31/01/2016 Black Redstart and Spotted Redshank at Tide Mills this afternoon.

Sunday 31st January 2016
Tide Mills, Newhaven, East Sussex


Another wet day with persistent drizzle and it wasn't until late afternoon that I was able to get out.  

• Soon after I arrived at Tide Mills I spotted a fabulous male Black Redstart in it's usual habitat by the warehouses.  For the next few minutes I was able to see it as it hopped on and off the boundary fence 30 - 40 metres to the east of where I was standing.

• I returned by the route on the north side of the creek where I found the Spotted Redshank which stood out among the dozen or so Common Redshanks by the side of the water.

• My luck ran out when I went after the Jack Snipe.  In 45 minutes there wasn't even a sniff of a Common Snipe, let alone a Jack Snipe.

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Year List:
Black Redstart   (132)
Spotted Redshank   (133)

I was delighted to get out on a day which was not conducive to birding.

30/01/2016 Iping Common and West Dean Woods for a Birding Treat

Saturday 30th January 2016

With a break in the weather, it was off west with Paul and the group to look for Great Grey Shrike on Iping Common and Hawfinches at West Dean Woods.  





Iping Common
The going was very muddy underfoot after heavy overnight rain but the light was good and got better as time went by.

• We searched high and low for the Shrike but there was no sign of it anywhere.

• Paul heard a Dartford Warbler and a few minutes later we all saw it.   Initially it was seen flying and finally we saw it on top of a gorse bush less than 20 metres away.  The views were superb in the bright morning light.

Dartford Warbler
Courtesy of Julie and Malcolm Redford

• Soon afterwards we heard, then saw, a Woodlark in the skies above us.  On the way back to the car park we saw another.

A very promising start!

  




West Dean Woods

By now, just before noon, the weather was excellent with bright sunshine and superb visibility.

• As soon as we arrived we saw the Little Owl in it's usual tree,  forming a distinct silhouette against the sunlit background.

• On the way up to Monkton Farm we saw the first of many Bramblings in the trees ahead of us.  Everyone enjoyed good views of this lovely bird.

• The Hawfinch proved more difficult to find but Bridget finally spotted one at the top of a tall tree in the valley below us.  Everyone was able to get good views of this lovely bird.

• We had several good sightings of the Red Kite, including a group of 3 seen together and very close to us.

• Other notable birds seen included Great Spotted and Green Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Fieldfare, Buzzard, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Reed Bunting.

An excellent day out with sightings of some quality birds.

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List

Woodlark   (128)

Little Owl   (129)

Brambling   (130)

Hawfinch   (131)

28/01/2016 No sign of Shrike at Ashdown Forest but success at Dungeness.

Thursday 28th January 2016

The first really good weather for days so I took the opportunity to go birding.


Ashdown Forest

• Spent an hour around lunchtime looking for the Shrike near "Fiveways" on the Ashdown Forest but there was no sign of it at all.  Again I compensated by getting close views of a Dartford Warbler.

Dungeness

• Dashed down to Dungeness for the afternoon session.  Dipped on the Black-necked Grebe on New Diggins south side, as reported on RBA so went after the Glaucous Gull by the fishing boats.  

• I just missed it by the beach south of the lifeboat station but when I headed for the fishing boats I bumped into Plodding Birder who told me to try the roost a few hundred metres towards the lighthouse.

• It was not difficult to find it - in a group of 3 birds that were detached from the main group. Excellent views as it enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine.

Glaucous Gull
Courtesy of Dungeness Bird  Observatory

• Whilst I was admiring the bird, Paul Trodd (Plover) came by with his dog and I told him of my miss with the Black-necked Grebe.  He told me he had seen some 90 minutes earlier on the north side of New Diggings.  I relocated to the car park at Boulderwall and walked along the road and lo and behold the Grebe was still there and showing really well.  I couldn't find the second one from the limited viewpoint.

• Plover also told me to try the viewing point to the left of Dennis's Hide for the Slavonian Grebe and, again, when I checked it was there at the far end of Burrowes and showing well.

• I had to get back home so could not stay for the roost at the Screen Hide where I was hoping to see my first Bittern of 2016.  Another time perhaps.

What a super day - and 3 year ticks to boot!

