Portland Bill, Dorset. 24th June 2008.

A visit to Portland Bill, Dorset today with the aim of catching up with a few seabirds. I was really hoping to see Fulmar, Shearwaters, Auks and Kittiwake and seeing as I haven't been to Portland for quite awhile I was looking forward to it.

Roy Rose and i arrived at Portland Bill and from the car park Skylark, Swallow, House Martin and Swift were soon seen followed by Starling, Linnet and of course Herring Gull perched on the Lobster Pot Cafe roof, lets face it if there's a free meal going there's sure to be a Herring Gull nearby.

Portland Bill Lighthouse

We had a quick look inside the Lighthouse visitor centre and were delighted to see the cameras showing Guillemot and Razorbill on the West cliffs, we made our way to the Bill and looked out to sea. Below on the waters surface bobbing up and down were small groups of both Guillemot and Razorbill and lots of individuals flying in and out to sea, Cormorant, Herring, Lesser & Greater Black-backed Gulls were also soon seen. Roy quickly picked up on a lone Manx Shearwater passing by and while I tried to locate it picked up on a passing Gannet, I finally caught up with the Manx and we soon found another closely and watched as they skirted the waves before we lost them over the sea. A Rock Pipit called as it passed overhead before settling on the rocks nearby, giving us just enough time to view it before it flew off out of sight lower down the cliffs. We made our way towards the West cliffs soon finding a pair of Rock Pipits and a small group of Linnets washing themselves in a puddle just inside the MOD base, good views considering obscured views through the fence. Throughout the day we encountered both Rock Pipit and Linnet along the sea path.

Guillemot

Viewing the sea next to the West cliffs we soon saw our first Puffin of the day as a single bird bobbed up and down on the waves next to the cliffs, it was soon followed by a Fulmar which soared round the cliffs towards us and then drifted back round the cliffs. A single Oystercatcher sat in full view on the side of the cliffs and below us in the water 2 Shags were fishing, the odd Gannet passed by and again the Rock Pipits taunted me from behind the MOD fence and knowing the moment I'd get my camera out they would fly off, I didn't bother, yet.

Another check out at sea produced more Manx Shearwaters as they flew passed, we watched them for as long as possible often losing them to sight as they flew behind waves, their black upperwing and white underwing standing out like crosses as they tilted their wings as they glided passed. We then picked up on a Shearwater flying in from the sea, it was difficult to pick up at first due to it being head on but amazingly it flew very close to the coastline and landed on the water, I was delighted to be watching my first ever Balearic Shearwater which was now bobbing up and down in the sea alongside a guillemot. It gave an excellent chance to see some of the key features which separates it from Manx Shearwater close up rather than being seen flying out at sea, a few birders were now watching it and we were amazed to see it joined by another Balearic which came from somewhere below us. They remained on the water until we lost sight of them as they drifted round towards the lighthouse. I had hoped to see Manx but to see Balearic Shearwater and at such close views I was delighted, Brilliant. Out at sea at least 6 Kittiwakes were in a small flock on the water and a lone bird on the water below us in the sea gave very good views.

Herring Gull

A Rock Pipit perched on the fence and gave me a one photo chance and then flew off, a pair of Stonechat were busy feeding around the car park as was a Herring Gull that took a liking to the chips we purchased from the Lobster Pot, it made a very good subject and I didn't mind trading a few chips for a couple of photos, probably the best of the day I hasten to add. House Sparrow, Starling, Linnet, Meadow & Rock Pipit along the coastal path towards the Observatory.

Rock Pipit

We stopped off at Ferrybridge near Chesil beach on the way home and decided to have a wander along the beach in the hope we might find a Little Tern, a Little Egret was seen flying off as we pulled up. Leaving the car park I was disappointed to see a family ignore the signs asking people to keep their dogs on their leads because of breeding birds in the area, they simply walked passed the sign ignoring it letting their 3 dogs run riot around the area. Alright I don't want to sound as if getting on my soapbox as we can all be liable to make mistakes from time to time but it really got my back up.

There was little to be seen at the Tern nesting site, infact there was only 2 Terns to be seen and they seemed to be Common Terns which only gave distant views. We walked back down to the mudflats at Ferrybridge spotting both Meadow Pipit and Linnet on the way and then scanned the flats. A few Herring Gulls were sat at the waters edge and scanning across the mudflats 2 pairs of Ringed Plovers were busy feeding, it wasn't until we walked further along the shore that the 2 closet Ringed Plovers got excited and started showing us their distraction technique.

Ringed Plover

One ran across the front of us and scampered up the pebbles drawing our attention away from where we were standing, it was of course leading us away from 2 very young chicks that were on the edge of the flats with the other nearby adult. This was an amazing sight and showed just how these little waders protect their young from predators. My thoughts soon turned to the unleashed dogs that were now chasing Crows and Gulls across the flats and realised just how vulnerable these little chicks were. A summer plumaged Dunlin appeared from behind a rock a began searching for food in the mud giving good views until I got my camera out, I finally managed to get a few photos before my attention was drawn to the family heading back towards us. I feared for the chicks that were now just at the edge of the mud flats and surely within sniffing distance of any dog. Incredibly the chicks sat motionless and the numbskulls passed by leaving the Ringed Plover parents to gather their young and scuttle off along the mudflats.

Fantastic day.

Ringed Plover Chick

Dunlin

Added To My Year List.

185. Guillemot
186. Razorbill

187. Manx Shearwater

188. Rock Pipit

189. Shag

190. Puffin

191. Fulmar

192. Kittiwake

193. Balearic Shearwater

Added To My Life List.

302. Balearic Shearwater

Corncrake (Crex crex) - Hurst, Berks. 17th June 2008.

