Monday 21 March 2016

Sightings 21/3/16

21/3/16 Fieldfare (Rob Beale)
Haydon nr Radstock
The latest departure date for Fieldfare in Avon is 8 May (1982) so we're likely to see them around for quite a few more weeks though most will have already bunked off by now.


Summary: A lovely spring day, calm with plenty of sunshine. Migrants still rather scarce, more singing Chiffchaff and our first Swallow today.
2 more Red Kite (makes about 14 so far this month) and 6 flyover Crane at Congresbury of note.

We are getting an increasing number of Crane records in recent years, no doubt arising from the Great Crane Project though it's possible that some sightings may involve genuinely wild bird as well.

Lovely thermals, an incredible 70 Buzzard over Burledge Hill near Planet Chew.

Several species of Butterfly also out on the wing.


Bishopsworth (Bristol):
Crox Bottom: 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Jay, 11 Magpie, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper, 13 Blackbird, 13 Wren, 13 Robin, 3 House Sparrow, 2 Grey Wagtail, 15 Goldfinch.

Fishponds (Bristol):
Thingwall Park: 2 Siskin, garden.

Avon Gorge (Bristol):
BOC Watchpoint: 1 flyover Red Kite 2.35pm to north-west (Phil Baber).
Other stuff, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 1 Raven and a small overhead passage of Meadow Pipit and Siskin also noted here.

Sneyd Park (Bristol):
3 flyover/circling Peregrine 1pm.

Lawrence Weston (Bristol):
LW Road: 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 showy Water Vole, 2 Slow Worm.

Marshfield:
4 Buzzard, 250 Golden Plover (Rushmead), 100+ Fieldfare, 4 Grey Wagtail, 25 Linnet, 75 Corn Bunting of note.

Chipping Sodbury:
Common: 1 flyover Red Kite 2.30pm to north-east (Dave Poulton).
Other stuff, 1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Stonechat.

Frampton Cotterell:
1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Green Woodpecker, 1 Raven, 60 Fieldfare, 35 Redwing, 8 Yellowhammer.

Tockington:
1 Little Owl.

Oldbury Power Station:
2 Mute Swan (lake), 2 Bar-tailed Godwit new, 360 Curlew (Oldbury Sands), 2 singing Chiffchaff.

Pilning:
Cranmoor Green: 8 soaring Buzzard.

New Passage-Northwick:
Shore & wetland: 8 Mute Swan, 8 Canada Goose, 6 Gadwall, 130 Teal, 28 Shoveler, 11 Tufted Duck, 6 Little Egret, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Little Grebe, 1 Merlin, 60 Oystercatcher, 2 Lapwing, 60 Dunlin, 3 Snipe, 15 Black-tailed Godwit (wetland briefly before flying on), 30 Curlew, 80 Redshank, 5 Coal Tit, 2 Chiffchaff, 14 Fieldfare, 2 Siskin.
21/3/16 Merlin (John Martin)
Portbury Wharf:
Pools: 7 Mute Swan, 4 Canada Goose, 75 Wigeon, 8 Gadwall, 8 Teal, 9 Shoveler, 7 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Cetti's Warbler.

Portishead:
Battery Pt: 5 Purple Sandpiper this evening.

Congresbury:
Strawberry Line: 6 flyover Crane, heading towards Yatton/Wrington /Blagdon direction mid-afternoon (Adrian Hockey).

Axe Est:
4 Mute Swan, 1 Greylag Goose, 10 Wigeon, 40 Teal, 3 Little Egret, 2 Curlew, 120 Redshank, 1 White Wagtail.

Saltford:
2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 2 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Goldcrest, 12 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Treecreeper, 24 Blackbird, 48 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Grey Wagtail.

Paulton:
Sewage Works: 2 Grey Wagtail, 12 Pied Wagtail.
Village surrounds: 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Buzzard, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Treecreeper, 1 Dipper, 18 Blackbird, 3 Song Thrush, 75 Redwing, 5 Chaffinch, 1 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Siskin.

Blagdon Lake:
20 Mute Swan, 38 Canada Goose, 1 Egyptian Goose (Top End near the gate), 11 Goldeneye, 9 Cormorant, 6 Grey Heron, 2 Little Grebe, 13 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 1 Water Rail, 1 Jack Snipe, 15 Snipe, 1 Common Sandpiper (dam), 27 Common Gull, 83 LBB Gull, 15 Herring Gull, 1 GBB Gull, 3 Green Woodpecker, 4 Jay, 1 Swallow (Top End 2pm), 5 Nuthatch, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Song Thrush.

Litton Res:
2 Mute Swan, 1 Canada Goose, 3 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck, 3 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Little Grebe, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Grey Wagtail.

Planet Chew:
Buzzard: 70 soaring on thermals at Burledge Hill (Mike Jenkins), must be an Avon record.

Other stuff, 1 Greylag Goose, 2 Barnacle Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, 23 Shelduck, 66 Shoveler, 3 Scaup (Moreton, 2m, 1f), 26 Goldeneye, 4 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Peregrine, 1 Water Rail, 2 flyover Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 5 GBB Gull, 5+ Raven, 2 Goldcrest, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Treecreeper50 Redwing, 1 Stonechat, 4 House Sparrow, 1 Water Pipit (Moreton), 3 Siskin, 1 Reed Bunting.
21/3/16 Scaup (Ian Stapp)
21/3/16 Raven (Dave Hughes)

Reports: Phil Baber, Allan Chard, Nick Cryer, Mike George, Paul Gregory, Patrick Hancock, David Hanks, Robert Hargreaves, Adrian Hockey, Dave Hughes, Mike Jenkins, John Martin, Hugh Maynard, Dave Poulton, Phil Quinn, George Stacey, Ian Stapp, Mrs Trellis, Dan White, opsbirding, severnsidebirds. TBOSG.