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Year List
Glaucous Gull   (125)
Black-necked Grebe   (126)
Slavonian Grebe    (127)

24/01/2016 Isle of Sheppey again

Sunday 24th January 2016
Isle of Sheppey, including Shellness, Minster and Elmley Marshes.
Paul and group

• What a difference a few day's can make! No sign of the Richard's Pipit or the White-fronted Geese flock (Alan spotted a single bird) at Shellness and we had to work really hard before finally getting the good views of the Shore Lark we craved at Minster.

Shore Lark
Courtesy of Malcolm and Julie Redford

• Nevertheless our group (of 11) had a really good time and still managed a species count of well over 60, including the Hooded Crow.

Group species list for today (courtesy of Alan)

Barnacle Goose

Brent Goose

Buzzard

Canada Goose

Coot

Cormorant

Golden Plover

Great Crested Grebe

Grey Heron

Grey Plover

Greylag Goose

Kestrel

Lapwing

Little Egret

Little Grebe

Mallard

Marsh Harrier

Merlin

Mute Swan

Oyster Catcher

Pheasant

Red-legged Partridge

Ringed Plover

Sanderling

Shelduck

Shoveler

Teal

Widgeon

Black-headed Gull

Black-Tailed Godwit

Collared Dove

Common Gull

Curlew

Dunlin

Feral Pigeon

Great Black-backed Gull

Herring Gull

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail

Redshank

Rock Pipit

Skylark

Snipe

Spotted Redshank *

Stock Dove

Turnstone

Woodpigeon

Wren

Blackbird

Blue Tit

Carrion Crow

Cetti's Warbler *

Chaffinch

Fieldfare

Goldfinch

Great Tit

Greenfinch

Hooded Crow

House Sparrow

Magpie

Reed Bunting

Rook

Starling

White-fronted Goose

Pale-bellied Brent

Shore Lark

* heard only

(66)

23/01/2016 Dartford Warbler but no Shrike on Ashdown Forest

Saturday 23rd January 2016
Ashdown Forest

Went looking for the Shrike again today after 4 unsuccessful attempts this week.  My luck was still out but there was lots of compensation when I heard then saw a lovely Dartford Warbler.




Addition to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List
Dartford Warbler   124

• On Tuesday during my volunteer work at Weir Wood Reservoir, we started hedge laying, using Hazel wood  - can't wait to do more.

• On the garden feeders lately, as well as the usual tits and Goldfinch, we have had Siskins, Nuthatch, Coal Tit and even a female Bullfinch.

• Although the shrike is eluding me it has still proved beneficial and I have seen Redpolls, Siskins and Great Spotted Woodpecker etc.

18/01/2016 Smashing outing to Isle of Sheppey - Richard's Pipit, Shorelark, Merlin etc

Monday 18th January 2016
Isle of Sheppey
with Alastair

I planned this trip to Sheppey some time ago and when I met Alastair in the Ashdown Forest last week I invited him along.   This called for another early start (7am) on a bright, clear winter's day.
  

• It was not long before we saw the Richard's Pipit, one of our target birds, on the sea wall, not far from the car park.  We enjoyed excellent views for the next 20 minutes or so as we moved towards the bird hide.  

Richard's Pipit
Courtesy of Alastair Gray

• On the return leg we had a repeat performance. What a contrast to a week ago when I missed it due to the large number of people around.  The other major sighting was the 60+ White-fronted Geese seen from the hide.  Surprisingly we did not see the Hooded Crow.

• At lunchtime we transferred to Minster where we soon found the lovely Shorelark in the shingle opposite Barton's Point  (TQ 940749).  The bird was so close - less than 10 metres - and was totally unfazed by our presence.  Again we managed 20 to 30 minutes of pure bliss. 

Shorelark
Courtesy of Alastair Gray

• At Capel Fleet for the afternoon session, we missed out on Short-eared Owls but we were more than compensated by excellent views of a pair of Merlins throughout our stay as well as a couple of excellent views of the Ring-tailed Hen Harrier.  Other species seen included a Peregrine and several Buzzards.

A great day out and 9 year ticks to show for our efforts.

