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.