Barn Owl, Chiffchaff in Bristol
Jack Snipe at Oldbury
Brent Goose, Great White Egret at Clevedon
Eider, Waxwing, Black Redstart at Weston-Super-Mare
Red Kite, Marsh Tit at Newton St Loe
Common Scoter, Black-necked Grebe at Chew
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| Aid to identifying the Common Scoter at Chew (Gill Sapsed) |
Hanham Fields:
1 Barn Owl
Southville garden:
1 Chiffchaff
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| 12-2-17 Otter on River Frome (Jon Mortin) |
Oldbury Power Station WeBS:
5 Shelduck, 166 Wigeon, 87 Teal, 24 Mallard, 1 Peregrine, 16 Oystercatcher, 745 Lapwing,
2000 Dunlin, 1 Jack Snipe, 53 Snipe, 254 Curlew, 47 Redshank, 31 Turnstone,
New Passage/Northwick Wharf:
76 Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, 21 Shoveler, 15 Tufted Duck, 600+ Lapwing, Knot, 2000 Dunlin,
c.180 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Jay
Sea Mills & VOSA Pool:
36 Mallard, 1 Buzzard, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Dunlin, 14 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpipers, 35 Redshank, 130 BH Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 2 LBB Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Rock pipit
NORTH SOMERSET:
Clevedon, winter survey of 1 km sq at Colehouse Lane, (ST4069):
2 Grey Herons, 17 Mallard, 10 Goosanders (4 m) - 7 on a private fishing lake, 80 BH Gulls,
47 Woodpigeons, 7 Pied Wagtails
Corvids doing well - 19 Magpies, 46+ Jackdaws. 37 Starlings, 9 Goldfinches but no Chaffinch, Greenfinch or House Sparrow, which is unusual.
Clevedon-Yeo, WeBS:
2 Mute Swan, 66 Canada Goose (Dowlais at dawn), 2 Brent Goose (Dark phase), 50 Shelduck, 180 Wigeon, 50 Teal, 4 Shoveler, c.10 Mallard, 1 Great White Egret, 2 Little Egret, 28 Oystercatcher, 16 Grey Plover, 120 Lapwing, 4 Ringed Plover, 170 Curlew, 28 Turnstone, 1800 Dunlin, 150 Redshank, 20 Black-headed Gull, 8 Herring Gull, 24 Skylark, ~10 Meadow Pipit, 3 Rock Pipit
Weston-Super-Mare:
1 Eider (Marine Lake), 2 Waxwing (Plumley Park), 1 Black Redstart
BELOW M4 & BANES
Toghill Farm, 16.00:
2 Cattle Egret
Newton St Loe, WeBS:
2 Mute Swan, 31 Teal, 36 Mallard, 20 Goosander, 1 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard, 9 Moorhen, 4 Coot, 1 Common Gull, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 1 Goldcrest, 4 Coal Tit, 1 Marsh Tit, 2 Treecreeper, 100+ Redwing & Fieldfare, 3 Mistle Thrush,
10 Meadow Pipit, 10+ Goldfinch, 2 Bullfinch
Paulton:
3 Buzzard, 2 Raven, 160 Redwing, 13 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 20 Starling
RESERVOIRS:
Blagdon Lake, 11-2-17:
8 Bewick's Swan. 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Scaup, 1 m Goosander
Litton Reservoir saftie:
Chew Valley Lake:
Dam:
14 Scaup, 1 Common Scoter
Reports: Mark Coller, Jane Cumming, Rob Emery, Lee Gardiner, Patrick Hancock, Adrian Hockey, Brian Lancastle, John Martin, Jon Mortin, Darren Pearce, Julia Roberts, Harvey Rose, Tony Scott, Mrs Trellis, Wayne Tucker, blagdonlakebirds, nslbirding, opsbirding, severnsidebirds, TBOSG
New Passage/Northwick Wharf:
76 Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, 21 Shoveler, 15 Tufted Duck, 600+ Lapwing, Knot, 2000 Dunlin,
c.180 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Jay
Sea Mills & VOSA Pool:
36 Mallard, 1 Buzzard, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Dunlin, 14 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpipers, 35 Redshank, 130 BH Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 2 LBB Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Rock pipit
VOSA Pool (Hoar Gout):
1 Teal, 3 Shoveler, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Moorhen, 4 Coot
1 Teal, 3 Shoveler, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Moorhen, 4 Coot
NORTH SOMERSET:
Clevedon, winter survey of 1 km sq at Colehouse Lane, (ST4069):
2 Grey Herons, 17 Mallard, 10 Goosanders (4 m) - 7 on a private fishing lake, 80 BH Gulls,
47 Woodpigeons, 7 Pied Wagtails
Corvids doing well - 19 Magpies, 46+ Jackdaws. 37 Starlings, 9 Goldfinches but no Chaffinch, Greenfinch or House Sparrow, which is unusual.
