Upland Sweden 23-30 May 2018

A fantastic trip with Naturetrek, Daniel Green and Tim Melling. Blue skies the whole week, with little wind, led to unseasonably high temperatures and a recent rapid snowmelt. The fine weather meant a very successful trip from the ornithological point of view - many highlights - 7 Owls including a family of Hawk Owls and an incubating Great Grey Owl, also a Tengmalm's Owl peeping from a treehole and an obliging Pygmy Owl - 2 confiding parties of Siberian Jays - and displaying waders on the tundra in southern Lapland, always a highlight for British birders who normally see these birds in subdued mode, on passage or in winter. Long-tailed Skuas were also patrolling the tundra having recently arrived. Raptors included a Golden Eagle Rough-legged Buzzard on the nest, and newly-arrived Honey Buzzards, and passerines included many singing Bramblings, and Lapland Buntings in summer plumage - as well as Pied Flycatchers everywhere taking advantage of the abundant insect life. Not forgetting singing Bluethroats and lekking Great Snipe in the mountains! All set against a beautiful forested landscape, a mixture of conifers and freshly-leafed birches, and the wonderful long evening twilight at these northern latitudes (we reached as far as 62,30' north). A brilliant week.

Black Terns.......

21 May - A bit of a Black Tern influx in the south today - and I found 6 on pit 74. A classic late spring drift migrant and always exciting to see them drop in, feeding as a group low over the pit. Also Hobby feeding, and Cuckoo and Nightingale in song. Also Hobby feeding over Lower Moor, with Whitethroat and Garden Warbler among the songsters.

Diving Ospreys !

17 May - An evening visit to Horn Mill Trout Farm at Rutland, where a photo hide is sited specifically for close views of diving Ospreys. It's an adrenaline fuel led session - waiting for the dive, which may be a long time coming, and we were fortunate to get 4 dives from 2 different Ospreys, and in fairly good light. The technique is to focus on the bird when it enters the water, as it is semi-submerged for a second or so and then flaps off with a fish, spray flying as the bird lifts off. I got some satisfactory results which is a relief...... en route, I had an hour to spare at Egleton reserve and saw Peregrine (mobbed by 1 of 3 Hobbies) and an Osprey, along with migrant Ringed Plovers, Turnstones and Dunlin, as well as breeding Lapwings and Terns.

Black-necked Grebe at Farmoor

16 May - A quick visit to Farmoor despite the cloudy weather, and the summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe was close in to the west bank of F2 and gave obliging photo opportunities. Hirundines, Swifts and Common Terns feeding close over the reservoir in the adverse weather but no waders on the causeway. A quick check at Eysey flood revealed that the water is drying up, but still 6 Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin and 2 Little Ringed Plovers present.

Scotland 11-15 May 2018

A first Munroing visit of the season with a day at Scottish Photography hides as a bonus. Fine weather for the hides near Dumfries and a packed day - Kingfishers including the diving pool, Cuckoo (this bird has returned from Africa for the 5th successive year) and a female Adder - then daylight Badgers in the evening. Many photos to sort! I linked up with Matt and Jen for the first Munros of the season (they have both completed but kindly agreed to accompany me on my ongoing quest as they love the mountains). First day was Beinn Mhanach above Bridge of Orchy - clouding over and wet late afternoon - very good views of a Ptarmigan which must have had a mate on a nest nearby. Then to Kintail - The Saddle and Sgurr na Sgine followed by Beinn Fhada - fantastic weather, peace and quiet, expansive views, and wildlife including singing Cuckoos, Wheatears, and on the Beinn Fhada plateau displaying Golden Plovers and Dunlin. On the last day my solo ascent of Sgurr a Mhaoraich was enlivened by a close encounter with a subadult Golden Eagle on the summit ridge, and 2 singing Ring Ouzels on the nearby boulders. Altogether a memorable weekend of stunning views. Last but not least, the Speyside Wildlife mammal watching hide has floodlights that illuminate after dark, and from 10pm four Badgers fed unconcernedly at close quarters with a brief visit from a Pine Marten being the icing on the cake.