Okay I'm just settling down to watch the European Championships and still deciding whether to watch Italy vs. France or Holland vs. Romania when I receive an email informing me of a very rare sighting in the county of Berkshire. Well let's face it, it's a rare sighting over many parts of the UK and the majority of birders will probably have to travel to Scotland to have a better chance of finding one. So the email tells me a Corncrake has been heard calling from a field near Hogmoor Lane in Hurst, Berks (SU794745) so I called birding buddy Roy Rose and arranged to meet at Hurst. I arrived and met a group of the Berks regulars standing on the edge of a Wheat field and quietly joined them, Roy told me the bird had been calling very close but hadn't shown, it immediately started calling again and the grating "crek-crek, crek-crek" calls seemed only a matter of feet away. This continued and it was decided we should move away from the set-aside in the hope that the bird might show itself at the field edge, it continued to call on and off for at 30 minutes before it slowly moved out into the field. We scanned the furrows in the hope that we might get a fleeting glimpse but with no luck, after an hour or so it had moved well away and into the centre of the field without the slightest glimpse or even moving crops as it passed through them. It must have been about 9pm when listening to the Corncrake calling sporadically as it moved further across the field when all of a sudden a bird jumped up from the field and straight back down again, the six or seven birders standing next to me all saw it but only through the naked eye so I knew I wasn't seeing things but was it the corncrake?, no Pheasants or Partridges had been seen or heard so it certainly was a mystery. Minutes later the same thing happened and it certainly was in the area of the calling Corncrake which was now on the far side of the field, we headed off to meet up with a group of birders which were standing on the side of the field who told us they had seen the same thing and identified it through binoculars as the Corncrake. By 9.30 the Corncrake was in good voice and heading back across the field towards us and within 15 minutes seemed like it was on the side of the Wheat field again, we moved closer and stood at the set-aside and could hear the corncrake calling from nearby but still no sighting, a lady from a nearby house came out looking for her dog and told us she had heard the Corncrake calling 2 weeks ago whilst walking her dogs by the field and that she often hears it calling in the early hours, you have to feel sorry for the poor fella as he's obviously looking for a mate and isn't going to find one. Everybody left at 10pm with the Corncrake calling every now and then.

Corncrake are incredibly elusive, and as I learned tonight can be only a matter of feet away calling and still remain out of sight. They are also a RED STATUS species.

Added To My Year List

184. Corncrake

Added To My Life List

301. Corncrake

The Hurst Corncrake

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) - Burton Mill Pond, West Sussex. 15th June 2008.

Red-backed Shrike

Roy and I headed off to Burton Mill Pond, West Sussex today to catch up with the long staying male Red-backed Shrike, on arrival we soon spotted the Shrike sat in the hedgerow near to Shopham bridge. It showed fantastically well as it searched for food around the paddocks, after each sortie it perched in full view for a couple of minutes before continuing to hunt. this is my first ever sighting of a male in breeding plumage and a sight to behold. He continued to hunt and on occasion plucking a number of large insects from both air and ground and then resumed back to a number of perching points along the hedgerow and fence.Once a common and widespread breeding bird in Britain the Red-backed Shrike has gradually declined in the UK and in 1989, for the first time ever none where found breeding on these shores, in 1999 the last successful breeding occurred but now is no longer an annual breeding species in Britain.

On our way back we stopped off at RSPB Church Wood near Hedgley, Bucks, in the hope that we might get a glimpse of Lesser-spotted Woodpecker. Unfortunately there was no sight or sound of any but we did find 4 very young Wren chicks hiding in a bramble thicket, I hate to use the cute phrase but they were very adorable and undoubtedly mother nature at her best, a truly memorable sighting. Elsewhere in the wood plenty of Blue & Great Tit chicks, Nuthatch and 3 good views of Treecreeper, chiffchaff calling and another catching insects by the Redwood trees and we found a very small Woodpecker feather which I'm still trying to identify.

Last stop was Ferry Lane at Mill End, Bucks so Roy could get his first year sighting of Ring-necked Parakeet, as we drove down the lane 2 flew along the river and after turning the car round and driving back up the lane 1 flew over the car roof giving great views through the handily opened sunroof.

Added To My Year List.

183. Red-backed Shrike

Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) & Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) - 14th June 2008

A visit to a Nightjar site on the Berkshire border gave excellent views of both Nightjar and Woodcock as dusk drew in, approaching the site a Willow Warbler called from a nearby Oak tree shortly followed by Hobby being spotted sat in the top of a dead tree. By the time I had arrived at a regular viewing point a number of Woodcock had passed over on one of their many roding runs through the woods and by the end of the evening I had seen them at least 7 or 8 times as they passed overhead, the "twissick" and grunting/croaking "wuhg, uhg-uhg" roding calls being heard long before they flew over. I didn't have to wait long to hear the first Nightjar "churring" and following the call I found a single bird perched in the top of a conifer tree, it soon flew off and headed deeper in to the copse and began churring again but out of view. I walked around the wood getting a number of views of both Nightjar and Woodcock including a fantastic view as a Nightjar flew overhead and would estimate at least 5 churring Nightjars dotted around the site.

The Nightjar is currently a RED STATUS species due to the destruction of many of it's nesting sites, they are nocturnal and best seen and heard at dusk in their favoured Heathlands and conifer plantations whilst they search for Moths and insects.

Added To My Year List

182. Nightjar

Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) - Wilstone Reservoir, Herts. 08/06/2008.

Icterine Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Icterine Warbler

Goldfinch

News broke mid-morning that a Melodious or Icterine Warbler had been heard singing in the cemetery corner of Wilstone reservoir in Hertfordshire by Roy Hargreaves, I waited to find out if the bird would remain and contacted birding pal Roy Rose to let him know the news. By 4pm we were on our way to Wilstone Reservoir to see the now confirmed Icterine Warbler, if seen this would be a first for both Roy and I. We arrived at Wilstone Reservoir car park and were soon redirected to the east side of the reservoir about 400yards past the garden centre/tea rooms where we managed to find a space to park and wandered back down the road to meet a gathering dozen or so birders eagerly looking for the Warbler. A familiar face in Berkbirds webmaster Marek Walford informed us that there had been no sight or sound during the 30 or so minutes of his wait and both Roy and I believed we might be out of luck, a scan over the hedgerows towards Wilstone reservoir gave brief views of a single Black Tern amongst Common Terns feeding on the reservoir, and at least 2 Common Whitethroat could be heard singing before one gave good views in a hedgerow in front of us. After a wait of 15/20 minutes somebody proposed playing a short Icterine call to see if the bird was still present and after asking everybody present if they had any objections the call was played, within a minute the Icterine Warbler was calling back at us from an Elder bush (SP909135) and everybody was either delighted to hear this almost beautiful song or relieved to know the bird was still present. Within minutes the bird flew over our heads and across the road to the large tree on the roadside, it remained singing from the tree but was elusive and didn't show until it dropped into the bushes below the tree. It was here we got our first sighting of this Hippolais Warbler as it sat in the top of the bushes singing before dropping down into the bushes and out of sight, again it showed in the bushes before flying back over the road and into the Elder on the reservoir side of the B489. It remained in the Elder and out of sight for sometime, continuing to sing with snatches of Blackbird, Song Thrush & Sparrow in it's repertoire of melodic Warbler song. Eventually it showed again in the Elder bushes on the Wilstone reservoir side giving good views and just enough time for me to get a few photos before it again disappeared in to the bushes and out of sight, this continued on and off until the bird showed incredibly well at the front of the bushes snapping up a few passing insects as it sang and then catching a large insect which it devoured in full view, brilliant views and certainly worth waiting for. It did another circuit of the trees and bushes singing from each perching point and finally ending back in the Elder bush on the Wilstone reservoir side.

