2025 Birding Year Highlights
My 2025 Birding Year
Highlights.
January.
The year started for me on the 2nd
with a half day at Newton St Loe and amongst the usual sightings the highlight
was 5 + Hawfinch a great start to the year,
also Greenfinch, Nuthatch and a single Wigeon the first I have seen here. On the 7th
at the same venue a Little Egret was
unusual. The 14th took us to East Harptree woods and Chew Valley
lake, at the woods were Siskin, Crossbill and
Lesser Redpoll and at Chew a Red Breasted Merganser was a bird rare. On
the 19th was the years 1st Bath RSPB field trip, this one being to
Blagdon and here a Ringed Neck Duck and
female Scaup being the pick of the day’s
sightings. The 21st took us to Slimbridge lots of year ticks but the
standout sightings were Whooper Swan and Water Rail. The last outing of the month was a
return to Chew where Glossy Ibis and Goosander were year ticks
 |
| Ring Necked Duck - Blagdon |
 |
| Whooper Swan - Slimbridge |
February
This month’s 1st trip out was on the 12th where we visited Radstock here Dipper was the hoped for species and 2 were found.
 |
| Dipper - Radstock |
 |
| Black Necked Grebe - Chew |
March
On the 4th we visited Marshfield where Red Legged Partridge, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting were the species we hoped for and found. On the 11th the Forest Of Dean was chosen but Mandarin Duck and Marsh Tit were the highlights of a poor day. The 15th was another Bath RSPB trip this time to Eastville Park. A Sparrowhawk sat in a tree long enough for everyone to get a fantastic, scoped view. A Kingfisher sat in a tree over the river gave another outstanding view.
%20-%20Eastville%20Park%20150325.JPG) |
| Kingfisher - Eastville Park |
%20-%20NSL%20070325.JPG) |
| Tufted Duck - NSL |
Chew Valley lake was visited on the 1st where Little Gull was an excellent find, and Egyptian Goose was also a year tick, Also the 1st butterflies of the year with Brimstone being the pick.
 |
| Lesser Black Back Gull - Chew |
 |
| Mute Swan family - NSL |
1st visit this month was to NSL
on the 6th and in the village
the House Martins had returned and walking
the lanes we found our 1st Whitethroat for
the year and a Kingfisher on the lake is
always good to see. The 8th was our second visit to Slimbridge, here Oystercatcher was a year 1st and Glossy Ibis,
Garganey and Mediterranean Gull were
all nice finds. Next on the 13th we visited Monkton Combe to walk to Midford and back nothing new but Greenfinch and Grey
Wagtail were a bonus. Saturday 17th
was the monthly Bath RSPB trip to RSPB Arne the day was poorer than expected Meadow Pipit was a year tick and Avocet and Spoonbill appreciated
by our members. The 20th we made a return to the Somerset Levels
where Bryan made a return to the 3 Amigos after his operation and recuperation and
he obviously had lots of year ticks to my zero, Cattle
Egret, Hobby, Garganey and Garden Warbler were
nice to see. On the 24th we visited Chew where the water level was
starting to fall especially on Herriotts Pool and it was here that we found
some Little Ringed Plovers new for the year
and also a pair of Garganey that at times
can be hard to find. The last outing of the month on the 30th was to
NSL, No year ticks were found but a Treecreeper was
a good spot.
 |
| Great Crested Grebe - Chew |
 |
| Avocet - Slimbridge |
June
A Sand Martin on the 1St at Windsor Bridge was a first for the year, and on the 3rd we visited Chew hoping the low water level would bring in more waders and so it did with a Ringed and Little Ringed Plover on Herriotts Pool. The following week it was Chew again with a similar list of birds including a Tawny Owl at Stratford, 57 species seen was a great count. On the 13th Bryan and his wife plus Mary and me (Tony) had a walk at the Golden Valley nothing new for the year but a close view of a Treecreeper was good to see.
 |
| Golden Valley - Wick |
 |
| Spotted Redshank - Chew |
The following day was the Bath RSPB visit to Pewsey Down, while
waiting for everyone to arrive we watched Red Kites,
the only bird of note seen here was a Corn
Bunting a lifer for many of the group. After lunch we moved on to
Avebury where a walk along a bridleway led us to a barn and here we found Tree Sparrows a rare bird in these parts and another first for many of the group. On the
17th it was Chew again no year ticks but Garganey
was seen once more, must have been a good year for them as I’m sure we
have seen more this year than other years. The Tawny
Owl was again roosting in the trees at Stratford. The 20th to
the 27th we were in Yorkshire and although I bird spotted as often
as possible no year ticks were found but Red Kites were
abundant and always great to watch.
