Bath Birdwatcher

  This week another visit to Chew Valley Lake but on this occasion for a specific reason, a White-Tailed Eagle from the Isle of Wight reintroduction has been seen there for the last few days so a chance to see a bird that I have never seen before. Today it was just David and Tony as Bryan was otherwise engaged. On the way driving through Bishop Sutton, we spotted House Martins, Magpie and Jackdaw with several Woodpigeons on top of telegraph poles. As we arrived at Herriotts Mute Swan, Mallard, Coot and Woodpigeon were all close in on the pool. As we got out of the car some fellow birders were on the other side of the road searching the main lake so we joined them to see if they had found anything special, a Peregrine sat on a tree stump was as good as it got, we did also see a Grey Wagtail and a few Pied Wagtails. I then heard the call of a Kingfisher in the overflow channel so went to see if we could find it and luckily another birder was there and pointed it out hanging on to a r...

  Little Grebe - Herons Green (Bath Birdwatcher) This week the 3 Amigos decided on a day’s field trip to Chew Valley Lake as we would be more likely to find more bird species there this time of the year. We started our bird list at Bishops Sutton with House Martins and Collared Doves, next stop Herriotts Bridge where Mute Swan, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Coot and Canada Goose were all seen as we parked. Looking out over the pool we were amazed by the number of Great White and Little Egrets along with several Grey Herons. On the island were 8 Lapwing , Moorhen, Herring Gull and at least 12 Green Sandpipers with 2 Snipe also seen. Rook, Grey Wagtail and Sand Martins were all seen in the air, and Gadwall were found at the back of the pool. A few other birders we know were looking out over the main lake when they called us over to see a female Peregrine sat on a stump close to the now low waters edge, we were told the level is only 45% of full. Pied Wagtail and Carrion Crow were on th...

  A very low CVL from Herons Green (Bath Birdwatcher) The 3 Amigos were back together for this week’s field trip and it was decided that we would go to Chew Valley Lake as the last visit was wat back on the 10 th of June. On the way we saw Woodpigeons and House Sparrows. Our 1 st stop was Herriotts and the 1 st bird there was a small flock of Canada Geese on the pond along with Mallard, Coot and Mute Swan. The island is now overgrown making it hard to see any birds on or over the far side but we did see Common Sandpiper, Lapwing and 2 Egret species Little and Great White. David spotted Swifts circling overhead accompanied by a few House Martin. A Carrion Crow was on the island and a Moorhen was under the trees and a Grey Heron was in the shallow water and I found a Green Sandpiper. Ravens flew over calling and a Pied Wagtail flew onto the island. As we were looking to see if anything different was about a Cattle Egret flew over. Time to move on and next stop Stratford adding Sw...

  Today Mary and I visited Newton St Loe for a walk to the top lake and back the weather was almost perfect overcast but not cold, ideal walking conditions, although the sun did come through on our return walk. Armed with coffee we set off from the church and immediately started finding birds with both Wood Pigeon and Lesser Black Back Gulls flying past, in the field were Carrion Crows and on the wires by the cottages were a few Goldfinches while lots of House Sparrows were visiting the feeders, seems they have had a good breeding season as there seemed to be more about than usual. I notice Ripple Effect, previously Send a Cow is again empty and the large model of a cow has been removed. Walking down the footpath we noted Blue Tit, Chiffchaff and Blackbird. Nothing more until we reached the bottom lake where half a dozen Mallards were spread over the lake and a Grey Heron was on the bank.  Grey Heron - NSL (Bath Birdwatcher) I could hear the call of a Kingfisher then 2 flew fr...

  Chisel Beach from Portland  (Bath Birdwatcher) Mary and Tony were kindly invited by Hazel and David to join them in their caravan at Wyke Regis from Wednesday 23 rd July until Monday 28 th July. On the First day a steam special was due to visit Weymouth and as we are both lovers of steam engines we decided after lunch to go and see it but before that we had seen a Greenfinch that sits and sings on a nearby arial, Herring Gull, Swift and Woodpigeon. We went to a bridge just north of Weymouth station to watch the train but as with all these specials it was running about 30 minutes late, we were watching close to Radipole Lake and had a view through the trees to a part of the reserve where a Marsh Harrier was quartering and a Moorhen was by the reed bed. The special train arrived being pulled by a class 47 diesel with a Black 5 at the rear 45212, it had turned earlier so the steam engine was on the front for the return trip.   Black 5 No 45212 - Weymouth (Bath Birdwatche...

  This months Bath RSPB field trip and the last of this season was a trip to Newport Wetlands and Goldcliff. We all met at the wetland which is an RSPB reserve and while waiting in the car park for everyone to arrive Swallows and House Martins were flying around and Lesser Black Back and Black Headed Gulls were flying to and from the sea. Once inside the reserve a volunteer was starting to check a moth trap that had been left out overnight and onlookers were amazed how many moths had been caught. Birds visiting the feeders included Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow and Great Tit. Walking through the reserve a Blackbird was our 1 st sighting and Tom scoped a Cormorant on a pylon. A family of Stonechats were on the footpath and 3 Curlews circled overhead, a Dunnock was spotted in a bush. An Oystercatcher flew over calling and in one of the channels were Mallard, Little Grebe and Moorhen. A Blue tit flew into a bush.   On reaching the estuary the tide was well out but coming ...

  The time passes so quickly these days and seems unbelievable that a week has passed since my last birding outing. This week the choice was Chew or Slimbridge as the weather didn’t look that good, in the end David and Tony chose Slimbridge as the Bluethroat has still been seen there and on my 2 previous visits it has failed to show so 3 rd time lucky !! I decided not to start my day list until we arrived at Slimbridge, so my 1 st sighting was a Red Kite that flew across the approach road just after the bridge. On arrival the rain had started so waterproofs were the order of the day and while putting them on 2 Collared Doves flew past and a Woodpigeon was sat in a tree close to the reception. Once in the   reception we were forced to shelter as it was raining hard, but it soon passed, making our way to the Decoy Hide we added Greylag Geese and Moorhen, from the hide we saw Mute Swan, Coot, Mallard and Cormorant, we had hoped for Kingfisher as they had been seen there regula...