Sightings 18/6/11

SEVERNSIDE:
Severn Beach:

18.6.11 Wheatear © Paul Bowerman, many thanks

Also, 150 Manx Shearwater below the bridge this morning (per severnsidebirds).

PORTBURY WHARF:
2 Black-tailed Godwit new in to the main pool this morning (S Hale).

CLEVEDON:
82 Manx Shearwater offshore mid-morning (H Taffs).


CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
The Blue-winged Teal still present at Hollow Brook early am, 3 Garganey also nearby. A Redshank at Moreton (S Davies).

BANWELL:

18.6.11 (am) Sparrowhawk © John Thorogood, many thanks
the garden can spare the odd Great Tit apparently

Kaliningrad (Russia) LF Roberts

Lyndon has just returned from one of his regular ringing trips to Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast and sent in a shedload of pics. To confirm, this is Kaliningrad, not the Gordano Valley.

Here are some of the highlights:

Crested Tit

Hawfinch

Red-backed Shrike

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Barred Warbler

Icterine Warbler

Blyth's Reed Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Marsh Warbler, same bird
all photos © Lyndon Roberts, many thanks

The site can be so productive at peak migration times during autumn that the ringers have to resort to 'ring and fling', ie no measurements, not something GVRS has to worry about.

Check out: http://www.zin.ru/Rybachy/general.html

Many thanks Lyndon.

Sightings 17/6/11

BRISTOL:
Blaise Castle: a Marsh Tit near the Stratford Mill, 300m downstream, still present here from March/April (W Earp).

Hotwells:

17.6.11 Wren © Julian Claxton, many thanks
(not Whitethroat as we mistakenly posted earlier)

This bird has been present in a very urban part of Hotwells (without much scrub) since May.

MARSHFIELD:

17.6.11 Jay © Jamie Collins, many thanks
in the garden today

MANGOTSFIELD:

17.6.11 Pigeon fledgling? © Sarah Loaring, many thanks
we've lost our copy of 'the Fieldguide to Bedraggled-looking Birds'

PORTBURY WHARF:
30 BH Gull and a GBB Gull on the island pool of note this morning (S Hale).


CHEW VALLEY LAKE:

Aug 1992 Blue-winged Teal © Phil Baber, many thanks

Another dredge of the archives (see 15/6/11), Phil regards this one as his best field sketch of the bird at that time.

The female Blue-winged Teal and 3 drake Garganey still present at Hollow Brook, also around the lake the Goldeneye, a Hobby and 4 GBB Gull (S Davies, I Duncan).

the BW Teal & one of the Garganey © Darren Pearce, many thanks

south Glos 14/6/11:

14.6.11 young Kestrel © Rod Holbrook, many thanks
July-August should see many family parties out and about

Member info:

Do not check out this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtCCfVh9h_c&feature=related. Many thanks.

Sightings 16/6/11

PORTBURY WHARF:

16.6.11 Whitethroat © Sightings Page team, many thanks
setting new standards in bird photography.....

Estuary: a Common Sandpiper (new) and 3 Redshank.

Pools: an Oystercatcher pair re-sitting at the island, presumably the original pair whose chick seems to have perished (last seen 23 May) (S Hale).

CLEVEDON COAST:
Wain's Hill-Yeo Est: 9 Mute Swan, 55 Shelduck (+10 broods), 1 Wigeon (the injured chap), 85 Mallard, 2 Grey Heron, 6 Little Egret, 2 Sparrowhawk, 6 Oystercatcher, 2 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin (schinzii), a Bar-tailed Godwit, 48 Curlew, 4 Redshank, 25 BH Gull (1 juv), 12 Herring Gull, 2 GBB Gull, 4 Swift, 8 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 3 Rock Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, 5 Reed Warbler (Blake's pool), single Whitethroat, 2 singing Chiffchaff, 80 Crow, 2 Raven and 40+ Linnet (HE Rose).

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:

(15.6.11) the female Blue-winged Teal © John Martin, many thanks
clue: to the right of the Heron (we think)

It's such a clinching photograph that we won't be asking the Recorder for a description....

16.6.11 Kestrel © Allan Chard, many thanks

The Blue-winged Teal was still present also (A Chard).

CHEDDAR:

16.6.11 © Allan Chard, many thanks
click on pic for the aaah factor

Frenchay-Snuff Mills 14/6/11:

1 Kingfisher, 2 prs Grey Wagtail bred on river Frome, chicks seen and 2 Dipper seen at different weir locations (M Jackson).

Sightings 15/6/11

PORTBURY WHARF:
The Barn Owl was out hunting from tea-time (S Hale). Has been showing in mid-afternoon this week too.


CHEW VALLEY LAKE:
The Blue-winged Teal still present 7.45am this morning (S Davies).

Bittern Trail: 2 singing Garden Warbler.

BK Hide: the female Goldeneye, a female Hobby and a female Cuckoo.

Herriott's: a Gadwall brood and a partially leucistic Reed Warbler (all P Baber).

5.8.92 Blue-winged Teal © Phil Baber, many thanks

Here in the Sightings Page team office we like to bring club members the very latest news and pictures of what's around.

We don't have a photo of the current Blue-winged Teal just yet so we have dredged the archives and sourced a drawing sketched out by Phil Baber of a Blue-winged Teal seen at the lake way back in August 1992, but we suspect it's not the same 'returning' bird. We hope it's of some use.

How's that for quality service?

Members may also wish to check out Phil's website: http://philbaber.weebly.com/index.html

Sightings 14/6/11

BRISTOL:
Purdown:

14.6.11 juvenile Whitethroat © John Bimson, many thanks

14.6.11 adult Chiffchaff © John Bimson, many thanks

John has been checking this site quite a lot this spring, at least 4 pairs Whitethroat and 1 pair Chiffchaff all with  fledglings today.

PORTBURY WHARF:

14.6.11 newly fledged Reed Warbler © Sightings Page team

Lots of young birds of various species out and about along Wharf Lane and the boundary rhine this morning and also a few adult birds starting to sing again (S Hale).

CHEW VALLEY LAKE:

The female Blue-winged Teal still at Hollow Brook early this morning (S Davies).

Anglesey June 2011 John Thorogood

Club member John Thorogood has just got back from a short birding break in Anglesey 10-12 June and sent us some pictures.

Unfortunately, the weather was pretty awful (remember Sunday?) so John missed out on the Roseate Tern at Cemlyn pool and the Black Guillemot.

Oystercatcher © John Thorogood

Guillemot © John Thorogood
'Penthouse ledge'

Herring Gull and chicks © John Thorogood

Lesser Black-backed Gull © John Thorogood

Not many office buildings in Anglesey so here many of the gulls are forced to nest on cliffs ledges, demonstrating the adaptability of these species.

Many thanks John.