24-02-18 Saturday - Bittern

Freezing early on; lovely bright day later, but very cold NE wind

Scaup
Bittern, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Ruff
Firecrest
Black Redstart 
Brambling, Hawfinch, Siskin 

24-02-18 Brambling, Chew Valley Lake (CVRS)

Chew Valley Ringing Station:
This 1st winter male Brambling ringed a couple of weeks ago was retrapped in the whoosh net this
morning. It had increased its fat reserves, perhaps getting ready to head north.


BRISTOL

St Andrews Park:
6 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Blackbird, 15 Redwing, 2 Robin, 1 Dunnock and some Goldfinch.

City Centre - Finzels Reach:
2 Peregrine - as shown to some Cuban visitors.


SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

24-02-18 Wigeon, New Passage (Lisegirl)

24-02-18 Grey Wagtail, New Passage (Lisegirl)

New Passage:
Wigeon, 3 Little Egret, Water Rail, 6 Snipe, Kestrel, Merlin, 2 Raven, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit

Severn Beach:
50 Shelduck, 20 Wigeon, 40 Oystercatcher, 10 Curlew, 30 Dunlin, 10 Redshank, 2 Song Thrush,  2
Stonechat, 4 Reed Bunting


NORTH SOMERSET

Ham Green: (from the flat window)
Buzzard, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker, the common tits, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush, and Chaffinch.

Clevedon-Yeo:
Winter survey of 1 km sq ST3968 this morning, south of Dowlais farm track through country roads towards Kingston Seymour.

9 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, only 4 Mallard and no Moorhen at all because all the ditches and streams were frozen and even the R Kenn had ice all along the surface.
Best birds: 1 Buzzard, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, c. 80 mixed flock of Fieldfare/ Redwing, 37 Starling, 47 Goldfinch

Kenn Moor:

Claverham Grove: 27 Mute Swan, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Stonechat

24-02-18 Buzzard, Kenn Moor, Higgy)

24- 02-18 Lapwing, Kenn Moor (Higgy)

Brockley Way (51.402687, -2.775555): 100 Lapwing, 19 Buzzard (worming among the Lapwing), 30 Redwing, 1 Pied Wagtail

Nailsea West End (Blue Flame - Old Pumping Station): 48 Mute Swan, 40 Teal, 2 Little Egret, 4 Buzzard, 30 Fieldfare, 70 Starling, 35+ mixed finch

Manmoor Bridge River Kenn:  32 Canada Goose

24-02-18 Great White Egret, Tickenham (Gwen Thomas)

Tickenham:
Tickenham Boundary Rhyne: 1 Great White Egret (also present here about 3 weeks ago)

Yatton:
Wemberham Lane: 1 Peregrine,1 Kingfisher, 1 Stonechat.

Congresbury:
Moor Lane Bridge: 3 Goosander (1m,2f -unusual here)

24-02-18 Firecrest, Worle, WsM (Paul Gregory)

Worle:

Firecrest in Balmoral Way garden again this morning

24-02-18 Black Redstart, Uphill (Paul Gregory)

Uphill:
Black Redstart showing well in quarry


BELOW M4 & BANES

Marshfield:
Merlin (on fence post early morning - not quick enough to get a photo)

Willsbridge:
St. Anne’s churchyard, Oldland Common: 6 Hawfinch, 1 Siskin

24-02-18 Peregrine, Bath (BUPP)

Bath:
St Mark's Church:  Tiercel AA , first Peregrine ringed (2007) under the @eddrewitt Blue Ring Project, is still going strong.

Marksbury
4 Buzzard, 350+ mixed Gulls most BH Gulls and  Common Gulls (following tractor)

Chelwood:

Field by roundabout: 6 Buzzard


RESERVOIRS

Blagdon Lake:
1 Egyptian Goose, 3 Goosander, 3 Black-necked Grebe (1 sum plum, 2 still in winter garb), 4 Snipe and 1 Stonechat.

Chew Valley Lake

Dam:

2 Gadwall, 2 Goosander, 5 Goldeneye, 2 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper

Woodford:
6 Goldeneye, 1 GBB Gull, 1 Raven, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Bullfinch

Villice:
5  Scaup, 15+ Snipe, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 6 Fieldfare, 20+ Redwing,  1 Mistle Thrush

Heron's Green:
1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel

24-02-18 Siskin, Moreton, CVL (Ian Stapp)

Moreton:
2 Goosander, 2 Buzzard, 150+ Wood Pigeon, 2 Tawny Owl (calling by hide), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 2 Raven, 4 Coal Tit, 15+ Long-tailed Tit, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff , 4 Goldcrest, 1Treecreeper, 70 + Redwing/ Fieldfare, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, 4 Stonechat, 14 Chaffinch, 2 Bullfinch, 8 Goldfinch, 12+ Siskin

Stratford:
1 Cetti's Warbler

1 Cattle Egret 1 Little Egret (in fields off Stratford Lane)

24-02-18 Bittern Herriotts (Mike Prior)

Herriotts:

4 Shelduck, 6 Pintail, 19 Shoveler, 28 Teal, 3 Goldeneye (lake),1 Bittern, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Reed Bunting  - - - Late posting - a Ruff (m) flew over the pool.

Chew Valley Ringing Station: 

Reed Bunting: 3 ringed and 9 recaptured this morning. Various things going on - new birds entering the local winter population and others 'resident' eg 2 males were apparently holding summer territories here (2015, and 2016 & '17), another ringed here as juvenile last summer.


Wednesday 7 March, 7.30pm

Two former BBC Springwatch executive producers host a screening in Bristol of award-winning documentary film on the plight of migratory songbirds.

Feature length documentary The Messenger explores our deep-seated connection to birds and warns that the uncertain fate of songbirds might just mirror our own.

At the Cube Cinema in Bristol on Wednesday 7 March Stephen Moss and Tim Scoones will introduce the film and host a Q&A session after the screening.

Tickets cost £5 or £4 concessions and can be purchased online until 5pm on the date of the screening. The Box Office will open at 7.30pm for on the door sales.

Weblink for tickets: https://cubecinema.com/programme/event/the-messenger,9897/

Reports:Bath Urban Peregrine Project, Des Bowring, Karle Burford, Jane Cumming, Paul Gregory, Higgy, Lisegirl, Steve Mackie, John Martin, Paul Milsom, Jon Mortin, Mike Prior, Trevor Riddle, Rich Scantlebury, Ian Stapp, Gwen Thomas, Denise Whittle, blagdonlakebirds, CVRS,   nslbirding, opsbirding,   severnsidebirds, TBOSG