Bird Summary - February 2016

February 2016 Bird Summary

 Some windier days early on produced a few seabird records.

Swans, Geese & Ducks

A Brent Goose was at New Passage 1^st-14^th and there was a mobile flock of up to 16 Barnacle Goose at CVL/BL. Up to 2 Scaup at CVL and 7 Common Scoter were off Severn Beach (21^st). Goldeneye max 43 at CVL, but very few Goosander seen here due to high water levels.

Exotics: 1 Red-breasted Goose at CVL 6^th,  2 Bar-headed Goose at Backwell Lake 14^th/19^th, Egyptian Goose at CVL/BL and the Keynsham river Avon,  up to 5  Muscovy Duck at Eastville Lake, 8 Mandarin Duck at Tortworth Lake  and the long-staying Wood Duck at Winterbourne pond up to 21^st.

Grebes

3 Black-necked Grebe at Blagdon all month and Great Crested Grebe were widely displaying at CVL by the end of the month.

Herons & Allies

1 Bittern at CVL on 4 dates, 1 at BL on 10^th, 1 Great White Egret at Uphill (18^th) – this species abandoned the lakes with the rising water levels.

Notable Little Egret counts: up 21 at Backwell Lake, up to 19 at CVL and 20 at Littleton Warth.

3 flyover Crane at Severn Beach/Oldbury on 23^rd.

Raptors

2 Red Kite at Hawkesbury Upton (27^th), 1 at Hambrook (27^th) and 1 at Easter Compton (28^th). 1 Marsh Harrier at Worle (16^th). Merlin at Portbury Wharf (4^th), New Passage (12^th), Sand Bay (19^th) and Marshfield (23^rd/24^th).

Up to 3 Short-eared Owl were at Uphill, often giving superb views.

Waders

5 Avocet were at Clevedon coast (12^th), up to 8 Purple Sandpiper resident at Portishead and a noteworthy 248 Snipe at Oldbury. Other common wader numbers were ordinary.

Gulls

2 Little Gull at Severn Beach (8^th), up to 8 Mediterranean Gull in the CVL roost, 300 Kittiwake at Oldbury (1^st) and smaller flocks at Severnside on later dates.

Seabirds

1 Fulmar off Severn Beach (8^th), 1 Storm Petrel at Oldbury (8^th),  1 Gannet at New Passage (1^st), 4 Great Skua at Severn Beach (8^th), 1 at Oldbury (8^th).

Warblers & Crests

Up to 2 Firecrest showed at Eastville on many dates, singles at Sand Pt (11^th) and Hengrove (22^nd).The wintering Siberian Chiffchaff was reported at CVL 9^th/12^th/20^th, usually around the BH hide area. 2 Dartford Warbler remained at Sand Bay, but 3 here on 18^th.

Thrushes

Numbers very low, 150 Fieldfare, and 110 Redwing were the best single counts recorded.

Sparrow & Black Redstart

Up to 2 Black Redstart at Oldbury Power Station, 1 at St Werburgh’s on 13^th.

1 Tree Sparrow in a Chew Magna garden on 26^th.

Wagtail & Pipit

Up to 5 Water Pipit were regular at Northwick Warth, smaller numbers reported from Littleton Warth, Sand Bay and CVL.

Finches & Buntings

Finch numbers generally poor, especially Brambling which has been very scarce this winter, just a few noted at Portishead, Blagdon and Burnett.

1 Mealy Redpoll seen at Portbury Wharf 4^th/9^th, 1 flyover Crossbill at Clevedon (23^rd). 800 Linnet and 300 Yellowhammer at Marshfield, but hardly any Corn Bunting reported, perhaps they are too numerous.