Bath Birdwatcher

  For this week the 3 Amigos chose a visit to Newton St Loe mainly as I (Tony) needed to be home by 12.30. We parked by the farm shop and while changing footwear spotted our 1 st birds of the day Jackdaw and Goldfinch. We were starting the morning at the lanes and on the way found our 1 st of many Chiffchaff’s , a Lesser Black Back Gull, Pied Wagtail and Blue Tit. In the lanes a Carrion Crow flew past and a Robin was singing on the top of the hedge. A Magpie was in the field and a Rook was another fly over, and a female Kestrel flew up from the field. In the next field we found a male Pheasant and a Brown Hare, In the field opposite the entrance to Seven Acre Wood were another 4 Hare’s. We could hear Skylark’s singing from ahigh and I managed to find one and get the other 2 on it. Herring Gull ,   2 Stock Dove’s and a Buzzard were seen flying over. Walking back to the village Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Dunnock were added to our list. Walking back through the village Great Tit...

  Today was Bath RSPB’s monthly field trip and this month it was a coach trip to Portland also visiting Ferrybridge and Lodmoor. The coach set off with a full 33 person load and we made good time to our first stop at Portland with just 2 sightings on the way worth mentioning a Red Kite and Skylark. The weather forecast was not very good with showers and wind, and wow was it windy but we still managed a few good birds at the Bill with a Wheatear and Meadow Pipit being the first. A short sea watch gave us Herring Gull, Gannet, Razorbill, Fulmar, Shag, and Cormorant.  Shag - Portland (Bath Birdwatcher) A few of the members were interested to know the difference between shag and cormorant so seeing both made it easier. A Raven flew by and landed on the cliffs and Tom was able to get it in his scope so everyone could get a good view. It was so windy that it was almost impossible the stand still so we decided to walk around the head hoping to get out of the main blow, we did find ...

  This morning after taking my wife to meet two old friends for coffee I had a couple of hours spare before collecting her later so I decided to drive over to Newton St Loe for a walk. Parking at the church Jackdaw and Magpie were in the trees and 2 Lesser Black Back Gulls were on the church roof. The field was very muddy in parts and needed care walking through, a Woodpigeon flew by and a Robin was singing by the kissing gate. Quiet until I reached the footpath through the woods and here I found a Song Thrush singing high in a tree and a Blackbird in the undergrowth next a Great Tit was collecting moss from the wall by the stream. Blue Tits and a Wren soon followed. Nothing new until the path up to the bottom lake and here over the overflow on the bank by the large tree was a pair of Grey Wagtails and it looked like they were prospecting for a nest site.  Grey Wagtail - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher) As I reached the lake a Green Woodpecker flew away along the bank and 2 Goldcrests w...

  This Tuesday we paid our 1 st visit of the year to Slimbridge but only myself and David as Bryan was otherwise engaged, and what a day, we had 60+ sightings with 12 year ticks. On the drive to Slimbridge we saw 2 flocks of Golden Plover totaling in excess of 250 birds quite a total for this time of the year as they had all disappeared from Slimbridge a week or more ago. We also found Pheasant and Rook but as it turned out we also saw them at Slimbridge. Starling was the only other sighting that we didn’t see later in the day. One in the grounds at Slimbridge Moorhen, Mallard and Greylag Goose were soon seen. 1 st stop was Peng and here Shelduck, Mute Swan and Tufted Duck were soon logged as was out 1 st year tick Whooper Swan 2 have been here for several months. Whooper Swan - Slimbridge (Bath Birdwatcher)  We also found Pochard and Teal. Next was 3 more year ticks Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit and Oystercatcher, also seen were Pintail before we moved to overlook the bottom...

  The 3 Amigos were down to just 2 this week David and Tony as Bryan is away in Cornwall and can you believe it he has already seen a Spoonbill and a few Chough, but as for us we decided that on the morning we would decide where to go. The weather recently has been abysmal especially on Tuesdays and this Tuesday was no different waking up to heavy rain and as it was still raining when David arrived it was decided that Chew was the only place to visit. Our 1 st stop was Herriotts but it was still raining so we had to spot from the car and the list started with Mute Swan, Mallard, Cormorant, Carrion Crow, Shoveler, Tufted Duck. Canada Goose and both Black Headed and Herring Gulls. It being stupid to get out of the car to spot we headed off to Stratford as here we had the hides to watch from and on arrival the rain was now just a drizzle, and on the short walk to the hide we found a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blue Tits visiting the feeders and a singing Chiffchaff my 1 st of the year...

  On Saturday Mary and myself decided to go for a walk at Newton St Loe as its been a while since our last walk there due to the inclement weather. Walking boots were the order of the day as we knew it would be muddy along the bottom lake. We made the usual start parking at the church and walking through the churchyard to the field beyond and here Rook and Woodpigeon flew over. When we got to the bottom road a Dunnock was singing on the top of a bush and Jackdaws were in the tall trees by Ripple Effect, As we walked down the footpath through the woods Blue Tits were calling above our heads and a Wren flew on to a wooden bar on out left and let out its loud song. A Robin was the only other bird seen before we reached the road but we could hear a singing Song Thrush in the distance. From Butterfly Alley we could see 2 Grey Herons in the field by the stream and a Great Tit was in the hedgerow. Lots of fishermen we on the bottom lake and as I thought its was a muddy walk along the bank...

  On Tuesday Tony and David went to Marshfield, no Bryan as he was not feeling very well. Parking just outside the village we spotted Goldfinch, Starling, Collared Dove and Jackdaw before walking to Rushmead Lane. On the way we added Blackbird, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and 2 species of gull Herring and Lesser Black Back. As we reached the 1 st lot of houses in the garden we found Robin, Redwing and Chaffinch. In Rushmead Lane David found a Buzzard sat in a tree and a Pied Wagtail was on a rooftop. By the small pond we added Long Tailed and Great Tit. As we continued a Kestrel flew over and we found the 1 st of many Skylarks. Common Gulls were plentiful and less so Magpie. David then spotted a Red Legged Partridge sat on a wall which turned into 3 as we scanned the wall. All was then quiet with only the song of Skylark until we spotted movement in a bush that turned out to be a Dunnock, with other birds flying into the bush from the field most were Linnets...

  October The 1 st birding trip of the month was a morning at Newton St Loe on the 9 th   on my own as Mary was meeting friends. With a reasonable count of 32 species, 6 Mistle Thrushes was a good find as was a single Treecreeper and Kingfisher, the female Tufted Duck was still on the top lake with 5 Little Grebe. Two days later on the 10 th the 3 Amigos visited Slimbridge   where we had a great day with lots of species seen but not a single year tick, a Spotted Redshank was a nice find as were 5 Ruff some still with partial summer plumage.  Snipe - Slimbridge (Bath Birdwatcher) The following Saturday was Bath RSPB’s monthly field trip and this one was to Marshfield but birds were few and far between but a flock of Yellowhammers including some beautiful males as yellow as butter. In a matter of what seemed like a few minutes 4 raptors were found, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite and Kestrel. A Stonechat was the only other bird of note.  Noon Fly - Marshfield (...