Sunday 30 December 2012

CWP floods....and Egrets

30 Dec - A total of 27 Little Egrets on the extensive floods at Ashton Keynes, either side of the B4696, this afternoon. By far my highest ever Wiltshire count.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Soggy Otmoor.....

26 Dec - The highest water levels I have ever seen at Otmoor, and impressive aerobatics from the wader flocks - c2000 Golden Plover and c3000 Lapwing, also 9 Snipe flew over. Good numbers of dabbling ducks included 3+ drake Pintail among the Teal and Wigeon. A Chiffchaff was calling in the hedgerow, and a couple of Reed Buntings present.

Sunday 23 December 2012

Wildfowl.....

23 Dec - finally, a dry interlude with a bit of sun, and a quick lunchtime walk.....5 smart redhead Smew were together on pit 28 at CWP, with 13 Goosander (9 drakes, 4 redheads) on the adjacent pit 30. Also 5 redhead Goosanders on pit 56 at Neigh Bridge. Pit 74 from twitcher's gate showed amazingly high water levels, 12 Pintail (8 drakes, 4 females) were the highlight, but only c25 Shoveler seen, with good numbers of Teal and Wigeon.

Sunday 16 December 2012

Waxwings.....

16 Dec - this excellent photo of some of the Cheltenham Waxwings was taken by, copyright, Mark Dowie.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Bittern.....Waxwings.....Long-tailed Duck!

15 Dec - The best views I have ever had of a Bittern, watched in the open from Zeiss hide at Slimbridge in the morning (1-3). Also at Slimbridge - Bewick's Swans (4), White-fronted Geese (along the entrance road), c900 Dunlin, c150 Lapwings, c20 Golden Plover, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew, Snipe and Redshank - together with hundreds of Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Pintail. c50 Waxwings were flying around Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, but were very mobile. Then, a visit to Baulking gravel pit, not far from home, and a stunning male Long-tailed Duck seen at an unlikely location (5-6). All in all, a good morning! Photos JM.

Thursday 13 December 2012

Great White Egret at Coate

13 Dec - A quick visit to a frozen Coate Water before work, and good views of the Great White Egret close to the second hide - A photo on my iphone shows it very distantly (!), and the other photo is copyright Tony Martin. Also seen - a Kingfisher, 10 Siskins, 2 Redpolls and 2 drakes and a female Goosander very close to the dam.

Saturday 8 December 2012

Waxwings..... and Smew

8 Dec - I finally caught up with some Swindon Waxwings, arriving in Oakhurst just as the flock was perching on aerials after feeding - approximately 30 birds in total - I just had time to grab 2 or 3 photos before they flew off, and I just had one further view of the flock distantly in flight. Photo JM. In the late afternoon, 2 redhead Smew were on pit 29 in the CWP, and 7 Goosanders on the adjacent pit 30. Unfortunately some wildfowlers arrived, and disturbed all the birds, but happily appeared to be very poor shots. I didn't know the shooting rights were private here, which seems strange next to a busy road. A very quick look at pit 74 produced a pair of Pintail, 9 Curlew and a Little Egret in flight.

Sunday 2 December 2012

CWP

2 Dec - A frosty fine day, a quick look at the Water Park produced 9 Goosander (5 drakes and 4 redheads) on pit 30. Redhead Smews had been reported earlier on pit 28/29. Pit 74 from twitcher's gate was very productive - with high water levels thronged with wildfowl - 109 Shoveler was my highest ever count in the CWP - also 3 Pintail (2m,1f) c150 Teal, c300 Wigeon, drake Goldeneye, drake Pochard, 30 Tufted Duck, 6 Curlew, 10 Lapwings, a Little Egret, a flyover Redpoll, and Water Rail and Great Spotted Woodpecker heard.

Saturday 1 December 2012

Oxford and Farmoor.....

1 Dec - A cold sunny morning, first stop St Giles in central Oxford, where 28 Waxwings were feeding around the churchyard and perching in the treetops (1-3). Excellent views in the low sun. Also Mistle Thrush and Redwing looking for berries. Then Farmoor on the way home was excellent - a single Waxwing was with the thrush flock behind F1, also a male Brambling with the finches in the hedge there - and 3 female Scaup (4) and a Slavonian Grebe (5,6) on F1, also a pair of Goldeneye. Photos JM.