Cleeve and WWT

31 Mar - A cloudy start then sun again. Cleeve Hill didn't produce the Ring Ouzels seen the day before, but a bonus was 4 Short-eared Owls, presumably on passage, that I nearly trod on - good views, but no decent photos as I couldn't locate them again on the ground. Yellowhammers, Linnets and Meadow Pipits all seen. I'll try again later in the month as it's a reliable spring stopover site for the Ouzels. I decided to call at Slimbridge on the way home and I'm glad I did, as not only was the Spoonbill still there, and giving very good views from Robbie Garnett hide, but I also found an immature Little Gull feeding over the South Lake, very elegant with its tern-like flight and small size. It's amazing to think that I hardly gave the 40 or so Avocets on the South Lake a second glance, whereas 5 years ago Avocet was a scarce passage migrant in Glos.

Greenham etc

30 Mar - A sunny morning once the clouds dispersed. A brief early look at Blakehill finally produced a male Wheatear which disappeared again before I could get anything other than a record shot, unlike the confiding and numerous Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. A perfect time of year for the short trip to Greenham Common, now a heathland, and the easiest place I know to see Woodlarks - 2 seen very well feeding at close range and quite confiding, also at least 5 Dartford Warblers seen, including a male which was singing in the open and affording good views. Also logged - Meadow Pipits and Linnets, a flock of 19 Golden Plover which were circling on and off for an hour, and 3 Red Kites (plus another 10 on the journey via Hungerford). Also 2 LRPs and 2 Curlews at pit 132 at CWP E, and a flyover Swallow near home. A productive morning, with spring well and truly under way in the current southerly winds.

One Swallow doesn't make a summer............

28 Mar - Not one Swallow, but four, at Coate Water this evening with c 50 Sand Martins, feeding in blustery conditions high over the lake. Worth a quick look on the way home.

CWP wander

25 Mar - My first chance to get out all week after a very busy schedule. Shorncote was not especially productive in the strong east wind, no LRPs seen, highlights being a Green Sandpiper and 2 Grey Wagtails apart from the usual singing Cetti's and good numbers of Buzzards, none of which became an Osprey on closer inspection. I then drove to pit 132 in the eastern CWP - the habitat here is ideal for LRPs with gravel islands and spits,

and 2 Little Ringed Plovers flew in just as I was about to leave having scanned several times - the male immediately calling and displaying. Also here an obliging perched Peregrine, a few Lapwings, a Snipe, a pair of Goosander and 2 Little Egrets as well as a couple of obliging Red Kites. All in all, a successful morning.

Odds and Ends

19 Mar - A Peregrine flew N over Cirencester Abbey Grounds this afternoon, and 5 Sand Martins over pit 65 this evening. Cool and blustery today.

Garganey on cue

18 Mar - A quick trip and views of the fairly elusive Garganeys on the South lake - also close looks at Curlew and Redshank and Grey Heron,

together with Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits. A flight view of a Kingfisher, but smaller birds generally elusive in the strong breeze. Still waiting for my first Wheatear and Sand Martin of the year......

Savernake and south......

16 Mar - A weather forecast of a fine sunny start, deteriorating for the afternoon. I arrived soon after sunrise at Savernake, and a good selection of woodland birds in the early morning stillness of the woodland - several Roe deer and a Muntjac testimony to the lack of disturbance. The main target, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, was heard drumming distantly but not seen - however 8 Great Spotteds heard/seen, together with 3 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Treecreepers, c15 Nuthatches, 2 Marsh Tits, 4 Jays, and a Raven.

A quick stop at Southsea Castle was successful in locating 7 roosting Purple Sandpipers on the rocks straight away, on of my favourite waders - I then progressed to the oyster beds at Hayling, where the Oyster beds hold the spectacle each spring of a pre-breeding gathering of Mediterranean Gulls - no less than 440 seen here last week! The sun was gradually filtered out by high cloud, a the breeze picked up, good conditions for the noisy gathering of Med Gulls in stunning breeding plumage mixed with the more numerous Black-headed Gulls.

A cacophany of displaying and squabbling birds, on the shingle and in the air. Plenty of photographic opportunities. Also a few waders seen - Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank and Godwits. Home lunchtime before the strong winds arrived.

