skylark, 140 Redwing, 6 alba Wagtail, 43 Meadow Pipit and 6 Chaffinch (A Rhodes).

Friday 14 October 2011

Sightings 14/10/11

OLDBURY POWER STATION:
35 Canada Goose, 31 Wigeon, 1 Peregrine (caught a starling), 5 Ringed plover, 64 Lapwing, 55 Dunlin, 17 Curlew,  14 Redshank, 5 Fieldfare,, 2 Raven and a Rock Pipit.

RUDGEWAY (south Glos):
5 flyover Swallow and 20 Fieldfare/Redwing this morning.

NEW PASSAGE:
c.60 Oystercatcher, 4 Ringed Plover, 14 Lapwing, single Curlew Sandpiper, c.200 Dunlin, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, a Raven plus the usual Wigeon/Teal and Redshank.

PILNING:
Single garden flyover Fieldfare and Redwing this morning.

GORDANO VALLEY:
14.10.11 Mealy Redpoll © Dave Nevitt
A Mealy Redpoll ringed at the ringing station this morning. A very welcome record as many potential Mealy's fall by the wayside due to identification problems with the other Redpoll races. Many birds are only separable in the hand.

Very busy at the station today, birds ringed were: 2 Blackcap, the Mealy Redpoll, 33 Lesser Redpoll and 2 Reed Bunting.

Around the hut also: 3 Chiffchaff, 30 Siskin, 70 Redpoll and 10 Reed Bunting.

Overhead mig recorded: 300 Woodpigeon,  30 Skylark, 3 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing, 3 alba wagtail, 40 Chaffinch, 4 Crossbill and 10 Reed Bunting.

Many thanks to the GVRS team for this detailed information.