Icterine Warbler is very similar to the closely related Melodious Warbler with the main difference being the Icterine has dark grey/blue legs, longer primary projection, a pale panel in the wings and a sloping forehead. The Icterine's loud song rolls quickly and continually with brief slow repeated notes much like the Song thrush, often melodic with the odd scratchy note thrown in. It feed's mainly on insects and breeds in dense scrub and bushes and around woodland edges, a scarce passage migrant to the UK but widespread through east and central Europe during breeding season before it returns to sub-equatorial Africa for winter.

If you go to see this fantastic bird please VIEW ONLY FROM THE ROADSIDE & DO NOT ENTER THE FIELDS.

Added To My Year List.

181. Icterine Warbler

Added to My Life List.

300. Icterine Warbler

Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) - Woolhampton Gravel Pits, Berks. 31/06/2008.

This Spring/Summer has seen an influx of Red-footed Falcons visiting our shores and many counties in the UK have been lucky enough to have hosted a number of individuals. Friday night I was planning a trip to see the closest Red-footed Falcon which happened to be Stewartby in Bedfordshire when an unexpected email arrived informing me that a pair had been seen at Woolhampton gravel pit's in Berkshire. The plans for Stewartby went out the window and should the pair remain at Woolhampton on Saturday I would make my way over to Woolhampton to see them. My first and only sighting of this fantastic Falcon was a 1st summer female which stayed from the 9th to the 19th of July at Moor Green Lakes near Eversley, Berkshire.

Arriving at Woolhampton early afternoon I parked up and made my way towards the pit's at the far end of the complex, a number of birders leaving the site let me know that the male had been seen and was associating with a number of Hobbies that were feeding around the pits and over the trees in the west of the gravel pits. My first year sighting of Turtle Dove was brief as a single bird flew over towards the old worksite hardly giving me time to see it through my binoculars.

I reached the location (SU566658) and it didn't take long before somebody spotted the male Red-footed falcon feeding up high with at least 8 Hobbies on the west side of the gravel pit's, finding it in the scope was an altogether different task as the sky was grey and overcast making it difficult to track amongst the Hobbies. It was soon pointed out that the Red-foot had one or maybe two central tail feathers missing which made it slightly easier to find. It continued to feed on the wing for over an hour sometimes being lost to sight behind a number of large Chestnut trees and reappearing moments later. It continued to show on and off for most of the afternoon and on one occasion flew overhead giving brief good views before disappearing around 5pm. Throughout the afternoon Red Kite, Buzzard and Kestrel all put in an appearance in the field next to us and with both Hobby and Red-footed Falcon added to the raptor experience. Skylark, Yellowhammer & Reed Bunting also putting in an appearance.

It was later whilst waiting for the Falcon to re-appear that I finally met one of Berkshire's premier bird photographers Jerry O'Brien, Jerry has an exceptional catalogue of Photos many of which can be found on Berksbirds and his own website Birds of Berkshire. It was great to finally meet Jerry as he has helped me with the creation of the TABCG website by allowing me to use some of his excellent photos taken in the Theale area. It was while we were chatting that another Turtle Dove flew over in the distance followed shortly by views of the Red-footed Falcon which Jerry spotted as it briefly showed feeding with the Hobby clan over the western pit before again being lost to sight.

Despite waiting till after 8pm the Red-footed Falcon was only seen briefly on a couple of occasions as it flew overhead and sadly it was impossible to digiscope.

Added To My Year List.

179. Red-footed Falcon
180. Turtle Dove

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) & Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) - Berks. 17th May 2008.

Bar-tailed Godwit.

At lunchtime today I received the news that a Bar-tailed Godwit had been found at Black Swan Lake, Dinton Pastures in Berkshire SU783723, still showing as present at 1.20pm on the berksbirds website I made my way over to Dinton to see it. After parking up and navigating my way round Black Swan Lake I finally came to a viewing point where another couple of people were waiting for the Bar-tailed Godwit to show again, it was hidden behind some of the scrub on the island next to the jetty and after a short wait appeared near the waters edge where it sat quietly until a Mallard moved it on. Fraser Cottington arrived and greeted his bird race team mate Andy Johnson who was already watching the Godwit and we watched as it sat quietly on the bank for most of the time only moving to feed occasionally until it was disturbed by a Carrion Crow which flushed it further along the bank and into the long grass. Fraser's mobile then rang to inform him that a Little Tern had been found at Theale Main Pit, another species that I hadn't seen this year and one I was planning to travel and see, it was too good to miss so I headed off to the car.

I made my way through Reading to Theale Main Pit parking up in the lay-by opposite Hosehill LNR when I arrived, a quick walk towards the viewing point found Fraser already in position and viewing the Little Tern on the North-east side of the lake, despite a number of sailing boats on the lake it was easy to get on to the Tern using the boats as markers and I soon was watching my first Little Tern of the year. It remained feeding in the North-east corner with a good number of Common Terns flying behind the distant island and along the edges of the lake, it continued hunting over the water on the far side for most of our viewing time before heading over the lake towards us, as it approached it gave good views of the prominent white forehead and it's black tipped yellow bill as it searched for fish over the water. Ken Moore arrived to see the Tern and regaled us of his recent trip to Scotland and slowly the weather closed in. Fraser said his goodbyes and Ken and I crossed the road to Hosehill to see what was about, nothing out of the ordinary was seen so I followed Ken to Burnthouse Lane before the weather worsened. By the time we got to Burnthouse Lane it was already starting to rain, we made our way to a viewing point and scanned the pit's finding 2 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plovers amongst others before we left.

Added To My Year List

177. Bar-tailed Godwit
178. Little Tern.

Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii) - Little Marlow GP's. 13th May 2008

A late evening dash to Little Marlow gravel pits tonight gave me my first year sighting of a beautiful summer plumage Temminck's Stint. By the time i got there the bird had moved round the spit and after a short walk along the path by the railway track i finally found it feeding along the waters edge. Plenty of Common Terns over the pits and 2 Little Ringed Plovers on the spit.

Added To My Year List.

176. Temminck's Stint.

TABCG Wales Trip 4th May 2008.

Cuckoo
The Last Stand

The TABCG Wales trip is always a great day out with the chance to see many of the Welsh specialities and also some great scenery. Dipper, Wood Warbler, Raven are just a few of the species we hoped to see on a day visit that would incorporate Gwent Levels, Newport Wetlands and the Elan Valley.

