Swanwick Lakes and Manor Farm Country Park

Rob and I had a planned ringing event at the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust's Swanwick Nature Reserve today (15th April) so we decided to check out the area the night before. We were planning to ring in the north-east meadow and had identified some areas that looked good for a net ride and put up some feeders to attract a few birds in. We cut in three net rides with enough space for four 18 metre nets and left each one open for a while. It was a worthwhile exercise as it turned out because we caught 21 birds, eight each Great and Blue Tits, two Wrens, two Marsh Tits and a Robin.

This morning we arrived on site at 05:45, it had been a clear night and was colder than expected. We hoped that there might be some migrants around, but our first bird was one of the residents, a female Great Spotted Woodpecker. The event went very well and the attendees were able to see Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Great Tits and a Goldcrest close up.

Female Blackcap - Swanwick Nature Reserve

After our ringing event had finished Rob headed back with the group to check out the moth trap, whilst I kept an eye on the nets. I continued to catch birds and by the end of the session we had ringed 19 birds, six Great Tits, three Chiffchaffs, two Blackbirds, two Blackcaps and single Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Marsh Tit and Coal Tit. Over the two sessions we had ringed 40 birds of 12 species so a good quantity and mix or species.

Marsh Tit - Swanwick Nature Reserve

Coal Tit - Swanwick Nature Reserve

Later in the afternoon, I decided to pop down to Manor Farm Country Park for a spot of birding. My intention was to try and find Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, as I had heard them there recently, but at this time of year there is always the chance of something else. As it turned out I stumbled across a Lesser Spot straight away, and so spent the rest of the time generally birding. Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were present in good numbers and as I worked my way around the fields I picked up my first Common Whitethroat of the year. I headed into the woods, working my way to were the Lesser Spots bred last year; I did not find them but did find a breeding pair of Marsh Tits hanging around their nest hole.

Marsh Tit - Manor Farm Country Park

After a while I headed to the estuary in the hope of a Whimbrel. It was very busy on the water so the only wader was an Oystercatcher, along with four Little Egrets and a few Black-headed Gulls. I decided to head home and started working my way back to the fields; as I did so a Red Kite drifted overhead, my second patch year tick of the day. I passed the area where the Whitethroat was, it was again in full song but was now only giving brief glimpses. As I approached my car I noticed a chat sat on the barbed wire fence around the overflow car park. I was expecting it to be a Stonechat, which would have been a good bird, but it was in fact an adult male Whinchat, so a truly exceptional bird. It was fairly approachable and perching on prominent places as they do. A cracking bird and my third patch year tick of the afternoon.

Whinchat - Manor Farm Country Park

Whinchat - Manor Farm Country Park

Back at home, I decided to sit in the garden and go through my pictures. I had only been out there a couple of minutes when I heard the distinctive mewing call of a Mediterranean Gull, and there above the garden were two adults. Although it wasn't a patch year tick it was a nice species to end the day on.

Adult Mediterranean Gull

In search of winter birds, Day 1 - Norfolk 2015

For only the second time this year I have escaped the confines of Hampshire and travelled to Norfolk for our annual team get together, well almost anyway. I say that because Paul, Tim, Roger and I have all made it, but Andy has deserted us and is currently swanning around in Louisiana, USA. He has emailed to say that he is thinking of us, and that despite the birding being so good over there, he wishes he was birding with us.....but we doubt that!

Our weekend began as usual with us all converging on a site near Thetford to meet Paul and Roger and then work our way gradually to Great Bircham, where we stay. It was an extremely cold start to the day with a heavy frost and the temperature ranging between - 4 and - 6.

Santon Downham

Our first stop was Santon Downham where we hoped to see and Great Grey Shrike and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Paul and Roger arrived first and had already staked out the feeders, waiting for the Lesser Spot to appear. We arrived about 15 minutes later and were quickly on to a variety of species including Brambling, Chaffinch, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Marsh Tit. We waited patiently for the Lesser Spot to show but it was not to be and so headed down the track next to the river in search of the shrike.

There was not much to report from the river, but a Kingfisher was a good record for us, one that we have missed in previous years. The shrike was initially proving elusive but eventually it showed itself, and when it did it performed very well.

Great Grey Shrike - Santon Downham

Great Grey Shrike - Santon Downham

Lynford Arboretum

We visit Lynford Arboretum every year as it is a good spot to see Hawfinches, but we have failed to see any over the last couple of years. Last year we did see Common and Two-barred Crossbill so our visit was worthwhile. We headed straight to the paddocks but did not see any Hawfinches. The nearby lake was frozen, except for one small bit which proved popular with the local Mute Swans, Mallards and Little Grebe and strategically placed piles of bird food proved popular with the local tits.

Little Grebe - Lynford Arboretum

Marsh Tit - Lynford Arboretum

Cockley Cley

Our next stop was Cockley Cley, a site that we had not visited before but a known site for Goshawks. February is a good month to see them displaying, and although it was late January, we thought it was worth a look as the weather was so good. We stopped here for about 30 minutes, and other than a large flock of Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves there was nothing else to report.

Snettisham

Our final stop of the day was Snettisham. There has been a long staying Black-necked Grebe here and that was our target bird, as it was a species we had not previously recorded on our winter trips to Norfolk. A large flock of Greylag Geese were in the fields next to the access road, and another new species for the trip.

Greylag Goose - Snettisham

The Black-necked Grebe was on the furthest pool, so we worked our way slowly along the track towards it. The tide was out and there was a fair selection of waders to work through, the most notable being Dunlin, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Knot and Shelduck. A large movement Fieldfares kept us entertained; we estimated a few hundred passing us but noted that over 4000 had been recorded passing through in the morning.

