January to February 2013 blog and sightings

The Bittern from Zeiss Hide-who hasn’t taken a picture of this showy bird.

BRAMBLING– up to four in the garden.
This one not so well. I disinfect my feeders and table but this may demonstrate not everyone does?

COMMON SNIPE– always looking good in the sun

TUNDRA BEAN GOOSE– three present at WWT Slimbridge all month.
This one an adult, surely Jackdaw is not a new ‘carrier species’ for geese!

And the juvenile or first winter

And with European White-fronted Geese in flight (4th from top right)

BEWICK’S SWANS

LAPWING, GOLDEN PLOVER and DUNLIN

KINGFISHER– my first of the year was flying down the A38 at Fromebridge, this one more typically at WWT Slimbridge.

9-28 February 2013 Highlights in images above…

8 February 2013 The two male and female Blackcaps are still in my garden.

7 February 2013 A calling overflying wader that headed out and N upriver on the Severn estuary gave a persistent double call , it proved to be a Ruff, rare that I hear them. The Bittern showed well from Zeiss Hide again today.

2 February 2013 A Coal Tit in the garden.

1 February 2013 Just had to go and have a look at the Great Northern Diver that John Sanders spotted whilst getting his morning paper yesterday. It has appeared on Pittville Park, Cheltenham perhaps due to the gales, maybe it is under the weather, whatever the reason this is an unusual place for it to be. This allows a great opportunity to see one up close and not in a sea swell in the UK. I have studied them on the only European grounds in Iceland but this species is effectively North American. It was interesting to see it driving small fish ahead, many leaping out of the water and apparently cornering them against the bank. Some low res studies of the bird follow.

The diver was pleasing enough but I went home to get on with something on the laptop, duing a screen break I looked out the window to see 6 Waxwings in a neighbours birch tree. I crossed my fingers that they had seen my apples….they had! Soon after they flew to my beech tree, then to the wires over the garden, then down onto the apples….result….at last. I have been putting out apples all winter for them and the thrushes and Blackcaps but these are my first Waxwing this winter. It was interesting to see the squabbling amongst them even though there was plenty to go around. They spent just over an hour with me and I even got the County Recorder around to have a look as he is a co-Whitminster resident and had not seen them in the village before. Look out for his pic on the Gloster Birder website.

28 January 2013 The four Great Crane Project Cranes were back on the WWT Slimbridge reserve, I saw them under the oaks apparently foraging acorns. They have also taken to the maize field.

27 January 2013 Two Tundra Bean Geese in flight with a E. White-fronted Goose
An adult and first winter arrived at WWT Slimbridge on 15th with a third adult on 26th January.

And a single Tundra Bean Goose with E. White-fronted Geese 28th January 2013 and a female Goldeneye flies from the Top New Piece 30 January 2013

Reed Bunting at WWT Slimbridge (a few are now on the feeders)

18 January 2013 The snow that fell drew lots of birds to my garden apples. I had 62 Fieldfare on the deck and low shrubs at one point!

Male Blackcap (at least three present)

Even the Blue Tits had a taste

14 January 2013 The Whooper Swan called in again, this time spotted by Nigel Pleass.

Whooper and Bewick’s Swan, The Rushy, WWT Slimbridge MJMcGill

13 January 2013 Despite the Lesser Redpoll flock being present all winter at WWT Slimbridge it is always nice to see them close up on a calm and sunny day.

Acrobatic Redpolls…