The first stop was at Gwent Levels where the usual Chiffchaff greeted us for the third year running from the same tree near the car park, we made our way towards the first screen which looks out across the wetlands. Looking out over the wetlands we soon viewed Shelduck, Common Sandpiper, Ringed & Little Ringed Plover, Whimbrel amongst the more common species. The reeds played host to Sedge Warbler and many of the hedges and thickets had Common Whitethroat singing from them, as we approached the second screen I picked up on a sharp, harsh "tak" call coming from the thicket behind the screen and by the time almost everybody from the group joined us a Lesser Whitethroat appeared from the undergrowth and showed fantastically well. From the second viewing screen we had better views of the wetlands and soon found 2 Avocets.

We then headed off to the new RSPB Newport Wetlands reserve, we haven't been to this site for a few years during which time the reserve centre has been built with a number of amenities. We headed out towards the reserve with the song of both Blackcap & Whitethroat in our ears shortly followed by a distant Chiffchaff. As we made our way along the path and through the reedbeds both Sedge & Reed Warbler were in good voice and often gave good views as they swayed in the wind at the top of the reeds, Little Grebes were busy feeding in the dykes between the reedbeds and occasionally a Cetti's Warbler would burst in to song. We approached the sea wall and a Cuckoo soon began to call from one of the pylons giving brief views before it flew off to a different location and again resumed it's call. Looking out from the sea wall a Raven was spotted flying over and a few Whimbrel & Curlew were dotted about the mudflats, Roy Rose soon picked up on a Black Tern as it flew in to view from the sea and followed that up with 2 Wheatears along the front of the wall. We then heard a Bearded Tit calling nearby and soon had very good views of a female perched in the top of the reeds next to where we were standing, it remained in view for sometime giving everybody the chance to get a good view of it.

Off to our favoured Dipper site on the River Usk next and by the time we had assembled on the bridge I had found a single individual hiding on some rocks along the side of the river, it remained standing on the rock long enough to give good views. Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail, Common Sandpiper and a pair of Goosanders were also seen and both Mistle Thrush and House Sparrow were seen gathering nest material.

Off to the Elan Valley next and as we arrived the first bird song to be heard as we got out of the car was a Wood Warbler, the coin spinning call echoed out across the valley and immediately lifted the sprits knowing that they were still breeding here, a very uplifting song from this fast declining species.

We started the walk up the hill soon finding our first target species as we came across a Wood Warbler with a male Pied Flycatcher in an adjacent tree, a short distance along the path a Willow Warbler called from the tree canopy followed by another Wood Warbler and shortly after came a female Pied Flycatcher. As we reached the first turn in the path to take us further up the hillside another Wood Warbler showed incredibly well, we stood beneath the tree it was perched in and watched as this small Warbler which migrates all the way from sub-Saharan forests singing with all it's might, we watched as the birds body quivered as it sang it's coin spinning trill, a remarkable little bird and the brightest of all the British leaf Warblers. After the Wood Warbler flew to another tree I picked up on a bird singing from further back in the trees, the song was too long and hurried to be a Blackcap and after a search of the trees I found a Garden Warbler perched nearby, it gave good views for a good few minutes before heading off further in the woods. Roy and I soon found a male Redstart singing from the same area which hung around for a few of the group to see before it to headed off. Along the path we continued until we came to the Tawny Owl nest box which seemed empty so we carried on up the path finding Nuthatch, Chiffchaff and another Garden Warbler. At the top of the hill a Tree Pipit could be heard calling and soon after passed overhead. On our way back down the hill we Stopped at the Owl box again to see if there were any occupants inside, this time we were lucky and could see at least two Tawny Owl chicks peering back at us from the back of the box, still covered in their white down their big brown eyes watched our every move until we moved on. I was disappointed to hear that we missed two Hen Harriers passing over by other members of the group but by the end of the visit to Elan we had seen 10 of the British Warblers which wasn't bad going.

We left Elan and headed up into the hills before we headed home seeing a number of meadow Pipits perched on the fence posts next to the road as we drove to our last stop. Arriving at a regular stop off point on previous visits we scanned the hills and I wasn't long before we saw Wheatear, Meadow Pipit and a passing Raven. Red Kite & Buzzard drifted slowly over the hills and our first Peregrine of the day made an appearance. A Whinchat soon followed and surprisingly a Snipe flushed from the ground near us and flew down next to the car park. As we continued to scan the hills Derek McEwan had walked along the stream finding a Dipper which certainly came as a surprise to me as I had looked on previous years to no avail. The day ended well with Pete Hickman spotting a male Hen harrier drifting over the hill tops which made up for missing the two at the Elan Valley.

A fantastic day's birding and well worth the visit.

Added To My Year List.

163. Lesser Whitethroat

164. Raven

165. Black Tern

166. Dipper

167. Wood Warbler

168. Pied Flycatcher

169. Redstart

170. Tree Pipit

171. Whinchat

April's Local Sightings

Chaffinch, Great & Blue Tits continued to visit regularly as both Coal & Long Tailed Tit sightings have declined throughout the month, the single Marsh Tit & 2 Nuthatches are continuing to visit the feeders on a regular basis. A male Blackcap appeared in the garden on the 8th, using the bird bath to drink from it remained around the garden for a couple of days before disappearing, possibly the same bird can be heard occasionally singing nearby. Another single Chiffchaff passed through the garden remaining for a day before moving on.

Regular visits from our male pheasant who now has 5 females in tow, still using the bird feeders and now trying to perch on the seed trays attached to the feeders. A pair of Red-legged Partridges have also been seen on occasion around the garden and surrounding fields.

Throughout the month both male & female Sparrowhawks have been regular sightings in and around the garden as have a pair of Kestrels that are often seen perched and hunting around the garden.

A pair of Jackdaws have taken up residence in one of the old apple trees and have again nested in the bottom of the trunk, Blue tits have also found a small hole in an Apple tree to start a family in and have been busy gathering nesting material. Both Robin & Blackbird have also been busy collecting nest material from around the garden.

My first Cuckoo of the year was heard calling from near Rockwell End on the 19th.
The end of the month saw a single Barn Owl at the top of Shogmoor Lane perched on the fence posts next to the bench and another near Luxters Farm.

Blackcap

Dungeness, Kent. 27th April 2008.

Black Redstart
Sedge Warbler
Wheatear

We planned a day trip to Dungeness today and an early morning departure from my home with Roy and Keith on board meant that we would get a good couple of hours sea watching before heading off to the RSPB Dungeness reserve and no doubt bumping in to the Berkshire Ornithological Club who were also on a day trip.

As we drove through Skirmett on the way to the M40 a Little Owl was perched in one of it's favourite haunts starting the day off well. We made good time and after a quick coffee stop headed off to Dungeness, as we approached the sea front we could see the lighthouses in the distance and looked for a parking place.

