Bath Birdwatcher

  Bath RSPB members at Nagshead This month’s Bath RSPB,s field trip was a visit to RSPB Nagshead followed by an afternoon at Canop Ponds. 13 members met at Nagshead for a 9.30 start, we headed for the lower hide stopping at the top pond on the way our 1 st birds were a Blackbird and Woodpigeon. Nothing on the pond but as we continued the call of a Garden Warbler rang out, it showed well allowing us all to have a good view. Lots of singing Song Thrushes some easier to see than others, Our next sighting was one of our target species Pied Flycatchers there was more about than the previous week. From the hide we spotted Treecreeper, Mallard, Nuthatch, Mandarin and Blue Tit plus our second target species a pair of Redstarts not such a good view and not sure if everyone saw them. A Great Tit and Wren were also seen and while I was watching the Redstarts a Wild Boar walked past in the background and out of sight before others could see it. Retracing our steps back heading for Campbell ...

  Mute Swan - CVL (Bath Birdwatcher) Bryan is slowly recovering from his operation but is still unable to do a lot of walking at the moment, so on most occasions bird watching is out but on Thursday his wife Yvonne drove him to Chew Valley Lake, Mary and Tony were asked if they would like to go as well. We took coffee and were going to have fish and chips for lunch at Salt and Malt in the picnic area. Driving to Herriotts we spotted Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Kestrel and Rook. On the pond at Herriotts were Mute Swans, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Shelduck with a Carrion Crow on the exposed mud, but no waders !! A few species of gull were present Herring, Black Headed, Greater and Lesser Black Back, also seen was a single Moorhen. We walked over the road to view the main lake and a fly past Grey Heron was our 1 st sighting with Cormorants in trees around the lake. We were alerted to a Hobby flying along the reed bed on the far side of the lake and while looking a second was seen. We could hea...

  On Saturday Tom, David and myself (Tony) had arranged to visit Nagshead and do a recce for an upcoming Bath RSPB fieldtrip that Tom is leading. As the weather forecast looked like the rain would pass through by mid-morning we delayed our start time until 9.30 and Tom picked us both up at David's for the drive to the Forest Of Dean. We had light rain all the way and also as we arrived at Nagshead but after chatting to the staff at the reception area the rain stopped, and the rest of the day was dry but cloudy. The 1 st sighting of the day was a Pied Wagtail as we drove to the car park and after our chat with the volunteers we walked to the top pond finding a Goldcrest on the way. The pond only held a single male Mallard, we then set off towards the bottom hide, a Chiffchaff sang from a tree and took a while to find, but a Robin was easier to locate. David spotted 2 flyover Stock Doves, and a Blackbird was on the top of a bush. Tom saw some movement at the base of a tree where a S...

  NSL (Bath Birdwatcher) This week the 3 Amigos were unable to meet, with Bryan still recovering from his operation and David on his way back from a few days in the Netherlands, so Mary and Tony paid a short visit to Newton St Loe. We started at Haycombe Cemetery where we put some flowers on my parent’s grave while there we also saw Jackdaw, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Great Tit. Driving into the village a Swallow was on the wires later we saw another. We parked in our usual place by the church and walked through the churchyard into the field beyond where a Great Spotted Woodpecker called from the top of a tree and was only seen when it flew away. A Wren flew in front of us and a Blackbird was in the bushes to our left. Nothing more until the woodland footpath here a Robin and a Dunnock were on the ground in front of us, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were singing but staying well hidden. A very pale Buzzard was in the trees viewed from Butterfly Alley, on the bottom lake were ...

  Primroses at Blagdon - (Bath Birdwatcher) For our Tuesday birding trip out this week, we decided that a visit to Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon would be the best bet as many summer visitors are on the move and with luck we could possibly find a few year ticks. This visit we thought as it was school holidays we would start at the picnic area 2 and walk the Bittern Trail before any people arrived. On the way we spotted Magpie, Rook, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Buzzard and House Sparrow. Once at the picnic area we started our walk a Blackbird being our 1 st sighting also 2 Dunnocks playing chase, we also could hear the call of Reed Warblers, but we failed to see one, and because we only count birds we see, we dipped on them. A Long-Tailed Tit and a flyby Grey Heron were our next new sightings for the day. Blackcaps were calling everywhere and for a change they seemed easy to find as was a calling Treecreeper. As we continued I could hear a Goldcrest that David found in the top of a fir tree...

  For our trip out this week, we decided to visit Chew Valley Lake, believe it or not the last visit was the 28 th of February more than a month ago. We started spotting from the off noting Collared Dove, Rook, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie,  and Jackdaw all before we reached Herriotts our 1 st stop. On the pond was Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Mallard, Coot, a few Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler and Shelduck. On the lake we added Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe   and Great White Egret. The sun was shining from the east making it difficult to cover the pond easily plus a very cold wind was blowing again from the east, so we decided to move on to Stratford Hide. Driving down the lane 3 Chaffinches were feeding in the lane and a Blackbird flew away. Walking to the hide Great Tits were visiting the feeders and a Chiffchaff sang from a tree luckily in a place that we could see it. Wren, Blue Tit and Moorhen were also seen before we entered the hide. In the hide were 3 birding pals ...