Before going to the meeting of the local RSPB group, Keith and I had a walk along the riverfront at Gravesend. Good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank along with a little Egret.
The second day of our trip to the West Country was going to be mostly travel, but we started the morning at Winterbourne Downs for another attempt to locate the elusive Stone Curlew. Sadly again we were unlucky. But we did see a number of Hummingbird hawk moths and a Brown Hare.
From here we made our way to our base for the next two weeks. The cottage is on the edge of Bodmin Moor near Camelford. Delightful, it is in a wooded valley and we have a running river at the end of the garden. As Sue went out into the garden Sue flushed a Dipper from the river which flew off. Hopefully, we will see it again during our stay. The trees surrounding the garden are busy with birds: Coal and Great Tits plus Robin and Nuthatch. An overflying Raven adds to our late afternoon enjoyment of the garden.
The weather this morning could not have been more different to yesterday. Crisp and clear and with the sun shining. I decide to take a walk around RSPB Lodmoor, the local nature reserve. But first a stop at the Oasis Cafe at Overcombe on Weymouth Bay, where a Red-Necked Grebe had been seen the previous evening. But sadly, it is not to be seen this morning. The marshes at Lodmoor are separated from Weymouth Bay by the coast road and the first thing that strikes me is a large number of Common Snipe that can be seen sunning themselves in open view (By the time I had completed the walk I must have seen over 20 of this normally secretive wader).
Other species present include a number of ducks together with a group of Canada Geese and a single Brent Goose. There were 2 Black-tailed Godwits and a group of around 20 Dunlin. On the north side of the reserve, I got a quick view of 2 Bearded Reedlings, but there was no sign of the Greater Scaup which has been wintering on the pools here.
Canada Geese with Brent Goose (on right)
Robin (left), Teal (top right) and Black-tailed Godwit (bottom right)
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Brent Goose [sp] (Branta bernicla)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Little Grebe [sp] (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Great Snipe (Gallinago media)
Black-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa limosa)
Dunlin [sp] (Calidris alpina)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull [sp] (Larus canus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Bearded Reedling [sp] (Panurus biarmicus)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush [sp] (Turdus philomelos)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris)
Common Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)
A bright morning and I am on the coach with the local RSPB group on my way to Titchwell, a RSPB reserve on the North Norfolk Coast. It promises to be a good day as there have been some excellent records during the week.
On arrival, I make my way to the beach. There has been a large flock of sea-duck off-shore including over 100 Velvet Scoter. In the good sunlight, it proves easy to identify them and a flock of 30 or so is soon seen in flight as they move along the coast giving views of the white wing bars which are the key identifying feature. In amongst this flock and some which don’t have wing-bars – Common Scoter. There are also a large group of Long-tailed Ducks. Sadly, the Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes of the previous day were not present (I learnt later that they had moved a few miles down the coast to Holme).
Velvet Scoter. Photo by Tony Morris (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonymorris/)
Long-Tailed Duck. Photo by Sergey Yeliseev (https://www.flickr.com/photos/yeliseev/)
Having exhausted the sea, I begin to make my way back through the reserve looking at the various lagoons and saltmarsh which stretch out either side of the path. There is a good selection of waders and ducks present.
Golden Plover
Shelduck
Grey Plover and Redshank
Oystercatcher
Brent Geese
Teal
My final stop is the reed-bed and the woodland where a few more species were added. On the way back some of the group found a Water rail in a ditch and we were able to get quick glimpses as it slipped away through the undergrowth and a party of Pink-Footed Geese flew which over on their way to roost.
Robin
Pink-footed Geese
An excellent day with over 60 species seen.
Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus)
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Brant Goose [sp] (Branta bernicla)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca)
Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra)
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)
Common Goldeneye [sp] (Bucephala clangula)
Little Grebe [sp] (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Great Crested Grebe [sp] (Podiceps cristatus)
Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta)
Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk [sp] (Accipiter nisus)
Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
Water Rail [sp] (Rallus aquaticus)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria)
Grey Plover [sp] (Pluvialis squatarola)
Black-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa limosa)
Bar-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa lapponica)
Eurasian Curlew [sp] (Numenius arquata)
Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
Ruddy Turnstone [sp] (Arenaria interpres)
Red Knot [sp] (Calidris canutus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Rook [sp] (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Eurasian Skylark [sp] (Alauda arvensis)
Cetti’s Warbler [sp] (Cettia cetti)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush [sp] (Turdus philomelos)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris)
Eurasian Siskin (Carduelis spinus)
Common Linnet [sp] (Carduelis cannabina)
Parkland surrounding Launde Abbey
Whilst we were staying at Launde Abbey, we managed, on the days when the weather allowed, to go for some walks in the deer park. As might be expected, in this type of habitat, the wildlife is not numerous especially during winter but a pair of Ravens was a pleasing find as was a Nuthatch sitting in a tree first seen by Sue. Robins and Blackbirds were most numerous species in the gardens.
Nuthatch
Blackbird
Robin
Raven. Photo by Daniel Plumer (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dlplumer/)
Each evening a Tawny Owl could be heard calling from the small wood in the gardens.
One final good record was as we were leaving to return home we flushed two Fieldfares from the roadside where they had been feeding.
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Stock Dove [sp] (Columba oenas)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Tawny Owl [sp] (Strix aluco)
European Green Woodpecker [sp] (Picus viridis)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Rook [sp] (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Northern Raven [sp] (Corvus corax)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Eurasian Nuthatch [sp] (Sitta europaea)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
Recently voted again as the Uk’s most popular bird, the Robin is an inquisitive garden bird, sometimes referred to as the ‘gardeners friend’ due to them appearing when people are gardening and taking up watch from nearby bushes or trees (presumably on the lookout for any food disturbed by the gardener).
There are estimated to be close to 9 million breeding terretories in the UK.
RSPB Pulborough Brooks in the Arun Valley
A chance to get out of London and spend a day with my local RSPB group at the RSPB reserve at Pulborough Brooks. The reserve is situated in the Arun river valley in West Sussex and consists of the traditional flood meadows of the river together with an area of heathland and woodland. I have visited here before but only in the summer to look for, or perhaps more accurately listen, for Nightengales.
Heathland and Woodlands at Pulborough Brooks reserve
I started with a short walk in the woodland. There were plenty of common small birds around and I was pleased to find a Goldcrest in the tree-tops.
Robin
Woodpigeon
From here I proceeded down into the river valley. It was quickly clear that, as has been the case all winter, the numbers of waterbirds are down this year. Wigeon were the commonest species along with Shoveller and some Pintail and Teal made up the species of duck seen.
Eurasian Wigeon
Wading birds too were in low numbers, both in terms of species – only Lapwing and Snipe were seen, and in absolute numbers.
Common Snipe
In previous winters, this has been a place to see White-fronted Geese and Bewick’s Swans, but neither has been reported here recently and only Canada Geese with a single Greylag were present. Despite the apparent lack of birds I still saw 48 species, which is a reasonable total for a day and it was a crisp sunny winter’s day for a nice walk in lovely countryside.
Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Common Snipe [sp] (Gallinago gallinago)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull (Larus canus canus)
Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos major)
European Green Woodpecker [sp] (Picus viridis)
Eurasian Jay [sp] (Garrulus glandarius)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Coal Tit [sp] (Periparus ater)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Goldcrest [sp] (Regulus regulus)
Eurasian Nuthatch [sp] (Sitta europaea)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush [sp] (Turdus philomelos)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
European Stonechat [sp] (Saxicola rubicola)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris)
European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)
Common Linnet [sp] (Carduelis cannabina)
Common Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)
Popped into Sutcliffe Park Local Nature reserve this morning for a quick visit to see what was present on the marsh.
The river is in flood due to all the rain we have had (this is the main reason the wetland was created to be a flood-plain for the river). So it was difficult to pick your way round the edges avoiding the very boggy bits.
Spent a lot of time scouring the channels in the marsh looking for Snipe (regular) and Green Sandpiper (seen earlier in the week) but to no avail. Some of the more common residents were still to be seen though.
Robin
Coot
Tufted Duck
Mallard
The highlight of the visit was a group of 5 Common Gulls on the Athletics field. Despite it’s name it is not that common locally.
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull (Larus canus canus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii)
A morning walk on the London Wildlife Trust reserve at Braeburn Park in Crayford.
