Barrington and Hawling - a full house - winter at its best.......

Jan 31 - an excellent afternoon of winter birding, despite the strong northerly wind. When I arrived at Barrington, I was pleasantly surprised to see the ringtail Hen Harrier hunting over the stubble - and then the Great Grey Shrike popped up in the hedge in front of it! And posed just long enough for a record shot. Red Kites were also soaring elegantly over the stubble.

Hawling was similarly windswept, and the one Short-eared Owl that braved the elements was very close to the road, in the lee from the wind, probably my best ever views - and allowed a few photos before tucking itself into the grass where I watched it relax and go to sleep. Finally, as I was leaving, the Barn Owl emerged and started hunting the hedgeline near the farm. Year list up by 2 to 125.

Barringtons

Jan 27 - A quick stop at the Barrington trig point area this morning, and no sign of the Great Grey Shrike or the Hen Harrier - a female Merlin seen at close range, also 3 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels and a male Sparrowhawk. and a large flock of Fieldfares and Redwings feeding in the stubble fields.

Yellow-legged Gull studies......

Jan 24 - A day around Barcelona and an opportunity to have a good look at the Yellow-legged Gulls along the seafront. The adults are distinctive with the darker mantle, yellow legs, red eye ring, and rounded head shape with fairly large bill. The juveniles and 1st-winters are more subtle - white heads with a dark eye-mask, dark tertials, and a white rump in flight with dark tail tip - and pink (not yellow!) legs. Photos JM.

Catalonia morning.......

Jan 23 - a morning with Carles of Barcelona Birding Point, and very interesting to see the area in winter as opposed to spring/summer. Cold and windy but clear. A lot of the "Mediterranean" species absent, but some good species seen - adult Med Gull, Purple Gallinule, Penduline Tits, Bluethroat glimpsed, Marsh Harrier, Cattle Egret, and obliging Black Redstarts. Also seen - Crag Martins and Water Pipit. In the hills, Peregrine, Raven, Firecrest and Crested Tit, with Black Woodpecker heard. Stunning rocky scenery, but unfortunately no Wallcreepers! And then the amazing cathedral La Sagrada Familia.....

Frosty morning.....Smew again

Jan 20 - time for a quick look around this morning before work. At pit 29, 3 drake Smew displaying to 2 redheads, but flighty as usual. Pit 44 held 56 Red-crested Pochards, and finally pit 43 no Smew (for Glos) but a flock of 10 Goosander, a Snipe flushed and a Water Rail calling. In the scrub, 2 Green Woodpeckers, a Jay, 5 Bullfinches and 2 Goldcrests. Atmospheric sun breaking through the cloud, with frost and some iced up puddles and lake edges. A beautiful winter morning, and a flock of 300 + Fieldfares and Redwings flew over the Spine Road as I left.

Red Kite......

Jan 19 - a good view at lunchtime today of a Red Kite circling over Covingham, Swindon.....stunning in the sunlight.

Blakehill.......

Jan 18 - a cold, sunny afternoon and a pre-sunset visit to Blakehill. Good views of a Short-eared Owl perched then hunting in the evening light. Apparently 7 were flushed by a Raven earlier! Also good views of a Peregrine with prey, mobbed by a Kestrel - judging from size a female bird. Also 3 Buzzards, 2 Stonechats, and winter Thrushes numbering at least 100 Fieldfares and 40 Redwings.

Barn Owl......

Jan 17 - a Barn Owl flew over the B4040 just west of Minety this evening, my first of the year. Year list now 122.

An enjoyable winter day.......

Jan 16 - An enjoyable and productive morning in fine winter weather with little wind. An early check on pits 28/29/30 at CWP revealed an impressive total of 8 Smew, 3 smart drakes and 5 redheads, very flighty as usual.

Then a very productive session at Shorncote - excellent views of the Siberian Chiffchaff alongside at least 6 Common Chiffchaffs, also 3 Cetti's Warblers present. The Stonechat in its usual area, now looking like a first-winter male, 2 Grey Wagtails on the stream and Meadow Pipits around the floods. 11 Little Egrets were also on the floods, and 2 Water Rails seen and another 2 heard. 90+ Teal present with 6 Shoveler. A calling Kingfisher and a pair of Sparrowhawks were new for the patch year list. 2 Ravens flew over mobbed by Crows, an 120+ Lapwings and 3 Snipe also seen. The Little Owl still eyeing me up from its usual willow tree. The 5 common Thrush species all seen and included a singing Mistle Thrush, 4 Song Thrushes, 20 Fieldfares and 70 Redwings. In the afternoon, a trip to Abingdon allowed a brief stop to Dorchester sailing lake where the first-winter drake Long-tailed Duck, one of my favourite seaducks, was feeding actively, and allowed good scope views. Year list 121.

LT Duck photo 2, copyright Roger Wyatt.

Snow........well, just..........

Jan 14 - a temporary dusting of snow, gone by mid-morning....the possibility of proper winter next week......

Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island........

Jan 11 - An excellent and memorable day at Poole Harbour, and landing on Brownsea Island, in superb weather.......first stop Holes Bay, with an impressive selection of waders in early morning sunlight. Highlights here were a winter-plumaged Spotted Redshank, and good numbers of Avocet and Godwits. The trip to Brownsea was in sunny but very windy conditions. A female Merlin flew in and perched on the sea wall as we arrived, and the lagoon held impressive numbers of waders - Avocet, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwits - also smart winter-plumaged Knot, together with Greenshank and Spotted Redshank. A Marsh Harrier cruised over. Another highlight was 2 Red Squirrels feeding in trees and scrub along the pathway. We then cruised around the harbour including the remoter western section. Shipstal Point produced the memorable sight of 30 Spoonbills in a flock, an amazing sight in the Uk. A Peregrine hunted the wildfowl along the shoreline. The harbour itself contained good numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers and Great crested Grebes, together with a brief view of a Great Northern Diver and a Black-necked Grebe.

After the excellent boat trip, a look at Sandbanks gave great views of the reported Mediterranean Gulls, 2 adult winter birds - and finally, a look at North and South Haven did not reveal the hoped-for Purple Sandpipers, but a mobile flock of 15 or so Sanderling were on the beach, and both Red-necked and Black-necked Grebes in the harbour mouth, together with another adult Med. A very enjoyable day. Year list up to 119.