29/03/14 Into Kent to "twitch" Garganey and a Hoopoe

Saturday 29th March 2014
Stodmarsh NR and a visit to Snodland


Stodmarsh NR

There have been many good reports coming out of Kent lately so I decided to make a visit.  Because the Albion were playing at home to Middlesborough this afternoon, it meant an early 7 am start to get to Stodmarsh on the outskirts of Canterbury to look for my first Garganey of the year before heading for Snodland near Rochester to see the "star turn" a visiting Hoopoe.  The Hoopoe would be a new bird for me so the excitement levels were running high.

At the Marsh Hide in Stodmarsh NR there were 6 Garganey and I soon spotted 5 of them, 2 drakes and 3 females/juveniles.  I had a particularly good view of a drake and 2 females swimming out in the open about 75m away.

Drake Garganey
Library picture

Female/juvenile Garganey 
Library picture

Objective 1 achieved with some ease and it wasn't even 10 o'clock yet! 

I also saw Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, a lovely Jay, Gadwell, Mallards, Mute Swans, Coots,  Lapwings, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Blackbirds, a Song Thrush as well as many Black-headed Gulls.





Snodland near Rochester

I had a little trouble finding the site at Snodland but eventually I reached it only to hear that I had just missed the Hoopoe.  After waiting for over 45 minutes to see if it returned we were directed by other birders to a field by the edge of a wood a few hundred metres from where we were.  

There just 50 metres away from us was this awesome bird with it's real exotic looks and colour.  

Hoopoe
Library picture

This has to be the most unusual bird I have ever seen in this country and one of the most attractive.  As it fed on the ground little did it realise it had an audience of over 20 watching on gleefully.

I was so taken with this I hardly noticed any other birds, the only one was a lovely Mistle Thrush early on.





I managed to get home to change then get to the Brighton game only to watch as they lost badly.  Never mind - the birding was superb and I had a full and eventful day,


Additions to 2014 UK Bird List:
Garganey   (182)
Hoopoe    (183)

Addition to Life List of Birds:
Hoopoe   (249)

17/03/2014 to 24/03/2014 A Birding Miscellany

17/03/2014 to 24/03/2014   A Birding Miscellany

Monday 18th March 2014
Tenby
South Wales

I made the 550+ mile round trip to South Wales expecting to "twitch" the Great Spotted Cuckoo that had been around for over a week and showing well at Tenby,  South Wales..  I waited until 10.00 to get confirmation that the bird was around  before setting off on the near 5 hour journey.  

When I arrived and joined a group up from Cornwall the cuckoo had not been seen since 13.00 and despite a 3 hour search we were unable to find it again.  I had missed it by a couple f hours but the guys from Cornwall were a mere 5 minutes too late which was a tough call for them.  Since then there have been mixed reports with the bird disappearing for huge chunks of time.

Great Spotted Cuckoo
Library picture

This was a huge disappointment; the Great Spotted Cuckoo is delightful to look at and I was so close.  Never mind - maybe I will get another chance some day!




Tuesday 19th March 2014
My Patch at Churlwood in the Ashdown Forest

After yesterdays marathon to South Wales I decided to stay local and make a long overdue visit to my patch in the Ashdown Forest.  There were no surprises and the highlights included 5 Buzzards, a couple of Long-tailed Tits and a lovely pair of Stonechats.

It was really nice to be back on home ground again - and not getting soaked!


Wednesday 18th March 2014
New Forest
With Alan and Shaun,  East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

Another out of county trip, this time back to the New Forest in Hampshire.  Friends Alan and Shaun wanted to see the Goshawks so I volunteered to drive them.  

I persuaded them to go really early - 06.00 so we could look for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Hawfinches, Bramblings and the Tawny Owl at Mark Ash Wood where Paul and I had fantastic success a couple of weeks ago.  However we saw none of these this time out - what a difference!

