Calshot Marshes and Spit - November 2014

This morning I headed to Calshot Marshes and spit with Simon Colenutt in the hope of seeing the Snow Bunting that had been frequenting the area for a few days. It had not been seen since Wednesday, but we decided to go and have a look just in case. Heavy overnight rain delayed our start, but by the time we arrived on site it had cleared through and sun was breaking out. We spent a couple of hours pottering around the area but unfortunately had no luck with the Snow Bunting, there were however plenty of birds around to keep us occupied. 

Several Rock Pipits were feeding around the puddles on the access road, one individual was particularly tame and allowed me to get close enough for some half decent images. A flock of around 20 Greenfinches were feeding on the beach, these were proving pretty flighty and wouldn't settle down. Off shore there were several Cormorants, Great-crested Grebes and a Grey Seal, which was a bit of a surprise.

Rock Pipit, Calshot - November 2014

A good selection of waders were on the marsh including, Dunlin, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Curlew and Oystercatcher.

Two Dunlin, Calshot - November 2014

The tide was going out and in the shallow channels several Little Egrets were feeding, at least six were present. Their energetic feeding style was entertaining to watch and in the glorious sun we spent a few minutes watching and photographing them.

Little Egret, Calshot Marshes - November 2014

Little Egret and Dunlin, Calshot Marshes - November 2014

Fifteen Black-headed Gulls were roosting on the exposed mud, two of them were ringed with metal rings. One bird flew off and we were unable to get the ring number, the other one frustrated us by only allowing us to read half of the ring numbers before it too flew off. Whilst trying to read the ring number on the Black-head an adult Mediterranean Gull dropped in. It settled down and meticulously preened, spending an amazingly long amount of time on its primaries.

Adult Mediterranean Gull preening, Calshot Marsh - November 2014

It never ceases to amaze me how these pure white gulls keep their feathers so clean, especially when they spend much of their time in such dirty environments, this bird looked immaculate when it had finished.

Adult Mediterranean Gull, Calshot Marshes - November 2014

After Calshot we headed to Lepe where we spent most of our time in the small copse and looking over the Dark Water. There was very little of note to report, the highlight being a Firecrest, and couple of Bullfinches and a Coal Tit.

Gullfest at Bowling Green Marsh - June 2014

Whilst I was away in Canada new broke of a Ross's Gull at Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, Devon. This is a species that I had not seen before in the UK, in fact it was a species that I had never seen before. I have often thought about making a trip to Churchill on one of my trips to Canada, but have not got around to it yet. With the Ross's Gull at Bowling Green Marsh apparently showing daily, and the news of other good birds, Bonaparte's Gull and Eurasian Spoonbill, also being seen it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.

I had a day booked off on Friday 20th June and teamed up with Simon Colenutt (the desk bound birder) for the trip. I arrived at Simon's at 6am, and we set off on the two hour drive to the site. Neither of us have been to Bowling Green Marsh before and I have to say that when we arrived we were met with what can only be described as a truly uninspiring site. As we looked out across the scrape we were greeted by a few mallards and Coots, two Black-tailed Godwits and single sleeping Little Egret and Spoonbill.

Bowling Green Marsh with Sleeping Little Egret and Spoonbill

As we sat looking out across the water a local volunteer warden arrived. He informed us that the Ross's Gull usually came in a couple of hours before high tide so we had a long time to wait. But at least we had a sleeping and occasionally waking and stretching Spoonbill to keep us occupied.

Stretching Eurasian Spoonbill

By now it was 8:30 and there was not much going on, but then suddenly we heard a Spotted Redshank call. A summer plumaged bird dropped in and landed next to the Black-tailed Godwits, only to be immediately joined by another. We waited for another half an hour, but with not much going on we decided to walk down the road and look over the Exe Estuary. The tide was a long way out and there were good numbers of gulls on the intertidal, unfortunately none were the gulls we wanted. Black-headed Gulls were the most numerous, with Herring, Great black-backed Gull and Mediterranean Gull also present. There were also family flocks of Shelduck, Eurasian Curlew and Whimbrel present.

