They're still there! Easter - Darts Farm - 03/04/2015

Realising I needed to burn some energy I took myself off for a stroll down to Darts Farm, and I'm glad I did because there was a Penduline Tit only a few metres away in the reed mace at the conservation area. It was soon joined by a second, and I was a bit gutted I hadn't brought my 500mm, although the light was pretty bad so it might not have been all that much better.

That's why mums go to Iceland - 01/04/2015

It wasn't even some kind of April fools joke, there really was an Iceland Gull at Taff Mead Embankment. An individual that had been down the Bay had made it's way up river, so on a quick detour on my normal route to work I popped by to see it for myself. Knowing it had been  there for a couple of days at the same time in the morning from the Glam forum, I took my chances. It almost instantly stood out to me in flight, the sun of the morning shining through it's wings in flight which made it look even whiter than it was, before it alighted on the railway bridge, not bothered at all by the industry going on behind it, with the erection of the new BBC building in the back ground. That makes 203 British Life List, and a new all-round tick before work set the day up nicely.

Spot the difference?? Forest Farm - 07/02/2015

The news went out on Thursday in the office that a little bunting was visiting the feeders at Forest Farm after some local birders found it having had heard that some lesser spotted woodpeckers are coming to the feeders (the latter remains to be proven). However, my initial scepticism was misplaced because it was soon confirmed so I took my Saturday morning opportunity to go and visit, and was straight on to it feeding on the ground in front of the hide only a few feet away. Hats off to the finders, a very impressive ID, and one that was very difficult given that it seems to be quite asymmetrical in the defining facial features, the supercilium being brighter on the bird's left side.

There was a similar level of bad light as the recent trip to Ogmore for the firecrest, but an enjoyable quick trip out in the morning all the same. The year is shaping up nicely with two lifer's in as many weeks, and an office trip to Norfolk on the cards.  

Firecrest! 25/01/2015

It had been a while since my last real outing in the new year down Exeter, but with a firecrest still hanging around near the water treatment works  in Ogmore, I decided to voyage out while Jess completed the Big Garden Birdwatch. It was my first outing to Merthyr Mawr, but found my way easily enough to the Candleston carpark. After a quick walk through the dunes, where I disturbed two green woodpeckers, and saw a big flock of fieldfare, I was soon found myself on the opposite side of the river to usual, and met up with a couple of birders who were already on site. There were several goldcrest flitting around which made the task of pinpointing the firecrest a bit more difficult, and also this overwintering chiffy -

I soon got on to the firecrest briefly, however, a passing party of riders disturbed him and he stayed down for some time. Just as I was about to leave another visiting birder from Pencoed caught a glimpse, and we had him in the bins for a few minutes, with this being the best shot I could muster -

He was very mobile, and the light was terrible with the rain coming in, but that was a World, a 2015, Glamorgan and British tick in the bag. Top bird!

Autumn Phalarope - 26/10/2014

With it being a reading week at college, Jess and I took off the Monday so we had a long weekend on our hands. We visited Westonbirt Arboretum to see the autumnal colours in full display, and we were pleasantly surprised to see how popular it was - crowds of people, and queues to get in! If only RSPB reserves saw this much attention, and arguably (lovely though the sylvan spectacle) there would be more to see in general wildlife.

Jess took some stunning photos -

Japanese Maple

By lunchtime we were ravenous, and a quick roast pork bun gave us enough for one last burst of energy to see some more of the park, but the fresh air soon got to us and we were zonked.

With it being the weekend the clocks went back an hour, we were treated to an hour extra in bed that night, and I resisted the temptation of heading off down to Bowling Green Marsh at early doors. I'm glad that I did because after breakfast, Jess and I took a trip  down to Topsham Recreation Park for a walk along the estuary instead.

After an unexpected game of table tennis with the free new facilities in the park, we took a walk along the path, scanning the various waders and gulls gathered there. I kept my eye out for the reported water pipit, and saw a glimpse of what I think was the culprit, but couldn't pin him down. However, we got chatting to a fellow birder who was happily showing some passers by a group of six sandpipers amongst the gulls, and a peregrine which had perched up under the underpass of the bridge. We then saw a kingfisher across the way from us, perched up on the reeds, and after chatting with the gent about the location of the water pipit it sounded increasingly likely that I had indeed spied it where I thought I had. On the return route I got another glimpse, but again couldn't be sure. As a consolation there was a godwit close to the park benches and we spent a couple of minutes sat contentedly, watching it feed in the muddy vegetation.