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List:
115   Richard's Pipit
116   Stonechat
117   Skylark
118   Shore lark
119   Hen Harrier
120   Merlin
121   Red-legged Partridge
122   Stock Dove
123   Snipe

16/01/2016 Back in the fold - at Dungeness

Saturday 16th January 2016
Dungeness
with Paul and Group

On a glorious sunny, but cold, January day, it was nice to join up with Paul and the group after several absences.

• At Scotney GP, en route to the reserve, Paul spotted some Egyptian Geese just to the west of us.  Between Lydd and the reserve Paul also alerted me to a Lesser Black-backed Gull - my first of the year.

• The star turn on the reserve had to be the long staying Long-eared Owl by the pond near the visitors centre.  Other notable species included Great White Egret, Smew, Goldeneye and Kingfisher.

• The Caspian Gull was still present near the fishing boats - this time I managed to observe it in flight as well as on the ground.

Caspian Gull
Courtesy of Julie and Malcolm Redford

• On the sea the Gannets were busy as were the Great-crested Grebes, Guillemots and the Cormorants.  A lone Red-throated Diver was a welcome sight as it flew east.

• Finally, we relocated to Pett level to twitch the Glossy Ibis.  At the end, Paul alerted us to a Barn Owl flying low over the levels to the north of us.

A lovely, full day out, connecting with friends.  60+ species seen .

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Year List:
113   Egyptian Goose
114  Lesser Black-backed Gull



Today's species list (courtesy of Alan)

Barnacle Goose Black-headed Gull

Black-Tailed Godwit

Blue Tit

Brent Goose

Buzzard

Canada Goose

Carrion Crow

Cetti's Warbler    (heard)

Collared Dove

Common Gull

Coot

Cormorant

Curlew

Dunlin

Feral Pigeon

Fieldfare

Golden Plover

Goldfinch

Great Black-backed Gull

Great Crested Grebe

Great Tit

Grey Heron

Grey Plover

Greylag Goose

Herring Gull

Hooded Crow

House Sparrow

Kestrel

Lapwing

Little Egret

Little Grebe

Magpie

Mallard

Marsh Harrier

Meadow Pipit

Merlin

Mute Swan

Oyster Catcher

Pheasant

Pied Wagtail

Red-legged Partridge

Redshank

Reed Bunting

Ringed Plover

Rock Pipit

Sanderling

Shelduck

Shore Lark

Shoveler

Skylark

Snipe

Spotted Redshank    (heard)

Starling

Stock Dove

Teal

Turnstone

White-fronted Goose

Widgeon

Woodpigeon

Wren (63)

15/01/2016 Barn Owl in Ashdown Forest

Friday 15th January 2016
Ashdown Forest

Another late start, again at the Old Airstrip, looking for the Great Grey Shrike.  Unfortunately it was another "dip".   Alastair joined me and after a while we relocated to Mintons CP, near the visitors centre, where, after about 30 minutes, we saw the Barn Owl we had targeted.

There were plenty of Meadow Pipits and Fieldfares around.  Also seen were a couple of Mistle Thrushes and a Redwing.



Addition to BUBO UK 2016 Year List
112   Barn Owl

14/01/2016 Ashdown Forest

Thursday 14th January 2016
Ashdown Forest, West Sussex

I only had time for a quick outing at the end of the day so I went looking for the Great Grey Shrike in the Ashdown Forest.  Alas I had no luck again.  

I did manage to see 30+ Linnets, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Redwing.

At Buxted Park I had no luck with the Barn Owl.


Addition to BUBO 2016 UK Year List
111   Linnet 

13/01/2016 Warnham NR, Horsham with the Brighton and District Local RSPB Group

Wednesday 13th January 2016
Warnham NR, Horsham, West Sussex
Brighton & District RSPB Local Group

For our regular monthly mid-week outing, we enjoyed splendid weather - bright and sunny with clear skies.  

• Warnham is our local hotspot for Redpoll, Siskin and Reed Bunting in January and true to form they were all present today.

• Other woodland birds seen included a female Bullfinch, several Goldcrests, lots of Goldfinch, a Greenfinch, a flock of Long-tailed Tits and a couple of Tree Creepers. 

• The gulls included Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and a few Great Black-backed Gulls.

I had to leave early but enjoyed myself tremendously.

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Year List:
109   Lesser Redpoll
110   Bullfinch

12/01/2016 Common Gull at Weir Wood Reservoir

Tuesday 12th January 2016
Weir Wood Reservoir


During my voluntary conservation work at Weir Wood Reservoir today I was directed to a couple of Common Gulls on the water - my first sighting of this species this year.