We were lucky with Goshawks at Piper's Wait; there were at least 3 displaying and we managed to get at least a dozen good sightings from 10.00 to 12.00.  Thanks goodness the main job was accomplished.

After a nice pub lunch in Nomansland we headed off to Blashford Lakes, a new venue for Shaun and Alan.  We managed to see the Red-crested Pochard, Goldeneye and the Goosanders which went down well.  Unfortunately the Mealy Redpoll had moved on and the activity at the feeders was feeble compared to the vibrancy Paul and I found earlier in the month.

A good trip, seeing the Goshawks, but nothing special as nearly all the added "specials" were not there any more!  Alan and Shaun, however, enjoyed the visit.




Thursday 20th March 2014
Ashdown Forest

There was no sign of the male Hen Harrier at the usual place this evening - I think it may have gone.  I will try again soon.






Friday 21st March 2014
Arlington Reservoir
With Sue, Chris and Anne

In lovely weather, we all strolled around the reservoir.  There were no special birds around but we did manage to see a White Wagtail in the field where the ponies were.


Monday 24th March 2014
Ashdown Forest

After getting some local advice from Alastair in the Ashdown Bird Group I got up early and joined Alan at 07.00 to look for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  From the off we could hear it drumming but we had to wait until after 09.00 before seeing it.  The views were good, but brief as the bird moved on quickly.  This was the first time Alan had seen this bird in this country, after many years of birding. For me it was my second sighting this year!

I went back on 26th March with Sue and Alan N from our group.  The woodpecker could be heard drumming and came very close to us but we were unable to spot it.




I went to the usual place to look for the Hen Harrier at 16.45 and after 90 minutes it had not turned up adding further to my prediction that it has left the area and moved north. 


I subsequently learned that the Harrier is still around and was seen last on 28th March about 3.30pm which means it has probably been going to roost before I arrived.

16/03/14 Pulborough Brooks NR with the East Grinstead RSPB Group

Sunday 16th March 2014
Pulborough Brooks
East Grinstead RSPB March Outing

Part of a group of 15 members who enjoyed a lovely day out in fabulous spring weather at Pulborough Brooks.

Surprisingly I managed to get a year tick - a Green Sandpiper, albeit after much debate and the final adjudication of one of the reserve's staff.

Green Sandpiper
Library picture

Another pleasing item was the lovely view of the male Bullfinch which was by far the best one of 2014 so far.

Today's species list:
Great Tit
Chaffinch
Kestrel
Blackbird
Robin
Treecreeper
Nuthatch
Goldfinch
Red Kite
House Sparrow   (10)
Shelduck
Little Egret
Wigeon
Jackdaw
Greenfinch
Mute Swan
Buzzard
Chiffchaff 
Green Woodpecker
Linnet   (20)
Bullfinch
Carrion Crow
Dunnock
Wren 
Rook
Pintail
Canada Goose
Lapwing
Teal
Shoveler   (30)
Mallard
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Snipe
Avocet
Grey Heron
Green Sandpiper
Magpie
Goldcrest
Blue Tit   (40)
Corn Bunting
Great-sptted Woodpecker
Woodpigeon


Today's species count = 43

13/03/14 to 14/03/14. Northern France with friends

Thursday 13th March to Friday 14th March
France
With Chris W, Andrew K and  Christine H

While Paul took a holiday in Nepal we decided to go on our own over to Northern France for an overnight birdwatching trip.  This meant another 5 am start to get the early train to Calais from Folkestone and a subsequent drive south to the area where the battle of Crecy was fought by Henry II against the French and also taking in the area where the Battle of the Somme took place during World War I.

The weather was warm with no breeze but, unfortunately, this meant a lot of coastal mist for some of our visit.  There were several highlights and these are itemised below:-

At Le Parc du Marquenterre, a nature reserve near Abbeville we saw a spectacular display by over 40 Spoonbills as they flew over the lakes to roost in the nearby trees.  Many others were seen all over the reserve either feeding by the lake or roosting in the tall trees near the visitors centre.  This was the first time I had seen more than a single Spoonbill and the memories will linger long.