There were an interesting selection of birds on the pools, a cracking drake Goldeneye, a couple of Egyptian Geese, Red-brested Merganser, a Sanderling and of course the Black-necked Grebe.

Drake Goldeneye - Snettisham

We were just about to head off to our accommodation when we heard the classic 'oink' call of Pink-footed Geese. Thousands of geese were passing overhead heading out to sea to roost, it was a spectacular end to an excellent days birding.

Pink-footed Geese - Snettisham

Pink-footed Geese - Snettisham

We ended the day on 73 species of bird, so not a bad start but nothing spectacular. 

In Search of Winter Birds, Norfolk 2013 - Day 4

Day 4 was our final day of this years trip, and as with day 1, a large proportion of our time was spent travelling. After completing our chores at the cottage, leaving it spic and span so that we would be welcomed back in the future, we headed off. Our first stop was a second visit to Choseley, where bramblings, chaffinches and yellowhammers were still present in good numbers, and a barn owl hunting the roadside verges gave excellent views.

Marsh Tit Poecile palustris

Abbey Farm at Flitcham was our next stop, a guaranteed stop for tree sparrows. A small wildlife hide at this site looks our over a large pond and an area of grazed pasture. Mallard and common teal were present on the pond, whilst goldcrest, marsh, blue and great tits frequented the surrounding scrub. Last year we had recorded a little owl at this site, but there was to be no repeat of that this year.

The tree sparrows are usually found in the hedgerows either side of the road, and we could hear them as we walked back up the farm access track to the road. In total there were about six birds present, but they proved really difficult to get a clear view of, there was no chance of grabbing a photo.

The farmer was ploughing the field north of the road so we stopped in a gateway to scan; lapwing, common and black-headed gulls were feeding on the freshly ploughed earth and six common buzzards and a ring tail hen harrier were hunting over the field behind.

The final stop of our trip was Lynford Arboretum, in search of the elusive hawfinch. We have previously seen the species here, but not in recent years. This year though, as we approached the paddock, two birders signaled that they had one in the scope....success! There are now several bird feeders here and so common woodland birds were abundant, blue, great, coal, marsh and long-tailed tits were present along with siskin, chaffinch, brambling and bullfinch, the latter a species that had eluded us so far.

So after four days birding we had seen 119 species of bird, well 120 if you count the red kite that we saw as we were driving back around the M25. A reasonable tally, but well down on the 135 species seen last year. Birding was extremely difficult due the strong winds that blew from the north and south west, we all agreed that it had been the windiest winter trip we had done to date.

The Barley Bird has Returned - April 2011

Over the last week I have had the opportunity to carry out two ringing sessions, both at Botley Wood, and both carried out with the background accompaniment of common nightingale song. The first session was carried out on 17th April and ended with the grand total of 30 new birds and four re-traps. Two of the re-traps were great tits, that were captured on 31st May 2010. Other birds captured included two blackbirds, six blackcaps, two chiffchaffs, and a female bullfinch and a male song thrush.


The most striking bird captured was an adult Eurasian jay. It was aged by the broadness and shape of the tail feathers and the number of black bars on the outermost greater covert.

Adult Eurasian Jay, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin

The striking turquoise primary, alula and greater coverts, although visible in the field, are probably best appreciated when seen close up.

Open Wing of Eurasian Jay, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin

One of the target species for my ringing studies at Botley Wood is the marsh tit. This species is considered to be in decline, but at this site it is a species that I regularly capture. Individuals can be incredibly variable and subsequently can be difficult to separate from the closely related willow tit. Features such as the pale wing panel and glossy or matt cap, can appear regularly in both species. However, help is now at hand. A recent research paper studied both marsh and willow tits and identified two new features; the first being the contrast between the white ear coverts and brownish side to the neck, and the second being a white mark on the cutting edge of the upper mandible, near the base.......both features are clearly visible on the picture below.

Marsh Tit, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin

Only 22 birds were captured on the morning of the 21st April, but the numbers didn't matter as the highlight was the capture of my first two barley birds of the year. The first bird was an adult male that I first captured last year, when it was returning for its first summer. This bird was very vocal, and as well as its typical song, was emitting loads of croaking and wheeting calls. This behaviour is typical of a male which is courting a female, and sure enough, the second bird I captured was a probable female. This bird was a first summer bird with a maximum wing chord of 80mm; typically male birds have maximum wing chords of between 84 - 88mm, females are usually a couple of millimetres shorter, but as always there is some overlap.

Adult Male Common Nightingale, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin

The combination of the behaviour of the two birds, the soft contact calls and short wing length of the second bird are indicative of a female, but in the absence of any conclusive features, such a a brood patch, I could not be certain, so left the bird unsexed. 

Adult Male Common Nightingale, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin

The other species captured included more blackcaps, chiffchaffs, blackbirds, blue tits and great tits along with my first common whitethroat of the year. Common whitethroats are a regular summer visitor to the site; the captured bird was aged as a first summer due to its extremely worn wing and tail feathers and small amount of white in the outer tail feathers.

Common Whitethroat, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin

With ringing activities finished and all the nets down we headed back along the road towards our cars, and there in the middle of the road was an adder. Typically, it immediately coiled up and prepared to strike rather than run (well slither!).........

Adder, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin 

........but once it realised that we were not intimidated and only interested in taking pictures, it beat a hasty retreat back into the undergrowth.

Adder, Botley Wood - April 2011 T. D. Codlin