I had a lot of fun trying to photograph Peregrines over the Avon Gorge this morning. There were moments of sunshine, but not when the Peregrine appeared, and there was a biting wind to test my patience.
Must go back again on a brighter and warmer day!
I went to look for a female Smew which had been reported on the lake on Chipping Sodbury Common. I couldn’t even find the lake let alone the Smew. No one knew where the lake was, even a man living on the Common had no idea. I went to go to the Golf Club (there must be water on a Golf course) but there was a competition on and no where to park. So, I walked across the Common and saw 3 Skylarks, 2 Blackcap, 2 Goldfinch and a noisy Robin.
I carried on to Oldbury Power Station (on the Severn Estuary) in the hope of seeing a Peregrine. I was more lucky here as I saw the (female, I think) Peregrine on the top of one of the towers. There was little on the coast except 2 Shelduck and a flyby Avocet (that made up for the other disappointments). On the pool near the entrance there were 4 Tufted Duck and a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees.
As there weren’t many waders here I thought I would give Aust Warth and Northwick a go. At Aust Warth there was a man flying a drone which I didn’t think was conducive to birdwatching so I went straight on to Northwick. Not really a lot here either. A Mute Swan, 2 more Shelduck, 24 Redshank, 6 Turnstone, 2 Wheatear and 2 Sand Martin all within reach of the promenade.
My photographs were disappointing but I had a very enjoyable afternoon.
A late afternoon walk around Eastville Park produced very few birds and so I was reduced to photographing flora. I saw the first wild garlic (Allium ursinum) and could certainly smell it.
Another quick trip to Graves Park in Sheffield before going off to visit Chatsworth House. Still no Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but another view of a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Jay.
Gannet fest at RSPB Bempton Cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast with our friends from Sheffield.
Guillemots, Razor Bills, Kittiwakes, Fulmars (also Tree Sparrows) but unfortunately no Puffins.
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Spending a few days with friends in Sheffield and, as they are keen birders, we went to a local park to try and see a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which one of our friends had seen.
Not so lucky with the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but I managed a Great Spotted Woodpecker and some other woodland birds, notably a Nuthatch and a Treecreeper.
We couldn’t hang around as we were setting off for Bempton Cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast.
Just a very brief blog mainly to record what a beautiful day it was, with sunshine throughout the day and quite some warmth in the sun.
An amble around Eastville Park didn’t produce anything very stunning, but felt it was worth recording anyway.
Of the birds the most frenetic, if not quite the noisiest, was the Great Tit by the lake.
The blossom was magnificent too.
Another beautiful sunny morning. I had quite a wait to get a glimpse of a Peregrine falcon and then another wait to be able to get some photos. All very enjoyable as I was in the company of a keen birder (who made the spot first each time) who was a season holder for Bristol City and Bristol Rugby – certainly a glorious opportunity for schadenfreude except that I am sad to see these two clubs perform so badly this season!
An early morning walk (well early for me) from Aust Warth through to New Passage in beautiful sunshine and not too fresh.
Not a lot of bird action though. Regular viewings of Meadow Pipits and then a couple of Linnets. Surprisingly very little on the estuary with only 6 Shelduck and 1 Curlew.
On the way back a couple of Grey Wagtail – there have been reports of White Wagtail but I wouldn’t have a clue about the difference – and 4 Shoveler on the pools.
Didn’t know what this bird was – perhaps female Linnet?
An early evening walk around Eastville Park. There was nothing memorable to record/photograph except some lovely colours, full of optimism with Spring on our doorstep. In the park the first bluebells I have seen – and Hyacinthoides non-scripta (our native bluebell) and not Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish bluebell) which are popping up in our garden.
3 different venues on a glorious sunny day, starting at WWT Steart near Bridgwater, then on to West Hay Moor Nature Reserve and ending up at RSPB Ham Wall.
Not much at WWT Steart other than Curlew (and in to the sun).
Reed Bunting and Grey Heron were the best from West Hay Moor.
Three different types of Egret (Great White, Cattle and Little) was the main feature of RSPB Ham Wall.
The Cattle Egrets were a first for me. Also the first time I have seen the Great White Egret with its black bill.
Wall to wall sunshine throughout the day and quite some warmth in the sun without the wind. The Tufted Duck and the Pochard looking resplendent in the sun.
The whole purpose of this blog is to show that it’s not always as easy as you would hope.
I went to Uphill to look for the Short-eared Owl that I had seen earlier in the month with two other keen birders. 3 pairs of eyes and we were bound to get some good sightings. As it turned out we saw nothing of note and the little I did see I managed only poor shots.
After Uphill we went on to Sand Bay in the hope of seeing a Dartford Warbler. No success.
Even the Goldfinch photos I thought I had captured successfully (and joked about) were marred by branches covering the bill.
Only a few Dunnocks, a Wren and a House Sparrow for a morning’s work.
Work? Oh no it wasn’t, just a lovely morning out with a couple of chaps with the same interest. I must say it wasn’t a successful birding trip but great fun all the same.
Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos 