Monday 11 April 2016

Sightings 11/4/16

Summary:
Persistent and heavy overnight rain grounded lots of birds at many places, including some new arrivals.
New species of the Spring were, 2 Whimbrel (Portbury/Planet Chew), 1 Whitethroat (Anchor Head) and 7 Yellow Wagtail (Portbury Dock/Northwick Warth).
Also pleasing to report were 1 Red Kite, 1+ Osprey, 4 Little Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 3 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Ring Ouzel and another Pied Flycatcher.
Large numbers of Chiffchaff-Willow Warbler also reported but surprisingly few Hirundines considering the overcast and murky weather.
Counts should be seen as minimum numbers and only a snapshot of birds seen. Observers were out throughout the day and actual numbers are undoubtedly much higher.

Northwick Warth is in tip-top condition and should produce more good stuff in the coming days.


Brentry (Bristol):
Fishpool Hill: 5 Stock Dove, garden.

Avonmouth Docks (Bristol):
High Tide count: 52 Shelduck, 1 Gadwall, 2 Teal, 5 Mallard, 1 Cormorant, 15 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover, 11 Curlew, 20 Redshank, 30 Turnstone, 6 LBB Gull, 84 Herring Gull.

Aust Services & STW:
1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Peregrine, 2 Raven, 4 Swallow, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, 50+ Chiffchaff, 15+ Willow Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 2 Redstart, 1 Tree Pipit.
11/4/16 Tree Pipit (Matt Hobbs)
New Passage-Northwick:
9 Canada Goose, 90 Shelduck, 8 Gadwall, 20 Teal, 8 Shoveler, 12 Tufted Duck, 60 Oystercatcher, 6 Little Ringed Plover, 9 Dunlin, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 80 Redshank, 5 BH Gull, 7 Willow Warbler, 1 Redstart, 11 Wheatear, 4 Yellow Wagtail (our 1st of the season, John Martin et al), 16 White Wagtail, 5 Tree Pipit, 3 flyover Siskin.
11/4/16 Yellow Wagtail (Lisa Presland)
showing well on Northwick Warth this afternoon
Severn Beach:
1 Cetti's Warbler again, near the railway station scrub.

Portbury Dock:
High Tide count: 8 Shelduck, 1 Gadwall, 4 Oystercatcher, 3 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 23 Curlew.
Other stuff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Ring Ouzel, 3 Redstart.

Abbots Leigh:
Sandy Lane: 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Coal Tit, 3 Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush of note.

Portbury Wharf:
WeBS Pools: 11 Mute Swan, 4 Canada Goose, 20 Shelduck, 4 Wigeon, 9 Gadwall, 2 Mallard, 14 Tufted Duck, 1 Cormorant, 3 Little Grebe, 12 Moorhen, 8 Coot, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Snipe, 2 LBB Gull, 22 Herring Gull.

High Tide Estuary count: 2 Canada Goose, 24 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 10 Teal, 8 Mallard, 1 Oystercatcher, 5 Snipe, 1 Whimbrel (our 1st of the season, Mrs Trellis),  20 Curlew, 29 Redshank, 2 Herring Gull.

Other stuff, 1 Red Kite (2.20pm flyover, Chris Stone), 3 Common Sandpiper, 100 Sand Martin, 50 Swallow, 4 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Grasshopper Warbler (reeling 1st hide), 120+ Willow/Chiffchaff, 20 Blackcap, 4 Reed Warbler, 10 Redstart, 3 Wheatear, 1 Pied Flycatcher (trees in Sanctuary area near seawall, Chris Stone), 3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 White Wagtail, 20 Meadow Pipit, 1 Water Pipit, 7 Redpoll.

Clevedon coast:
Dowlais: 1 Redstart.

Sand Pt:
80 Sand Martin to north, 20 Swallow east, 1 House Martin, 3 Stonechat, 3 Redstart, this evening.

W-s-M:
Worlebury: 2 Siskin, on the garden feeders.
Anchor Head: 1 Swallow, 3 Chiffchaff, 11 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat (Dave Gibbs, our 1st of the season).

Dundry:
Crabtree/Dundry Lane: 1 male Ring Ouzel (Dave Nevitt).
Other stuff hereabouts, 12 Stock Dove, 10 Chiffchaff, 5 Willow Warbler, 1 Redstart, 4 Wheatear, 30 Yellowhammer.
11/4/16 Ring Ouzel (Dave Nevitt)
taken this evening
Barrow Tanks:
1 Wheatear.

Blagdon Lake:
1 fly-through Osprey mid-afternoon (BL birds).
Other stuff, 10 Mute Swan, 8 Canada Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, 3 Gadwall, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Buzzard, 2 Snipe, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Woodpecker, 40 Sand Martin, 1 Redwing.

Planet Chew:
Osprey: 1 bird 6.30pm and into dusk, east shore (Mike Jenkins), possibly the Blagdon bird.

Other stuff, 2 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Whimbrel new,  1 Greenshank new, 4 Little Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Kingfisher, 1 White Wagtail.

Reports: Paul Bowerman, Chris Craig, Mark Dadds, Sean Davies, Steve Emery, Dave Gibbs, Paul Gregory, Matt Hobbs, Mike Jenkins, Brian Lancastle, John Martin, Dave Nevitt, Lisa Presland, George Rabin, Lyndon Roberts, Chris Stone, Howard Taffs, Mrs Trellis, BL birds.