Addition to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List:
108   Common Gull

11/01/2016 Not much birding today

Monday 11th January 2016
Weir Wood Reservoir and Ashdown Forest

I had only a short while for birding today.  

• No luck with a flying visit to the Ashdown Forest for the Great Grey Shrike early morning and no luck with another high speed walk, this time round Buxted Park, at dusk, looking for the Barn Owl.

• The only real success was at Weir Wood Reservoir this morning where I saw my first  Kingfisher of the year.  

Addition to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List:

107   Kingfisher

10/01/2016 Dungeness with the East Grinstead RSPB Group a.m. only

10th January 2016
RSPB Dungeness 

Spent the morning at Dungeness NR with my East Grinstead RSPB Local Group.  Unfortunately the weather was the worst so far with low temperatures to add to the heavy downpours.

• We used the hides to shelter from the rain.  Most of the birds were present and I managed to add Goldeneye,  Pintail, Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler to my year list.  Bird of the day, on the water, was a lovely Redhead Smew.

• As soon as the rain stopped we returned to the centre to see the Long-eared Owl which was showing really well.

I left the group around 11 a.m. to get back home.

• On my way home I found the Barnacle Geese in the usual place but it was waterlogged after the heavy rain so there were few other birds around. 

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List:

102   Goldeneye 

103   Chiffchaff   

104   Pintail

105   Cetti's Warbler (heard only)

106   Barnacle Goose

Another brief but worthwhile trip in the most dreadful weather conditions.

09/01 2016 Pagham Harbour, Amberley Castle and The Burgh Bewick Swans, a Red Kite and a lovely Yellowhammer

Saturday 9th January 2016
West Sussex 

Church Norton
Another early start saw me at Church Norton just before the high tide.  

I was expecting to find the Spoonbills that have been in the area but they did not show.  Nevertheless there were hundreds of birds to be seen - a wonderful wildlife experience.  Most were the usual suspects, Brent Geese, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal etc.

• On the island just west of the hide on the opposite bank, the two Peregines (m+f) were in their usual position.

Ferry Pool and nearby area.

When I relocated to the visitors centre I found loads of Black-tailed Godwits on the Ferry Pool along with the usual suspects.

• I naively thought I could walk to the North wall but found the route too cumbersome and gave up but not before I spotted a superb male Yellowhammer in the bushes aligning the path.

Amberley Castle

One of my targets for the day was to locate the Bewick Swans (x6) and thankfully they were in the same place as last year.

The Burgh, Arundel

I saw my first Red Kite of the year just east of the triangle.  Also seen were several Grey Partridges  - of course!

Widewater, Shoreham

I called in at Shoreham on my way home to twitch the male Goosander that was in sedentary mode on the Widewater Lagoon.

Additions to BUBO UK 2016 Year List:

95    Peregrine
96    Black-tailed Godwit
97    Yellowhammer
98    Bewick Swan
99    Grey Partridge
100   Red Kite
101   Goosander

What could be more deserving for my 100th sighting of 2016 - a wonderful Red Kite!

08/01/2016 Feral Pigeon

Friday 8th January 2016

No chance to go birding today...... however, whilst I was in Uckfield town centre I saw many Feral Pigeons.



Addition to BUBO 2016 UK Year List:
94   Feral Pigeon/Rock Dove

07/01/2016 Purple Sandpipers at Newhaven a.m. plus Long-eared Owl at the Burgh

Thursday 7th January 2016



Newhaven Tide Mills, East Sussex        11.00 to 12.30

• I took advantage of the mid-morning high tide to pay a flying visit to the east pier at Newhaven Harbour to see 9 Purple Sandpipers sheltering from the elements among the supporting beams.  

The Burgh, West Sussex         13.45 to 14.15

• Another flying visit, this time to the Burgh near Arundel to look for Short-eared Owls.  By this time the weather was bright and sunny.  It didn't take long to find one flying low over the vegetation in the bottom of the valley.  Not long after I saw and heard a Raven, having an altercation with a Buzzard.

• Other species seen included Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Buzzard, Kestrel and Corn Bunting.

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Year List

91   Purple Sandpiper

92   Short-eared Owl

93   Raven        

Not many birds seen but the quality was superb!

06/01/2016 Shellness on Isle of Sheppey White-fronted Geese and Hooded Crow

Wednesday 6th January 2016
Shellness
Isle of Sheppey


I wanted to treat myself today so off I went bright and early up to Shellness on the Isle of Sheppey.  The weather was great with little or no wind and, believe it or not, no rain.

• As it was high tide, I started by the sea and found the usual selection of sea birds, predominantly Oystercatchers, Grey Plovers, Dunlin and Shelduck.  

• With hindsight this was a mistake because by the time I walked along the sea wall to the hide quite a few others had walked the same route and scared off the Richard's Pipit that the other early birders had seen.  

• By way of compensation, I had smashing views of the Hooded Crow as it perched on a post in the marshes just a few metres south of the hide.  At least 25 White-fronted Geese were interspersed with the Greylags in the field to the north east of the hide, making for a nice view.  Brent Geese in their hundreds dominated the scene.

I was disappointed not to find any Owls or Hen Harriers, although I saw several Marsh Harriers.  Even when I relocated to the raptor viewing area at Capel Fleet the same result occurred.  I would dearly have loved to stay for the afternoon session and roost but alas I had to get home.

Not bad - 16 additions to my rear list and a couple of "stand out" species - but not quite up to the experiences of previous visits.

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List:
75   Corn Bunting
76   Curlew
77   Dunlin
78   Grey Plover
79   Little Egret
80   Meadow Pipit
81   Oystercatcher
82   Redshank
83   Reed Bunting
84   Rock Pipit
85   Ringed Plover
86   Sanderling
87   Turnstone
88   White-fronted Goose
89   Hooded Crow
90   Marsh Harrier

Other birds seen included Black-headed Gull, Brent Goose, Chaffinch, Common Buzzard, Coot, Lapwing, Magpie, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Robin, Starling,  Woodpigeon and Wren

05/01/2016 Arlington Reservoir in the rain a.m. Weir Wood Reservoir in the rain p.m. 9 Mandarin Ducks

Tuesday 5th January 2016 
Arlington Reservoir

Today's weather was even worse than yesterday's so I made another early start, this time to Arlington Reservoir just down the A22 from my home.

As you would expect, there were fewer birds than usual around. Pick of the small bunch was a Common Sandpiper seen on the wall by the water just south of Pollit's Farm and a single Brent Goose seen in the water at the SE corner of the reservoir.




Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List:
69   Rook
70   Jackdaw
71   Wigeon
72   Brent Goose
73   Common Sandpiper
74   Brent Goose

Other birds seen included Canada Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Robin, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, Carrion Cow, Magpie, House Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Wren, Blackbird, Tufted Duck, Cormorant and Grey Heron











Evening visit to Weir Wood Reservoir
Joined Bob Johnson and Alastair Gray for the roost at Weir Wood Reservoir.  The weather was still awful but we managed to see a good selection of birds.  

• Pick of the bunch and one of my favourites - the Mandarin Ducks (9 of them in total)

Mandarin Ducks
Courtesy of Friends of Weir Wood 

• Other highlights included a group of 100+ Starlings and another group of 100+ Fieldfare.

Addition to BUBO 2016 UK Bird List:
75   Mandarin Duck


Other birds seen included Pochard, Coot, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Gadwall. 

04/01/2016 Great Northern Diver at Weir Wood

Monday 4th January 2016
Weir Wood Reservoir

With yet more poor weather forecast I decided to start early again - this time nearer home.  I decided to have another go at finding the Great Northern Diver at Weir Wood Reservoir.

As I arrived at the Boating Club car park at the dam end of the reservoir I was met by 2 ladies from America/Canada who told me the diver was showing in the distance close to the far banks.  Sure enough it was there albeit very briefly. 

To get a better view I relocated to the Southern Water car park and then walked along the north bank.  Unfortunately I could not find it again.  As a last resort, I returned to the  original place to find the Great Northern Diver showing well about 100 metres away from me and only 40 metres from the dam.  What a lucky break!

Great Northern Diver
Courtesy of Alastair Gray

While searching for the diver I managed to boost my year list by 7, the pick of which was a Green Woodpecker closely followed by at least 5 Jays and a flock of 25+ Fieldfare. 

As I arrived back home at lunchtime I was greeted by 4 Siskins on the feeder - the first there for years and another tick for my year list.

Making the most of the poor weather!

Additions to BUBO 2016 UK Year List:
61   Green Woodpecker
62   Fieldfare
63   Buzzard
64   Kestrel
65   Jay
66   Mistle Thrush
67   Great Northern Diver
68   Siskin

03/01/2016 Glorious Dungeness in not so glorious weather!

Sunday 3rd January 2016
Dungeness and Pett Level

A very early start saw me by the fishing boats in Dungeness by 08.00.  After an hour I transferred to the Nature Reserve before heading home at 12.00 via Pett Level.  It was dry and overcast for the first hour before the rain came in and, combined with the strong wind, made for some very unpleasant conditions for the birders and the birds for the rest of the morning.

I thoroughly enjoyed the seawatch and even managed to locate the Caspian Gull all by myself and had the sighting confirmed by no less an authority than Plodding Birder himself.  

Caspian Gull
Courtesy of Dungeness Bird Observatory

There were also at least 3 Little Gulls, and 5 or 6 Red-throated Divers.

On the nature reserve I was fortunate that the Long-eared Owl was still present and showing.

Long-eared Owl
Photo credit: John Caddick, http://johncaddick.co.uk/photo/long-eared-owl/

Other highlights included the Tree Sparrows at the feeders, Redhead Smew on Burrowes and a Great White Egret at Boulderwall.

Despite the high winds and heavy rain I was lucky to see the Glossy Ibis at Pett Level and 30+ Golden Plover among the Lapwings in the fields by the road.


All in all it was a most rewarding flying visit with almost 40 species seen.


Additions to BUBO 2016 Year List:
37   Caspian Gull
38   Common Scoter
39   Fulmar
40   Gannet
41   Guillemot
42   Little Gull
43   Kittiwake
44   Red-throated Diver
45   Pied Wagtail
46   Gadwall
47   Great White Egret
48   Greenfinch
49   Long-eared Owl
50   Mute Swan
51   Pochard
52   Shelduck
53   Shoveler
54   Smew
55   Tree Sparrow
56   Wren
57   Glossy Ibis
58   Golden Plover
59   Black-headed Gull
60   Little Grebe




Other birds seen were, Blackbird, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow,  Chaffinch, Coot, Cormorant, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Mallard, Magpie, Starling, Teal andTufted Duck.

02/01/2016 Weir Wood Reservoir

Saturday 2nd January 2016
Weir Wood Reservoir

My first visit of 2016 to Weir Wood Reservoir was severely curtailed by the wet weather.  I had no luck with the Great Northern Diver that has been around for weeks but I did manage to spot another 21 new birds.

The highlight was the Treecreeper closely followed by the Goldcrest,  both of which were in the tall trees near the car park at the dam end. 



Additions to 2016 Year List:
59   Black-headed Gull
17  Canada Goose
18   Chaffinch
19   Coot
20   Cormorant
21   Dunnock
22   Goldcrest
23   Great Black-backed Gull
24   Great-crested Grebe
25   Great Spotted Woodpecker
26   Grey Heron
27   Greylag Goose
28   Lapwing
29   Long-tailed Tit
30   Marsh Tit
31   Moorhen
32   Nuthatch
33   Pheasant
34   Teal
35   Treecreeper
36   Tufted Duck

Other birds seen included Robin, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Coal Tit, Magpie and Mallard.

Grateful to get any birding done in such awful weather!

01/01/2016. Here we go again! Into 2016

Friday January 1st
At home.


Happy New Year!

Only 16 birds today  -  15 from my garden and one from a nearby pond.

Pick of this modest bunch was the Coal Tit that made repeated trips to the bird feeders throughout the morning.

Close behind came the sole Redwing seen in the canopy of the tall trees at the rear of the house.




Species list for today:
1.   Woodpigeon
2.   House Sparrow
3.   Blackbird
4.   Starling
5.   Carrion Crow
6.   Blue Tit
7.   Robin
8.   Goldfinch
9.   Redwing
10. Coal Tit
11. Collared Dove
12. Magpie
13. Song Thrush
14. Great Tit
15. Mallard
16. Herring Gull