Two Summer plumaged Spotted Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits

On returning to the hide the numbers of birds in front of the hide had increased significantly, as had the numbers of birders in it. There were now around 100 Black-headed Gulls, and handful of Common Gulls, and the Black-tailed Godwit flock had increased to 79 birds. The spoonbill had also woken up and was now feeding in the channel outside the hide.

Adult Eurasian Spoonbill

Eurasian Spoonbill showing its typical spoon shaped Bill

The numbers of gulls present continued to increase and there was now around 300 birds, if not more. They were again mainly Black-headed Gulls but also Common, and Lesser Black-backed and about eight Mediterranean Gulls of various ages. Simon picked up a first-winter Little Gull, but just as I got onto it, it took off and did not come back. 

First Summer Mediterranean Gull

By now the numbers of gulls had really increased, and it was difficult to keep up with what was coming and going, fortunately there were plenty of pairs of eyes present. Another Little Gull was picked up, quickly followed by another, more Mediterranean and Common Gulls. Suddenly the shout went up that the Ross's Gull had arrived, and after a brief panic trying to figure out where it was, I got on to it. It was the closest bird to us but was giving tantalisingly brief glimpses as it fed beneath a bank. Eventually though it appeared and flew around giving some great views. The bird was in first winter plumage, and fairly tatty and so not the summer plumaged adult I had dreamed of, but it was a Ross's Gull, and my first.

Gulls at Bowling Green Marsh

The reported Bonaparte's Gull had not been seen regularly so we were not expecting to see that. But when some asked what the gull was in front of us were were pleantly surprised to see it was the Bonaparte's Gull. I have seen several of these in the UK, including Hampshire, and hundreds on my trips to America and Canada, but it was still nice to see another.

First winter Bonaparte's Gull (front) and Black-headed Gull

The bird was a first winter and despite my poor quality photo it is possible to make out the distinctive features; small size, small black bill and grey nape.

Bonaparte's Gull

By the time we left we had seen nine species of gull (Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Herring, Mediterranean, Common, Ross's, Black-headed, Bonaparte's and Little) all from the same seat in a small hide overlooking a pool in Devon. Our initial thought of an uninspiring site now well and truly pushed to the back of our minds, and all we could think of was what a great days birding we had had. 

If the Ross's Gull hangs around and you are consider going to see it be sure to check on the tides and make sure you arrive about three hours before high tide.

In Search of Winter Birds, Day 4 - Norfolk 2014

Day four of our winter birding trip started a bit more leisurely as we had to clean the cottage before we left. But as with any keen birders we kept a keen eye out for birds, and by the time we were ready to go the notable species recorded were a flock of 60 golden plover, several curlew and a greylag goose. With the cottage cleaned our first stop was the village of Flitcham.

Flitcham
Abbey Farm at Flitcham has become a regular haunt for us on our winter trips as it has become one of the few guaranteed sites for Tree Sparrows, and occasionally Little Owls. There had been a heavy overnight frost so we approached the site with caution as the roads were very icy. There are bird feeders around the car park but these were empty so we wandered along the road, listening for Tree Sparrows. The hedges were full of finches, Bramblings, Chaffinches, Reed Buntings and a small flock of House Sparrows, but alas no Tree Sparrows. We did however get some tantalising views of a couple of birds that probably were, but they just would not show themselves. Before leaving we had a quick look from the hide for Little Owls, but unfortunately we were not in luck. We did see our first Sparrowhawk of the trip, and some good views of a couple of mad January Hares, but that was about all.

