Sightings 31/7/11

 A marked increase in passerine migration recorded today, both in numbers and range of species.


CHIPPING SODBURY:
The Woodchat Shrike still present on the Common into the evening. Also 2 flyover Hobby 5pm (W King).

Check out http://surfbirds.com/blog/yatebirder/ for the latest info on this bird.

OLDBURY POWER STATION: per opsbirding
Migrants: the male Redstart still near lagoon 2 horse paddocks, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 10 Whitethroat, single Sedge Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 6 Willow Warbler, 'lots of' Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest.

Gulls: 2 Mediterranean Gull, 500 BH Gull, 3 Common Gull and 3 adult GBB Gull.

Others: a Kestrel, 1 Peregrine, 2 Common Sandpiper and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds, B Lancastle
Aust Warth: 1 Little Egret, 2 Buzzard, 3 kestrel, 10 Dunlin, a Whimbrel, 16 Redshank, 6 Common Sandpiper, 20 Turnstone, 3 Whitethroat, 4 Raven and 100 Linnet.

NP-NW: single Little Egret, a flyover Hobby, 20 Oystercatcher, 70 Dunlin, 43 Redshank, 6 Common Sandpiper, 180 Curlew, 45 Turnstone, 2 Mediterranean Gull (juv+adult), 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler, 5 Blackcap, a Redstart, a Wheatear, 4 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Tree Pipit.

PORTBURY DOCK:

31.7.11 juvenile Wheatear © Sightings Page team, many thanks
1st seen here on 27th

PORTISHEAD:
2 Peregrine over Merlin Close area 11.30am (J Williams).

GORDANO VALLEY RS:

31.7.11 juvenile male Sparrowhawk

31.7.11 Brown Hawker © Lyndon Roberts, many thanks

Ringing station totals this morning were: 55 birds ringed and 10 re-traps. Migrants ringed: 11 Blackcap, 6 Garden Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff and 10 Willow Warbler (LF Roberts).

You'd never see this number of birds here on a normal days birding.

(In case you were wondering, the dragonfly was not ringed by the team, it just happened to fly into one of the nets. Trying to ring a dragonfly, that would be really silly......wouldn't it?)

Many thanks Lyndon.

CLEVEDON COAST:

31.7.11 Kingfisher © Jason Wiliams, many thanks
Tutshill pool area at Yeo Est

Slightly fewer birds reported this morning: 2 Canada Goose, 48 Mallard, 1 juvenile Great-crested Grebe (Tutshill pond), 2 Grey Heron, 12 Little Egret, single Peregrine, 2 Hobby (golf course), 12 Oystercatcher, 5 Ringed Plover, 12 Lapwing, only 30 Dunlin, 3 Whimbrel, 190 Curlew, 3 Greenshank, 4+ Green Sandpiper, 17 Common Sandpiper (9 at Yeo, 8 at Kenn), 25 Redshank, 300 BH Gull, 3 Swift, a Kingfisher, 40+ Swallow, 10 House Martin, 2 Rock Pipit and 60+ Linnet (combined reports, HE Rose, J Williams).

KINGSTON SEYMOUR:
2 Little Owl this morning (J Williams).

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
Heron's Green Pool: 13 Little Egret.

Elsewhere, 9 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, 8 Green Sandpiper and 6 Common Sandpiper, these mostly at Herriott's (S Davies).

Lower Woods (south Glos) 30/7/11:
A Willow Tit noted here again (B Lancastle).

Around the traditional area where this species has been recorded before, most recently in April this year.

Sightings 30/7/11

Apart from the headline Woodchat Shrike, plenty of other birds on show today, especially in shoreline birds. The Clevedon coast recorded particularly good numbers of waders for July.


CHIPPING SODBURY:

30.7.11 Woodchat Shrike © (the finder) Darren Pearce, many thanks

A very lucky find, this was Darren's only 850th visit to the Common this year.
Account of the discovery on his website at: YateBirder.

From Darren: From Chipping Sodbury, cross the common, staying on the main common rd until you reach the farm buildings on your right. 

Park here and walk left past 2 circular cattle troughs. Follow the hedge line on the right hand side until it opens up into a field. The bird was in the bottom right hand side of the field.

30.7.11 Woodchat Shrike © Martyn Hayes, many thanks
http://www.thebirdsofsouthgloucestershire.co.uk/

A Woodchat Shrike on the common 4.15pm (D Pearce).

A putative 6th Avon record (last one in 2005) and the 3rd Woodchat Shrike record locally for south Glos.

Many thanks to Darren and Martyn for the fast responses....quicker than Sky News.