Spoonbills in flight
Library picture

 Equally impressive were the White Storks which were in even greater numbers.  Many were nesting in the same high trees and they moved all over the reserve to get food etc.  A particular feature for me was the bill "clapping" between courting couples which reminded me of the wing clapping of the Nightjar.

White Storks in flight
Library picture

White Storks
Library picture

 While walking round the reserve we came across several White Wagtails which added to the ambiance of the situation.

White Wagtail
Library picture

 We were particularly keen to see the 2 Night Herons that were on the reserve and after some difficulty we located them in the low trees around the pond.  They were barely 30 metres away but such was their camouflage that we nearly missed them - despite their huge size!

Night Heron
Library picture

 Our star item was the Crested Tit which we found at the end of our visit in the tall trees by the visitors centre.  This was a "lifer" for me and one I only expected to see in Scotland when Sue and I visit in May of this year. The views were really good and quite prolonged really.

Crested Tit
Library picture

Earlier we had visited the forests near Crecy to look for Black Woodpeckers and Middle-spotted Woodpeckers.  Although we had modest success we were after better views so we resolved to return on Friday for another look; unfortunately we fared even worse.

On Friday, after our unsuccessful visit to the forest, we moved to Bonnelle, just outside Sailly Bray, where the highlight was superb views of the Short-toed Treecreeper.  Sue and I looked for this in the parks of Amsterdam but we never found any so this was a really nice turn of events.  Another "lifer"!

Short-toed Treecreeper
Library picture

Our final treat was the Crested Lark we found in the sand dunes at Stella Plage.  This was a long shot that Andrew wanted to try.  His research had indicated that the bird was there but the dunes extended for miles and we thought our chances were slim.  Not so - within minutes we had our sighting and for over 30 minutes we enjoyed lovely views as the bird moved around.  This was my third "lifer" of the trip so I was particularly happy.

Crested Lark
Library picture

What a trip!  A species count of around 70 including some cracking new birds, 5 species of Butterfly with Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, French Blue??, Peacock and Brimstone and at least 5 Hares at Stella Plage.


Species List:
Nuthatch
Skylark
Avocet
Peregrine
Magpie
Shoveler
Pochard
Meadow Pipit
Chiffchaff
Black Woodpecker   (10)
Middle Woodpecker
Chaffinch
 Robin
Woodpigeon
Buzzard
Blackbird
Great Tit
Carrion Crow
Rook   
Long-tailed Tit   (20)
White Stork
Whooper Swan
Mute Swan
Little Egret
Great Egret
Spoonbill
White Wagtail
Teal
Wigeon   
Mallard   (30)
Starling
Tufted Duck
Pintail
Lapwing
Oystercatcher
Little Grebe
Great-crested Grebe
Crested Tit
Night Heron  
Grey Heron   (40)
Cormorant
Coot
Moorhen
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Shelduck
Black-tailed Godwit
Greylag Goose
Canada Goose. 
Crested Lark   (50)
Greenfinch
Song Thrush
Dunnock
House Sparrow
Stonechat
Wren
Cetti's Warbler   (heard)
Collared Dove
Ringed Plover
Goldcrest   (60)
Goldfinch
Crested Tit
Short-toed Treecreeper
Marsh Harrier
Mediterranean Gull
Corn Bunting
Ruff



Species count = 67



Accommodation inc. breakfast  (£45):
Ibis Budget  Le Treport les Bains
Avenue Pierre et Marie Curie
80350 MERS-LES-  BAINS
France
Tel +33(0)  8 92 68 08 15

Very good - impeccably clean and super breakfast.



Well worth the time and effort and for a total cost of just over £100.00

07/03/2014 New Forest with Jan Jupp and Mike Russell

Friday 7th March 2014
New Forest

Part of a group of 15 who travelled to the New Forest.  The weather was cold an wet at the start, much worse than expected,  but warm and very sunny from 11.00. 