Parking up by the old lighthouse we headed up the beach passing the nuclear power station, I commented that it might be worth having a look on our way back for Black Redstart and on we continued. At the first hide we joined a dozen or so birders that were watching the sea, we were greeted by a very friendly couple who told us what had already passed through out at sea, they regaled us with sightings of Great, Arctic & close views of Pomarine Skua passing off shore, suddenly the shouts went up "Great Skua" and we soon got views of our first Skua as it passed by in good view. With Dungeness having a large nuclear facility it didn't take long before we had a visit from the local Police on the beach, it did come as a surprise however that they were armed but after a short chat and some good humour they continued on their patrol. Over a 2 hour spell we watched Gannet, Great, Arctic & Pomarine Skua pass by with good views of rafts of Common Scoter that included Velvet Scoter flying by and later on the surface far beyond "the patch", a pair of Red-breasted Merganser & a small group of Whimbrels flew past and Common, Arctic & Sandwich Tern were all seen.

After spending 2 hours sea watching we made our way back towards the car park and soon heard a Black Redstart singing nearby, it stopped so we got in the car and slowly drove along until we located it again. we parked up and jumped out and watched a fantastic male Black Redstart singing on the perimeter fence, it soon crossed over the track and behind a nearby cottage giving only teasing glimpse's before heading back towards the facility buildings. It remained around the buildings singing from the rooftops and at one point we thought we heard perhaps two singing. Fantastic bird to see and I was delighted to have had such a good view of it as we all were.

At RSPB Dungeness we met up with the Reading Ornithological Club who were also spending the day here, we said hello to a few familiar faces and entered the visitor centre to gain entrance to the reserve. A quick read of the sightings board and a look round the shop and it was out into the reserve stopping at Firth Hide first, these pools were probably the busiest with the commoner waterfowl and the best birds being 2 Little Gulls and both Common & Arctic Tern. A Cetti's Warbler burst in to song next to the hide, Sedge Warbler & Whitethroat were also present.

We continued along the path hearing more Cetti's & Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat and after a short wait we had also seen them all with the Cetti's obviously proving much harder to see, the wait paid off as we started to continue along the path a female Marsh harrier drifted over giving excellent views as it slowly cruised over the reedbeds, passed the hide and out of sight.

Continuing along the path there was a hive of activity going on both sides of us, Common Whitethroat & Sedge Warbler being seen and heard at almost every step, plenty of Reed Buntings & Meadow Pipits, the odd Linnet here and there and again Cetti's Warblers singing. My first year sighting of Swift came near the Christmas Dell Hide as they wheeled over the freshwater pits, again the Marsh Harrier appeared over the pit and was soon chased off by Lapwing & Crows. Further along the path we stopped to view the floods seeing Whimbrel and a single Greenshank and soon saw our first Wheatears of the day, 2 cracking males which continued in their search for food very close to where we were standing.

We entered the Denge Marsh hide were a RSPB guide was hosting a group trip round the reserve, we squeezed in to a few available spots and tried not too disturb them. I unzipped my scope and looked through the lens and out on to the water, the first thing I saw was a male Garganey sat in full view, I called to Roy & Keith that I had found a male Garganey and before long the whole of the hide were watching it, as many were without scopes I offered them a chance to get a close up of it and headed to the other end of the hide where Roy had spotted a Hobby hawking over the far side of the lake, a stock dove was feeding in the fields and again the Marsh Harrier made an appearance and again it was seen off.

We had a chat to the RSPB guide who thanked us for pointing out the Garganey & Hobby and in return showed us the best place to see Bearded Tit, we waited at the viewpoint watching the reeds and listening for it's metallic "pching, pching" call. Roy got a glimpse as one flew round in front of him but it soon disappeared through the reeds and we waited in the hope it would return, moments later it flew back in to the opposite reedbed coming to rest in the front of the reeds, a fantastic view showed this bird to be a male.

Further along the path heading back towards the car park we stopped to view across the sheep fields, Roy soon found a wagtail that was standing underneath a Sheep, we knew Yellow Wagtails were present as we had already seen and heard two flying overhead earlier in the day and now perhaps we would get a better view. I have to say the moment it was in view I thought it was a Yellow Wagtail but there was some deliberation from one of the BOC members as to it being a Grey Wagtail, it certainly had the features of Yellow wagtail, yellow throat, olive-brown back, short tail and longer legs than the Grey but with a grey head and cheeks, black eye stripe and white supercilium. It wasn't till later that I realised that it was in fact a male Blue-headed Wagtail(Motacilla flava).

After returning to the car park we made our way by car back to the beach at Dungeness again with the news that an Iceland Gull had been seen at "the patch", unfortunately there was no sign of the bird but still good Skua passage out at sea. We wandered back towards the car park by the lighthouse again stopping to watch and listen to the Black Redstart. Stonechat, Wheatear and a few Meadow Pipits were also seen around the car park and nuclear facility and a quick stop off at the RSPB reserve again before we left gave us a good view of a male Cuckoo sat on a fence post.

Added To My Year List

151. Gannet
152. Arctic Skua
153. Great Skua
154. Pomarine Skua
155. Common Scoter
156. Black Redstart
157. Marsh Harrier
158. Greenshank
159. Swift
160. Hobby
161. Bearded Tit
162. Blue-headed Wagtail

Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) - Bury Down, Berks. 25th April 2008.

Dotterel

Mid-afternoon I received the news from the excellent Berksbirds website that a male Dotterel had been found on Bury Down, Berkshire, a quick call to Roy Rose and I was off heading towards the M4. A quick stop off to pick up Roy and we were on our way to Bury Down, on arrival at the car park a single Corn Bunting was perched on a fence post and moments later a flock of Linnets passed over.

We met up with both Ken Moore and Roger Stansfield who had been watching the Dotterel and after a few pleasantries we headed off West from the car park. We soon met up with a number of birders viewing the Dotterel and were soon watching it as it scurried about on the field. Despite close views the bird would often dissapear on the undulating field before coming in to sight again. By the following morning Jerry O'Brien had found 4 Dotterel, 3f & 1m which soon departed and were not relocated by 07:15. This is the same location as the 2004 Dotterel and another good record for Berkshire, the last record of Dotterel in Berkshire was in 2005 when 2 male & 1 female were found at Burnthouse Lane.

After braving the cold winds that blew across the downs we decided to head to Theale Main Pit. We soon found a Nightingale singing in the hedgerow and after listening to it for sometime we headed towards the pylon hearing both Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler singing nearby, as we stood and watched the bramble thicket a male Blackcap appeared at the top of a bushes before dropping back into the undergrowth. Walking back to the entrance we stopped again to listen to the Nightingale, while listening a Chiffchaff flitted through the bushes followed closely by a female Blackcap, we watched them closely as they followed each other through the bushes and then I noticed another bird in close attendance, It was soon evident that it was a Garden warbler and probably gave the best views i have had as it slowly made it's way up through the undergrowth and in to view.

