Tuesday 26 May 2015

Coombe Hill NR's Temminck's Stint

 Temminck's Stint
 Temminck's Stint
Temminck's Stint
 Coombs Hill Nature Reserve
Cuckoo


 Pied Flycatcher
Pied Flycatcher

A week off for the Whitsun holiday will hopefully enable me to get out a see some nice birds. With the weather set fair I flew down the M5 to junction 9 to visit Coombs Hill Nature Reserve. A leisurely walk along the canal took me to a new Grundon Hide which had been replaced twice since my last visit due to flooding and wind. 

A Temminck's Stint had been reported in previous days but it kept its head down for thirty minutes until I picked it up when it came out of the undergrowth to the waters edge. The scope views were good but it was difficult to get a digiscoped image due to the low light level. A Cuckoo was calling on a dead tree to the left of the canal. Further along the water line two Lapwing chicks were enjoying their first steps closely watched by mom. Other sightings included 5 Mite Swans, Litte Ringed Plover, 3 Curlew and an array of warblers. 

Next stop on my tour of Gloucestershire was Highnam Woods which was only 15 minutes away. Within two minutes I'd picked up two Marsh Tits, a flock a Long Tailed Tits, Nuthatches and a male Nightingale. Always a pleasure to hear these birds.

My final stop was RSPB Nagshead where I caught up one of my favourite summer stars the Pied Flycatcher.I had hoped a good number would be showing well but I only tracked down two males whilst I presumed the females were on nests. Whilst walking around there were good numbers of the normal woodland birds and I picked up a Wood Warbler by the car park. 


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