Bittern

19 Jan - A visit to Blashford Lakes in Hampshire, and the Bittern was visible from Ivy Lake, North Hide. It was skulking in the reeds, but moved around from time to time. Very cryptic even when located in the reeds. Photo taken through the corner of the hide. 20+ Siskins seen around the feeding station.
A quick visit to the coast didn't find any Mediterranean Gulls in very poor weather.

Glos odds and ends

17 Jan - a few more year ticks for Glos today - a Tree Sparrow at Harnhill, then I failed to find the Sharpness Black Redstart. Berkeley shore on the rising tide produced 4 Turnstones on the rocks, a very local species in Glos ( I took the pic in Norfolk last week ) - and brief views of a Rock Pipit. The Temminck's Stint failed to show from the Holden Tower at Slimbridge. Very windy and cloudy, but dry. Glos year list 96 so far!

Staines, Theale and Glos

12 Jan - an early morning visit to Heathrow meant I could check a few sites en route home. First, Staines reservoirs, where 3 Black-necked Grebes are wintering on the south basin and showed well in the sunshine. Then, a quick check on Wigmore Lane pit at Theale where the 1st-winter Scaup was still present, but no sign again of the Ferruginous Duck.
Finally, in sunshine, a couple of hours in Gloucestershire. There was a dusting of snow on the Cotswolds, and a the finch flock near Uley was elusive but I found a single male Brambling (top). The Cattle Egret (centre) was in its usual field at Fretherne with 9 Little Egrets. Then an hour at Slimbridge - a lot more birds present in the flooded conditions - a Spotted Redshank on the Tack Piece (bottom) with Redshank, 3 Ruff,Curlew and Dunlin; 500+ Golden Plover flew over and 3 Grey Plover were on the river; and many wildfowl including the Tundra Bean Goose. Finally, a Barn Owl at Nebrow Hill appeared in the dusk at 4.15pm.

Lapland and Snow Buntings, and a White-crowned Sparrow....

10 Jan - a visit to Norfolk, first stop Cley and within 2 minutes the White-crowned Sparrow (top) flew down to feed - a striking bird, the fifth UK record. Up the road at Salthouse beach, a Snow Bunting (middle) flock together with at least 2 Lapland Buntings (bottom) showed very close feeding on a seeded area. One Twite made a brief appearance.
Titchwell was unproductive in a very strong wind, but 2 Marsh Harriers struggled in the gale, and a handful of Common Scoter were off the beach. Flocks of Pink-footed Geese flew over at intervals all along the A149 coast road.
Finally, a male and female Hen Harrier floated over Roydon Common, and the Great Grey Shrike was located low in some small bushes seeking shelter.

Whooper Swans

6 Jan - a quick visit to Wainlode Hill gave distant views of Leigh Meadows, and all 3 species of wild Swan - 3 Whoopers, 3 Bewick's and 25 Mutes - the Whoopers being a fairly rare Glos bird.

Exe Estuary

5 Jan - A Stuart line cruise on the Exe estuary with my friend Julia, the weather better than forecast, only a little rain, some sun and little wind. We cruised from Exmouth up towards the mudflats, seeing a mixture of seabirds and a wide variety of ducks and waders. The list included Red-breasted Merganser, Long-tailed Duck and Slavonian Grebe - Avocet, Bar- and Black-tailed Godwits, Knot, Grey and Golden Plovers, Greenshank and Spotted Redshank - and a Cattle Egret in Powderham Deer Park.
pics below - Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Brent Geese and RB Merganser.

New Year Birding 2008

1 and 3 Jan - an excellent start to 2008, 94 species so far. New Year's Day comprised a couple of hours in the CWP in the morning - Smew, Cetti's Warbler, Kingfisher, Siskin and Redpoll - and a late afternoon visit to Imber army ranges was successful, giving brief views of a ringtail Hen Harrier, together with 6 Short-eared Owls, both flying and perched, and a Barn Owl.
3 Jan, a cold day with an easterly wind, and an hour at Slimbridge in the morning eventually revealed the Tundra Bean Goose in fields to the left side of the approach road - also a Peregrine, Little Stint and Black-tailed Godwit - together with the expected Whitefronts and Bewick's Swans.