Sightings 25/5/12

Away birding in Norfolk 26 May - 2 June, we'll post any important sightings to the Twitter box. Please continue to send stuff in to Wendy, we'll catch up with everything next week. Thanks for your patience.


Downend (Bristol):
A flyover Red Kite at the Cleeve Hill locality 6.20pm to north, mobbed by a Crow (K Williams).

Arnos Vale (Bristol):
A flyover Red Kite late afternoon at the BioBlitz event (A Rhodes).

Thornbury:
A flyover Red Kite 2pm (M Plenty).

Bath area:
11.50am: 4 Red Kite circling over Charlecombe
12.15pm: 2 more Red Kite over the Lansdown Rd-Beckford Tower area and a tatty bird a few minutes later and another Red Kite after that (all D Angell).
6 or 7 birds even allowing for some duplication.

St George's Wharf:
Over this morning's tide: 6 Oystercatcher, 11 Ringed Plover, a Sanderling, 7 Dunlin, 1 Whimbrel and 6 Curlew (CJ Stone).

Portbury Wharf NR:

25.5.12 Greylag Goose
also a Common Sandpiper on the island margins

25.5.12 Great-crested Grebes displaying this evening
video clip HERE

It seems the long-staying bird was joined by a mate today.

Kenn Moor:

25.5.12 Swallow © Higgy
lots on the moor at the moment apparently

Clevedon coast:
Wain's Hill-Yeo Est 9am-12.30pm: 90 Shelduck, 6 Little Egret, 16 Oystercatcher, 35 Ringed Plover, 16 Lapwing, a Sanderling (Yeo Est), 50 Dunlin, 8 Whimbrel, 5 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 6 Raven, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Sedge Warbler, 14 Reed Warbler and a Rock Pipit (S Sanins).

Weston STW:
The Great Reed Warbler still on site. Also here, 18 Mute Swan, a Lapwing and a Cuckoo (A Hockey).

North Petherton (Somerset):
A flyover Red Kite 2.15pm near the M5 junction (J Hatch).


Kite update: from Dick Forsman via Brian Lancastle:

'Looks like a juv Red Kite with an exceptionally abraded tail (missing probably 2 inches from the tip). The colour of the tail and the rest of the plumage, as well as the wing-formula all suggest Red Kite, but the ongoing primary moult makes the wing-tip look odd, as if broader than in "normal" RKs'. 
Many thanks Brian.


Poland - May 2012:
Some pics sent in by Lyn Loder, eastern Poland earlier this month:-

Black Stork

Caspian Gull

Nutcracker

Red-backed Shrike

Serin © all photos, Lyn Loder
very many thanks

Pygmy Owl © Wayne Middlemist
also Poland, around same time

Sightings 24/5/12

Grey Partridges at Portbury Wharf: several requests for these birds, map with general area HERE

Parking in Wharf Lane by the Avon Wildlife Trust sign, take the new gravel path past the Portaloo for about 100yds, birds are normally in the field to the left. Grass well up now so sightings a bit hit and miss but they do seem to like feeding in the more open grassy track across the field where a recent water pipe has been laid (obvious when you see it).

YouTube clip taken this morning HERE

24.5.12 Grey Partridge (left) © Lyn Loder

24.5.12 Fox © John Rickard
'mousing' in one of the fields

That Kite: the consensus of opinion from birders who contacted us and also chatter from the various internet birding sites (principally BirdForum and our own Bristol Wildlife Group) is that this bird is a Red Kite, albeit an individual in very tatty plumage.

Particular thanks to finder Dave Horlick for getting the pics out so quickly so that the debate could be had and to everyone else for help clearing up the mystery and....let's not forget....confirming Dave's original identification....!
If there any unexpected developments, we'll let you know.

(23.5.12) Red Kite © Dave Horlick
on Walton Common yesterday afternoon

St George's Wharf:

24.5.12 Rock Pipit
a Whimbrel and a BH Gull at the shoreline this evening also

Bradley Stoke:

Three Brooks NR: 3 Tufted Duck and a singing Lesser Whitethroat of note (S Emery).

North Somerset:
A Barn Owl pair bred, 3 chicks.

Yatton:
Strawberry line: 1 Cuckoo, 2 Cetti's Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat, 7 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 12 Reed Warbler, 5 Sedge Warbler and 6 Bullfinch (T Riddle).

Barrow Tanks:

24.5.12 Shelduck brood, 11 in all © Chris Stone
also here, 3 Barnacle Goose and an adult Yellow-legged Gull

Weston STW:

24.5.12 Great Reed Warbler © Allan Chard
it first turned up on 19 May

Meare Heath (Somerset):

4 flyover White Stork to west 1pm. Other stuff, a Garganey pair, the 2 Temminck's Stint still on the scrape, 2 Dunlin plus the usual backdrop of Bittern and Great White Egret and Godwits etc (J Thorogood).

24.5.12 Bittern

24.5.12 Crane

24.5.12 Great White Egret

24.5.12 Temminck's Stint
all photos © Allan Chard

Sightings 23/5/12

Portishead:
A flyover Red Kite 10.25am, heading for the Gordano valley-Portbury Wharf (N Tucker).