OLDBURY POWER STATION:
1 Dunlin, single Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Willow Warbler and a male Redstart (lagoon 2 area) (per opsbirding).


SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds highlights
Aust Warth: 2 Peregrine and 2 Lesser Whitethroat.

New Passage: 1 female Common Scoter, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, 1 Kingfisher, 5+ Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, a Redstart, 4 Wheatear, 5 Yellow Wagtail and a Tree Pipit.

Severn Beach: 2 Sanderling, 1 Whimbrel and a Wheatear of note.

Chittening Warth: 5 Whitethroat and a Wheatear.

30.7.11 Kestrel
up to 3 birds regular hunting over the warth this month

PORTBURY DOCK:

30.7.11 Canada Goose © Sightings Page team, many thanks
unusual here

30.7.11 Rock Pipit on a rock © Sightings Page team, many thanks

30.7.11 Mediterranean Gull © Sightings Page team, many thanks

Also along the shoreline and scrub of note this morning, 1 Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and a Wheatear (S Hale).

This evening, 2 Ringed Plover, c.125 Dunlin, 2 Whimbrel, 90 Curlew, 3 Common Sandpiper, 150+ Redshank, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and a Sandwich Tern (8.15pm) (CJ Stone).

PORTBURY WHARF:

30.7.11 M5 at junction 19 © Sightings Page team, many thanks
birders flocking to Portbury Wharf to see the Whimbrel.........

At Chapel Pill, 7 Oystercatcher, 125 Dunlin (influx), a Whimbrel, 65 Curlew (influx), c.80 Redshank and 2 Common Sandpiper (S Hale).

CLEVEDON COAST:

Wain's to Yeo Est 6.30-10.30am: 23 Canada Goose, 16 Shelduck (+ 10 young), 90 Mallard, 14 Little Egret, 4 Hobby (family group), 45 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Ringed Plover (Channel View Farm), 2 Ringed Plover, 10 Lapwing, single Sanderling, 275 Dunlin, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, single Whimbrel, 225 Curlew, 18 Common Sandpiper, 7 Green Sandpiper, 6 Greenshank (Mill-leaze pools), 135 Redshank, 7 Turnstone, 500 BH Gull, 225 Swallow, 3 Rock Pipit, 9 Pied Wagtail and 275 Linnet (S Sanins).

These are excellent wader numbers for July.

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
Herriott's/Heron's Green a Wood Sandpiper at Herriott's pool this afternoon.

Other birds noted, 6 Little Ringed Plover, single Dunlin, 7 Green Sandpiper, 1 Redshank and 2 Common Tern (S Davies).

BARROW TANKS:
late morning; 439 Tufted Duck, 69 Great-crested Grebe, 1 Little Egret and 3 Common Sandpiper (S Davies).

The Tufted and Grebe counts are both good counts for here.

Chew Valley Lake 29/7/11:
Late news: the drake Garganey still, 10 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, 2 Curlew, 6 Green Sandpiper, 3 Arctic Tern (adults) and 12 Common Tern (S Davies).

Sightings 29/7/11

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds
Aust Warth: 16 Redshank and 4 Common Sandpiper in Cake Pill.

New Passage: 5 Teal (new in), 5 Little Egret (local influx), a Sanderling (new in), 12 Dunlin, 45 Redshank, 28 Turnstone, 2 Common Sandpiper, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and 2 Raven.


CLEVEDON COAST:
just 2 adult Shelduck (most off to moult now), 2 Grey Heron, 10 Little Egret, 6 Oystercatcher, single Lapwing, 50 Dunlin, a Snipe (new in), single Whimbrel, 70 Curlew, 1 Greenshank, 2 Redshank, 3 Green Sandpiper, 6 Common Sandpiper, 350 BH Gull, 12 House Martin, single Wheatear and 80 Linnet.

The Great-crested Grebe still present on the Mill-leaze pools (combined reports, HE Rose, H Taffs).

WALTON-in-GORDANO:
8 pairs of House Martin breeding in the village (HE Rose).

Sightings 28/7/11

CHIPPING SODBURY:
Common: 2 Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Wheatear (W King).

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds
New Passage: highlights were 3 Mediterranean Gulls and a Wheatear.

28.7.11. Dunlin © Vic Savery, many thanks

PORTBURY WHARF:

Sedge Warbler

young Bullfinch

young Goldfinch

all photos © Rod Holbrook, many thanks

Taken along Wharf lane this morning, the bushes near any of the hides being particularly productive.

CLEVEDON COAST:
Dowlais: a juvenile Great-crested Grebe, 1 Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper at the Mill-leaze pools (H Taffs).