July
On the 1st it was a visit to NSL and here I found my 1st Spotted Flycatcher of the year with a male Tufted Duck always good to see, 10 species of butterfly were also on the wing. The following Tuesday I again visited NSL and nothing out of the ordinary was seen except a count of 59 Mallard was more than normal. The 15th was our next venture out, this week it was Slimbridge where we found a Green Sandpiper a year tick and a Spotted Redshank still in its summer finery. On the 19th it was another Bath RSPB trip this one was to Newport Wetlands / Goldcliff, for us no year ticks were seen, but Spoonbill, Pink Footed Goose and a Spotted Flycatcher excited our members especially the Spoony.
 |
| Spoonbill - Goldcliffe |
 |
| Black Tailed Godwit - Slimbridge |
August
1st August it was NSL the
highlight a Kingfisher and Stock Dove. On the 5th we visited Chew
as the low water level had attracted lots of waders and so it proved with Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank and Whimbrel. 3 Spotted
Flycatchers together were unusual. Next outing was the 19th
again to Chew where a Snipe and Black Tailed Godwit were waders we didn’t see the
previous visit and Sand Martins were
starting to gather. The 26th was again a visit to Chew this time as
a White-Tailed Eagle from the Isle of Wight
reintroduction had been reported, luckily it was still about and was a lifer
for us.
 |
| Little Egret - CVL |
 |
| Buzzard - CVL |
September
On the 2nd was another day at Chew with the lake lower than I can ever remember you can never know what will turn up. On this occasion a Curlew Sandpiper was a year tick as was a White Wagtail. The 9th was a Recce at White Ox Mead for the upcoming monthly Bath RSPB field trip. 5 Red Kites in the sky at the same time is something we don’t see often in this area and a Clouded Yellow Butterfly was an exciting find. The 12th to the 19th Bryan, Yvonne, Mary and Tony spent a week in Dorset based in Corfe the 1st few day bird wise nothing more than the expected was seen until we visited Arne on the 16th here Knot was a year tick and while having coffee at the café a Hummingbird Hawk Moth was found, it must have been a good year for them as we found 2 more during the week. On the 18th our last full day we visited Brownsea and although nothing new was found, a large flock of Spoonbills was spectacular and Curlew Sandpipers down to a few feet outside one of the hides gave us views without the need for binoculars also the resident Red Squirrels gave us close views such cute little things.
 |
| Red Squirrel - Brownsea |
Back home on the 24th we
visited Chew again this time an Osprey was
found, these appear most years on migration. Another visit on the 30th
we found another rare visitor for Chew this time a Pectoral
Sandpiper another year tick. A site record count of 92 Glossy Ibis were seen at Chew but this was when we were in Dorset.
 |
| Glossy Ibis - CVL |
October
The 1st trip out this month was another visit to Chew on the 7th where we managed 58 different species with just one year tick a Turnstone another rare wader for Chew, 12 wader species were recorded including Curlew Sandpiper, most years hard to find here. From the 13th we spent a few days in Devon staying with Mary’s sister just outside Brixham at Waterside Holiday Park. Her lodge overlooks Tor bay and on day 1 I spotted a small group of Common Scoter flying towards Torquay. The following day I visited Berry Head looking for a bird we only see mainly in South Devon and at a spot where seed is put out for them were several pairs of Cirl Bunting feeding with House Sparrows, while on the cliffs were maybe 100 Guillemots.
 |
| Cirl Bunting - Berry Head |
%20281025.JPG) |
| Pochard - CVL November |
 |
| Common Gull - Chew |
 |
| Mallard - NSL |
December
On the 2nd was our last visit to Slimbridge of 2025 again a lovely day made even better with White Fronted Goose being a year tick, Cetti's Warbler was good to see as they are usually heard but seldom seen. A Ross Goose of unknown origin that has been about for a few years was found, everything else we saw were expected species.
 |
| Bewick's Swan - Slimbridge |
The 9th was again Chew, many of the recent visits were because of bad weather and here we can spot from bird hides, maybe not the hight of comfort but at least dry. As said before the Whooper Swans were still about and during a dry interlude we found a Goosander while walking from the Lodge to the dam. Saturday 13th was the final Bath RSPB trip this time to West Harptree Wood and Chew. Starting At West Harptree we hoped to find Crossbill and Siskin but neither were found but a Red Kite and Treecreeper were good finds as were many Coal Tits and Goldcrests in the pine trees. The best sighting at Chew was a Red Admiral Butterfly on the wing. The years last outing was to Newton St Loe 2 Green Woodpeckers and 2 female Tufted Ducks were the best on offer.
 |
| Goldfinch - Slimbridge |
During the year 165 different species were
seen which was only1 species better than the last 15 years and White Tailed
Eagle was the only lifer.
Comments
Post a Comment