Bath Birdwatcher

             My 2025 Birding Year Highlights.   January. The year started for me on the 2 nd with a half day at Newton St Loe and amongst the usual sightings the highlight was 5 + Hawfinch a great start to the year, also Greenfinch, Nuthatch and a single Wigeon the first I have seen here. On the 7 th at the same venue a Little Egret was unusual. The 14 th took us to East Harptree woods and Chew Valley lake, at the woods were Siskin, Crossbill and Lesser Redpoll and at Chew a Red Breasted Merganser was a bird rare. On the 19th was the years 1 st Bath RSPB field trip, this one being to Blagdon and here a Ringed Neck Duck and female Scaup being the pick of the day’s sightings. The 21 st took us to Slimbridge lots of year ticks but the standout sightings were Whooper Swan and Water Rail. The last outing of the month was a return to Chew where Glossy Ibis and Goosander were year ticks Ring Necked Duck - Blagdon Whooper Swan...

  Snowdrops - Slimbridge (Bath Birdwatcher) A change of venue this week, WWT Slimbridge as it’s a good place to see lots of wildfowl   with numbers of geese that we would be hard pushed to find locally. Bryan was unable to join us, so it was just David and myself, Tony. On the way driving over Lansdown we spotted a field full of gulls some flying, these were easily identifiable as Common Gulls we also spotted 2 Red Kites as we were about to join the A46 plus another in the Kingscote area. 2 Ravens flew over the A46 in front of us. Driving up the approach road to Slimbridge Collared Doves were seen and in a field by the sharp S bend was a Little Egret. Nothing new until we were in the grounds where Coot and Moorhen were everywhere, making our way to the Decoy Hide Mallards were in the water and Goldfinch called from the trees above our heads and our first of many Cormorants flew over. From the hide we watched Tufted Duck, Gadwall while David pointed out a huge flock of Lapwing ...

  Another wet day with little promise that conditions would improve so another trip to Chew Valley Lake was on the cards. Our local WhatsApp group has been reporting several good bird species at Lordswood,   Crossbill and Redpoll being just 2 and with it sort of being on the way to Chew we decided to take a look checking out mainly parking. On arrival at the main gate entrance there was just 2 spaces with a large puddle in the middle, we did tuck the car off the road but not in the puddle to have a look but this is a working wood and the track was all cut up and very muddy so we moved up the lane 100yards or so to a footpath entrance but again it was very muddy but we did venture out of the car for a look here we saw Dunnock, Pheasant, Magpie and Carrion Crow. Realising Wellington Boots were needed we headed for Chew. First stop Herriotts Bridge but it was very unpleasant with rain falling heavily so birding from the car was the order of the day but with the rain   blowin...

  Today was the 3 Amigos first trip of the year the weather was freezing cold but not to mis out on an opportunity to bird spot we decided on a local half day outing to either Saltford or Newton St Loe. In the end we chose Newton St Loe mainly because it was closer and we had a better chance to start the year with more species than at Saltford. Waterfall NSL note the lack of water (see previous photo's) also the icicles hanging from the tree on the left. (Bath Birdwatcher) We parked in the village where we spotted Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Woodpigeon. As we continued heading for the church lots of Redwings were flying over, we must have seen many 100’s during the morning. Making a short detour to look over fields a Robin was on a gate and Rooks and Magpies flew past. A Tit flock flew by including Blue, Great and Long Tailed, and in the tall trees covered in Mistletoe we found a Mistle and Song Thrush. In the Churchyard at the rear in the Yew trees were several Coal Tits and Goldc...

  Lots of water flowing off the lakes (Bath Birdwatcher) Bird spotting this week was a half day visit to Newton St Loe, a favourite place of mine but one we have not visited since July. It was just the two brothers as David had other things to do. We parked outside the farm shop and set off walking towards the church and soon spotted Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Collared Dove and Jackdaw. As we turned into the road leading to the church I spotted a Mistle Thrush in the tall trees covered with mistletoe, it was the 1 st of many we saw during the walk also in the same trees were at least 2 Blackbirds. Nothing mote until we entered the field beyond the church here were several Carrion Crows and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over. Walking down towards the main road a Goldcrest and Robin were in a fir tree and at the main road some House Sparrows were by the roadside. In the field to the side of the footpath were lots of corvids in the distance but too far away for them to be ident...