DEVON recently:

Cattle Egret

Glaucous Gull...

and in flight..
photos © Gordon Youdale, many thanks

Some pics sent in by Gordon, taken last week around the Budleigh Salterton area.

Sightings 27/7/11

We'd like to thank the local chemists' for the super-fast development of our photos....


CHIPPING SODBURY:
Common: still cooking on gas today, 2 male Redstart, a juvenile Whinchat (new), 2 Willow Warbler and a male Reed Bunting (D Pearce).

PORTBURY DOCK:
On this evening's high tide, 7 Oystercatcher, a Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit and a juvenile Wheatear flitting along the rocks (S Hale).

27.7.11 that Buzzard © Sightings Page team, many thanks

Another shot of that pale Buzzard which caused some Rough-legged Buzzard confusion earlier in the year. Fortunately, it only hangs around the backwater of Portbury where few sane and normal birders bother to go.

PORTISHEAD:
An adult and juvenile Mediterranean Gull on the sea-front today (B Atkinson).

BARROW TANKS:

27.7.11 Tufted Duck brood © Sightings Page team, many thanks
we don't know if this is unusual for here or not

Also on No.3 tank this morning, 4 Common Sandpiper, 2 Grey Wagtail and 5 Goldcrest in trees by the car-park.

WINFORD:

A Red Kite on pylons just outside the village (A38 side) mid-day (S Hale). Possibly the bird seen nearby at Barrow tanks on 23rd.

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:

Heron's Green:

27.7.11 Common Sandpiper © Sightings Page team, many thanks
taken using Brownie 127 & cack-handed operator

Also noted here, 8 Little Egret and 4 Green Sandpiper.

Moreton:

Shore deserted but a Nuthatch in trees just past the hide.

Stratford:

9 Little Ringed Plover at the right hand island. They run around a bit and sometimes viewable from Herriott's.

Herriott's:

A Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Sandpiper and 2 Yellow-legged Gull.

Elsewhere, 2 more Little Egret and 72 Lapwing (most at Herriott's).

W-S-M:
A flyover Crossbill today (per westonbirds).

(1 also at Worle yesterday plus a couple of recent flyovers at Coombe Dingle in Bristol).

Sightings 26/7/11

BRISTOL:
Henbury: the odd looking Crow was seen again today in fields near the top of Royal Close (B Lancastle).

Better views obtained today and the bird appears to have a strong strain of Hooded Crow in it, if not the actual real deal.

Coombe Dingle: another flyover Crossbill today (also on 21st) (W Earp).


CHIPPING SODBURY:
Common: 5 Buzzard, 3 Spotted Flycatcher (inc a juvenile being fed by an adult bird), 2 Whinchat, 2 Bullfinch and numerous Chiffchaff and Skylark (combined reports, W King, D Pearce).


SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds
Aust Warth: a female Redstart and a juvenile Peregrine seen at the cliff end of the warth mid-day. At Cake Pill, 4 Common Sandpiper, a GBB Gull and a Grey Wagtail.

New Passage: new birds in were a Snipe and another juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

PORTBURY WHARF:
2 more (older) Tufted Duck broods found today (S Hale).

Spitsbergen - Richard Belson

Club member Richard has recently returned from a birding trip to northern Norway and sent us these pictures.

He says the photographs were all taken on Spitsbergen island but the landscape and range of species shown are suspiciously reminiscent of a normal days' birding at Portbury Wharf, were it not for the ice floes.....

Grey Phalarope

Snow Bunting

Ivory Gull

Glaucous Gull

Brunnich's Guillemot bun fight

at peace
all photos © Richard Belson

Many thanks Richard. Your trip sounds like fertile material for the members' evening next February. In fact, we've already got you booked in....

Sightings 25/7/11

BRISTOL:
Bath cycle track: 2 Peregrine (St Phillips), a Chiffchaff and 3 Bullfinch (R Scantlebury).


CHIPPING SODBURY:
the Common: a Buzzard, 3 Lapwing, a Whitethroat, the male Redstart still, an adult Spotted Flycatcher + 2 juveniles, 1 Bullfinch and lots of Skylark and Linnet (combined reports, W King, D Pearce).

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds
Aust Warth: the juvenile Redstart still present, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and a family of 6 Chiffchaff.

25.7.11 juvenile Mediterranean Gulls © Paul Bowerman, many thanks

New Passage: 7 Oystercatcher, 2 Dunlin, 55 Redshank, 15 Turnstone, 5 Common Sandpiper, 300 BH Gull and 2 juvenile Mediterranean Gull (evening).

CLEVEDON COAST:
Wain's Hill - Yeo Est: 18 Canada Goose, 19 Shelduck (+ 10 young), 50 Mallard, 8 Little Egret, 10 Oystercatcher, 25 Lapwing, 9 Sanderling (influx at Yeo Est), 80 Dunlin, 5 Whimbrel, 150 Curlew, 10 Common Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, 90 Redshank, 800 BH Gull, single Raven, 6 Skylark, 65 Goldfinch and 225 Linnet (S Sanins).

PORTBURY WHARF:

25.7.11 Tufted Duck brood out on north pools this afternoon
© Sightings Page team, many thanks

BARROW TANKS: 

25.7.11 a Dunlin © Sightings Page team, many thanks
No.3 tank this morning, also 3 Common Sandpiper

CHEW VALLEY LAKE: 

25.7.11 a Roe Deer © Sightings Page team, many thanks
Heron's Green pool

Heron's Green: 8 Little Egret, 2 Water Rail, 4 Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpiper.

Stratford: 1 Common Sandpiper.

Herriott's: 1 Garganey, 2 Little Egret, 2 sleeping Spoonbill (reported by S Davies this morning but birds were present here 6pm last night apparently, per CJ Stone), 2 Water Rail, and single Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper and a moulting adult Mediterranean Gull.

Elsewhere, 50+ Lapwing dotted about the lake (S Hale).

Sand Martins 2011 - Barrow Tanks

Club member Terry Bond has sent in this update regarding breeding Sand Martins at the Barrow Gurney reservoirs this season. Considering that the colony wall was only constructed in 2008, things are looking very promising:

18 pairs of Sand Martins finally took up occupation of the nest holes at the start of the season, although only 14 appear to have produced young. 

We believe that c.45 young birds fledged from the first broods. Our estimate for the second broods is that a further 43 young birds flew, giving a total result of 88 fledged young birds for the year. 

Adding back in the number of adults that bred (or attempted to) gives a total “colony size” of 124 birds. 

From a standing start only a few years ago, that is not a bad result.

Great-crested Grebes have attempted to breed once more, but with little success this year. One nest of three eggs would appear to have been flooded out, and another nest with one egg seems now to be deserted.


Terry Bond.

Many thanks Terry.

Sightings 24/7/11

BRISTOL:
Centre: a Grey Wagtail pair plus at least 1 juvenile at the floating harbour area (Cattle Market Rd) today (M Jackson).

Henbury: an odd looking Crow seen on the wooded slope overlooking Lawrence Weston Moor ST555783, possibly some kind of Hooded x Crow hybrid (B Lancastle).

MARSHFIELD:
In the evening, 1 Whinchat and 'Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings everywhere' (E Drewitt).


SEVERNSIDE: B Lancastle:
Aust Warth: the juvenile Redstart still on show this morning.

New Passage-Northwick: 10 Dunlin, 30 Curlew, 3 Common Sandpiper, 20 Turnstone, 2 summer plumage Mediterranean Gull and 2 Raven.

24.7.11 House Sparrow © Brian Lancastle, many thanks

Severnside has several resident House Sparrow flocks along the seawall, notably at the shaft cottages area and also the houses at New Passage. It's easy to dismiss them (along with the other common species) as you rush from the car to reach the seawall to catch up with the pulsating action, especially on a windy day.

PORTBURY DOCK:
A Tufted Duck brood (3 chicks), a female Sparrowhawk (took a Goldfinch), the pale resident Buzzard, 20 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, single summer plumage Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Turnstone, 10 Swallow, 2 Sedge Warbler broods and 30 Goldfinch (CJ Stone).

PORTBURY WHARF:
Nothing knicker-gripping, main sightings today were: 1 Little Egret, a Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, 45 Redshank, 2 Little Owl, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Green Woodpecker and 3 Chiffchaff (combined reports, S Hale, A Rhodes).

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:

11 Little Egret and 4 Green Sandpiper of note (S Davies).

BARROW TANKS:
1 Little Egret, 10 Grey Heron, 10 Common Sandpiper and 36 Stock Dove (S Davies).

Yesterday 23/7/11, 2 Red Kite circling over along with 2 Raven (TE Bond).

Sightings 23/7/11

SLIMBRIDGE WWT:

the Spoonbill
now on its umpteenth day of stay

juvenile Common Tern

Mediterranean Gull
the bright red 'bladed' bill is a good fieldmark, even at distance

all photos © Allan Chard, many thanks
the same Med with a BH Gull for comparison

Slimbridge has also had their first autumn arrivals of (red adult) Knot recently so it's not too early to start looking out for these at the other coastal sites.

