Bath Birdwatcher

  For today’s birding trip the 3 Amigos were joined by Kirsty but where to go it was a decision between Chew where a rare Phalarope had been seen or Chipping Sodbury Common for a Shrike. In the end Chew was chosen as the Phalarope would be a life tick but the Shrike a Steppe Grey Shrike was a sub species of Great Grey Shrike and wouldn’t be counted as a new bird. On arriving at Chew there were already a lot of birders so hopes were high for the Phalarope, the day started with Mallard, Moorhen and Gadwall but as soon as the telescopes were set up we were soon into many waders with 6+ Lapwing, 15+ Green Sandpipers, 20+ Snipe 1 juvenile Ruff, 2 Knot and 10+ Common Sandpipers. A Grey Wagtail flew in front of us and a few Shoveler and Teal were seen. David spotted 3 Pintail in eclipse plumage feeding by one of the islands and House and Sand Martins were overhead. In amongst all the Black Headed Gulls was a Moorhen and a Pied Wagtail was on the now dry mud. On the main lake were 6 Grea...

  Today my wife Mary and myself Tony decided a stroll at NSL would be a great start to a Bank Holiday weekend. Parking by the church we walked through a quiet Churchyard and through an equally quiet field and down towards send a cow, here our first bird of the day was a flyover Woodpigeon, Next was a Rook sat in the top of a tree in front of Send a Cow. As we walked on Goldfinch were on the wires and Jackdaws were on the trees at the top of the footpath.   A bird flew into a tree and landed on a branch luckily where I could see it, it was a Nuthatch   and while looking at that I noticed more movement this time by a male Blackcap. The woods were very quiet with just some distant birdsong but nothing showing. At Butterfly Alley Carrion Crows were foraging in the field and a Lesser Black Back Gull was circling overhead and a Great Tit showed in the hedgerow. On the bottom lake we disturbed a Kingfisher that flew up the lake turned and flew back over the outlet not to be seen...

  Two Amigos (Bryan is on holiday) had a choice to make do we do Chipping Sodbury Common or Chew Valley Lake. In the end we decided on Chew and do Chipping Sodbury next week. Driving to Chew we noticed signs saying that the road was closed to West Harptree and although our first stop was short of there we were unsure exactly where the road was closed, it turned out that it was closed just beyond Herriotts Bridge so did not effect our starting point. Herriotts Pool was still very low but still birds to be seen with Jackdaw and Mallard on the dam. Waders were visible on the area of mud or wading in the shallow water these included Black Tailed Godwit, Snipe and Lapwing. A couple of guys who were scoping the main lake called us to say that 2 Knot were with Black   Headed Gulls so we went over to look at them quite a rare bird for Chew so was great to see. While there we also saw Gadwall and Teal, Back to the pool here  Green and Common Sandpipers were   found while we s...

Today Mary and I went for a walk at NSL as it is our favorite place to stroll, we take a coffee which we sit and drink at the halfway point. Our walk started at the church, through the churchyard and into the field beyond here was our first bird sightings of the day Magpie, Carrion Crow and Lesser Black Back Gull. Walking to the bottom road by Send a Cow a Wood Pigeon flew over the field where a few Swallows were flying low to the ground. A Rook was in the top of one of the tall trees and Goldfinch twittered on the wires and House Sparrows were in the hedgerow to our left. In a garden is a Buddleia bush with a Red Admiral butterfly on one of the blooms. Walking down the footpath a Robin flew past and Speckled Wood butterflies were seen on a few occasions. Nothing until the bottom pond where 14 Mallard were seen with 1 female with 2 ducklings. Next the top pond which was much quieter than on the last couple of visits with only another 8 Mallard seen. The Coot numbers had also dropped t...

  The 3 Amigos were again down to 2 as David was at his caravan. As the weather has changed and wet weather and thunderstorms were forecast we decided that Chew was the best bet as its possible to spot from the car and from the bird hides. First stop Herriotts and on arrival first impressions were how low the water is, it’s been many years since I have seen the lake so low. On the pool a large island has appeared   and we knew from Avon Bird Sightings that a lot of wading birds were present but our first sightings were Coot, Mallard, Canada Goose and Moorhen. Coot(Library picture) Bath Birdwatcher) Telescopes were the order of the day to spot the waders and Green Sandpipers were the first seen in all there was 11 birds   along with possibly 30 Snipe a bird that usually likes to hide in reedbeds but here completely in the open enjoying the feeding opportunity. While scanning the waters edge around the island Teal, Lapwing and a Great Black Back Gull was found. Our next fin...

  This week the 3 Amigos were down to 1, David was at his caravan and Bryan was feeling unwell. But as it was such a lovely day I decided to go alone to try and find 2 species of flycatcher that had been seen recently at NSL. As the weather forecast was for a hot day I decided to make an earlier start than we usually do and as the target birds had been seen by the top lake I decided to go straight there to spend most of my time in that area. Parking by the church I set off through the churchyard down through the field and through the kissing gate here I had the days 1 st sightings with Coal and Blue Tits in the trees. By Send a Cow Goldfinch were on the wires and a Carrion Crow was in the top of a close by tree, Woodpigeon and Lesser Black Back Gull flew over along with a single Mistle Thrush the 1 st I have seen here for a while. Nothing more until Butterfly Alley here House Martins were overhead and a Chiffchaff flew into a bush and a young Blackbird was on the footpath. The on...

  A very short visit to NSL today proved to give the very worst of bird spotting with very few species seen and the very best that I will get on to later. Mary my wife and myself Tony arrived at 10am for just a couple of hours and set off from the church. In the field beyond the church a small flock of Carrion Crows were on the ground with a couple of Woodpigeons flying over, in the hedgerow by Send a Cow were several House Sparrow and on the cottage wall a juvenile Robin was stood. Send a cow woodland was very quite   with just a Nuthatch seen but 3 butterflies Meadow Brown, Small White and Speckled Wood were seen. Butterfly Alley didn’t live up to its name with just a Gatekeeper seen although a Buzzard was calling over the trees and eventually drifted into view. Walking on towards the bottom lake 10 Jackdaw flew over calling. On the bottom lake a Grey Heron was stood at the bottom end and on the lake. Grey Heron (Bath Birdwatcher) On the lake were 3 groups of Mallard addin...

  Our Tuesday birding trip today took us to Slimbridge a WWT reserve on the Severn Estuary. The 3 Amigos were joined by our wives not for the birds but a good chinwag. At Slimbridge the first stop was The Peng Observatory here were Collared Dove, Tufted Duck, Jackdaw, Coot, Moorhen and Cormorant. Over the far side of the water was an area of wild flowers and in amongst it you would occasionally see the   heads of 2 adult Crane’s I knew from reports I had read that they had a well grown chick which appeared from the undergrowth out into the open. In front of us was another bank of wild flowers and contained 100+ Goldfinch. A few Black Headed Gulls were seen plus a single Herring Gull. Mallard, Gadwall and Canada Geese were also seen. On the bottom pond were about 20 Black Tailed Godwits, Teal, Lapwing a Buzzard flew over and Mute Swan cygnets appeared as if from nowhere. Another flyover was a Carrion Crow then a Pied Wagtail was seen on one of the islands and a Greylag Go...