07-04-19 Sunday - Whimbrel, Common Tern, Sedge Warbler

Similar pattern to yesterday - chilly at start, warming up later when sunshine arrived. 7 - 14°C

Great White Egret
Avocet, Whimbrel,  Little Ringed Plover, Spotted Redshank
Little Gull
Common Tern
Little Owl, Short-eared Owl
Sedge Warbler
Fieldfare
Wheatear, Redstart
Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail
Tree Pipit
Siskin, Redpoll

Corn Bunting

BRISTOL

Fishponds:

Update on the 'Italian' Sparrow (see blog for 30/03/19 and 04/04/19) from Larry Sweetland

'I've just been watching (presumably the same) bird showing some features of male Italian Sparrow, hanging out with the colony at the Thingwall Park Road end of Huyton Road, BS16. It seems to like the roof of the end house on left of Huyton Road, and the big hedge at the back of the end house on the right.' 

And from Allan Chard:
'The unusual Sparrow was back in the garden this afternoon. It looks a little greyer on the head but the cheeks look whiter and it seems to be developing white 'eyebrows'.'

07-04-19 Unusual Sparrow, Fishponds, Bristol (Allan Chard)

Stoke Park, Duchess Pond:
1 Willow Warbler

Finzels Reach, Bristol:
Mallard, Herring Gull, LBB Gull, 3 Peregrine, 2 Dunnock

07-04-19 Peregrine, Finzels Reach, Bristol (Richard Scantlebury)

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Oldbury Power Station:
1 Short-eared Owl,  2 Raven, 2 Peregrine, 22 Sand Martin,  26 House Martin, 17 Swallow, 2 Cetti's Warbler,1 Sedge Warbler (earliest ever for #OPSbirding by 2 days), 3 Pied Wagtail, 1 Bullfinch, 'lots' Goldfinch

Bradley Stoke - garden:
Long-tailed Tit, 4 Bullfinch (2f&2m), 2 Greenfinch (f&m), 1 Lesser Redpoll, 12 Goldfinch.

Aust Warth:

6 House Martin, 1 Wheatear

New Passage/Northwick:

Vismig count - 30 Golden Plover, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 76 House Martin, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2023 (!) Meadow Pipit, 437 Linnet, 205 Goldfinch, 9 Siskin

Northwick Warth:

1 Common / Harbour Seal showing quite well just after mid-day

Severn Beach:

1 Avocet

Bradley Stoke:
Three Brooks Reserve - at least 8 Greenfinch (Good Greenfinch numbers this year?)

NORTH SOMERSET

07-04-19 Redstart, Portbury Wharf (Paul Brian Chapman)

Portbury Wharf:
Great Crested Grebe, 1 pr Little Owl, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, 1 m Redstart  

07-04-19 Siskin, Portishead (Jason Williams)
[shot through window]

Portishead:

3 Siskin

Clevedon:

Wains Hill - vismig mostly House Martin and Meadow Pipit (no precise counts)

Dowlais in p.m. - 1 pr Shoveler, 80 + Redshank, only 1 Swallow, 1 Yellow Wagtail over going NE

Coastal strip to Yeo Estuary (combined reports) - 2 Canada Goose, 1 Greylag Goose, 100 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, 14 Wigeon, 40 Teal, 6 Tufted Duck, 9 Little Egret, 9 (7 at sluice across Yeo at Yeo Bank Farm), 35 Oystercatcher, Lapwing, 2 Grey Plover, 80 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel (with Curlew at mouth of Yeo, one day earlier than last year), 12 Turnstone, 1 Knot, 1 Common Sandpiper, 160 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 LBB Gull,  12 + later 28  Swallow, 60 House Martin, 2 Sand Martin, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 White Wagtail, approx 110 Meadow Pipit

Also - Green-veined White and Comma

Yeo Estuary -  5 Swallow, 3 House Martin,  3 Sand Martin, 1 Wheatear, 'Meadow Pipits moving'

Tickenham Moor

Flock of 30+ Linnet

Sand Point:
3 House Martin, Willow Warbler 1 Tree Pipit, 'Meadow Pipit moving',  Redpoll, Siskin

 Uphill:
1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow, Chiffchaff, 1  Yellow Wagtail (heard only),  'Meadow Pipits and finches  moving'

Yatton:
Wemberham Lane -  Fieldfare - 1 in morning, then 24 at 5.00 pm
Garden - 1 m  Blackcap at feeder

Observer asks: 'Is this a late wintering bird or are breeding Blackcaps now coming to garden feeders?'

BELOW M4 & BANES

07-04--19 Wheatear, Marshfield (Peter Coslett)

Marshfield:
100 mixed LBB/ Herring Gull,12 Stock Dove, 1 Peregrine (over West Littleton) ,20 Sky Lark, 1 Swallow,  1 Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, a few Linnet , 30 Corn Bunting, 10 Yellowhammer

RESERVOIRS

07-04-19 Lesser Scaup, Holt Bay, Blagdon (David Hughes)

Blagdon Lake:
2 Great White Egret (Top End), 1 Lesser Scaup (still in Holt Bay)

Chew Valley Lake

Lots of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and a few Willow Warbler around the lake

07-04-19 Meadow Pipit, CVL (David Hughes)

Dam:
1 Common Sandpiper,2 White Wagtails,plenty of Hirundines mainly Sand Martins and Swallows
but also a few House Martins.2 Meadow Pipits on the main dam

Woodford Bank
4 Little Gull, 1 Common Tern in evening

Stratford:
1 Reed Warbler singing

Herriott's inc Pool:

07-04-19 White-cheeked Pintail, CVL (David Hughes)
{Will this help in tracing this bird?]

Reports:  Rich Andrews, Paul Bowerman, Des Bowring, Karle Burford, Paul Chapman, Allan Chard, Peter Coslett, Stephen Curtis, Barry Dursley,  Paul Gregory, Peter Hazelwood,  Matt Hobbs, Adrian Hockey,  David Hughes,  Brian Lancastle,  Mike Prior, Harvey Rose, Vic Savery, Richard Scantlebury, Larry Sweetland, Howard Taffs, Jason Williams