Auroras.....

27 Feb - A real surprise this evening, an exceptional showing of the aurora as far as southern England.....I took the top picture from my house, showing a faint glow on the horizon due north, unfortunately masked by artificial light. The bottom photo, showing a red aurora, was taken in the Cotswolds. The real spectacular aurora was on the east coast from Norfolk northwards to Northumberland and eastern Scotland, photos BBC.

Forest of Dean sunshine

22 Feb - A fine morning, and a couple of hours in the Forest of Dean.....2 Goshawks flapping and diving in display flight (1) from the New Fancy View raptor watchpoint, and another bird perched. Also here, displaying Ravens (2,3) and Buzzards, Crossbills in flight and calling, and a Redpoll. A Peregrine (4,5) flew over Parkend, and at Serridge ridge - a pair of flighty Bramblings with the Chaffinch flock, Crossbills and 2 more displaying Goshawks. Photos JM. At Shorncote en route home, a record count of 23 Little Egrets, another Raven, a female Sparrowhawk, 3 Water Rails, a Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler. The flood waters have receded slightly.

Hawling

21 Feb - en route to Cheltenham I timed a quick stop at Hawling well, as a Peregrine flew over (1,2) and then the Barn Owl appeared in reasonable light for the camera (3-7), 15 mins before sunset. Photos JM.

Floods, and Smew, revisited.......

21 Feb - The flood level on the Upper Thames has apparently gone down by 3 inches, and certainly more green is visible in the fields around Waterhay. At least some of the Smew have moved county, to Glos, and 3 drakes and a redhead were on pit 65 today, a distant record shot of 2 of the drakes as they were at the back of the pit....also a pair of Goosander on pit 29 and a female Sparrowhawk and a Great Spotted Woodpecker there with my first singing Chaffinch of the year.......a Redpoll over pit 65 and 2 drake Goldeneye also there.

Floods update

16 Feb - The exceptional floods continue, these photos show the waters at North Meadow, Cricklade, the fritillary meadows still deeply flooded and the fields around the river extensively under water. Even if it stops raining, the floods will take weeks to disperse.

Slimbridge and CWP

15 Feb - A couple of hours at Slimbridge and CWP - sunny but windy weather, and good views of the Tundra Bean Goose with the Whitefronts from the Holden Tower, plus all the usual birds - Bewick's Swans, wildfowl, and thousands of waders including large flocks of Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin, with Black-tailed Godwit, Redshanks, Curlew and a Little Stint. No sign of the Glaucous Gull on the low tide. Photos JM - Pochard (2), Tufted Duck (3), Shoveler (4), Teal (5), Shleduck (6). At CWP, the immature male Red-breasted Merganser (7) still present, with a drake and 2 redhead Smew. And Redwings still much in evidence about the village (1).

Around the feeders......

9 Feb - Birds around the garden and busy at the feeders today included one of my favourites, as a few small flocks of Redwings moved through and several stopped in the neighbours apple trees. Other photos to follow, JM.

Upper Thames flooding

9 Feb - Very extensive flooding along the Upper Thames at present, these photos were late afternoon at North Meadow, Cricklade, and show the deeply inundated fritillary meadows. And after a drier couple of days, the forecast is for more rain.

Ruddy Shelduck and Smew

8 Feb - A quick look at CWP after work, extremely windy, but the 2 Ruddy Shelducks (1) still on the floods SW of Marston Meysey, opposite the Down Ampney turning. No sign of the Red-breasted Merganser on pit 30, but extremely choppy there - a redhead Smew present (2) and a male Goosander flew over, and another redhead Smew on pit 29 with a pair of Gooosander also over there. Very few duck seen, presumably all sheltering out of the wind. Photos JM.

An (almost) dry day.......

7 Feb - The water level at Shorncote has risen almost above Wellington boot height, dry today but clouding over late pm. The highlight was a large, presumably female, Peregrine (7,8) which whizzed through going south about 4.55pm. Otherwise, the usual Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers, still evading the camera....4-5 Chiffchaffs (4) including 1 presumed Siberian.... Reed Buntings, Fieldfares and Redwings, and 14 Little Egrets (5,6) on the flooded fields with 8 Grey Herons.

RFB

6 Feb - An amazing addition to my Wiltshire list.....on the borders of South Glos and Wilts, a 1st winter male Red-flanked Bluetail has been wintering in the Shire Valley, and I enjoyed good views, in dull light with the rain holding off - the bird was skulking at times but showed well in bushes and feeding on mealworms provided. Only 2 or 3 other people present, so noone pushing the bird around, but incredibly wet underfoot. This is an extremely rare, but annual, Siberian vagrant, only my second in the UK, the previous one being the famous Winspit bird in Dorset in the 1990s. Photos JM.

Home patch

2 Feb - Back on home turf, tired but some fresh air late afternoon at Shorncote, with 13 Little Egrets on the floods, and 2 Water Rails, 7 Snipe, a Green Sandpiper also present - passerines included a Grey Wagtail, 5 Reed Buntings, Fieldfares and Redwings, and singing Mistle and Song Thrush. A nice relaxed walk.

Gulf of Thailand

29 Jan - 1 Feb - An ambitious short, long haul, trip to south east Asia and an amazing assemblage of eastern waders - with Wildwings and Mark Andrews. Highlights were many on this outstandingly successful trip - the most sought-after trio of waders were all seen well - 3+ Spoon-billed Sandpipers out of 7 thought to be present, with stunning views in perfect light down to 40 yards - a flock of 35 elegant Nordmann's Greenshanks, with superb Great Knots as a supporting cast - and a flock of 50+ Asian Dowitchers in the evening sunlight. Altogether, we saw 42 species of shorebirds. This year there are exceptional numbers of Broad-billed Sandpipers and Terek Sandpipers, as well as Red-necked and Long-toed Stints, Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, Marsh Sandpipers and Spotted Redshanks. Thousands of birds in the vast areas of saltpans are an amazing spectacle.

And a very impressive supportive cast - Malaysian and White-faced Plovers on the coast, Chinese Egret, Caspian and Crested Terns, a enormous immature Pallas' Gull, Openbill and Painted Storks around the paddyfields, not to mention Spotted Eagles, Black-winged Kites, Blue-tailed and Green Bee-eaters, and eastern passerines including Thick-billed Warbler and a first for Thailand, Bay-backed Shrike. We crammed a lot in to 3 days, while concentrating on the outstanding wader watching, and a memorable trip with excellent photographic opportunities. It really is surprising what can be fitted in to 4 days!

The sandspit west of Pak Thale was reached by a short boat ride and held an excellent range of species......

The extensive paddyfields inland from the saltpans are well known as an area for Storks and wintering raptors, as well as waders, Kingfishers and Bee-eaters. Also here are nesting towers for the Germain's Swiftlets to breed in, whose nests are the source for birds nest soup.