Waxwings!

30 Dec - At last some (fairly) local Waxwings, a flock of 10 in Gloucester, typically, near a supermarket.

Flighty but they gave good views on a Rowan as they grabbed berries in a frenzy of activity. The local walkers were quite interested in their exotic visitors too...... Bramblings continue in very good numbers on the beech mast in Ciren Park, but shy of the camera as always.

A quick fix.........

29 Dec - A quick dip into Slimbridge as I was in Gloucester, mild and beautiful winter sunlight ....... nice views of the usual suspects, the wildfowl in full breeding plumage and displaying due to the mild temperatures. Nice views of several Snipe from Hogarth hide, and nearly a hundred Bewick’s Swans now on site. My last visit of 2018 to this amazing place.

Boxing Day leg stretch

26 Dec - A walk at Waterhay where the floods have receded a little, and the GND still present and giving close views next to the Thames Path. Also a confiding pair of Stonechats, good numbers of Redwings moving, and 5 Little Egrets on the floods by the car park. Surprisingly quiet in terms of walkers, with it being a holiday period.

'Tis the season for Divers .................

24 Dec - an inland Black-throated Diver is a rare occurrence, especially one that is confiding for the camera - so a visit to Arrow Lake was in order, on a beautiful, sunny, calm, mild Christmas Eve. The bird was doing a feeding circuit of the lake but came close at times, both backlit and in the sun......... but could travel a fair distance between dives. The distinctive white thigh-patch was obvious, alongside the scaly upperparts of a juvenile, as well as the smaller size and the more delicate head and bill (straight, as in a GND). Well worth the drive (incidentally, BTD is one of the better birds on my CWP, and Glos, list from back in a freeze-up in 1979 - thanks Dad for driving me !)

A good winter morning.......

20 Dec - An early trip to Pit 82 where a Great Northern Diver was found yesterday ......... very nice views in the early morning sunlight, it came fairly close, fishing and preening, as I sat on the water's edge. Also a Kingfisher, a pair of Stonechats, Goldeneye and a small party of the declining Pochard. Cleveland lakes held the usual Great White and Little Egrets, but the highlight was a calling Bearded Tit that I heard twice in the reedbed near the old hide - it called twice, but unfortunately I didn't see it despite waiting for a half hour. A return visit is definitely in order. Water Rail and Chiffchaffs also in the reeds here.

Slimbridge skulkers

17 Dec - A weekend visit to Slimbridge in bright/overcast weather gave good views of Snipe, Jack Snipe (briefly) and Water Rail - the latter giving amazing views from the Willow hide. The Jack Snipe concealed itself in the grass on the island in front of Martin Smith hide, but emerged to give a direct comparison with a Common Snipe behind it - just like the plate in the book! The usual duck all present and giving nice views in smart plumage, and Curlew, Redshank and Dunlin all present on the Tack Piece, along with the flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover. Not forgetting the Bewick's Swans numbering about 70 now ........ Always worth a trip to WWT in winter.

Still plenty of Bramblings around Ciren park, but they are wary and very good at perching in cover, so difficult to photograph, and amazingly hard to see when feeding on the beech mast on the woodland floor. The males are especially smart.

Cotswolds specialities.......

14 Dec - A fine, calm, sunny winter afternoon, and a very productive couple of hours in the Cotswolds - 2 brief sightings of ringtail Hen Harrier, Kestrel, Buzzard and Red Kites - plus a Barn Owl seen in very good light, well before sunset, and 2 Short-eared Owls also hunting. Excellent! Earlier, another hour spent with the Bramblings in the beeches near Daglingworth - very good views of the birds both feeding in the Beech litter (well camouflaged) and perched/ in flight through the trees. An exceptional opportunity to study this species, one of my favourites.

Winter Gloucestershire

11 Dec - An early walk at Shorncote on a fine morning, productive as usual. Great White and Little Egrets seen, Water Rails calling, Curlew over and no less than 4 Green Sandpipers in flight/calling. A female Stonechat feeding along the hedge line, 2 Grey Wagtails on the stream, 6 Cettis’s Warblers singing, 9 Siskins flying over, Goldfinches a good Shorncote record. Kingfisher in flight and no less than 9 Roe Deer in the reeds. Cirencester Park this autumn has very good numbers of Bramblings and once more a drive through the minor roads was punctuated by birds flying up from the beech mast where they are feeding. Despite their bright colors they are amazingly camouflaged when on the ground, but their white rumps are conspicuous amongst the Chaffinches when in flight.

Sawbills and Shorties

10 Dec - A fine winter day, and a look at the Lower Mill area - no less than 26 Goosander, including 16 smart males, on Pit 41 - with a further 4 birds on Pit 65. A scattering of Goldeneye, with over 40 Red-crested Pochard on their regular haunt at Pit 44. In the afternoon, I visited Blakehill as the wind had dropped and the Short-eared Owl was out hunting well before sunset, ranging on both sides of the main track and giving nice backlit views against the setting sun. Of note, there are currently good numbers of Bramblings in the beech woods on the northern side of Cirencester Park. I plan to try to photograph them while the winter light is better during the current fine spell.....

WWT

9 Dec - A sunny day though still windy, and a look at Slimbridge at the weekend. The numbers of Bewick’s Swans are building with over 50 birds now present, mostly feeding on the Tack Piece during the middle of the day. Large flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plover swirling over the floods, and good numbers of duck, both dabbling and diving, in evidence, colours glowing in the low sunlight. 3 Snipe from Martin Smith hide and a scurrying Water Rail, but no sign of the Jack Snipe today. Nothing exceptional but the sheer number of wintering birds is always impressive.

A sparkling morning

4 Dec - At last, a fine sunny morning with a touch of early frost. A magical sunrise over the Shorncote reedbeds, with a lot of early activity - Redwings and Fieldfares moving, Water Rails and Cetti’s Warblers calling, and Reed Buntings feeding on seed heads - also a couple of flocks of Bullfinches, elusive as always. No Great White or Little Egrets today, but Shoveler, Snipe and a party of Teal logged, the usual Grey Wagtail along the stream, and Buzzards enjoying the chance to stretch their wings - nothing exceptional but a beautiful winter morning. Elsewhere, a couple of groups of Bramblings with Chaffinches in the beech trees around Cirencester Park - good numbers seem to have arrived locally this year. Always a smart and exciting bird to see.

Egret central........

2 Dec - Currently there is an extraordinary gathering of Egrets at Cleveland Lakes in the CWP, I paid a visit today and I counted 4 Great White Egrets with no less than 62 Little Egrets....a constant feeding frenzy going on in the reed-fringed shallows. Grey Herons also in attendance but in the minority - a reversal of fortunes over the last decade or two, when the Egrets used to be very much the rarities. Also flight views of two Kingfishers.

WWT

1 Dec - An afternoon visit to Slimbridge after the rain, amazing views of up to 3 Water Rails from Willow Hide. Large numbers of Lapwings and Golden Plovers circling over the Tack Piece. Good to see over 40 elegant Bewick's Swans now back on site, amazing to think about the arduous migration that they have undertaken. Whitefronts feeding S of Zeiss hide, and the usual large numbers of duck present. Snipe, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit also seen. Beautiful low winter light when the sun appeared between the shower clouds.