2016 Targets

From my 20 targeted birds in 2015 I managed to see Wryneck, Wood Lark, Pallid Harrier, Spotted Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, Wilson Phalarope, Long-eared Owl and Shore Lark.

In addition I added the following to my life list :- American Golden Plover, Black Stork, Black-eared Wheatear, Blythes Reed Warbler, Crag Martin, Ferruginous Duck, Greater Yellowlegs, Gull-billed Tern, Hudsonian Godwit, Hudosian Whimbrel, Isabelline Shrike, Laughing Gull, Melodious Warbler, Pied-billed Grebe, Olive-backed Pipit, Penduline Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Ring-billed Gull, Sabines Gull and Semipalmated Sandpiper.

This years keys targets are the following. Whilst a good number are unlikely to occur I would drop everything (well most things) to try and go if possible.

1) White-Tailed Eagle
2) Corncrake
3) Storm Petrel
4) Honey Buzzard
5) Short-toed Eagle
6) Franklins Gull
7) Great Spotted Cuckoo
8) Caspian Tern
9) Cream-coloured Courser
10) Ivory Gull
11) Bee-eater
12) Roller
13) White-billed Diver
14) Little Auk
15) Collared Pratincole
16) Lady Ampherst's Pheasant
17) Spotted Crake
18) Long-tailed Skua
19) Icterine Warbler
20) Radde's Warbler

Around Gloucester birding

Hawfinch

Yew Tree Brake

Dipper

Forest of Dean

Tack Piece

Scaup

Pintail

Two birding friends kindly offered me a couple hours round Gloucestershire as the one was trying to see 150 species in January. With nothing very far from the car and plenty of painkillers inside me it was nice to get out. 

Hawfinch was the first bird in the notebook as one sat up nicely at Parkend. We didn't have any luck up at the church for Crossbills so we headed to Wenchford Picnic Area where a Dipper was feeding just beneath us. At Cannop Ponds we saw a dozen Manadrin and three Goosander before heading to Yew Tree Brake where we finally saw a Crossbill. Whilst we did stop at New Fancy the weather wasn't very kind so chances to see a Goshawk were unlikely.

Our final stop was Slimbridge as the weather moved in. Our sightings from along the Holden pathway included large flocks of Dunlin, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Barnacle Geese, Black-tailed Godwit, Wigeon whilst other birds of note including a few year ticks three Avocet, 50 Pochard, 40 Redshank, 15 Curlew, 300 Pintail, 110 White-fronted Geese, 118 Bewick Swans and a Greater Scaup.

Many thanks to Pete Walkden for his fantastic images of Hawfinch & Dipper.

Tour with Charlecote massive

Last year I met @1stbirdoftheday for the first time via Twitter. He visited the pits one summer evening so he kindly returned the favour by showing me round Charlecote and surrounding area. 

Whilst their Charlecote patch is very spread out (car essential) and has no water there are some fantastic areas which wildlife blossoms. Species recorded included two Little Owl, 250+ Linnet, 50+ Yellowhammer, 10+ Brambling, two Corn Bunting, 20 Reed Bunting, 10 Lesser Redpoll and three Roe Deer. Just shows what you can see in an hour. 

Draycote winter roost

Roost watch

White-fronted Geese

White-fronted Geese

Great Crested Grebes

Goldeneye

Drake Goldeneye & Smew

Diving time

Goosander

Great Northern Diver as light faded

After a very quiet morning last Sunday doing my garden watch recording I supported the Warwickshire birding planned roost at Draycote Water. A brief walk allowed some nice views of the drake Smew and 45+ Goldeneye. I'd never seen so many Great Crested Grebes, whilst I counted 145 there was probably more. 25 Tree Sparrows & a Kingfisher were additions to the year list whilst other sightings included 6 White-fronted Geese, 12 Goosander, 42 Canada Geese, 22 Cormorant, 8 Grey Heron, 30 Little Grebe,  six Meadow Pipit, 10 Teal and four Wigeon.

A roost had a fantastic turnout of twenty Gull enthusiasts of which the main finds were an adult Glaucous Gull (picked out by Tim Marlow), possible adult Caspian, 3 Mediterranean Gulls as well as a blanket of Blacked-headed and Common Gulls. Many thanks to the kind lady who baked a lemon cake. Nice to meet a number of new friendly faces and a few old ones.

Leucistic surprise

On a short walk close to home this morning with Chris Lane we found this leucistic bird in the hedgerow. The bird must have been feeding in the crop seed. From the obscured view I did manage to get a couple of record shots in poor light. 

Both Chris and I thought it was a leucustic Yellowhammer however I'd welcome any other opinions. 

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

Had to do my bit for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch on Sunday. The survey is now reported to be the biggest wildlife survey with over half a million people taking part. 

I managed to record a booming 11 species in my hour time slot including a garden first which was a Male Blackcap. A Collared Dove started the count with a Coal Tit whilst there were regular visits throughout the hour from Blue Tit, two Dunnock, two Woodpigeon and four Starlings. Single visits were received from a Wren, two House Sparrow and a Magpie. Job done………...

The real Winterwatch

Redwing

Golden Plover & Lapwing

Lapwing

Close up of flock

Corn Bunting ?

House Sparrow

After a week of the BBC Winterwatch team talking "Black Cock" it was back to real winter birding. Most birding is still being conducted from the car as stomach pain is still ongoing. Hoping next weeks brings some improvement at last.

I found all the feeders had been blown off the tree in the previous nights wind. The Greylag flock flew over which contained the single Pink-footed Goose found later in the  day by Chris Lane. Sightings were limited to two Shelduck, 31 Teal, 31 Lapwing, 30 Tufted Duck, two Little Grebe, Jack Snipe and a Green Sandpiper. Over at Pophills there were another four Green Sandpipers. 

The allotments on the Broom turn is an area always worth exploring and I was pleased to find a male wintering Blackcap in the hedgerows whilst there were large numbers of Fieldfare & Redwing. I couldn't resist snapping the cheeky House Sparrow shown above. 

A bird caught my eye high on the wires however the light wasn't great. With the wire getting in the way also ID wasn't easy. The heavy set beak indicated a Corn Bunting but it could well have been a immature Yellowhammer. 

Finally I caught up with the Lapwing flock that increased to 1,250 however I could only see 30 Golden Plover. That ends the month with 82 species and 85 points in the patch challenge (including Feral Pigeon).