12-23 Dec (2) -

12-23 Dec -

Great Barrington raptors

10 Dec - A successful hours break from packing for Uganda, a sunny afternoon on the Cotswolds at Great Barrington, and excellent close views in the sun of 5 Short-eared Owls hunting (1-3), also a distant ringtail Hen Harrier and 6 Red Kites in the area (4-5). Photos JM.

Temminck's Stint at Shorncote

9 Dec - The Temminck's Stint still at Shorncote from the hide, also a Kingfisher, 2 Water Rails including one in the open (2-3), a Cetti's Warbler singing, 7 Snipe, and 300+ Golden Plover (4) with 200+ Lapwing over.

Long-staying Greater Yellowlegs....

3 Dec - After several weeks, an opportunity to go to see the long-staying juvenile/ 1st-winter Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland that has been present since early November. It has been fairly mobile, and I and half-a-dozen others could not find it early morning at Hauxley where it has been roosting recently. We then moved on to Druridge Bay CP, where, fortunately, it was feeding in the same place as yesterday. Excellent close views of it at the eastern end of the lake (3-6) feeding in rough water and windy conditions - slightly larger than a Greenshank, with long bright yellow legs, upturned bill and scaly upperparts with some fine flank streaking. A very smart wader, and seen very well, worth the long journey.
Also seen - flocks of Pink-footed Geese (2) moving inland to feed, especially at first light - and Redshanks, Knot, Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwits at Hauxley with a Barn Owl there at dawn. A Red Kite was over the A1 north of York. Photos JM.

Shorncote....

2 Dec - A brief view of the Great Grey Shrike perched distantly at Shorncote late morning, but still no photo. A variety of birds seen, including 450+ Golden Plover (1-2) and 800+ Lapwing (3) wheeling in large flocks, 2 Little Egrets (5), 2 Snipe, a Green Sandpiper (4), 6+ Buzzards, a fem Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, a Green Woodpecker, at least 2 Water Rail heard calling,50+ Goldfinches, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Siskins over, together with Fieldfares and Redwings.

Otmoor raptors

27 November - A sunny afternoon at Otmoor, and very good views of a ringtail Hen Harrier (2-4) from the hide in the low afternoon sun. At least 5 Short-eared Owls seen, 4 over the MOD land (5-8) and one by the car park which gave very close views. Photos slightly grainy as taken on very fast ISO speed in the low light levels. Photos JM.

Slimbridge

26 November - A brief sanity visit after work to Slimbridge, where the BBC Autumnwatch team are still in residence (1-2). No sign of the Bittern in windy conditions in the afternoon but a Water Rail appeared briefly, and good views of a large mixed flock of waders wheeling over the estuary against a stormy sky (15) - huge numbers of Lapwings and Golden Plovers (14), with smaller numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew and Dunlin. 3 Snipe (13) were hidden in the vegetation close to the Martin Smith hide, 30+ Bewick's Swans (3-7) were on the Rushy Pen, a good selection of wildfowl were present including Pintail(9), Shoveler, Teal (8), Pochard and Tufted Duck (10-12), and a Peregrine was sat on the Dumbles. Photos JM.

Shorncote update.....

24 November - An early morning visit to Shorncote armed with the camera and, as might be predicted, no sign of the GGS (it was seen again in the afternoon, which seems to be the best time). Two Cetti's warblers and 2 Water Rails calling this morning, also 35 Golden Plovers flew over S (2), a Little Egret over and 150+ Redwings and 70+ Fieldfares (3). The photo may have to wait until the weekend....

GG Shrike Shorncote still....

23 November - Robin Griffiths took this picture of the Great Grey Shrike this afternoon from the hide at Shorncote, I will try for photos tomorrow as forecast is fine....

Great Grey Shrike at Shorncote !

20 November - An excellent hour or so at Shorncote pre-dusk, the highlight being a smart Great Grey Shrike that popped up on the bushes past the hide - seen twice briefly at 3.40 and 4.10 pm - too brief and dull for any sort of photo unfortunately. I will look for it again, as I suspect I may have seen it on 17th Nov when I didn't have any optics with me.
Also seen - a flock of 70+ Golden Plovers flew SW along with 150+ Lapwings - 2 Cetti's Warblers called (one either side of the path) and 2 Water Rails also heard - a Little Egret flew to roost, 20+ Teal, a pair of Wigeon, 70+ Fieldfares, 2 Grey Wagtails, 3 Reed Buntings, Goldfinches and Linnets also seen. No Owls this evening.
At pit 44, a good count of 76 Red-crested Pochard, also a male Goosander.

Record-breaking Wheatear Autumn

19 November - Despite the relative lack of easterly winds this autumn, I've seen my best ever haul of rare Wheatears this year - 2 Isabellines (1) (a British tick), a Pied (2) and today a male Desert Wheatear (3). The only one missing is a Black-eared, of which I've only seen one in Britain. Pic 4 is a Northern Wheatear, taken at Pennington in September. Photos JM.