Added To My Year List

147. Corn Bunting

148. Dotterel

149. Nightingale

150. Garden Warbler

RSPB Otmoor & Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon. 20th April 2008.

Yellow Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Farmoor's New Tern Raft

Roy Rose and I decide to take a visit to RSPB Otmoor today and although the day remained overcast and foggy it turned out to be a good days birdwatching.

As we parked up at Otmoor a Chiffchaff was in full song from the car park followed by a Willow Warbler which emphasized the feeling of Spring in the air. As we approached the entrance to the reserve the "reeling" of Grasshopper Warbler could be heard from the adjacent field, walking along the track towards the main field a good sized flock of Golden Plover in Summer Plumage were busy in the fields and by the time we reached the bird feeders at least 2 Grasshopper Warblers were "reeling" from the car park field, we waited and watched and eventually had brief views as a single bird flew to one of the bushes.

It wasn't long before a Cetti's Warbler burst in to song and minutes later my first year sighting of Reed warbler as it flitted through the bottom of the reeds, Sedge Warbler soon followed. As we walked towards the first viewing screen Whimbrel could be heard calling but despite looking across the fields they couldn't be found. At the first screen the male Garganey finally appeared from behind the reeds and continued to swim with pace from one side of the water to the other. Good numbers of Swallow, Sand & House Martin circled overhead and a single Redshank was out in the main field. Plenty of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff calling from the trees that border the track as well as Reed Bunting and the odd Curlew calling.

At the second screen the water levels were high and there wasn't a great deal to be seen so after a short stop we headed back along the track and towards the car park stopping to view the car park fields one last time, a single Grasshopper Warbler was still "reeling" from the corner of the field and as I left Roy to see if he could locate it I scanned the fields behind us. I soon spotted 2 Red-legged Partridge and the Summer plumaged Golden Plovers still feeding in the field but beyond them were 2 Whimbrel. Whilst we waited for the Grasshopper Warbler to show itself a Common Whitethroat appeared at the top of a bramble bush next to the bird feeders and made it's way through the trees and out of sight, another couple of bursts of song from the Cetti's Warbler and it was time to head off.

We then headed off to Farmoor Reservoir where the weather slowly began to improve, the Sun made a decent attempt to penetrate the clouds before giving up and in the end taunting us with a glimpse of it's warmth from behind the clouds and the cold breeze that swept across the reservoir. As we approached the causeway we viewed the water treatment works where a number of Pied Wagtails were accompanied by a single Yellow Wagtail, a female Wheatear showed briefly before disappearing down the bank by the water treatment works. Out on F1 reservoir at least 3 Little Gulls were busy feeding across the waters surface in close attendance with Common Terns and at least 1 Arctic Tern. The causeway was busy with Wagtail activity including Pied, White, Grey & Yellow Wagtail and I have to say I don't think I have ever seen all the commoner Wagtail species together in one go, the female Wheatear appeared again on the causeway before flying off as passers-by flushed it.

Added To My Year List

134. Grasshopper Warbler

135. Cetti's Warbler

136. Reed Warbler

137. Sedge Warbler

138. Garganey

139. Water Rail

140. Whimbrel

141. Common Whitethroat

142. Yellow Wagtail

143. Wheatear

144. Little Gull

145. Arctic Tern

146. White Wagtail

South Bucks, 19th April 2008.

Despite the weather turning wet in the afternoon a visit to Higginson Park, Marlow on Saturday brought good views of a pair of Mandarins, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets, Reed Bunting, 2 Pied & 2 Grey Wagtails.Further along the towpath heading south-east 4 Lapwings on the floods to the right of the towpath, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 pairs of Great Crested Grebe on the river displaying to each other.

A short drive to Medmenham during light showers gave views of 3 Swallows passing over the river Thames heading in the Marlow direction, another 2 Chiffchaffs in good voice and more Ring-necked Parakeets.

I then made my way home through the countryside towards Rockwell where 2 Grey Partridges were feeding alongside Red-legged Partridge and Common Pheasant in the fields, I had seen many variations in the Pheasant species throughout the nearby countryside but as I continued along the road I noticed a very odd individual female that passed across the road infront of the car and into dense cover in a wood adjacent to the road, by the time I had parked up and returned to have a look it had disappeared but it certainly didn't look like a female Common Pheasant. My first thoughts led to one of the rarer Pheasant species, perhaps Golden or Lady Amherst's Pheasant or perhaps a hybridised species, I will certainly have another visit in the hope that I might see it again. Whilst trying to locate the unusual Pheasant a Common Buzzard drifted over and whilst watching it I was amazed to hear a Cuckoo calling from a nearby field, my first of the year and a uplifting sound which carried across the countryside and a timely reminder that it was Spring and not Winter which the weather suggested.

Added To My Year List

132. Mandarin Duck
133. Cuckoo

Little Marlow Gravel Pits, Bucks - 13th April 2008.

A late afternoon visit to Little Marlow Gravel Pits, Bucks today bought my first year sightings of a number of summer migrants. I arrived amongst a torrent of Hailstones and rain and after waiting for a break in the weather made my way from the car park towards the lake, as I viewed the Lake it was very apparent that the wet weather had brought large numbers of Hurindines down, Swallow, Sand & House Martins were busy feeding over the waters surface with frenetic pace. I headed on passed the viewing area by the spit and headed off to the Tern rafts, again the rain started to fall and finding a spot under a tree I looked out towards the rafts, 2 Common Terns were sat on the rafts alongside a Black-headed Gull and a rather sorry looking Common Gull, a Pied Wagtail and a Canada Goose added to the collection on what looked like Noah's Ark.

The rain slowly eased off and I decided to carry on along the path stopping to view the fields by the train track and the river, Greylag & Canada Geese feeding in the fields alongside a Feral Snow Goose & Feral Barnacle Goose but little else. Further along the path I came across a small Tit flock which consisted of Blue, Great & Long-tailed Tit which were busy in the tree tops, as I watched them a pair of Chaffinches joined them shortly followed by a Willow Warbler which flitted it's way through the trees stopping once on a tree branch in front of me, a quick preen and shake of it's feathers and it was off again. A large clap of thunder followed by lightning quickly persuaded me to turn back and head for home and I made my way back to view the spit, I met Alan Stevens who is a local birder at the usual viewing point by the bench and had a long chat while watching the spit, 2 Ringed & 3 Little Ringed Plovers were present on the spit but not a great deal more. As we made our way back to the car park a male Blackcap broke in to song and gave brief views as it made it's way to the top of a tree and as we reached the car park a Chiffchaff followed suit.

