Bath Birdwatcher

  Bryan is on Holiday so it was just David and Tony so we decided to visit Newton St Loe for the morning. We parked by the farm shop and as I changed my shoe’s a Buzzard and a Rook flew over while a Swallow was sat on the wires. Heading towards the lanes a Dunnock was singing from a bush and House Sparrows were on a rooftop. Jackdaw and Carrion Crow were seen as we entered the lanes where a Robin was on the top of the hedgerow. A Blackbird flew up the lane in front of us and a small flock of Goldfinch flew over. Next sighting was a distant Lesser Black Back Gull and a singing Skylark was difficult to find high in the sky. Nothing more here so back to the village adding Grey Heron, Pheasant and Magpie were seen, David then spotted a Red Kite over 7 Acre Wood. Woodpigeon and Stock Dove were also noted before we reached the village. Nothing added as we walked through the village, through the churchyard and into the field beyond here a Sparrowhawk and a pair of Ravens flew by. Walking...

Brixham from Waterside Holiday Park (Bath Birdwatcher) Mary and myself have just spent a few day’s in Torbay staying with my sister in law at Waterside Holiday Park. We traveled down on Wednesday and while on the A303 4 Crane’s flew over. After settling in I walked to Armchair Cove noting Carrion Crow, Buzzard, Herring Gull, Robin and Woo d Pigeon. A set of steps leads down to a rocky shore and I found it best to stop on a bend in the steps for the best view. Great Black Back Gull and Shag were seen but nothing else so decided to make my way back finding Blackbird and a Chiffchaff. The lodge where we were staying overlooks the sea and from here I spotted a Gannet and a Magpie.  Thursday I walked over the clifftop to Broadsands which was very tiring with 50+ steps at the Waterside end to climb but at Broadsands there is 120 steps not too bad on the way but it can’t be said to be the same on the return. I was only counting birds new for the week so Chaffinch was the 1st new...

  This week the 3 Amigos had their last trip out for a few weeks as we are all on holiday at different times, so this week the Somerset Levels were chosen. We didn’t start our day lists until we reached the road to Westhay where Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Mute Swan were soon logged. I then spotted in a field of cows 11 Cattle Egrets birds that are always good to find. A Robin, Shoveler, Tufted Duck were also seen as we drove along. Coot, Mallard, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Greylag Goose and Great Crested Grebe were all noted by what seemed to be a new pond that we hadn’t noticed before. At Westhay as we walked down the drove a Great White Egret flew over and David found a singing Reed Bunting. A Little Grebe and a Moorhen were seen then our 1 st Marsh Harrier of the day drifted by. As we walked to the 1 st hides on the right a, Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed on a post in front of us.  Great Spotted Woodpecker - Westhay (Bath Birdwatcher) Our next sighting was a Mag...

  On Saturday 12 Bath RSPB members went on a trip to Salisbury Plain nr Enford for a guided trip to see Great Bustards. The trip was restricted too 12 as we were taken by 2 Land Rover's (6 in each) it was a 2 hour trip so later in the day we went on to Langford Lakes for the afternoon. On the way to our meeting point at Enford Village Hall our day started the 1 st of many Red Kites we were to see in both locations also Red Legged Partridge that we saw in transit and also at Langford. We also logged Rook, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, along with Woodpigeon. Setting off onto the plain towards where the Bustards had been seen we added Corn Bunting and Stock Dove to our totals. When we arrived where the Bustards were, out in the middle of this huge field were the Great Bustards I knew they were large birds but wow much bigger than I expected so I have looked out some sizes for you all. An adult male is between 90 – 105cm tall, 115cm long with a wingspan of 2.1 – 2.7m and weigh up to a h...

           T his week’s walk was on Wednesday as it was the only day that all 3 of the Amigos could make it together and we started the day at Barrow Tanks as we hoped to find the Long Tailed Duck that had spent the winter here, it had been seen on Tuesday on tank 3 so this is where we started. The day was dull overcast and drizzly and extremely windy which was very noticeable as we climbed the steps to view the tank. 1 st sighting were several Herring Gulls with a few Great Crested Grebe also found along with 2 Mute Swans and 4 Tufted Ducks. As we scanned the pond no sign of the Long Tailed Duck but we did find Sand Martins and while looking at these a Swallow (our 1 st of the year) flew through my binocular vision and I was able to get Bryan and David on it. Mallard, Cormorant and Lesser Black Back Gull were also seen. We then decided to try the other 2 tanks to see if the LTD had moved to one of those and as we walked to them we spotted ...