Odds and Ends

28 April - it's difficult to resist picking up the binoculars this time of year, so a trip to Shorncote produced a good variety as ever, including a nice little party of summer-plumaged Dunlin accompanied by 2 Common Sandpipers and a LRP. Plenty of Warblers including Lesser Whitethroats and Garden W, as well as A cacophony of Reed and Sedge Warblers in the main Reedbed. A quick evening stop at Blakehill was well worth it with 2 male Whinchats and a line up of 7 Wheatears on the fence posts.

Ring Ouzels ...... half a dozen!

27 April - After an initially fruitless search for Ouzels at Cleeve Hill, thanks to Roy Shilham I checked the cattle pen area and after first seeing his 3 birds, a total of 6 Rouzels were seen feeding around the gorse bushes on the northern slope. Fairly wary as always, but with patience and by keeping still good fairly close views were had. Always exciting birds to see, en route to their remote northern breeding grounds. En route home, 5 Whimbrels seen on the tide at Fretherne, along with 3 Grey Plover, also Common Sandpiper and Dunlin, together with 3 Wheatears.

Hobby

26 April - A nice bonus after a rubbish day at work - A Hobby flew fast and low in front of the car, over Commonhead roundabout heading towards Coate. One of my favourite UK birds, and my first of 2017.

Swifts.......

24 Apr - Right on cue, the first Swifts this morning over pit 74 with a large hirundine flock. Always good to see them back for the 3 months they spend with us in the UK.

Weekend Warblers

23 April - A nice weekend of spring weather - a lot of summer visitors now back with a good warbler chorus, in particular Whitethroats, Sedge and Garden Warblers - also the CWP Nightingales are in full voice. Common Terns are also back, and Cuckoos are much in evidence.

Extremadura briefly!

21 April - A full day's birding in Extremadura courtesy of Carles Oliver, and a superb tally for a single, warm, sunny day, albeit windy. Early morning at Arrocampo reservoir and an impressive array of Herons - Night Herons flying to roost, Little, Cattle and Great White Egrets in the air - several Squacco Herons and a good number of smart Purple Herons, one of my favourites, struggling into the strong wind. Gull-billed Terns were feeding over the nearer part of the lake. Unseen warblers singing included Savi's and Reed, together with Fan-tailed. Black-winged Stilts and a Glossy Ibis were feeding in the adjacent lagoon. Next stop Santa Marta de Magasca, one of the highlights of the day - and excellent views in the low morning light of several pairs of stunning Rollers, displaying around nestboxes and presumably fairly newly arrived. Beautiful, and worth the trip for these birds alone. Also a female Montagu's Harrier hunting, with Calandra Larks singing and overflying Sandgrouse. The drive to the dramatic Penafalcon and Castillo at Monfrague was enlivened by more typical Extremaduran birds - Red-rumped Swallows and Azure-winged Magpies, and raptors soaring including Booted Eagles and many Black Kites, together with White Storks. Monfrague itself produced good numbers of Black Storks, including a nest on the cliffs, and amazing numbers of raptors - many Griffon Vultures and a few Blacks, with a supporting cast of Short-toed Eagle and Peregrine, in addition to numerous Black Kites. A Blue Rock Thrush sang from a rocky perch, and Crag Martins and Alpine Swifts fed overhead, the Alpines giving close views in the wind. The journey back to Madrid was punctuated by a stop at a roadside Bee-eater colony, in addition to more RR Swallows, Storks and raptors. A full but successful day........

Nightingales! and Stilts..........

20 April - An early morning stop at pit 43 CWP, and amazing views of Nightingales singing and feeding, a calm and slightly drizzly morning, but very close songsters, magical to hear them again, and at least 2 males quite visible at times, sparring for territory. My first Cuckoo of the year in the background added to the symphony of nature. One of the wonders of spring, the thrill is the same every April....... A quick afternoon look in at Slimbridge secured me views of 3 of the 6 Black-winged Stilts seen yesterday, at fairly close range on the South Lake. Possibly a suitable location for breeding ? An exotic combination when seen alongside the resident Avocets.