WWT

12 Mar - A quick look in the morning in improving weather, from cloudy to bright - the highlight was the second-year Mediterranean Gull on South Lake, distinguished from the adjacent Black-headeds by the developing black hood extending down the nape, together with the red bill, larger size and smaller amount of black in the wingtips. Small numbers of Meds pass through every spring, and maybe one year they will colonise? Also c40 Avocets - now arrived to breed - 120+ Black-tailed Godwits, Oystercatcher and Ruff. On the Tack Piece, very close views of the White-front flock that will probably shortly depart on migration to Russia, together with various duck species in full breeding plumage.

Stop in the Cotswolds

11 Mar - A quick late afternoon stop at Hawling and fairly distant views of the Great Grey Shrike currently present - also a hunting Barn Owl, but fairly poor light as a cloudy evening. No SEOs.

Mountain Hares!

10 Mar - My birthday present to myself - a day photographing Mountain Hares in the Peak District with wildlife photo professional Tesni Ward - and a great day it was. Early fog on Bleaklow cleared to cloudy but bright conditions, ideal for the white coats of the Hares as against full sun. Some animals were quite approachable, others very wary, and their colouration varied from fawn/brown to mainly white - when they stood out against the (non-snowy) landscape. Some reasonable images obtained, in a variety of settings, and Tes is a fun and enthusiastic guide www.tesniward.co.uk. Also Golden Plover and Red Grouse on the moors. A very worthwhile day.

Otmoor

9 Mar - A beautiful morning, warm and sunny for March. A couple of hours at Otmoor - several views of the male Marsh Harrier, including in display - also Red Kites and Buzzards. A spectacular large flock of Golden Plovers performing aerobatics in the sunlight and calling, with their mournful note that always evokes the northern wilds where they breed. Redshank and Curlew also on the floods alongside numerous Lapwings, preparing for the breeding season, a Grey Heron nestbuilding in the reedbed, and Reed Buntings and Cetti's Warblers singing and establishing territory. The water level high at present after the recent rains.

Shorncote patch

6 March - A beautiful early spring morning, so a walk at Shorncote before work. At least 10 singing Reed Buntings, and 5+ singing Cettis's Warblers were harbingers of spring, in contrast overflying Redwings and Fieldfares were signs of winter not yet being over. 15 Shoveler was a good count, a Water Rail was heard, and a Little Grebe fairly unusual here. 3 Grey Wagtails logged, but no waders, not even a Lapwing. 2 Goldcrests and 4 Meadow Pipits were probable migrants. No sign of a passage Bittern as yet (seen last year). The Stonechats appear to have moved on, and there were 5 at Blakehill yesterday evening, probably also passage birds. The Black-necked Grebe and male Scaup were still on pits 65 and 57 respectively on 3rd at least, I 'll have another look in the next few days as the Grebe might start to moult into summer plumage for the camera.

A few Glos Scarcities

2 March - with the forecast being a sunny day today, then return to cloud and damp for a few days, I decided to head out early, starting with another try for Hawfinch photography at Parkend. A couple of hours here resulted in 3 visits by a female Hawfinch, unfortunately I was in the wrong place first time, but, hopefully, finally got some decent shots in good light. This location is becoming very popular and there were 6 cars here by 9am, all behaving and using the vehicles as a hide........ also, a Dipper was on rocks by one of the bridges in Parkend, and two groups of Crossbills flew over.

Beautiful spring-like weather at Slimbridge, and wildfowl in full courtship mode.....only 23 Bewick's Swans left (also some Whitefronts) and they will doubtless start their epic migration soon.

Good views of the Spotted Redshank, posing alongside some Commons, also 20+ Avocets back for the spring, and 3 pairs of Oystercatchers. Knot, Ruff, Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit also present. Down the road, the flock of Waxwings in Frampton was still present and trilling away noisily, though flighty, and 2 Cattle Egrets were in fields on the Fretherne Road (alongside 5 Littles). Late afternoon, in view of the fine weather, I headed out again I went to a local site for Owls and was rewarded not only with Barn Owl in good light, but also 2 Short-eared Owls, with quite close views at times.

Amazingly, without really trying too hard, I saw 86 species in Gloucestershire today........