Braeburn Park has a chequered history. Much of the latter half of the last century it was a gravel extraction works, which was then used for Landfill. Part of the site was used by a gun club. The site was then purchased by a developer and a housing estate was built. As part of the building permission the land surrounding the extractions to the north, south and west had to be developed as a nature reserve.
The London Wildlife trust took over the management last year and this was a chance to look around to see what had been accomplished in the last year and what the trust saw as the vision for the future.The part of the reserve that we explored was to the north of the housing estate. It consists of scrub, woodland and the remains of some extraction pits,
There were good numbers of Chiffchaff calling and some good views were seen. Blackcaps were heard by some people but were elusive to view. Other common birds were also present in good numbers. Unfortunately the resident Bullfinches did not put in an appearance. Tony, our guide told us this was one of the few places in London where you could still find this species.
Chifchaff
Greenfinch
Robin
The real rarities found on the reserve are the invertebrate life. We stopped in an area of sand bank to see the solitary bees and wasps which use them to burrow the holes in which they lay their eggs. There are about 8-10 species present here and some of them are quite rare.
Sandbanks – an important habitat on the reserve
Holes in bank made by solitary bees and wasps to lay their eggs
Large White, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies were seen along with Buff-tailed Bumblebee.
peacock Butterfly
Small Tortoiseshell (archive photo)
It is still a project very much in progress but this visit demonstrated that it does have a potential to be developed into a quality nature reserve.
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia)
Stock Dove [sp] (Columba oenas)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri)
Great Spotted Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos major)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Common Chiffchaff [sp] (Phylloscopus collybita)
Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush [sp] (Turdus philomelos)
Mistle Thrush [sp] (Turdus viscivorus)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris)
Large White (Pieris brassicae)
Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)
Small Tortoiseshell [sp] (Aglais urticae)
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
In the afternoon we visit the RSPB reserve at Minsmere. This is one of the premier birdwatching sites in the UK most notably because of its position on the east coast and because of the way it manages to combine a number of different habitats (heathland; freshwater lake; reedbed; marsh; woodland; coast) in one area. As we are in the area for a few days we decide to break it into two sections and do one today and one tomorrow. Today we concentrate on the heath, marsh and the coast. There has been some maintenance work in progress over the winter to install a new protective fence for the nesting birds on the mud-flats and this has probably reduced the numbers of wading birds which have wintered here this year, so it is quieter than I would have expected.
During the lunch-time sun a peacock butterfly makes an appearance, my first butterfly of the year
Peacock Butterfly
From the dunes looking over the marsh I can just make out a distant Spoonbill. Once rare these birds are now being seen with increasing frequency in Southern England.
Spoonbill
Photo by Fabio Gismundi (https://www.flickr.com/photos/fabiogis50/)
On the Mud-flats are several Avocets along with some Oystercatchers.
Marsh and Mud-flats
Avocets and Shelduck
Oystercatcher
There are also a number of Little Egrets, another bird which was rare 10 years ago but is now nesting in many places in southern England.
Little Egret
On the heath the song-birds are beginning to sing with the resident Dunnocks and Robins to the fore. It will not be many weeks now before the summer visitors have arrived to swell the chorus.
Heathland at Minsmere
Robin
On the coast there is little to see apart from some Herring Gulls and two distant Red-Throated Divers flying out to sea as they make their way north to their breeding grounds
Coastal sand Dunes at Minsmere
Red-Throated Diver
Photo by Noel Reynolds (https://www.flickr.com/photos/29237715@N05/)
Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus)
Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca)
Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
Eurasian Spoonbill [sp] (Platalea leucorodia)
Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta)
Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus)
Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo)
Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra)
Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus)
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Eurasian Curlew [sp] (Numenius arquata)
Common Redshank [sp] (Tringa totanus)
Ruddy Turnstone [sp] (Arenaria interpres)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus)
Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus)
Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus)
Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica)
Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula)
Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone)
Marsh Tit [sp] (Poecile palustris)
Great Tit [sp] (Parus major)
Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Eurasian Skylark [sp] (Alauda arvensis)
Cetti’s Warbler [sp] (Cettia cetti)
Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus)
Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris)
Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula)
Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis)
Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba)
Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)
European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris)
European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)
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