14-06-18 Thursday - Storm Hector

Temp 15 to 20℃. After Storm Hector and rain a beautiful sunny day

14-6-18 Manx Shearwater, Severn Beach (Paul Bowerman)

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Severn Beach: 

1 Storm Petrel, 1 Fulmar, 150 Manx Shearwater, 6 Gannet, 3 Curlew, 2 Kittiwake, 3 Black-headed Gull, a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, a 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull and a Great Skua.

RESERVOIRS

14-6-18 Egyptian Goose, Chew Valley Lake (TtB)

Chew Valley Lake:

1 Mute Swan & Brood, 2 Egyptian goose (Dam), 3 Shelduck & 1 Brood, 10 Pochard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Little Egret, 2 Cormorant, 8 House Martins, 6 Pied Wagtail

14-6-18 Stone Curlew, Winterbourne Down

Remember the photo of the Lesser Black-backed Gull and the trout (12th)? Ringing id now in from Peter Rock and Paul Veron (thanks guys). It shows it was Guernsey bred in spring 2014. With all other sightings (14) from CVL. It spent 5 month there in 2015, 3 months in 2016, one in 2017 and the current one.

Out of Avon:
Stone Curlew pair at Winterbourne Down have a chick

Genome sequencing project with House Martins

We have had the request below from a student at Bristol University regarding House Martins. Would you be able to help?

I am currently carrying out an MSc project at the University of Bristol investigating the migration routes of House Martins by genome sequencing the bacteria found in their faeces. If you know anyone that would be interested in getting involved I am looking for nest sites with five or more nests and swabbing the faeces underneath their nests, please contact me. 

Thank you for your time and I would really appreciate any advice, including nesting locations. Please reply to hh14486.2014@my.bristol.ac.uk

Helen Howshall

Reports: Paul Bowerman, Robert Hargreaves, Talking to Bears, Paul Taylor