The adverse weather early on meant that the Goshawk sightings at Piper's Waight were fewer than last week but we did manage one very good view of one flying high above the trees in front of us.  Wood Larks were singing freely and the highlight of the day was a superb view of one singing as it flew above us.

Flying Wood Lark
Library picture

The Tawny Owl was still in the split tree at Marsh Ash Wood which amazed and pleased everyone present.  Fewer Bramblings were around and there were no Hawfinches to be seen this time round.

At Blashford Lakes we enjoyed the warm sunshine that had been promised.  We saw most of the birds that we had last week but we didn't have time to get to the last hide and missed the Black-necked Grebe.  The Red-crested Pochard looked magnificent in the superb lighting conditions.

A very good safari, in difficult conditions early on, which produced a huge species count of over 60, including a flock of flyover Brent Geese as we were having our evening meal at the pub in Dell Quay at the end of the trip.

Today's species list:
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Brent Goose
Egyptian Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Teal
Pintail
Mallard
Shoveler   (10)
Red-crested Pochard
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Goldeneye
Goosander
Pheasant
Cormorant
Little Grebe
Great-crested Grebe
Goshawk   (20)
Buzzard
Peregrine
Coot
Moorhen
Ringed Plover
Lapwing
Snipe
Redshank
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull   (30)
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Stock Dove
Tawny Owl
Green Woodpecker
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Magpie
Jay
Jackdaw   (40)
Carrion Crow
Raven
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Skylark
Wood lark
Long-tailed Tit
Nuthatch
Treecreeer
Wren   (50)
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Trush
Robin
Stonechat
Dunnock
Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit
Chaffinch
Brambling
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Mealy Redpoll
Reed Bunting

Toay's species count = 66

05/03/2014 West Sussex Safari for an Iceland Gull and a Red-necked Grebe and many others.

Wednesday 5th March 2014
South Coast of West Sussex
Bird Safari with Paul and Christine

A glorious day.  We decided to stay local and look for the Iceland Gull and the Red-necked Grebe that had been reported on the Sussex Ornithological Society's (SOS) website.

Within seconds of reaching Pagham Lagoon we saw the Iceland Gull in the water not far from the car.  Just as we got the scope out it flew away but not before we had excellent views of this rare visitor. 

Iceland Gull
Library picture

What a way to start the day!  There were also good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls and several Goldeneye.

In the harbour itself there were lots of species but the overwhelming sight was of the Brent Geese, approaching 2000 in number.  The ever- present Peregrine was a lovely sentry, sitting imperiously to the left of the spit.

At Fishbourne Creek we saw a Whimbrel - my first this year -  and lots of waders.

Whimbrel
Library picture

We had to switch from the east to the west side of Hayling Island in order to catch some of the grebes but the switch worked and we got super views of the star of our show -the Red-necked Grebe.

Red-necked Grebe
Library picture

 All 5 grebes were present.  The number of Red-breasted Mergansers in the channel was amazing.

At Littlehampton, west pier, we saw the Kumlien's Gull and the Glaucous Gull.  Paul was ecstatic with the fact that he must be one of only a few Sussex Birders to see a Glaucous, a Kumliens and a Iceland Gull on the same day.


Another fantastic day with lots of species, including 3 new year ticks and fantastic company.





Additions to 2014 UK Year a List:
Iceland Gull   (177)
Whimbrel   (178)
Red-necked Grebe    (179)


Today's Species List:
Great-crested Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Little Grebe
Cormorant
Little Egret
Mute Swan   (10)
Brent Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Mallard
Gadwall
Shoveler
Pintail
Teal
Tufted Duck
Red-breasted Merganser   (20)
Goldeneye
Sparrowhawk
Peregrine
Coot
Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Turnstone
Knot
Redshank
Greenshank   (30)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Grey Plover
Whimbrel
Curlew
Black-headed Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Little Gull
Glaucous Gull   (40)
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Skylark
Rock Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Wren   (50)
Robin
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Starling
Magpie
Carrion  Crow
House Sparrow
Greenfinch
Chaffinch   (60)
Black-tailed Godwit
Kumliens Gull


Today's species count = 62

02/03/2014 Hampshire again - this time in poorer weather.

