Tuesday 11th July 2023 - Chew Valley Lake

 

Comma Butterfly - Bath Birdwatcher

This week the weather dictated where it was best to go birding as the forecast was heavy showers, so it was Chew Valley lake where we could shelter in the hides should it rain. The 3 Amigos were together for the last time for 2 weeks as all 3 of us are on holiday for part of the next couple of weeks. At Chew we started with Black Headed Gulls, Mallard, Mute Swan, Coot and Canada Goose. After setting up the telescopes we were able to add Black Tailed Godwits, Green Sandpipers, several Lapwings a single Ruff  and new for the year a Spotted Redshank, all these being on Herriotts Pond. Also there were many Lesser Black Back Gulls, 2 Grey Herons, Great and Little Egrets, Little Grebe, Shelduck with ducklings and a few Teal. While chatting with other birders Herring Gull, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Carrion Crow and House and Sand Martin all flew over. I then heard the call of a Kingfisher, and Bryan spotted it flying low over the pool. Ducks at this time of the year can be a bit tricky to identify as they are in eclipse plumage (molting their feathers) so it took a bit of time to find Shoveler and Gadwall. On the main lake in the reedbed we saw Sedge and Reed Warblers along with a Reed Bunting. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over and out on the lake we noted several Great Crested Grebes. A Goldfinch flew over and 2 Blue Tits were working their way through the reeds. Our last sighting here was a flock of Jackdaws, before moving on to Stratford.  Walking from the car park to the hide we came across a mixed flock of birds containing Chiffchaff, Robin, Chaffinch and Long Tailed Tit. Nothing new was seen from the hide in fact the lake was almost devoid of birds, so we moved on to Moreton where again nothing new was seen from the hide so we walked along the lane and adding Magpie, Stock Dove, Rook and Blackbird 3 moths Garden Grass Veneer, Silver Y and a Shaded Broad-Bar.

Shaded Broad Bar Moth - Bath Birdwatcher

Also Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper Butterflies.

Ringlet & Gatekeeper - Bath Birdwatcher

Next stop Nunnery where we had our lunch but we did add Great Black Back Gull to the days total. Next stop the Lodge where we parked and walked to the dam  and back. Buzzard was our first new sighting for the day followed by 3 species of Butterfly Red Admiral, Large White and Essex Skipper. Tufted Duck and Cormorant were next, and walking back to the car we saw Marbled White, Small White, and Comma all butterflies and a Six Spot Burnett Moth. Last stop was picnic area 1 and here the day ended with Greylag Goose and Moorhen. At that point the heavens opened ending a great 6 hours bird spotting but the Spotted Redshank was a year tick as were several of the butterflies and the Broad Band moth.

From Moreton hide we watched a family of Mute Swans where one of the cygnets was pure white.



White Cygnet - Bath Birdwatcher


Comments

  1. Newton st Loe BirdingJuly 12, 2023 at 8:17 PM

    Well Done Tony !!...The White Cygnet is called a Polish swan its a Mute Swan with a particular colour morph – it is white or virtually white from hatching and remains this colour for the rest of its life. However, when newly hatched and still in its primary down, it is not always easy to recognise, unless the bird is seen closely, as the body is actually a very pale cinnamon, while only the head and breast are pure white. This contrasts with a normal cygnet whose primary body down is pale greyish-brown.

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