Thornham
Our next stop was Thornham where there has been a Short-eared Owl wintering. When we arrived it was immediately evident that our plans were going to have to change, as repair works were being carried out on the sea defences (our usual viewing spot). We scanned the salt marsh and creeks and picked up the usual wader species including Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Curlew and Common Redshank. Rock Pipit was a new species for the trip, and we recorded five coming into a small building to bathe and drink water in the guttering. A very tame Little Egret gave some great views, but despite our best efforts there was no sign of a Short-eared Owl.

Little Egret - Thornham, Norfolk

Little Egret - Thornham, Norfolk

Hunstanton
Hunstanton was to be our final stop before heading home. We had hoped to go back to Edgehill for a second attempt at the Glaucous Gull and Parrot Crossbills, but we just did not have the time. Hunstanton was worth the stop though as we added Common Eider, Northern Fulmar and Slavonian Grebe to the trip list, and also saw a handful of Gannets and Red-throated Divers and several Grey Seals were loafing just offshore.

So we ended the trip having seen 127 species in three and half days of birding, starting in Suffolk and heading up to the north Norfolk coast. We had seen three species of crossbill, three species of diver and four species of grebe. We had nearly cleaned up on the waders, Purple Sands eluded us, and had seen a good mix of passerines. We had not seen any Bewick's or Whooper Swans, no Short-eared or Little Owls and no Bean Geese, so maybe with a bit more luck, and time we could have got over 130 species, which we have only achieved once before. But for us it was as much about the social as the birding and we are already planning our visit next year.

Hampshire Patch Listing 2012

With the sole aim of getting me out and about locally I have decided to join in the fun and take part Hampshire Ornithological Society's patch list this year http://www.goingbirding.co.uk/hants/list.asp?year=2012&type=2. I have chosen a 5km x 5km square that includes some of my bird ringing sites, for example Botley Wood, Curbridge amd Manor Farm Country Park, so at least I will be able to add to my list whilst ringing. My highlights to date were a Red kite, Little Owl and Grey Wagtail on the 7th January and Blackcap on the 8th.

Any plans for bird ringing today were ruined by the arrival of yet more windy weather, so I opted to nip down to Curbridge to try and add a few more species to my patch list to date. The tide was just falling and so birds were starting to arrive on the inter-tidal when I got there. The first new bird for my patch was a Common Redshank, quickly followed two Oystercatchers and a Common Sandpiper.

Common Redshank - Curbridge

Three Little Egrets were roosting in the over hanging trees, floating down onto the mud as it became exposed, and a flock of 28 Eurasian Curlew dropped onto the mud, before climbing up onto the nearby pasture.

Little Egret - Curbridge

Little Grebe, Mute Swan, and Canada Goose were all new additions and a lone Great Black-backed Gull drifted overhead. The blustery conditions made looking for passerines extremely frustrating, but a very obliging Grey Wagtail was nice.

Grey wagtail - Curbridge

By the end of my visit I had added 9 new species tacking my patch list total to 62..... a pretty poor total but its still early days!

Crete, September 2011

After a hectic summer of work it was time to try to re-charge my batteries and so my wife and I settled on a trip to the Greek island of Crete. We have been to other Greek islands before, but this was our first trip here. We had no real plans other than to relax, soak up the sun, and sample the local beer and wine, but obviously being a birder I wasn't gong to go away without my bins and a camera!!

After our four hour flight from London Gatwick, we picked up our hire car at Heraklion Airport, and headed off to the village of Sissi, on the north-east coast, and our accommodation. We settled into our room and made a bee-line for the local harbour and a nice cold beer!! And this is the area that we spent most of our time, except for the odd excursion to a few local birding hotspots or sightseeing locations.

Migrating Purple Herons - Crete, September 2011

The harbour was generally quiet, except when the odd tour boat arrived from the surrounding villages; one pirate ship in particular blasted out the theme tune to 'Pirates of the Caribbean' as it entered the harbour. But this didn't stop the steady migration of birds overhead; in one hour five Purple Herons, 14 Little Egrets and 9 Steppe Buzzards had headed in a south-westerly direction.