Cleveland Lakes - Bittern !

8 May - An early morning visit to Cleveland Lakes and the Reed hide, just before the fine weather broke, and a calm blue sky morning. My objective was to hear the Bittern that is apparently booming in the reedbed. Nightingales, Cuckoos and a multitude of Warblers sang as I walked to the hide, arriving there about 7am. I heard the Bittern booming, and then at 7.55 it flew into the reeds on the small island near the hide and stretched its neck briefly in the reeds - no further sign or sound by 8.45, a real bonus to see as well as hear it, and I managed a slightly blurred record pic as it landed. Nearby, Eysey flood held 5 Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin (1 LRP here yesterday evening).

Coln Valley cycle

7 May - A bank holiday cycle to Sherborne via the Coln valley and Northleach. 52 species logged including 5 Warbler so heard singing, including Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. 2 singing Corn Buntings S of Eastington, Grey and Yellow Wagtails, 10 Buzzards and 6 Red Kites. Swallows, Swifts and House Martins all seen. A stunning day in the Cotswolds with the trees all bursting into leaf and flowers in profusion, especially carpets of Bluebells under the Beech trees.

Eysey

6 May - A quick stop at Eysey, and 4 Ruff present on the floods. It's worth a check more or less daily this time of year, for the wader passage ...........

Otmoor spring morning .........

5 May - A morning visit to Otmoor on this forecast record hot / sunny bank holiday......... the reserve very busy with visitors. It really is a very impressive reserve - a Marsh Harrier food pass seen between the breeding pair over the reedbed, a Bittern heard booming briefly, up to 10 Hobbies feeding on insects over the marsh, together with the backdrop of a Warbler chorus including Grasshopper warbler. A sad indictment of the times is that the rarest bird I saw was the returning Turtle Dove, purring in the same tree as last year ...... good news it has escaped the Maltese guns again. Red Kites cruising over the waders and causing disturbance with Lapwings calling and mobbing them, and a backdrop of Redshank and Curlew. Also a smart Grass Snake in one of the ditches near the car park.

Blakehill

4 May - A productive mid-morning visit to Blakehill in cloudy but warm conditions. 2 Curlews were feeding in the long grass fairly close to the central track, but took flight at a distance.

3 Whinchats (including a bright male) and 4 Wheatears (including a long-legged, large Greenland bird) were feeding along the fence line.

Best of all, a migrant Whimbrel was feeding in the field near the seat, and allowed a fairly close approach - more compact and shorter-billed than the Curlews, with an obvious eye stripe, and a good comparison between the 2 species. A distant Cuckoo heard twice, calling from the direction of Braydon forest.

Hobbies ..........

3 May - A warmer sunny day and good weather conditions for newly-arrived Hobbies top be feeding, and indeed at least 12 birds were feeding on insects high above the Lower Mill complex. I thought I counted 14 birds on one scan. Also Hobbies over pit 41 (1) 44 (2) and 42 (1) but I'm not sure how much duplication in the counts. Superb to see them back again and hawking in the blue sky, such a charismatic species, with their characteristic elegant shape and characteristic feeding swoops. Also a Garden Warbler singing and visible in the scrub, along with a Lesser Whitethroat. Green Woodpeckers also vocal and presumably nesting in the lakeside trees.

May morning at CWP

1 May - After the dull cold last few days, a beautiful sunny morning and the CWP bursting with birdsong - Cuckoo calling constantly, and Warblers everywhere with Whitethroats present in large numbers, Garden Warblers have also now arrived. The highlights however were a showy Cetti's Warbler and 2 unbelievably obliging Nightingales singing out in the open. A fantastic morning at the height of the Dawn chorus season. The icing on the cake was a Greenshank on the floods at Eysey and a flyover Hobby there, my first of the year.