Looking back at 2008 - seven of the best

It can't be a bad year's birding when you see the following - Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann's Greenshank, Gurney's Pitta, Black Bee-eater, Yellow-headed Picathartes, Siberian Crane and Ibisbill....

Slavonian Grebe in the CWP

28 Dec - a lunchtime visit to Dudgrove, pit 114, and good views of a Slavonian Grebe, at first diving actively then later preening in open water (photo, copyright Paul Masters). Small, dumpy, contrasting black/white colouration, a rare bird inland. Possibly the one seen at Farmoor yesterday? Presumably displaced by the surrent cold weather and easterly winds. Glos year list for 2008 now 187.

Waxwings in Glos

26 Dec - a Boxing Day trip to Littledean, on the edge of the Forest of Dean, and good views of the 14 Waxwings there, trilling and moving between tall trees and a berry bush. Flighty, but seen well in the sunlight. Glos year list moves up to 186....

Christmas dips!

Dec 22 - Not guacamole - birds....over the weekend I dipped both the Slimbridge Bittern (upper)and the Longlevens Waxwing (lower, photo copyright Paul Masters) in my quest to improve my 2008 year list...oh well, maybe another chance over Christmas/New year....

China in Winter

Nov 21 - Dec 9 2008 - an excellent Winter China Birdquest trip, with good views of Siberian Crane at Poyang Hu - my most wanted bird! Also excellent views of Black-necked Crane at Caohai, and White-naped, Hooded and Red-crowned Cranes also seen, together with Common Cranes as a supporting cast - particularly atmospheric views of flocks flying and calling in morning mist, and against the winter sun. Scaly-sided Merganser was seen well at the second attempt, with thousands of other wildfowl including Swan and Bar-headed Geese and huge numbers of Bewick's Swans. A pre-tour extension gave me my long-awaited Ibisbill. Passerines included Siberian Accentor, Red- and Black-throated Thrushes. The conical hills of the southwest produced several endemic Laughing-Thrushes. Fifty lifers altogether in a fascinating country.

photos - 1. Great Wall of China, Badaling. 2. Ibisbill - 3/4. Siberian Cranes - 5. Black-necked Cranes - 6. Red-crowned Cranes - 7. Oriental Stork - 8. Hooded Cranes - 9. Bar-headed Geese - 10. Ruddy Shelduck

Long-tailed Duck at Dorchester gravel pits

11 Dec - after a bit of searching, the juvenile Long-tailed Duck appeared at Drayton Road pit and was seen well, diving actively (photo, copyright Steve Burch). Also a Snipe flushed at point-blank range.

Jack Snipe at Calvert

18 November - another excellent shot of the Jack Snipe at Calvert Lakes (photo, copyright Calvert Birding). Still showing well, as it was when I saw the bird 2 weeks ago.

Lesser Scaup at Lydney, then Forest of Dean

16 November - The first-winter Lesser Scaup seen at Lydney pools briefly, together with approx 15 Tufted Duck (see photo, copyright Paul Masters).
Then a short trip to Brierley in the Forest of Dean - a Willow Tit heard, 9 Bramblings flew over and 15 Siskins in the area. 2 Ravens flew over. Glos 2008 year list now 185.

Blakehill and CWP

14 November - a morning walk at Blakehill produced a female Merlin low over the reserve, also Snipe in flight, Buzzard, Reed Bunting, a pair of Stonechats and large numbers of Fieldfares and Redwings.
Later a check on pit 95 at CWP revealed a Raven in a tree by the road, and at pit 74 120+ Golden Plovers and 300+ Lapwings were circling over the new lagoon.

Montagu's Harrier at La Janda, Sept 08

13 November - an excellent shot of one of the juvenile Montagu's Harriers at La Janda, Spain, while I was there in September 2008, taken by S Daly.

The Farmoor GND

12 November - A fantastic picture of the Great Northern Diver that I saw on Farmoor 2 reservoir last week, taken from Nic Hallam's Farmoor birding website.

Oxfordshire Cattle Egret

9 November - a county first for Oxfordshire, a Cattle Egret at Day's Lock near Dorchester, seen on a quick lunchtime visit (photo, copyright Steve Burch). Surprisingly elusive amongst the cattle on initial scanning, seen feeding and in flight with typical hunched posture and shortish yellow bill. Also present, an Egyprian Goose, a few Wigeon and a drake Shoveler.

An excellent afternoon's birding

7 November - first stop Farmoor reservoir, where the Great Northern Diver was showing in the centre of F2, diving very actively (photo, copyright Farmoor birding). Then on to Calvert Lakes, where I had fantastic views of a Jack Snipe - amazingly cryptic amongst the cut reeds. Probably my best ever views of this species - seen bobbing (photos x2, copyright Calvert birding). Then on to Berryfields, Aylesbury and the A41 layby - an excellent hour of raptor watching - 3 Short-eared Owls (photo), a Barn Owl and finally a ringtail Hen Harrier floated in at 4.35pm, mobbed by one of the Short-eared Owls. 2 Ravens also seen flying over to roost at 4.15pm. And there was the Red Kite over the A420 at Southmoor en route as well!

Slimbridge again

1 November - a trip to Slimbridge didn't really produce anything unusual - no Water Pipit or Jack Snipe seen, though one of the Meadow Pipits was much paler on the underparts than the rest of the flock...a Bittern was reported but not seen again. The first Bewick's Swan of the autumn was finally on the Rushy Pen. Also seen 55 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Dunlin and a Little Stint, and a Water Rail out in the open briefly. The Egyptian Goose was still on South Lake.