On the way home for a lunch consisting of last nights excellent curry, we popped in for a quick drink at the Bridge Inn. Taking advantage of the mild weather, we sat outside with an excellent pint of Otter, and a glass of white. We were lucky enough to see another kingfisher from our perch by the river, but I was secretly nursing an itch to go and see the grey phalarope which was reported on the Otter estuary (the Otter beer proved far too temptingly auspicious to refuse a 'go') at Budleigh Salterton.

So after lunch we took off, and was pleasantly surprised that Budleigh is only fifteen minutes from Jess's parents house. When we arrived, I quickly realised that it was quite a large area, and that we could potentially walk straight past such a tiny wader. I checked with a birding couple and they pointed out kindly where the little guy was to be found. A short walk later, I couldn't believe our luck. It was just as the gent at Topsham had described from his visit yesterday, and the phalarope was feeding happily down to only a few metres away from a few visiting birders, and a steady trickle of interested passers-by.

'What type of bird is it', and 'where is it from', were a couple of the questions that were popping up, and I was glad to pay a small part in helping to answer the questions. It was great to see people interested, and good to see a young lad with his bridge camera getting some great shots. A cracking little bird, and a great way to round off a nice day. A Lifer, British and Year list tick all in one.

Needless to say I burned through a lot of photos taking advantage of his timidity, or perhaps blatant indifference to our presence. The godwit that was also feeding nearby had escaped my attention until we were leaving, and some great shots of her was the icing on the cake.

 

Ross's Gull, Bowling Green marsh - 27/06/2014

An all too easy, rock-up-and-see-it Ross's Gull was the highlight of yesterday's outing. It had been present for about six weeks at BGM, and I had been keeping my eye on the Devonshire forum to see if it was hanging around. I had an early start down to the hide and sure enough, there he was, quite obvious amongst the BGH's. I'd forgotten my bins, so it was birding via camera again.

Also present were two Spotted Redshanks, giving me the second lifer, Brit, and year tick of the day. They were both looking pretty dapper in the finest Summer black, and busy pruning between rain showers. They were tucked away at the back of the marsh amongst a herd of curlew, and I had to borrow a look through another chap's scope to see them. Funnily enough he had the Opticron 80 ED.. It gave me an itch to get a scope so bad that a few hours later I had more or less impulsively bought one at Darts Farm. I've gone for a much cheaper model than the Opticron that I had been fancying, using my staff discount and going for the RSPB AG80, with a 20-60 Zoom eye piece,tripod/cover bundle. It's not the same quality level as the Opticron admittedly, however, a test drive yesterday evening and this morning shows that it is adequate for what I need a scope for currently, and I've saved myself easily £600. It also revealed some Common Sand's for a tick for 2014 that I would not have realised were there, the first bobbing on a buoy on the Exe, and the others on the slowly emerging sandbank in the distance.   

Getting 'savvy'. See what I did there? Newport Wetlands - 01/06/2014

With the forecast for nice weather today I made an early start and set off the the Wetlands before opening time. Upon arrival there was already a small gathering for the Savi's Warbler, and the bird had been in the same spot for over a week. He was showing much better today, and even allowed for some half decent shots. Only the 5th for Wales apparently, and first for Gwent!

Giving it some beans

After seeing Beardie's for the first time in Radipole a couple of weeks back, the gods of birding saw fit to mock me with some near the pontoon briefly. There was also a showy (and sing-y for that matter) Sedge Warbler in a tree of all places. After a quick chat with Rob and Mat, there was also a very showy Lesser White Throat in the lane. The sun seemed to be bringing them all out.

At Goldcliff there was an avalanche of Avocet, with three young 'uns feeding out on the lagoon. From the back hide I thought I had found a rarity, seeing what I thought was a golden plover, but with odd markings more similar to Yankee.. Humbling though, turned out to be a grey plover in breeding plumage, but I'd never realised how similar they get, having never seen grey this time of year. Chalk up another learning point, but still, one for the 2014 list...