Blakehill in July

24 July - several visits during the month, quiet bird-wise but always something to see. Redstarts present throughout the month, but more heard than seen..... also 2 Whinchats on 23-24th. A family party of Kestrels have been prominent, and Hobbies are presumably breeding locally with several flybys seen. Red Kite and Buzzard also regular. Family parties of Warblers moving around the hedges. Juvenile Green Woodpecker seen twice with the vocal adults, and flyover Common Tern presumably travelling a fair distance from the nest to feed?

Scotland July 2020

20-22 July, my first visit since the lockdown...... day one in Deeside/Glenshee, then to the SW Highlands the following day.
An Socach is on the Invercauld estate, and the initial walk in produced Spotted Flycatcher, fem Redstart, Grey Wagtail, Crossbill and Peregrine. A very good start. Wheatears and Meadow Pipits were fairly numerous. Increasingly good views on the gentle ascent led to the extensive stony plateau. The definite highlight was a family party of Dotterel near the trig point, male, female and a beautifully-plumaged golden juvenile. The group was fairly confiding and I spent a few minutes sitting on a rock while the birds moved unconcernedly around the plateau. Fantastic, an outstanding and memorable experience. Surprisingly, not a single Red Grouse or Ptarmigan heard or seen, but a good reptile count with a young Adder and a Common Lizard, along with several Common Frogs.
Day two near Tyndrum was very scenic with the approach to Beinn Dubhchraig/Ben Oss being through relict Caledonian pines. Fewer birds seen, but another Spotted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipits and Ravens. Great to be back in the Highlands!

Barn Owls ........

19 July - A magical hour before dusk at a local site watching a pair of Barn Owls, they were out an hour before dusk presumably as the previous night was rainy. The birds were feeding over uncut grassy fields and gave excellent views in the low sunlight "golden hour", then even after the sun dipped below the trees. Hopefully a breeding pair as this species is having a difficult time this year......

WWT

16 July - A return visit pre-booked to Slimbridge under the new arrangements. Good views of a selection of waders, especially of quite a few Black-tailed Godwits still in pristine chestnut summer plumage, presumably returning Icelandic birds. The moulting adult Spotted Redshank on the Rushy Pen with the Godwit flock first thing,. Also 11 Green Sandpipers on the Rushy. Several Ruff and juvenile Avocets on South Lake, also LRP, and both LRP, RP and several Dunlin from Zeiss hide.

Dorset coast

9 July - A rare foray further afield, to study the array of Shearwaters that have been seen in recent days off the Bill at Portland. These include a putative Yelkouan or Menorcan Shearwater among the exceptional numbers of Balearics that have appeared after some moist SW winds. Also flock were several classic Manx Shearwaters, so making for an identification master class. I saw the proposed Yelkouan ( identified from photos ) both on the water and in flight, so I will await the verdict of the gurus with interest. Also present Gannet, Kittiwake and Fulmar. Nearby at Ferrybridge, I had good views of some of the 40-odd pairs of Little Terns that are breeding in the protected colony - some were struggling out to sea in the teeth of a strong wind to fish, and giving fairly close views. Also a loafing flock of Med Gulls by the cafe here, waiting for the tide to fall. Finally, to Lodmoor, very quite wader-wise with no Godwits, and only Common Sandpiper seen, but good numbers of Common Terns at the colony, a couple of Sandwich Terns, and more Med Gulls.

Blakehill Summer ........

7 July - An unseasonal wet and windy spell at the weekend brought an extremely early (?postbreeding) male Stonechat that spent 2 days around the fenceline on the main track. Redstarts have also arrived for their summer sojourn but are typically elusive - a male, and a female/immature. They dart out briefly from the bushes but are mostly concealed, especially in the wind. Also seen, assorted raptors - Hobby and Red Kite, as well as Kestrel and Buzzard. The most obvious Warblers at the moment are Whitethroats, often in family groups.

Owls .......

6 July - A beautiful, calm evening after the stormy weekend, and a trip to an unspecified corner of the Water Park produced not one, but two, species of Owl - firstly, my maiden Little Owl of 2020 peering out at me from the gable of a barn (with a second, later, perched on a nearby building), then, an amazing view of a Barn Owl that was hunting over the pit margins in full sunlight at 8.15pm. an hour before sunset - presumably hungry after a couple of very windy nights - which proceeded to fly very close to me carrying rodent prey, backlit against the setting sun. A memorable combination and experience. It's been a good few days for Owls as a squeaky juvenile Tawny Owl has been vocal outside the house at dusk for the last few evenings.

Shorncote

1 July - fairly cool, no sign of any celebrity residents from the Hayward hide, but a good selection of birds - 2 passes by a Hobby, a Sparrowhawk carrying prey, a pair of Oystercatchers flying around noisily, several Common Terns, a Kingfisher flying back and forth several times and hopefully feeding young, an unseasonal flyover Grey Wagtail, and a surprising number of Warblers singing including Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. I haven't heard a Cuckoo now since June 25th.....