Added To My Year List

128. Swallow
129. House Martin
130. Common Tern
131. Willow Warbler

The Liverbird - 8th April 2008.

Best sighting of the week had to be the Liverbird flying off with the glory at Anfield, better luck next time Gooners. Bring on the Chelsea.

When you walk through the storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm

There's a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on, through the wind

Walk on, through the rain

Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

March's Local Sightings.

March was a funny month, moments of bright sunshine and relative warm weather gave the feeling that it could be an early spring, Daffodils had long since flowered and now showed a recline into a dormant state as the weather turned cold. The evenings started drawing out and it certainly felt that Spring wasn't too far round the corner but little did we know only a few weeks later that snow would be on it's way.

There were signs that bird species were beginning to pair up, many of the Tit families were already inspecting nest sites and boxes, a female blackbird was collecting nest material from the garden at the end of the month and even Red Kites were seen soaring overhead with sticks in their talons, both Crows & Rooks were well underway with reconstruction of their noisy dwellings. The single Marsh Tit continued making daily visits to the feeders throughout the month along with a pair of Nuthatches that are often seen together in and around the garden, Goldcrest are now regularly in the trees by the garden and their contact calls can be heard almost day-long. 2 Male & 1 female Great spotted woodpeckers are regular visitors to the nut feeders and a Song Thrush has been in good voice throughout the month. A pair of Red-legged Partridges have been seen on a number of occasions around and in the garden and the Male Pheasant now has a harem of 4 females with him and has taught at least 2 of them to use the bird feeders. The Jackdaws have returned to their early morning assault on the bird feeders as they seem to around this time every year, love them to bits but their noisy arguing at 6am it's getting to me, so if it's not the Squirrels it's the Jackdaws. Both Kestrel & Sparrowhawk regular sightings around the garden.

After hearing Tawny Owls calling most nights at the beginning of March they soon fell silent, perhaps an indication that they have already paired up and are ready to breed, there seems to be a good Vole & Mouse population here at the moment and hopefully this will aid all the Owls this year. The resident Little Owls have been laying low again, only a few sightings and the odd call heard, probably for the same reason as the Tawny Owls but they don't seem to be using the nest box i put up. The pair of Little Owls at the top of Shogmoor Lane are still present often sat on top of the barn roof. I finally managed to locate one of the local Barn Owls at the end of March near Parmoor, this now means I know of 3 locations where I have seen them in the past few years and it will be interesting to find out if these territories are all occupied during breeding season.

On the 31st of March I was lucky enough to find a Chiffchaff calling from the end of the garden, no doubt a migrant and my first this year in the garden.

Areas of the flower beds have been dug up to expose bulbs and a few holes left in the lawn leads me to believe at least one Badger has returned, a small hole in the centre of the earth where the grass has been removed usually signifies where a worm has been pulled from the ground, the damp weather has obviously brought the worms to the surface making easy pickings. As fast as i covered the soil over in the flowerbeds the faster it got dug up again, i gave up in the end.

Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) - Linkey Down, Aston Rowant, Oxon. 2nd April 2008.

I returned home to find that the first Ring Ouzels to arrive at Aston Rowant this year had been seen that morning, with the now lighter evenings I decided to make my way there with the hope of seeing them before it got dark.

Upon arrival I was joined by another birder who had the same intentions and we made our way on foot to Linkey Down, this is a favourite stopping spot for Ring Ouzel on their spring migration as they head to their breeding grounds in Northern England, Wales & Scotland. They are often found at the bottom of Linkey Down feeding around the Juniper bushes and adjacent thickets here SU726964

After searching every bush and thicket I finally spotted a black Thrush sized bird perched in the side of a tree further along the down but before i could clearly identify it it flew off, shortly followed by another bird. I watched them come to rest next to a Juniper thicket and soon identified both birds as male Ring Ouzels. They continued to make their way across the downs towards us and began feeding amongst a row of Juniper bushes that are directly beneath the path towards Hill Farm and probably 150-200 yards from the metal gate. We had great views as both males began feeding often pulling large worms from the ground beneath them, perhaps the recent damp weather aided their success rate as with nearly each attempt they made a huge worm was soon devoured in front of my eyes. I continued to watch them for over an hour as they fed below me until a low flying Red Kite spooked them and they flew off to the far side of the down.

Added To My Year List.

126. Ring Ouzel

West Berkshire. 29th March 2008.

With the poor weather covering most of the UK we decided against a visit to New Fancy Watchpoint and instead headed into West Berkshire to look around some of the local sites.

Our first stop was Greenham Common near Newbury SU503651 where we soon saw Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat amongst others. As we headed towards the fire plane 3 small waders could be seen flying in the distance and as we approached we could see that they were Little Ringed Plovers, whilst watching them the skies turned grey and we decided to head back towards the runway to minimise the chance of getting soaked, hearing a Chiffchaff singing in the process. By the time we had made it back to the car the rain was starting to fall so we jumped in the car and drove round to the feeding station near the control tower car park, here we found 4 Bramblings using the feeders amongst the commoner birds and also got excellent views of a pair of Larks.

Next stop was Woolhampton Gravel pits and a walk around the pits brought me my first year sighting of Chiffchaff as one called from the trees in the wood by the Kennet canal. Good numbers of Sand Martins were busy feeding over the lake and 2 Shelduck were also present.

Finally we headed off to Padworth Gravel Pits where again Sand Martins were feeding over the waters surface, another Chiffchaff was heard calling and the male Scaup and Aythya hybrid were still present.

Added To My Year List

123. Little Ringed Plover
124. chiffchaff

Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata) - Coate Water Country Park, Wiltshire. 22nd March 2008.

Red-throated Diver.

I headed off to Coate Water Country Park near Swindon, Wiltshire (SU177826) today with the hope of catching up with a Red-throated Diver that had been found on the 18th March, with the strong winds that have been blowing across the UK recently it was always a possibility of something interesting turning up but it's always a case of where and when. Even though the weather tried it's best to put me off I headed off to see the Diver or "Loon" as they're known in North America. After driving through rain, hail, sleet, snow and the odd sunny spell I arrived at my destination and within a minute of parking the car I was watching my first Sand Martins of the year which were busy feeding across the lakes surface.

The Diver was relatively close, sat on the water next to an island in all it's splendour, the dark red throat patch being clear to see on this adult bird as it preened for sometime before slowly drifting out towards the centre of the lake. After sleeping through the worst of the frequent Hail storms the Diver started to feed and I was amazed to see how long it could dive for, it seemed close to a minute at some periods often surfacing a great distance from where it submerged, much longer than the Great-crested Grebes and Cormorants that were also present and feeding.