Sunday 2nd March 2014
PJ and Group. (+7)
New Forest

I went back to the New Forest, this time with the group, in much poorer weather which meant that the chances of a repeat of Wednesday's spectacular event were greatly reduced.   Another very early start, a 2 hour car journey and a long journey back provided the backdrop to our day.

First stop was Mark Ash Wood to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Bramblings, Hawfinches and the Tawny Owl.  This time we would be out of luck with the woodpecker and the Hawfinches and only fleeting views of the Bramblings.  Thankfully the Tawny Owl was still there and showing better than last week.

Next stop was Piper's Wait for the Goshawks and the Woodlark.  The views of the Goshawk were stunning and we enjoyed a long spell admiring them from our lofty position.  For most of us this was the focal point of the day and we were not disappointed.  Several birds were displaying and one in particular came close enabling us to check the main ID points, namely long tail and "spitfire like " flight pattern.  After drooling over the Goshawks we then went in search of Woodlark and quite soon Alan spotted one in the grass verge near the main road.  Thankfully we didn't flush it so we were able to observe it's behaviour at close quarters.

Woodlark
Library picture

 Finally our day had taken off and I had another species to add to my year list.

With the weather beginning to deteriorate we headed off to a nearby fishing lake to see some Mandarin Ducks.  They were there but they were tucked in to the water' sedge on the far side from us.

We finally headed for the shelter of the hides at Blashford Lakes.  We managed to get good views of some special birds.  Several Goldeneye were seen, in full winter plumage.  A Red-crested Pochard was tracked down as was a Black-necked Grebe which proved quite elusive.

At the feeders the action was vibrant with so many birds using the facility.  There was a spectacular showing from the Siskins and the Redpolls.  This was capped by the appearance of the Mealy Redpoll, much to the delight of everyone present.

Considering the weather conditions we did remarkably well with some stunning birds and a species count of over 55.



Addition to UK 2014 Year List:
Woodlark   (176)



Today's Species List:
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Egyptian Goose
Mandarin Duck
Wigeon
Gadwall
Teal
Mallard
Pintail
Shoveler   (10)
Red-crested Pochard
Tufted Duck
Goldeneye
Goosander
Pheasant
Little Grebe
Great-crested Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Cormorant
Goshawk   (20)
Buzzard
Kestrel
Coot
Lapwing
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Tawny Owl   (30)
Green Woodpecker
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Woodlark
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush   (40)
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Coal Tit
Treecreeper
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch   (50)
Brambling
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
Mealy Redpoll



Today's species count = 56

01/02/2014. Staying Local. Black Redstart.

Saturday 1st March 2014
Newhaven Tidemills and then Ashdown Forest

I wanted to stay local today with a big day ahead of me on Sunday in the New Forest.

I spent the early morning looking for the Black Redstart at Newhaven, Tidemills.  In glorious weather, I had to be patient until eventually I was successful.  A fellow birder signalled from a point 60 metres to the east of me to indicate the bird was half way between us on a fence.  There in front of me was a fantastic male in full plumage.

Black Redstart
Library picture

Not far away was the female.  Both birds then flew towards me and landed in the bushes nearby.  As they say - everything comes to he who waits.

Also seen was a Greenfinch, an Oystercatcher and lots of Black-headed Gulls.


After lunch, at home, I spent the afternoon in the Ashdown Forest on my patch at Churlwood before ending the day waiting for the male Hen Harrier to return to it's roost.  The main highlights from my patch were the 8 Redwings, a Green Woodpecker and a pair of Stonechats.


Addition to 2014 UK Bird List:
Black Redstart   (175)