Friday 24 March 2017

24 March '17 Friday - Merlin

It was as cold, gloomy and blowy as the Curlew suggested and not a birdwatcher in sight, sunny later

24-3-17 Curlew on Severnside (Martin Tayler)
Short-eared OwlSwallow and 1065 Meadow Pipit at Aust
Red Kite, Merlin, Little Ringed PloverWhite Wagtail, along Severnside
Short-eared Owl, Black Redstart, Wheatear at Uphill
Red Kite at Marshfield
Scaup, Common Scoter at Chew Valley Lake
Club trip to Herzegovina - one place left - trip details after Chew reports


BRISTOL
24-3-17 Starling and Blue Tit in Bristol (Brian Thompson)
Plus Chiffchaff, Dunnock and Goldfinch in the garden
Hotwells to Pill:
2 Coot, 5 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine,  1 Common Sandpiper, 6 Redshank, 28 BH Gull, 2 Raven, Skylarks singing, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Greenfinch

Snuff Mills:
1 Dipper

Stockwood Open Space:
Skylark singing, 50 Starling

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Alveston:
1 Holly Blue butterfly

Oldbury Coast:
16 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Comma and 2 Tortoiseshell butterflies

Littleton Brick Pits, early am:
3 Canada Geese, 2 Little Egret, 1 Water Rail, 1 Coot, 8 Chiffchaff, 58 Meadow Pipit, 17 Linnet north
Littleton Warth:
Red Kite 11.00

Aust Warth, visual migration 0600-0830, all birds flying NE:
10 Common Gull, 74 LBB Gull, 2 Stock Dove, 30 Wood Pigeon, 65 Carrion Crow, 2 Raven, 77 Alba Wagtail, 1 m White Wagtail, 1065 Meadow Pipit, 11 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 2 Greenfinch, 31 Linnet, 6 Goldfinch, 5 Siskin

Aust Warth:
Short-eared Owl 16.10, 1 Swallow on sheep fields

24-3-17 Little Ringed Plover at Northwick (Brian Lancastle)
New Passage/Northwick Warth:
2 Little Grebe, 1 Red Kite 15.10, 1 m Merlin,  6 Little Ringed Plover, 12 Redshank, 30 Turnstone, 1 White Wagtail
24-3-17 Merlin at Northwick (Matin Tayler)
Over M4, between Almondsbury and Severn Beach:
Red Kite 06.15
24-3-17 Yellowhammer at Westerleigh (Keith Williams)
Westerleigh:
3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Stock Dove, 8 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Skylark, 7 Chiffchaff, 1 Stonechat, 2 Yellowhammer

NORTH SOMERSET

Portbury Warth:
28 Wigeon, 10 Teal, 28 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Redshank (Portbury Ditch), 1 Sand Martin, 4 Chiffchaff, 1 Grey and 10 Pied Wagtail, 
Portishead garden:
1 m Sparrowhawk

24-3-17 Short-eared Owl at Uphill (Steve Poulsom)
Uphill:
1 Little Grebe, 9 Redshank, 7 BH Gull, 1 Short-eared Owl, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 f Black Redstart, 1 m Wheatear, Greenfinch, 30 Linnet

24-3-17 Little Grebe at Uphill (Vera Carpenter)
Chew Magna, Pelican Pub:
1 persistent Tawny Owl

Stockhill plantation / Priddy Mineries:
1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Raven, 50+ Goldcrest, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Song Thrush, 12 Siskin, 20+ Crossbill

24-3-17 Crossbill at Stockhill (Higgy)
Cheddar Gorge, Black Rock:
1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 2 Raven, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 20+ Goldcrest, 5 Marsh Tit, 8 Nuthatch, 1 Treecreeper

24-3-17 Marsh Tit at Black Rock (Higgy)
BELOW M4 & BANES


24-3-17 Red Kite over Down Road (Peter Coslett)
Marshfield, Down Road:
Red Kite pm

Warmley Forest Park:
4 Mallard, 3 Moorhen, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, 30+ Wood Pigeon, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Magpie, 50+ Jackdaw, 2 Coal Tit, 7 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, 7 Wren, 10 Blackbird, 12 Robin, 6 Dunnock, 6 Greenfinch, 9 Goldfinch, 4 Bullfinch

Willsbridge:
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Goldcrest, 12 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Dipper, 1 singing Mistle Thrush, 6 Goldfinch

24-3-17 Peregrine in Bath (BUPP)
Juvenile KP sneaks in while falcon is out on food pass
Bath, St Johns Church:
3 eggs and 3 Peregrines

RESERVOIRS:

Blagdon Lake:
30 Mute Swan, 1 Egyptian Goose, Sand Martins, 2 Swallows, 1 singing Blackcap

Chew Valley Lake:
Woodford:
12+ Goldeneye (off Nunnery), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (drumming), 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Redwing,  2 Bullfinch

Villice:
2 Bullfinch
24-03-17 Meadow Pipit at Herons  Green (Ian Stapp)
Herons Green:
2 Goldeneye, 1 Meadow Pipit            

Moreton:
9 Scaup, 1 Common Scoter, 1 Buzzard, 1 Tawny Owl, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Goldcrest, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 6 Redwing, 30+ Chaffinch,

Herriotts End:
6 Shelduck, 4 GBB Gull

Club trip to Herzegovina, 7-14 May 2017
A place has just become available on this upcoming BOC trip.  Please contact bocbirds@gmail.com  urgently if interested in joining us.  Top target bird is Rock Partridge.  7 nights inc 2 in Croatia, price approx £850 plus flights from/to Bristol for which a booked seat may be transferable.

Reports: Paul Bowerman, Dru Brooke-Taylor, Vera Carpenter, Teresa Chard, John Clark, Peter Coslett, Paul Cousins, Jane Cumming, Michael Davis, Rob Emery, Peter Hazelwood, Higgy, Matt Hobbs, Andrew Jordan, Brian Lancastle, John Martin, Nigel Milbourne, Jonathan Mortin, Chris Perry, Steve Poulsom, Ian Stapp, Chris Stone, Brian Thompson, Martin Tayler, Mrs Trellis, Thomas Weston, Keith Williams, blagdonlakebirds, BUPP, CVRS, nslbirding, opsbirding, severnsidebirds, TBOSG