As the next torrent of hail and sleet started I decided to make my way home and left the Diver as it continued further down the lake to feed, it's certainly my best views of any of the Diver family I have ever had, all of the Divers I have seen have been in Winter plumage and mostly out at sea so to see an Adult Red-throated Diver in breeding plumage was certainly worth the wait.

Added To My Year List

121. Sand Martin
122. Red-throated Diver

Theale Area, Berks. 10th march 2008.

I took a trip over to Theale, Berks today and met up with Roy Rose at Burnthouse Lane GP's. At Burnthouse Lane we viewed the Pits, a single Little Egret flew over and headed off Northwards, a single Green Sandpiper and a few Shelduck being the highlights amongst the more commoner species.

At Padworth GP's we braved the wind and rain to find a single Green Sandpiper and a single Common Sandpiper on the gravel pits, both year sightings for me. Great views of a Treecreeper as it climbed the tree trunks of the Alders next to the path, good numbers of Pied Wagtails with a few Grey Wagtails in tow and on our way back to the car a flock of 100+ Fieldfare & Redwing flew over.

Added To My Year List.

118. Green Sandpiper
119. Woodlark
120. Common Sandpiper

Farlington Marshes & Hayling Island, Hants. 2nd March 2008.

Mediterranean Gull.

I joined Roy Rose on the Berkshire Ornithological Club's day visit to Farlington Marshes, Hants, so after an early morning journey to Roy's we headed off to Farlington. We arrived at Farlington Marshes and waited for the rest of the group to turn up, although there were blue skies from time to time the blustery wind conditions soon saw us adding a few layers as we prepared to tour the reserve. As we left the car park a male Sparrowhawk drifted over the top of us giving everybody a good view before it headed out over the reserve. At our first stop we encountered the first Brent Geese and Black-tailed Godwits of the day as well as Wigeon & Teal feeding on the pools, further along the route a Peregrine was found perched on a fence post doing it's best to get out of the strong winds blowing across the reserve. Unfortunately the sea was so far out that many of the wading birds were almost out of sight but whilst scanning the mudflats I did find 2 Common Seals that were relaxing on the shore.

We then headed off to Hayling Island and followed the BOC group leader to a car park where we parked up and made our way along the beachfront. A good selection of Gulls were on display and the usual human offerings caused a melee between them as they fought for scraps around the car park, further along the beachfront 2 Mediterranean Gulls in adult plumage sat in all their splendor calmly watching the world go by, they gave me a good opportunity to get a few shots before somebody disturbed them and off they flew. Other than the Gulls it was quiet, not much activity at sea but 2 waders flying low across the water were later identified as Sanderling. By the time we had walked to what i believe to be "Black Point" we were all a but weary from constantly trudging along what felt like miles of pebbles and a few had to take the weight of their feet while we viewed the area. Looking out across the water we suddenly noticed a head looking back at us, a Common Seal was bobbing up and down in the sea watching us intensely before it disappeared under the water.

We were just about to head back to the car park when a Tern came in to view, I must admit I had to have a double-take as I couldn't believe what I was seeing, "seems a bit early for a Tern" I thought to myself but as it approached us it was clear to see it was a Sandwich Tern. It continued passed us and along the shore line, a big surprise for me to see one so early in the year and it certainly rounded off an enjoyable day.

Added To My Year List.

116. Sanderling

117. Sandwich Tern

Glaucous Gull - Little Marlow Gp's, Bucks. 1st March 2008.

Glaucous Gull-1st Winter Juvenile.

A juvenile Glaucous Gull was found at Little Marlow Gp's, Bucks mid-morning so a quick change of plans saw me heading towards Marlow in search of this scarce winter visiting Gull. Scanning through the Gulls on the spit it took me awhile to find the Glaucous Gull due to the fact it was hidden behind the rest of the Gulls preening. It showed intermittently and it wasn't until a large number of Gulls took to the air that it could be seen a bit clearer, this large Gull which breeds in Iceland showed the large pink bill with black tip, pink legs and a buff oatmeal colour to it's plumage making it a first winter juvenile. This is the first time I've seen a Glaucous Gull and i was delighted to see it as by the following day it had departed.

Added To My Year & Life List.

115. Glaucous Gull

297. Glaucous Gull

February's Local Sightings.

Redwing.

February started much the same as January with the usual species visiting the garden, a single Marsh Tit continued to visit daily along with the odd cameo from Nuthatch. A male and female Great-spotted Woodpecker have become regular visitors as well as a party of 4 Long-tailed Tits and are regularly found feeding on the peanut feeders, the Long-tailed Tits becoming very tame and giving me a great chance to film them up close.

Long-tailed Tits.

Small numbers of Redwing & Fieldfare have appeared throughout the month and can often be seen feeding alongside Mistle Thrush in the fields around the garden and along Shogmoor Lane,Skirmett. Blackbird numbers have slowly decreased with the remaining birds often being seen together in pairs. Both Black-headed & Common Gull can be found feeding in the fields throughout the Hambleden Valley and would presumably return to roost each night at Little Marlow Gravel Pits. Numerous sightings throughout the month of Tawny & Little Owl and a Barn Owl was seen flying over Shogmoor Lane, Skirmett, early evening on the 1st Feb, Sadly not by me!. Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel are all regular species around the garden at the moment with many of the Kites already displaying for potential suitors for the breeding season.

Fieldfare.

On Wednesday 20th a blanket of fog and a drop in temperature encased the valley around skirmett bringing with it the first sightings of Brambling in the garden, 3 males & 2 females were busy feeding along with Chaffinches under the feeders and making the most of some finch seed and black sunflower that I had thrown out on the lawn, an increased number of Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch was very evident with 6 Greenfinches & 4 Goldfinches using the feeders for the day. By the following day 4 of the Brambling had departed leaving a single female which stayed until the 22nd, A single male turned up on mon 25th and was still visiting the garden on the 29th.

Brambling.

Another visit to Chisbridge Lane, Frieth, brought excellent views of the Brambling flock that is still present, at least 30+ are still accompanying the Finch flock that continues to feed on Maze crops near Chisbridge Farm. The Finch flock which is in the religion of 100+ birds are often found sitting in the trees next to the lane and near the double field gates. Whilst watching the brambling a double bang from a nearby crow scarer went off flushing over 200 Woodpigeons from the crops, as I watched them circle up and over the fields 8 red-legged Partridge scurried from the crops and ran down the side of the field, stopping every now and again to look over their shoulder before carrying on across the field . I scanned the area they came from and was delighted to find a single Grey Partridge slowly wandering alongside the crops, just enough time for me to get a few photos before it disappeared into the Maze.

Male Brambling-Chisbridge Lane.

Female Brambling-Chisbridge Lane.

Grey Partridge-Chisbridge Lane.