My Birding Year 2021 - Part 1 January to June.

 

The year started with us all in lockdown so the only thing we could do was garden watch or see what was about on the local exercise walk. Up to 30^th March I managed only 39 species instead of the near 100 by the end of January most years, so a lot of catching up was needed. The garden list was mainly what you would expect, but to make things more interesting I counted the maximum number of each species seen not on the same day but in the 3 month period. 20 House Sparrow could easily have been more but as they dashed from the hedge to the feeders and back it was hard to keep exact numbers, 7 Magpies was a large count but must have been more than one group as they bickered and chased each other all of the time. Blackcap was a bird seen most days, on some days more than 1 bird was seen with 2 female and 1 male and on another occasion 2 male were seen so overall at least 4 different birds visited. Another rare visitor for me is Chaffinch with a female bird seen also a male on one of my local walks. Another very common bird but very rare for me a Starling made just a single visit. Another bird that overflies the garden several times a year a Raven was noted on just one occasion, Chiffchaff also made just a single visit. As we moved into March 2 more birds we seldom see over the garden Rook and Red Kite were spotted and a Grey Heron which is slightly more common was also seen

The 30^th of March was the first time we were allowed out to meet people from other households so my brother Bryan friend David and myself (Tony) the 3 Amigos met at Newton St Loe (NSL) 36 species were seen with the highlights being Skylark, Red Kite, 3 Tufted Duck, 9 Teal and 5 Grey Heron plus several Brimstone and a Peacock Butterfly.

Our next trip out was on the 6^th April where we walked from Monkton Combe to Midford and back the highlights were both Swallow and House Martin our first for the year with Mandarin and Little Grebe on Midford brook and Marsh Tit at Tucking Mill. Taking the year total to 55

The 12^th brought me a Willow Warbler being a garden tick. Then on the 13^th a visit to Lansdown rewarded us with 7 Wheatear a good number to find locally. Yellowhammer, Fieldfare, Stonechat and a Kestrel were year ticks our list for the year was now 61.

The next highlight was on Monday 3^rd May when 3 Swifts flew over again a year first. The 5^th May took us back to Monkton Combe for the walk to Midford and back and although we found 36 species the only year tick was 2 Dipper  1 of which was a juvenile. On the 12^th of May we walked from my house to Newbridge Marina and back 26 species were noted including a pair of Mute Swans with 8 baby cygnets, and new for the year a Kingfisher. Also Orange Tip, Green Veined White and Brimstone Butterflies. On the 17^th a walk to Churchill Bridge in Bath got me my 1^st Sand Martin of the year. The 27^th of the month took us to Carrs wood and the lanes below NSL where a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker. Nuthatch and Jay were highlights but a Whitethroat in the lanes was new for the year. So 66 species were recorded by the end of April.

As May started we were all allowed a little more freedom but the 3 Amigos we unable to get out until the 19^th when we visited The Forest of Dean, New Fancy being our 1^st stop hoping for a Goshawk but as it proved there were none on show but we did find a Garden Warbler another year tick plus a bird we struggle to find some years, on to Cannop Ponds where Greylag Geese were seen. Our last stop was Nagshead here were found more Garden Warblers plus several Spotted Flycatchers and a bird this place is well known for Pied Flycatcher, the 1^st I had seen since 2017. The 26 was another away day this time to the Somerset Levels. We started at Westhay where one of the first birds heard was a Cuckoo that David found calling from a tree on the far side of one of the ponds. Hobby and Marsh Harrier also seen, and later in the day at Ham Wall a Peregrine flew over. Our year total was now 84.

On the 6^th of June my wife and I were on holiday with her sister and her husband at North Yorkshire at a place called Dacre Banks in the Nidd Valley, beautiful countryside great for just chilling. In the field next to our accommodation we had Curlew most mornings and one morning a Hare. One day while sitting on the patio 2 Oystercatchers flew over. Bach home the 13^th was our local branch RSPB field trip to New Franchises in the New Forest where Wood Warbler was the sighting of the day followed closely by Redstarts, we saw a few beautiful males. On the 15^th we were back on the Somerset Levels where a River Warbler had made its home at Westhay, luckily it was still showing when we arrived a Bittern was a good second. After lunch we went to Calcott Lows here a stunning male Yellow Wagtail was found. On the 22^nd we visited Langford Lakes where Sedge Warbler, Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper were all new for the year and Kingfisher and Red Kite were part of a good backup cast. After lunch we went on to Winterbourne Down hoping for Stone Curlew a strange looking bird which we located in an area specially set aside for them to breed on. Grey Partridge was another bird that is getting increasingly difficult to find, and as we made our way back to the car a Corn Bunting was singing from the top of a bush. The day brought our year total to 103.

Reed Bunting - Bath Birdwatcher