Waders at Saul and Gulls at Slimbridge

31 July - an excellent evening. Saul Warth held a high number of waders, possibly due to the recent unsettled weather - an adult Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Wood Sandpipers(upper photo, copyright Graham Cox), 6 Greenshanks, also 45 Black-tailed Godwits together with Ruff, Redshank and Snipe. Then the evening gull watch at Slimbridge produced a couple of Mediterranean Gulls(lower photo), a 2nd summer and an adult, also 6 Yellow-legged Gulls - waders on the Dumbles included 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 3 Grey Plovers together with at least 80 Curlews. The rain held off until the watch finished....

Saul Warth and Slimbridge

26 July - an early morning visit followed by the Land Rover safari. 24 Black-tailed Godwits (photo, copyright Martin McGill) and 41 Redshank, together with Snipe and Dunlin, at Saul - 1 Egyptian Goose on South Lake - and 9 Whimbrel from the safari, together with a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls and 5 Little Egrets. Drogonflies included Broad-bodied Chaser and a Migrant Hawker. Glos 08 year list up to 170.

Honey Buzzard in the New Forest - slightly closer!

24 July - a morning visit to the northern edge of the New Forest mainly for dragonflies - Black Darter and Keeled Skimmer seen - I scanned for birds as well and had reasonable views of a Honey Buzzard as it circled south of Slufter's Pond - over the A31 towards Acres Down - floppy compact, flat silhouette with a very mobile tail. Dartford Warbler heard as well.

New Forest - raptors

20 July - a couple of hours at Acres Down in the morning, cool, breezy, sunny periods. A distant view of a Honey Buzzard lifting off to the south at 9.20, typical floppy flight and flat silhouette. An adult and two juvenile Goshawks active later, possibly reducing activity by other birds? Several Common Buzzards also seen together with Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. 5 Crossbills flew over calling, and others heard distantly at intervals.

Roseate Tern and Med Gulls at Titchfield

19 July - an evening visit on the rising tide to Titchfield/Hillhead. After a bit of searching through the tern flocks I found an adult Roseate Tern - paler upperparts, limited black on primaries, dark bill with red base. A good comparison with Common Terns before it flew. Also 4 Mediterranean Gulls seen including a couple of adults in reasonable summer plumage.

La Brenne, France

4-8 July - a short Naturetrek trip for Butterflies produced a good bird list despite cool, showery weather. The region contains many fishing lakes surrounded by forest and is thinly populated. Birds on the lakes included Black-necked Grebes (photo) and many pairs of Whiskered Terns (photo), also Purple Herons (photo) together with Great White, Little and Cattle Egrets. Warblers were much less obvious than earlier in the season but included Savi's, Marsh and Melodious. Raptors were widespread - Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Black Kite, also single Short-toed Eagle and Osprey (photo) and a couple of Hobbies. Golden Orioles, Turtle Doves and Red-backed Shrikes were common and Black Redstarts were seen in several villages. Altogether, 90 species logged.