Smew at CWP - winter drake

14 Mar - this excellent photo of one of the drake Smew in the CWP this winter was taken by, copyright, Tom Mabbett.

Med Gull fest!

7 March - another adult Mediterranean Gull, this time with a complete hood, in the roost on pit 16 - after I'd drawn a blank on pits 74 and 12. Goldeneye, Shelduck and Shoveler on pit 74. Med Gull really is one of my favourite birds.

Med Gull again at CWP

6 March - the ad Med Gull was on pit 74 this evening (in Wilts!) before flying off towards pit 16. Also - a Peregrine hunting the gull flock, and Shoveler, Goldeneye and 2 Shelduck. A Dunlin and 2 Golden Plovers were on the bund.

Forest of Dean, and CWP gull roost......

5 Mar - a morning trip to the Forest of Dean in sunny but cold weather. 5 Hawfinches (pic) were in the holly bushes opposite Speech House, and 3 Goshawks displaying at New Fancy View, also 2 pairs Crossbills and a few Siskins there. A Dipper was nest building by the Fountain Inn at Parkend. Also seen - Ravens, Buzzards, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
A quick visit to pit 12 at CWP in the evening produced excellent views of an adult Med Gull with an almost complete hood - unfortunately no camera!

Exe estuary boat trip

27 Feb - showery weather for a boat cruise on the Exe. Earlier, I'd travelled via Yelland to check out Isley Marsh for Spoonbills, but they were not present, apparently being on the other side of the river at Braunton. I made do with Little Egrets, Grey Plovers, Turnstones, and some commoner waders with a couple of flyover Ravens.
The rising tide on the Exe gave us some good views, the highlights being 3 Great Northern Divers (4), a Slavonian Grebe and good numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers, together with a wide selection of waders including Bar- and Black-tailed Godwits, Sanderling, Knot, Grey and Golden Plovers, Greenshank, Spooted Redshank and of course Avocets (2,3).
A check of the sea off Exmouth after the trip produced views of the wintering female Surf Scoter with Common Scoters, also a Long-tailed Duck on a considerable swell. Photos by JM.

RB Merganser still present in CWP

26 Feb - a quick check of pits 29 and 30 at CWP prior to dusk revelaed no sign of any Smew, but the female Red-breasted Merganser was still present with 20 Goosander that flew in to roost.

CWP and Blakehill again

21 Feb - an afternoon visit to Blakehill, where a Common but not a Jack Snipe was present. The Peregrine flew across the plateau again and fed on prey on the ground. Then a check on the CWP - the female RB Merganser still on pit 30 with a roost of 21 Goosander, and 5 Smew including 3 males on pit 29.