CHIPPING SODBURY:

23.7.11 Redstart © Darren Pearce, many thanks

On the Common late afternoon: 3 Kestrel, a juvenile Whinchat, 3 Redstart, 2 Raven and 4 juvenile Bullfinch (D Pearce).

SEVERNSIDE: B Lancastle, per severnsidebirds
Aust Warth:

23.7.11 juvenile Redstart © Vic Savery, many thanks

23.7.11 juvenile Redstart © Paul Bowerman, many thanks

The Redstart was showing well in bushes on bend of the road opposite Cake Pill sluice, lots of juvenile Robins present too.

Other sightings: singles of Buzzard, Black-tailed Godwit, Green Woodpecker and  a male Whinchat.

23.7.11 Green Woodpecker
on fence posts near the juvenile Redstart

New Passage-Northwick: 3 Dunlin, 20 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpiper and a Raven.

Chittening Warth: a Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat and 4 Reed Warbler at the Stup Pill section.

CLEVEDON:
A Little Grebe and a Kingfisher at the Blind Yeo-Kenn Pier section (J Croxton).

RIVER AXE:
6 Common Sandpiper at mid-day (P Bowyer).

BREAN DOWN:
2 Wheatear and a Siskin on the down this morning (per westonbirds).

BARROW TANKS:
A Little Egret and 9 Common Sandpiper this evening (CJ Stone).

CHEDDAR RES:

23.7.11 Dunlin © John Thorogood, many thanks
2 Dunlin here today

Sightings 22/7/11

SEVERNSIDE: highlights per severnsidebirds
Northwick Warth:  a Lesser Whitethroat and 6 Chiffchaff along the seawall bushes.

22.7.11 the Common Sandpiper again

3 Grey Wagtail also nearby

New Passage: 24 Redshank, the Common Sandpiper still, 2 Mediterranean Gull (the adult + a juvenile), 3 Grey Wagtail and 2 Raven.

Severn Beach: 9 Oystercatcher and 16 Dunlin.

PORTBURY WHARF:

22.7.11 Green Woodpecker, trees by the car park

A Whinchat by the tower hide 9.15am and later a Little Egret on the island in the evening (S Hale).

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
Singles of Wigeon, Goldeneye and Peregrine, 2 Green Sandpiper, 6 Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, 2 Redshank and 4 Yellow-legged Gull (S Davies).

BLAGDON LAKE:
The Ferruginous Duck at the dam 10am this morning and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull in the afternoon (combined reports, S Davies, per BL birds).

BARROW TANKS:
This morning: 1 Shoveler, 324 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Egret, 9 Grey Heron, 62 Great-crested Grebe and 6 Common Sandpiper (S Davies).

The GC Grebe and Tufted counts are both good numbers for here.

LITTON RES:
A Kingfisher and 2 Grey Wagtail of note here (C Poster).

Sightings 21/7/11

BRISTOL:
Coombe Dingle: a flyover Crossbill near the Dingle this morning (W Earp).

SLIMBRIDGE WWT:

21.7.11 Greenshank & Green Sandpiper © John Thorogood, many thanks

2 juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 3 Greenshank, 10 Green Sandpiper, a Common Tern and 2 Yellow Wagtail also seen as well as the Black-tailed Godwit horde (J Thorogood).

SEVERNSIDE: per severnsidebirds
Aust Warth: singles of Curlew and Common Sandpiper in Cake Pill.

21.7.11 Common Sandpiper at New Passage

 New Passage: 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 summer plumage Mediterranean Gull in with the BH Gulls and 2 Grey Wagtail of note.

PORTBURY WHARF:

21.7.11 Bullfinch (bushes near the hides)

21.7.11 Reed Bunting (bushes at the seawall)

21.7.11 the Little Owl
all photos © Rod Holbrook, many thanks

The pools and estuary remain quiet.

CLEVEDON COAST:
A juvenile male Marsh Harrier at the Channel View farm leg 10.20am (T Riddle).

In ragged condition apparently but flying well.

BLAGDON LAKE:
The Ferruginous Duck at the Tiny Shallows today, other sightings, a Little Egret, 3 Common Sandpiper, a 1st summer YL Gull and 2 GBB Gull (per BL birds).

Northumberland seabirds - Gordon Youdale

Club chairman Gordon not long back from a birding trip to the Farne islands for the seabirds and sent us these photos.

Shag

Puffin

Kittiwake & chick

Arctic Tern

Sandwich Tern

3 types of Auk.......
all photos © Gordon Youdale, many thanks

Please send an e-mail and tell us what you think the 3 species of Auks are. Winning entry receives the signed photograph of the Club committee which was not claimed by the last winner of the last competition we ran....