It was very gloomy in the park this afternoon but quite mild. I could hear lots of bird activity but saw very little.
The best of the (poor) photos was a grey heron coming in to land.
Grey wagtail
Robin
Blue tit
Grey heron
Grey heron
Grey heron
Grey heron
I had an hour to kill between appointments in Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol and so went on to Durdham Down (an area of public open space in Bristol) for a spot of nature watching.
I had intended to look for peregrines but only managed a short walk (more like a scramble really) through a gully in Avon Gorge.
I saw lots of robins but, to my frustration, didn’t get a single shot, However I did manage a few shots of a song thrush (hiding between two trees) and a nuthatch which was at some distance.
Song Thrush
Nuthatch
Not great photos, I know, but good for the record.
I also saw the wild goats which have been introduced into the gully to restore wildflower-rich grassland and help rare plants by controlling scrub, bramble and ivy.
A few of the wildflowers were already in flower.
I have learned over the years (I’m a slow learner) that if you want decent photos you need decent light. Well today I went down to the Severn Estuary in the most dismal light because I had seen reported that there was a Little Ringed Plover on the Pilning Wetlands; and LRPs are one of my favourite birds. Although, I’m probably going to change my mind about “favourite birds” as a fellow birder said that to me this morning that his favourite bird was “the next one” – a very good adage indeed.
Well I did manage to see it but, not surprisingly, I did struggle to get a decent photo.
Little ringed plover
Little ringed plover
I started at Aust Warth to see if I could see a short eared owl but had no luck. There was a kestrel but it only ever showed me a rear view.
Rear view of kestrel
When I arrived at New Passage the tide had already gone too far out for me to really record anything of interest. I could see redshank, black-tailed godwits and turnstones. Others saw a ruff.
I’ve included this photo of redshank to show how dismal it was!
Redshank
I walked out to Pilning Wetlands and soon saw my little ringed plover. I also enjoyed watching pied wagtails flit about and I made feeble attempts to photograph them at a distance in poor light.
Pied wagtail
The previously mentioned birder helpfully pointed out with his telescope a male merlin and, although it was quite some way away, I did manage to get some shots.
Merlin after heavy cropping
In fact this is what it looked like (if you look hard) with 800 mm lens:
Little grebe
Shoveler
Teal with pied wagtail for size comparison
Meadow pipts having a bath
Not a brilliant day for photographs but I met several friendly birders and saw quite a few birds; and so, quite a successful morning.
The wind and rain have let up for a moment and, although it was a dismal morning, I enjoyed getting out for a short walk across to Stoke Park.
I was hoping to see some stonechats and a little grebe which had been reported but I didn’t even get a glimpse.
Duchess Pond was full to the brim and there were mallards, moorhen, coots and Canada geese. Rather menacingly 4 buzzards circled overhead and squabbled and mewed amongst themselves but they didn’t bother anything else. I could see ravens in the distance over the woods. A green woodpecker also flew over and a solitary black-headed gull swooped quite close to me.
The best of the morning was a chiffchaff – my first of this year. A few people on Twitter have suggested it is a Siberian Chiffchaff and this has now been confirmed.
Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Siberian Chiffchaff
Buzzards
Black-headed gull
I have spent some of my time in the last few days (whilst the wet and windy weather has not been conducive to getting out and about) cataloguing the birds I have seen on recent trips to Southern Africa. None of these trips have been specifically “bird watching” trips but I have found plenty of time and opportunity to keep me fulfilled.
Gallery of some of the birds I have seen recently in Southern Africa
Here are some of the links to pages I have created (which are also on the menu system under Additional Links):
My catalogue of Birds of Southern Africa.
Gallery of birds of the Western Cape
Slideshow gallery of the birds of Namibia and Zimbabwe
I have even found some photographs from 2011 (when I was not particularly interested in bird watching) – see Birds in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens – March 2011
I am sure I have misidentified many birds and I even have a section of birds which I am still to identify. If you are able to correct me or assist me I would be very pleased to hear from you either through this WordPress Blog or by email martintayler@hotmail.com
After days of strong winds and rain it was a pleasure to get out this morning. Although the wind was still quite fresh it was very pleasant in the sun.
The highlight of this morning’s walk around the park was a treecreeper. I had a good few sightings of a kingfisher but didn’t manage a photo. There were a pair of grey wagtails, a wren, a grey heron and robins everywhere. The Canada Geese on the lake were quite tetchy as they begin to pair up.
Wren
Robin
Grey heron
Grey heron
Canada Geese
Pair of grey wagtails
Treecreeper
Lesser black-backed gull
Grey wagtail
Following the incredibly (unseasonable) warm spell last week we were blasted by Storm Freya over the weekend. I thought I was being rather brave this morning going down to New Passage on the Severn Estuary (between the two Severn Bridges) but in fact it was not too cold or blustery and I had an enjoyable hour or two watching lots of waders feeding and flying around as the time ebbed.
Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Shelduck
Redshank one way
And then redshank the other way
And then redshank on the ground
… and close ups
Wigeon
Turnstone
2 turnstones
Teal
Curlew
Wigeon
Turnstone and redshank
Dunlin and redshank
Black-tailed godwits
Lots of waders
A lone gull
With the last of the amazingly unseasonable weather forecast for today we decided to go to the seaside. Not the normal sort of seaside but the lovely peninsula of Sand Point on the Bristol Channel (only 30 miles from home).
The National Trust website describes it as follows:
The stunning stretch of coastline around Sand Point and Middle Hope sits north of Weston-Super-Mare. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of North Somerset, and it’s a wonderful place for a picnic, as the views are spectacular.
And so we took a picnic (or at least a few sandwiches and some fruit from the local supermarket).
We were so confident of the weather that neither of us took a coat. And so good was the weather (sunny all day and at least 16 C – as high as the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain) that as I write this blog I can even feel the effects of sunburn on my face
No coats needed today
I was surprised that I did not see much vegetation to reflect the lovely weather (as I had seen in our local urban park the day before) but I suppose this peninsula is generally very exposed to the elements and nature knows what’s best for itself. Nor were there many birds but fortunately we did see a pair of stone chats and 2 rock pipits and regularly heard skylarks. At sea there were a pair of herring gulls and a dozen or so black-headed gulls. The only thing to reflect the warm weather was a Red Admiral butterfly (much too quick for my photographic skills).
The sea looked like the Mediterranean
Wonderful sunshine all day, but misty at sea; so we were deprived the views of South Wales
A herring gull was the first bird we saw
Mr Stonechat
Mrs Stonechat
One of two rock pipits
Rock pipit
Black-headed gull
Back at the (sheltered) car park there was a blue tit feeding off a tree which was beginning to blossom.
Catkins at the car park
Gorse on the peninsula
Record temperatures for February were recorded in Britain today at over 20 degrees. I only had a brief walk across to the local park and there was lots of evidence of an early spring with the blackthorn looking really special.
I didn’t see many birds but I saw later in the day that lots had been spotted. I must have been idling in the sun.
It looks inviting, doesn’t it? You have to walk under a motorway though.
It’s hard to believe it is only February.
The blackthorn blossom is beautiful
The bull rushes were spreading their seeds in the gentle breeze
The Canada Geese were enjoying the sun too although they were occasionally agressive to each other.
The trees know it’s only February – no signs of buds yet
Rather excited by spotting a Sparrowhawk in our local park we decided, as it was such an amazing day for February (or indeed any month), that we would go further afield and try to see some other raptors. And so we went in search of peregrine falcons or goshawks at Symonds Yat on the edge of the Forest of Dean. (As I said in an earlier blog the removal of tolls on the Severn Bridge will entice us across the Severn Estuary more and more).
Even at 10 o’clock in the morning it was beautifully sunny and quite warm. However, as we descended towards the Severn Estuary we were suddenly shrouded in fog. It was very foggy as we crossed the bridge but as we drove up through the Wye Valley the fog started to lift and we stopped for a while at Tintern Abbey.
Tintern Abbey in the fog
The River Wye in the fog
The fog began to lift on the River Wye
Yet when we got to Symonds Yat Rock, even at a higher altitude, the woods were totally enveloped in fog. We could see nothing other than very atmospheric woods.
The woods at Symonds Yat Rock
Just as we were leaving Symonds Yat Rock the sun broke through for a moment and we were rewarded with the sight of a small number of coal tits.
Coal tit
Back down in the Wye Valley it was really sunny and we stopped again at Tintern Abbey (indeed it was warm enough to sit outside a café and have an ice cream!). There were a few birds around (robins, dunnock and blue tits) and much to my surprise I spotted a couple of Goosanders fishing in the River Wye.
The remains of Tintern Abbey
Robin
Dunnock
Goosander
We stopped at Aust on the way back to see if we could see short-eared owls but there was nothing to be seen.
Not many birds, and certainly no raptors, but a wonderful day out.
It was a beautiful sunny day and there were lots of photographers in the park this afternoon but we all decided that it was not going to be our day (no kingfishers, no grey herons, no dippers, no grey wagtails). And then just as I was heading home I caught sight of a beautiful sparrowhawk in Fishponds Brook. It was quite happy to provide me with full and side profiles and I was quite happy to snap away.
The best of the rest were a long-tailed tit and a pied wagtail.
Long-tailed tit
Pied wagtail
Blackbird
The black-headed gull has got its black head back
It was good to get out into the country today and to one of my favourite birding spots at RSPB Ham Wall on the Somerset Levels. However, we got caught in a torrential downpour at the beginning of our walk and for most of the visit the light was poor. However, the weather brightened up enough for us to have a picnic al fresco and to enjoy watching passerines near the bird feeders close to the reception.
The best of the birds were a marsh harrier and great crested grebes, although it was too early in the year to see the grebes’ famous courting rituals. We obviously need to come back in a few weeks time.
Tufted ducks
Little grebe
Great crested grebe
Grey heron hiding in the reeds
Gadwall
Great white egret
Male marsh harrier
Female reed bunting
Male chaffinch
Great tit
Blue tit
Robin
Click below for gallery of photos from today
Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos 