Unidentified

Firecrest 29/12/14

Coming up to the end of the year now. We have recently experienced some winter weather and it has produced a lot of birds to the garden.

Firecrest

A German blackcap male was very nice to see but the second garden record of firecrest was even better. Only being seen briefly, like the individual in 2012, it was still nice to see on a cold, frosty morning.

Recent sightings

Frampton-On-Severn Little gull highlight 7/4/14

Frampton-On-Severn bird sightings

1. 1 grey heron
2. 2 oystercatchers
3. 7+ chiffchaffs calling
4. 2 male blackcaps singing
5. 1 linnet
6. 10+ black headed gulls
7. 3+ herring gulls
8. 2 mute swans
9. 6 greylag geese
10. Mallards
11. 15+ tufted ducks
12. 15+ sand martins
13. 5+ swallows
14. 1 common tern- First of the year
15. 1 LITTLE GULL adult- First ever sighting for me and In summer plumage.
    
    
    
    

Little gull adult 

Amazing 5/4/14-6/4/14 birdwatching weekend

Highlights

Slimbridge WWT (Glos)

Hooded crow

• A HOODED CROW- My 1st ever and first in Glos since 1991
• 2 TAIGA BEAN GEESE- My 1st ever and 20 years since the last Glos record.

Langland bay

• A rock pipit- 1st of year
• A FULMAR- 1st of the year and my first for 4 years
• 2 shags- 1st of the year

Stackpole Quay and Lily ponds (Pembrokeshire)

Fulmars

• Blackcap male singing- Migrants
• 7+ chiffchaffs singing- Migrants
• 15+ sand martins- Migrants
• 25+ FULMARS- Included a pair at a nest
• 6 GANNETS- Flew by
• 1 GUILLEMOT- Adult in summer plumage
• 2 peregrines
• 3 Choughs- 1st of the year

The Summer migrants are coming back EARLY!!!

Summer migrants I've seen

Firstly a SPOONBILL at Slimbridge WWT on the 8/3/14 was a nice early bird. A visit to Chew Valley Lake on the 16/3/14 saw not only 3 Chiffchaffs but also a SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF which had been around the Bernard King hide in the days before. A "new" singing Chiffchaff was heard in a woodland on the Berkeley Park-Scott Law path on the 16/3/14 as well. Gloucestershire's 3rd SWALLOW of the year flew low south over the house In the rain on the 20/3/14 which is 11 days earlier than my original "Earliest Record". A walk up Cam Peak in Cam (Glos) on the 22/3/14 had 5 Chiffchaffs singing in the trees. Then on the same day a visit to Frampton-On-Severn also had a Chiffchaff but also my first 40-60+ SAND MARTINS of the year all feeding and then moving south from the pools. On the  23/3/14 a look for migrant wheatears at Clapton (Severn House Farm) near the Power Station was excellent with 1 WHEATEAR feeding on the mud as well as the sea wall. A "new" Blackcap male was heard singing in the trees on the 24/3/14. A blackcap male was seen in next doors garden on the 25/3/13 which is quite a coincidence.

When will the first house martin be sighted in Glos? 4 were in Somerset on the 19/3/14 and 5 were at New Passage on the 20/3/14 so this could mean we might get a few early records.

Newport Wetlands 9/3/14 sightings

Very sunny and HOT!!!
RSPB

• linnet
• Meadow pipit
• 5+ cetti's warblers
• 10+ coots
• 5+ tufted ducks
• 5+ pochards
• 2 mute swans
• 2 little grebes
• 1 little egret
• Curlew heard
• Wigeon
• Shelducks
• 30+ reed buntings inc 2 sighted being ringed
• 10+ green finches inc 3 sighted being ringed
• 1 great spotted woodpecker being ringed
• Blue tits
• Kestrel
• 1 siskin
• 1 Water rail calling

Goldcliff area

• 2 grrenshanks
• 30+ redshanks
• 10+ lapwing
• 1 black tailed godwit
• 10+ redwing/fieldfare
• 10+ shelducks
• 20+ shovelers
• Teal
• Little egret
• 2 grey herons
• 22 avocets

 Great spotted woodpecker being rung

2 different male reed buntings