Three counties Saturday

Buttonoak

 Flooded Dumbes at Slimbridge (Dunlin & Lapwing)

Birds in flight on the Tack Piece

 A few of the Golden Plover

 Tack Piece

 Frampton

 Frampton

Frampton

After a very poor start to 2014 with the weather I decided I'd rearrange my Slimbridge visit for Saturday and try and take in a few different sites on the route. After picking up @Midlandbirder in Stourport we headed to Buttonoak in the Wyre Forest, Shropshire. As soon as we entered the forest we picked up a good range of woodland birds of which many were great for the year list. The Crossbills were very busy flying around and rarely settled. Craig found the Two-Barred Crossbills from calls. We spend the next hour trying to relocate them and also to try and find a Woodcock, neither were successful.

From there we stopped in a Lineholt, Ombersley to get Lesser Redpoll but no Meally's were about at this time so we carried on our journey to Slimbridge. Gloucestershire was s suffering from the severe flooding and many of the fields on the way were badly flooded.

As soon as we out of the car there were birds everywhere, whirls of waders turning and twisting no doubt being chased from the local raptors. We headed straight down to the Holden Tower where you could see the Dumbles and Tack Piece were simply full of wildlife. There were thousands of birds everywhere in front of us but a constant flow going up and down river at the same time. Highlights included 170 White Fronted Geese, 3000 Golden Plover, 100 Bewick Swans, the normal Brent Goose, 150 Barnacles, 5000 Lapwing, 3000 Dunlin, 3 Crane (GCP), 200 Black Tailed Godwit, 180 Curlew, 4500 Wigeon, 100 Pintail, 2 Peregrine, 4 Avocets.

We did stop in at Frampton on the hope of seeing a Little Egret before heading home but we had to settle for a swooping Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel and a pair of Little Grebe.

The day finished with 74 species, 37 new for year list and 1 lifer. 

Final day dip at Lineholt

The final morning of 2013 I headed out to the fields of Lineholt by Ombersley Golf Course to try and see the reported Hornemanns Arctic Redpoll. The bird had been seen just 15 minutes before I arrived so I was hopeful despite the horrible weather. Three hours staring at bean poles and marrows in the drizzly rain was rewarded with nothing other than views of some regulation Lesser Redpoll and Meally's. 

I ended up standing with a couple of big year listers. The chap directly on my right was on a stunning 345 species in the year and clocked 39,000 miles. Thats some serious commitment in cost and time. Not sure its great for the environment though. Certainly not something you could do every year. 

I therefore finished the year on a pleasing 226 and certainly learnt plenty more about birds, conservation and the environment. Lets see what 2014 brings. I most certainly would like to visit the Farne Island in Northumberland to visit the Tern colonies, other birds outstanding would be White Tailed and Golden Eagles, Black Gouse, Wyrneck, Black Redstart, Shearwaters,in fact sea birds in general is an area I'd like to improve in. Fingers crossed a gem lands on patch also !

With the forecast looking very poor tomorrow it could be a slow start to the year.