Bath Birdwatcher

  Baby Hare (Leveret) Bath Birdwatcher Our birding trip this week took Bryan and Tony plus Yvonne and Mary to Slimbridge, David was otherwise engaged. Two very special birds had been at Slimbridge for a few weeks but we had not had the opportunity to visit until now, more on these species later. Our trip to Slimbridge was very fraught when at the Cross Hands junction on the A46 was a road closed sign on the road ahead forcing us to follow the diversion signs to Yate but somehow we must have missed a diversion sign and found ourselves in Bristol so it was then M32/M4 on to M5 to Slimbridge . On arrival 1 st stop was the restaurant for a coffee and carrot cake and from the window we noted Mute Swan, Swallow, House Martin and Collared Dove. After coffee we started at the Peng Observatory where we saw Coot, Black Headed Gull, Mallard, Herring Gull, Rook, Tufted Duck, and Oystercatcher. Then it was our 1 st special bird that we were hoping to see a Black Winged Stilt, the 1st time I h...

  Salcombe - Bath Birdwatcher W e have recently returned from a week in South Devon with Mary’s cousin Hazel and her husband Terry, we stayed at a small village called Marlborough just outside Salcombe. And what a week, great weather, smashing company and very relaxing.   We spent the 1 st couple of days shopping or relaxing on the patio where we had a panoramic view right to the distant Dartmoor. Birds seen from the patio on day one included Rook, Jackdaw, Swift, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Swallow and Lesser Black Back Gull. Day 2 we added Dunnock, Goldfinch, Sparrowhawk, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Herring Gull, Starling, Linnet, Great Tit, Pheasant and Wren. Chaffinch - Bath Birdwatcher Greenfinch - Bath Birdwatcher Day 3 we visited Overbeck a National Trust Property and here as we sat having Coffee House Martins were flying around. Walking around the garden which contained a lot of mature trees I heard the call of a Firecrest which I found high in a tree. Later in the mo...

  New Franchises RSPB - Bath Birdwatcher Yesterday David and Tony were invited by Tom Rogers to join a U3A bird watching trip to New Franchises in the New Forest. The site is owned by the RSPB but is not open to the public but it is possible to arrange a visit with the RSPB. We had arranged for a guide to meet and show us around the site. Leaving Bath at 07.45 we soon started seeing birds and the 1 st of intertest was a Red Kite just outside of Bath. We also added on the trip Rook, Magpie, Jackdaw and Kestrel. We were the 1 st to arrive and while waiting for the others, we spotted Starling and a Buzzard. 10 of us arrived for the walk but birds were few and far between with a Song Thrush being our 1 st sighting in the forest. On reaching a more open glade when a large tree had fallen we found a Spotted Flycatcher soon followed by a second and while we were watching they copulated. Firecrest is a very common bird in the woods but so very easy to hear but almost impossible to see ...

  Today was this months Bath RSPB field trip to Stockhill in the Mendips, and those of you who follow my blogs will have read that the 3Amigos did a recce on Tuesday and with the knowledge we gained we used this to show people some of the birds butterflies and dragonfly’s we encountered. Just 3 bird species were seen on the way being Swift, Collared Dove and House Sparrow. 19 members arrived by 10am and as on Tuesday we crossed the road to explore the open area at Stockhill, and as we were hoping out 1 st sighting of the walk was a Tree Pipit in exactly the same area as before. As we all took turns to view the bird through Tom’s telescope a Buzzard was in the distance and Skylarks were singing, Carrion Crow was our next sighting then our 1 st and 2 nd Butterflies of the day Small Heath and 2 Green Hairstreaks. A Whitethroat sang from the top of a bush joined by a single Linnet. As we reached the pond a Woodpigeon flew past and House Martins swooped down to drink. A Stonechat fl...