Common Kingfisher - Crete, September 2011

During our visit we spent several hours wandering the local area, Common Kingfishers were very obvious as they fished in the harbour, whilst Barn and Red-rumped Swallows hunted overhead. The steady passage of Steppe Buzzards and Purple Herons continued, whilst Sardinian Warblers and Serin's were the most visible species in the bushes, with Blue Rock Thrush's singing from the nearby cliffs. Black-crowned Night-herons and a Barn Owl were occasional  fly overs at dusk.

Areas close to Sissi proved to be ideal for looking for resident and migrant birds. Crested Larks were present in good numbers...

Crested Lark - Crete, September 2011

                                           ....and Yellow Wagtails fed on the lawns of the local hotel. Based on the head pattern I am assuming that the Yellow Wagtails were of the race Motacilla flava beema or Sykes's Yellow Wagtail. This is based on the longer and wider supercilium, more prominent subocular stripe , and paler ear covert.

Yellow Wagtail - Crete, September 2011

Some individuals, however proved to be a little bit more difficult to assign to race. The individual below, being a female/juvenile type, lacked the strong facial patterns of the male above, but I am assuming that they were all of the same race.

Yellow Wagtail - Crete, September 2011

Other migrants which were seen daily during our trip were Red-backed Shrikes. Shrikes are always interesting species to see, but in Eastern Europe they are always worth further investigation just in case one turns out to be a Turkestan or Isabelline Shrike. Unfortunately all of the birds I encountered were Red-backed's, with both adults and juveniles encountered.

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike - Crete, September 2011

Adult Red-backed Shrike - Crete, September 2011

In stark contrast to birding in the UK, Spotted Flycatchers were the commonest migrant species in Crete, with at least 20 birds seen each day. During our ringing sessions at Titchfield Haven this year, we did not catch a single bird, and only saw one in the field, so it was nice to see good numbers of this species.

Spotted Flycatcher - Crete, September 2011

A confiding Hoopoe added a touch of glamour to our bird tally....

Hoopoe - Crete, September 2011

    
 .......whereas the resident House Sparrows added some home comfort, it won't be long before I am back at Manor Farm for another winter catching house sparrows.

House Sparrow - Crete, September 2011

With most of the inland pools dried up, it was not surprising that some birds had to resort to the  coast to feed. Common Kingfishers were seen on a daily basis along the coast...

Common Kingfisher - Crete, September 2011

.....and those Little Egrets that were not migrating, were fishing in shallow bays on the incoming tide. The individual below spent more time dodging the waves than feeding, and it was whilst it was dancing around that I noticed it was in primary moult.

Little Egret - Crete, September 2011

I am not familiar with the moult strategy of Little Egrets, but based on the fact that the wings are in moult and the black colouration of the legs, I think this bird is an adult.

A visit to Lassithi Plateau involved a long and winding drive, but it was worth the effort. Excellent views of Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle and a Red-throated Pipit were the highlights, with Cirl Bunting, Common Ravens and a large movement of Alpine Swifts, all welcome additions to the list. 

Crag Martin - Crete, September 2011

Whilst up on the plateau we visited Dikteon Andron Cave and were rewarded with excellent views of Crag Martins at the entrance. Several birds were circling at the entrance before landing on nearby rocks to rest. The birds pictured above have pale fringing to their flight feathers, and scaling on their mantles, indicating that they are juvenile birds.

Painted Lady - Crete, September 2011

There were a few butterfly species to be seen during our trip, and those that I could identify included Painted Lady, with large numbers of butterflies migrating, along with smaller numbers of Clouded Yellows. 

Lang's short-tailed Blue - Crete, September 2011

Lang's Short-tailed Blue was common on the flowering plants around the hotel...

Cretan Grayling - Crete, September 2011

                                                           ....and Cretan Grayling and Cardinal were present on the path upto Dikteon Andron Cave. Unfortunately the small blue butterflies did not hang around long enough for me to identify.