Walton Common (Gordano valley):

23.5.12 Red Kite? © Dave Horlick
on Walton Common this afternoon

Some comments coming in that this could be a Black Kite....we'll post the consensus of opinion when it has emerged. More pics on Flicker HERE

Portbury Wharf NR:

23.5.12 Whitethroat © John Rickard

23.5.12 Speckled Wood © John Rickard
(not to be confused with the Speckled Jim we posted recently)

Morning joy: quiet but spiritually uplifting with 3 Lesser Whitethroat of note along wharf lane.
Evening delirium: a Teal pair on the main pool and the Oystercatcher pair have hatched at least 1 chick.

23.5.12 Oystercatcher © Barry Bradford

Saltford:

A flyover Red Kite 4.20pm, flew south-east towards Bath (C Vines).

Sand Bay:
5 Ringed Plover and 10 Dunlin this evening (A Hockey).

Weston STW:
The Great Reed Warbler still present this morning.

Siberia:
It seems a bit quiet today so here are some pics sent in by a Russian (ringing) birder via Lyndon Roberts. Unfortunately Misha didn't say what the birds are so we're only posting the ones we think we've managed to identify.

Lake Baikal, Siberia

Citrine Wagtail

Siberian Rubythroat

White's Thrush

We've loads of LBJ's if anyone is feeling brave....let us know!

Finland Birds - Paul Chapman

Paul not long back from a short birding trip to Finland and sent in these highlight photos and summary:-

all photos © Paul Chapman
very many thanks Paul

“Over the weekend (Friday to Monday), I spent a few days in Finland targeting some of the specialities. We were based at Oulu and then Kuusamo with a guide from Finnature. 

It was a very successful trip that succeeded in seeing juvenile and adult Tengmalm’s Owls, a female Great Grey Owl on its nest and Ural Owl in addition to Three-toed and Black Woodpeckers, Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit.  

Over 100 species were seen with Hazel and Willow Grouse the best of the rest but breeding plumaged Red-necked Grebe, Black-throated Diver and Red-necked Phalarope as well as other northern species were a good supporting cast. 

A return trip (perhaps in the winter) will be needed for Hawk Owl and at that time of year, a Santa Claus sighting is also a possibility – albeit that would only be a year tick.”

Sightings 22/5/12

(21.5.12) Cream-coloured Courser © Kev Joynes
very many thanks

(21.5.12) Cream-coloured Courser © John Martin

The bird which turned up out of the blue at Bradnor Hill in Herefordshire yesterday.....heaven knows how it managed to fly over our own Northwick Warth without stopping..... which is currently in prime 'Cream-coloured Courser' condition! Many thanks Kev and John.

Great White Egrets: nesting at Shapwick Heath, details on the SOS notice board HERE


Chipping Sodbury GC:

22.5.12 Mandarin Duck family © Wilf King

Oldbury Power Station:

Quiet around the site, 5 Mute Swan downriver, 9 Canada Goose + 2 goslings, 2 Oystercatcher, a Whimbrel, a BH Gull and 2 Cuckoo (A Middleton).

Aust:

22.5.12 Raven © Vic Savery

Avonmouth:

Square pool: a Gadwall and 7 Tufted Duck.

St George's Wharf:

25 Canada Goose (chapel pill section), 1 Gadwall, a Tufted Duck pair, 7 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 3 Whimbrel, 10 Curlew, 4 BH Gull and 2 Reed Warbler (CJ Stone).

Portbury Wharf NR:

22.5.12 Kestrel © Barry Bradford

22.5.12 the long-staying GC Grebe, main pool this afternoon
a hunting Hobby here also

Clevedon coast:

22.5.12 Ringed Plover and Dunlin © Higgy
Kingston Seymour seawall today

Wain's Hill-Yeo Est 7.30-11.30am: 1 Greylag Goose (Yeo), 110 Shelduck, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Egret, 18 Oystercatcher, 15 Ringed Plover, 10 Lapwing, 6 Dunlin, 17 Whimbrel, 10 Curlew, 3 Greenshank (Yeo), 4 Redshank, 2 Short-eared Owl, 3 Cetti's Warbler, a Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Rock Pipit (S Sanins).

Sightings 21/5/12

Marshfield:
1 Buzzard, 12 Swallow, 4 Skylark, 11 Yellowhammer and 1 Corn Bunting (W King).

Portbury Wharf NR:

(20.5.12) Raptor sp © John Rickard

Many thanks for the feedback, everyone went for Marsh Harrier, not a patch tick but a very unusual bird for here.

Some film footage of the Grey Partridges, taken early this morning using USAAF stealth technology and the Cap of Hades, HERE

21.5.12 Reed Warbler © John Rickard
by the D'Arcy hide this afternoon, loads along the rhyne

Portishead:

21.5.12 Purple Sandpiper, late for here
also 16 Mute Swan on the boating lake

Walton Down (Gordano valley):
A flyover Hobby this evening (A Waygood).

Clevedon:

21.5.12 partial albino Blackbird © Andrew Waygood
at the entrance to the golf course

Nailsea:

21.5.12 Great Spotted Woodpecker © Mike Thomas

Weston STW:

The Great Reed Warbler still present this morning (W Earp).

Somerset levels:
Allan out and about on the levels today:

21.5.12 Goldcrest

21.5.12 Cuckoo

21.5.12 4-Spotted Chaser © all photos, Allan Chard