Clevedon-Yeo, WeBS:
2 Mute Swan, 66 Canada Goose (Dowlais at dawn), 2 Brent Goose (Dark phase), 50 Shelduck, 180 Wigeon, 50 Teal, 4 Shoveler, c.10 Mallard, 1 Great White Egret, 2 Little Egret, 28 Oystercatcher, 16 Grey Plover, 120 Lapwing, 4 Ringed Plover, 170 Curlew, 28 Turnstone, 1800 Dunlin, 150 Redshank, 20 Black-headed Gull, 8 Herring Gull, 24 Skylark, ~10 Meadow Pipit, 3 Rock Pipit
Weston-Super-Mare:
1 Eider (Marine Lake), 2 Waxwing (Plumley Park), 1 Black Redstart
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| 12-2-17 Red Kite at last at NSL (Lauren Tucker) |
Toghill Farm, 16.00:
2 Cattle Egret
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| 12-2-17 Marsh Tit at NSL (Lauren Tucker) |
2 Mute Swan, 31 Teal, 36 Mallard, 20 Goosander, 1 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard, 9 Moorhen, 4 Coot, 1 Common Gull, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 1 Goldcrest, 4 Coal Tit, 1 Marsh Tit, 2 Treecreeper, 100+ Redwing & Fieldfare, 3 Mistle Thrush,
10 Meadow Pipit, 10+ Goldfinch, 2 Bullfinch
Paulton:
3 Buzzard, 2 Raven, 160 Redwing, 13 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 20 Starling
RESERVOIRS:
Blagdon Lake, 11-2-17:
8 Bewick's Swan. 2 Egyptian Geese, 2 Scaup, 1 m Goosander
Litton Reservoir saftie:
6 Mute Swan, 1 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 27 Tufted Duck, 8 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron,
13 Little Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 1 Raven, 3 Goldcrest, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 30 Starling, 12 Redwing,
13 Little Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 1 Raven, 3 Goldcrest, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 30 Starling, 12 Redwing,
2 Grey Wagtail
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| 12-2-17 Scaup at Chew (Darren Pearce) |
Dam:
14 Scaup, 1 Common Scoter
Bittern Trail:
4 Black-necked Grebe
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| Ring-billed Gull taken 13-2-12 (Keith Vinicombe) compared to this year's at Dam (Gareth Jones) |
Looking at the photos of the current adult Ring-billed Gull at the Picnic Site at Chew, it became obvious to me that I'd seen that bird before!
On 3 January 2012, an adult Ring-billed turned up at Woodford Lodge at Chew. It had an injury to its under-wing but this didn't prevent if from flying and behaving normally. Soon after its arrival, it moved to the Picnic Site, where it hung around until 23 February, when it left. It was a small bird with a weak bill, indicating it was a female.
If you compare it with the photos of the current individual, they're are absolutely 100% identical! Just compare the streaking on the head and the bird's general structure (like humans, gull have distinctive individual face patterns). I have no doubt in my mind that it's the same bird returning, five years later!
Ring-billed Gulls commute back and forth across the Atlantic! About ten years ago in Norway a ringed Ring-billed Gull started wintering - I think it returned for about seven winters. In one of the intervening summers it was actually seen back in the USA - somebody read its ring number in the field!
Indeed, we had a bird - called 'Harvey' - that returned to the overflow at Herriott's Pool ever winter for five years years (from December 1986 to March 1992) but I've never before heard of one returning to a site after such a long gap (five years). Keith Vinicombe
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