Green Heron in Kent

30 Oct - I drove down to Kent on the news that the first-winter Green Heron was still present on the old military canal at West Hythe - I had excellent views as it fed from branches and vegetation at 30yds range - catching several fish without difficulty. Rather a small heron with large yellowish feet to clamber around on. My second in the UK out of 6 British and Irish records. Also a late Reed Warbler seen, primaries too long for a Blyth's Reed....
Then a 4hr journey home due to the usual chaos on M25/M3 etc.

Shorelark at Upton Warren

19 October - an afternoon visit to the flashes at Upton Warren, and the Shorelark was feeding unobtrusively on one of the gravel islands in front of the main hide. It was surprisingly difficult to see at times, but was a brightly marked individual. The first one I have seen in the UK away from Norfolk, and my first for over 10 years!

Black-necked Grebe....

7 Oct - this fantastic photo of the Frampton Black-necked Grebe was taken by Graham Cox, and posted on Mike King's Gloster Birder website.

Black-necked Grebe at Frampton

3 Oct - after a 45 minute search, I located the Black-necked Grebe at Frampton sailing lake, swimming and preening actively - a dumpy bird going in to winter plumage, with dusky cheeks and neck sides and an upturned bill (photo, copyright Martin McGill). Also seen, 2 Little Egrets and a Grey Wagtail by the car park. Glos 2008 year list now 182.
Spending a couple of days at home this week produced a Little Egret flying over the river at the bottom of the fields on the morning of the 3rd, and 2 Ravens making a low flypast, calling and agitating the resident Carrion Crows, on the 4th.

Pectoral Sandpiper at Slimbridge

2 October - Scanning the Dumbles over high tide produced very distant views of the Pectoral Sandpiper (photo, copyright Martin McGill) with Dunlin, Ringed Plover and a Ruff. Also 29 Golden and 10 Grey Plovers. Few other migrants apart from Meadow Pipits through.

Slimbridge

27 Sept - no sign of the Pectoral Sandpiper or the Spotted Crake early morning in misty conditions, but good views of a Water Rail opposite Martin Smith hide (pic Richard Tyler), and 3 Spotted Redshanks (pic Paul Taylor) and 2 Black-tailed Godwits on South Lake.

Brown Shrike at Flamborough Head

25 Sept - a 4hr drive to Flamborough Head, and good views of the Brown Shrike, police in attendance for the assembled masses and ensuing crowd on road/traffic etc! An adult, with chestnut cap, prominent eyestripe, brownish upperparts and buff sides to flanks. A Red-backed Shrike was in the same hedge for comparison. A Yellow-browed Warbler seen well in the Old Fall Plantation, but I couldn't pin down the Red-breasted Flycatcher.

Straits of Gibraltar, 19-20 Sept 2008

A quick visit to Gibraltar and Tarifa, courtesy of Easyjet and a return to La Codorniz hotel for one night. Two fairly full days of birding - on the 19th, the wind was an increasing easterly and I headed first to the observatory at El Algarrobo, seeing Honey Buzzard and Osprey en route from Gibraltar. Raptors were passing continuously in small numbers, mainly Booted Eagles with a scattering of Short-toed Eagles and Honey Buzzards, see table below - also a fantastic flock of 70 soaring White Storks (7). 10 Bee-eaters made a fleeting appearance on their southward journey. A Hobby and a Peregrine flew over.
I then moved on to Cazalla, more of the same species including some low ST Eagles (3), then after R and R at the La Codorniz hotel, I visited La Janda for an evening watch - excellent, although the marhses were very dry - raptors included 16 (!) Marsh Harriers, 2 juvenile Montagu's Harriers and a Black-shouldered Kite ( which I found for Tim Appleton's group), together with at least 2 Lesser Kestrels and 75 Glossy Ibis and 11 more Bee-Eaters. A late evening seawatch at Tarifa produced an adult Audouin's Gull and 7 Balearic Shearwaters, but no Cory's.
On the 20th, a mixed flock of Honey Buzzards and ST Eagles glided low over the hotel after breakfast. A visit to Tarifa beach produced at least 12 Cory's Shearwaters (10 not JM) on a quick seawatch, and a walk to the new hide revealed an amazing flock of 72 Audouin's Gulls (9), together with waders including Kentish and Ringed Plovers (13), Knot, Whimbrel (12) and Bar-tailed Godwit (11), with Yellow Wagtails also moving through. Grounded passerines included Fan-tailed Warbler (14) and Black-eared Wheatear (15).
Raptor watching at Sanctuario and Cazalla in a strong easterly wind gave good views of Short-toed and Booted Eagles (4), a few Honey Buzzards (5), half a dozen Egyptian Vultures, and 4 Black Storks (8) and an Osprey (6) - together with odd Sparrowhawks and Black Kites. An amazing couple of days with flocks of raptors continually in view against the dramatic background of the straits.

Totals - Short-toed Eagle 106 (26, 80). Booted Eagle 253 (78, 175). Honey Buzzard 109 (47, 62). Black Kite 29 (6, 23). Griffon Vulture 200 (50, 150). Egyptian Vulture 10 (0, 10). Marsh Harrier 16 (16, 0). Montagu's Harrier 2 (2, 0).Osprey 2 (1, 1). Sparrowhawk 13 (4, 9). Black Stork 4 (0, 4).