Friday 1 April 2016

Sightings 1/4/16

1/4/16 Common Crane (Bob Brewer)
flyovers at Planet Chew this morning
Crane used to be a rarity in Avon, not recorded here until 1971. 

However, recent re-introduction schemes in neighbouring counties are producing more and more records and now it is hard to differentiate between genuinely wild migrant birds from those released from the re-introduction schemes.

Summary:
A very birdy day at Planet Chew with Black-necked Grebe, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Osprey and 4 flyover Crane all recorded today.
Another Red Kite at Oldbury and 5 Little Ringed Plover at Severnside also noteworthy.
Large numbers of Swallow at Blagdon Lake in the evening.



Stockwood (Bristol):
Open Space: 42 Woodpigeon, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 30 Goldfinch.

Snuff Mills (Bristol):
1 Dipper, 2 Grey Wagtail.

Chipping Sodbury:
Video of yesterday's Smew (Nigel Tucker) .
No sign of the bird today though.

Oldbury Power Station:
1 flyover Red Kite this morning (Andy Middleton, Matt Plenty).
Other stuff, 37 Shelduck, 12 Wigeon, 30 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 1 Peregrine, 1 Water Rail, 10 Oystercatcher, 5 Chiffchaff, 4 Wheatear.

Littleton Warth:
Ringing site: 51 birds processed, 25 new, 26 re-traps.
First trickle of migrant warblers here, 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap.

New Passage-Northwick:
23 Wigeon, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Egret, 60 Oystercatcher, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, 9 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 100 Redshank, 1 Coal Tit, 30 Sand Martin, 6 Swallow, 12 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Water Pipit, 1 Siskin.
1/4/16 Little Ringed Plover (Paul Bowerman)
a small influx of birds here
Portbury Wharf:
Main Pool: 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 White Wagtail, 1 Water Pipit.

Portishead:
Marina: 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush, near the lock gates.
Down Rd: 4 Blackcap, 6 Siskin, garden.
Nore Rd: 1 Brambling, 3 Siskin, 2 Bullfinch, garden.
1/4/16 Siskin (Pedro Evans)
Down Rd garden
1/4/16 Brambling (Mike Brighton)
Nore Rd garden
we can recommend a good window-cleaner to Mike
Nailsea:
Wookey Close: 2 Nuthatch, 2 Siskin, garden feeders.

Yatton:
Strawberry Line: 3 Grey Heron, 1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Stock Dove, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 13 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 11 Wren, 7 Dunnock, 10 Robin, 1 Song Thrush.

Clevedon coast:
Yeo Est end: 60 Sand Martin, 1 Swallow, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler.

Uphill:
1 Water Rail, 7 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Bullfinch.
1/4/16 Water Rail (David Gibbs)
Weston STW:
15 Sand Martin, 2 Swallow, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Stonechat, 15+ Reed Bunting.

Newton St Loe:
13 Teal, 1 Grey Heron, 5 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Raven, 2 Coal tit, 2 Skylark, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Nuthatch, 8 Greenfinch, 15 Yellowhammer.

Barrow Tanks:
1 Common Sandpiper, 10 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow, 2 Wheatear.

Blagdon Lake:
2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Buzzard, 1 Goldeneye, 8 Snipe, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker,150 Sand Martin, 200 Swallow, 5 Chiffchaff of note.

Planet Chew:
Red Kite: 1 flyover this morning.
Marsh Harrier: 1 female type this morning.
Osprey: 1 flyover at Herriott's 3.30pm (Lee Gardiner).
Crane: 4 in flight over the lake 11.10-11.45am, then drifted off west (Keith Vinicombe et al).
Otter: 2 in front of the Stratford hide late morning.
Other stuff, 4 Greylag Goose, 4 Barnacle Goose, 2 Egyptian Goose, 11 Shelduck, 5 Scaup, 10 Goldeneye, 1 Black-necked Grebe (Stratford), 1 Peregrine, 6 Water Rail, 3 Snipe, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Jay, 200 Sand Martin, 20 Swallow, 2 House Martin, 3 Cetti's Warbler, 9 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Wheatear, 2 Grey Wagtail.
1/4/16 drake Scaup (Ian Stapp)
regular along the Moreton -Stratford side recently

Reports: Paul Bowerman, Mike Brighton, Teresa Chard, Pete Evans, Lee Gardiner, David Gibbs, Robert Hargreaves, Adrian Hockey, Paul House, Roger Hurding, John Martin, Andy Middleton, Dave Nevitt, Matt Plenty, Trevor Riddle, Ian Stapp, Chris Stone, Howard Taffs, Mrs Trellis, Keith Vinicombe, Robert Westlake, BL birds, severnsidebirds.