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scroll to the bottom.
28th March 2013 – At Cannop southern pond today, there were 11 Greylag Geese, a
good number for this pond and 2 Canada Geese, an unusual species here. I walked towards the Boys Grave area and
at one point I found a group of birds foraging which included 3 Brambling and 5
Hawfinch and later 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers together. Also present were Great Tits, Blue Tits,
Coal Tits, Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird and Nuthatch.
27th March 2013 – Around Nagshead RSPB Reserve, there were many Blackbirds, mainly
males foraging in the leaf litter.
There were also some Song Thrushes with them and the odd Robin or two
also feeding on this cold day with frequent but very light snow flurries. At Parkend
there were at least 18 thrushes on the cricket pitch feeding voraciously. Both Mistle
and Song Thrushes were present.
26th March 2013 – Walked over Penyard Hill over lunchtime in a cold easterly wind. There was still some snow on the tops
and in parts the drifts in the exposed fields were about one foot deep. I flushed a Red Fox and a few moments
later a Woodcock which may have been flushed by the Fox.
25th March 2013 – At Slimbridge in the afternoon, it was cold with a blustery
north east wind and 2 deg. C. The 24 White-fronted Geese were still there with
the Bean Goose on the Dumbles and the 7 Bewick’s Swans were occasionally on the Rushy Pen. At
the Zeiss Hide there were some Wigeon and Teal and a
Little Egret. Several Black-tailed Godwits in the small flock were in fine
orange breeding plumage. On the
South Lake, the Godwits there were in similar plumage. On the Tack Piece there were 2 Little
Egrets and one was very close to the hide which gave really good views of the
fine breeding season plumes. A Snipe was just about on view from the Martin
Smith hide as almost usual. On the Rushy Pen there are still good numbers of Pintail and some Pochard whose migration has been held up by the adverse
winds.
24th March 2013 – I had a walk
over May Hill at lunchtime. There
was about 2 inches of snow on the top and a very cold easterly wind. The temperature on this grey afternoon
was -3 deg. C. on the hill. On the
lower west slopes there were a number of Redwing, Mistle
Thush and some Goldfinch. Generally in the conditions there were
not a lot of birds showing but I did log 24 species for the walk.
23rd March 2013 – A half inch of
snow this morning at dawn.
22nd March 2013 – At Slimbridge, the Bean Goose was still present with about 22
White-fronted Geese. A Little
Ringed Plover was a surprise migrant around the scrape in front of the Holden
Tower. 7(6) Bewick’s
Swans were still there too and 3 Sand Martin battled the very cold north east
wind in damp conditions over the Dumbles.
By
2300, there was slush on the doorstep and some of the grass was white
over. A very cold
night.
21st March 2013 – I made a short
visit to the Nagshead RSPB reserve area of the Forest
of Dean. A Treecreeper
was of note on an otherwise quiet and cold day in the woodlands. It was 4 deg. C. at 1200. At the Stoneworks
at Cannop there were a good number of Mandarin Duck,
three Greylag Geese, two of which had darvic rings on
them (these have been reported).
There were a great number of Chaffinches and a few Siskins around the
works feeders.
A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were mating in a tree
near my house today.
19th March 2013 – I made a very
short visit to Slimbridge. The one parent family of six cygnets are
the only Bewick’s Swans remaining.
16th March 2013 – I went to Slimbridge to do a count of the remaining Bewick’s Swans.
None were at The Moors or other nearby fields but I caught up with them
on the Rushy Pen and the Tack Piece at Slimbridge Centre.
There were a total of 32(16) including the family of 6 cygnets. There were 39 White-fronted Geese on the
Dumbles and with them was a Bean Goose. There is still a good number of Pochard remaining and many more Pintails with at least 150
birds on the Tack Piece. Also there
were 13 Redshank, some Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin with a flock of
Golden Plover to the south on the Dumbles. In the Butterfly Garden, the Snowdrops
are still in flower but almost over but there are newly opened Daffodils and
the Hellebores are still going well.
The temperature dropped at about 1700 as I drove back along the A40 in
torrential rain which had some sleet in it. The temperature continued to decrease
throughout the evening and at 2100, 13mm of rain had fallen today.
14th March 2013 – Another day at Slimbridge. I
checked The Moors and Lightenbrook Lane for the Bewick’s Swans but could not find any. Not only that, I could not find them in
the road fields approaching Slimbridge Centre and I
drew a blank on Rushy Pen, Tack Piece and the Dumbles. They
were all on the river but I could not count them all as some were under the lip
of the river bank. Later in the
day, they all flew from the river and most landed on the Tack Piece. There must have been over 100 birds in
the air. I have photographs which
show 55 birds and there were many more outside of the shot. At lunchtime, I walked south along the
canal to check for swans and noted that the wind, which was still in the
east in the morning as I drove
along the A40, had now turned into the south and was in my face for the first
time in a couple of weeks or so. In
the evening, the sky was relatively clear and this could be the opportunity for
the swans to make their migration flight back to the north east.
13th March 2013 – I was in
Ross-on-Wye today and found a male Goosander on the river again just outside
the town. Also noted were at least 3 flocks of the much rarer House Sparrow in
the town itself.
Back
at home, the pair of Long-tailed Tits, which I have been watching on and off
for a number of days now (since late February), were back in the same shrub and
in the same part of the shrub. There is no sign of a nest being built but the
shrub has a lot of lichen on it and they may be collecting this for a nest
nearby?
12th March 2013 – A less cold day
but not exactly warm! I went to Slimbridge and as
yesterday, I checked The Moors but today there were no swans. However, a
Kingfisher flew up the rhine and the Grey Wagtail was
present again. There were at least
3 and maybe 6 Chiffchaffs foraging deep in the rhine
which was unfrozen and out of the wind.
(An hour or so later there was a tweet from Portland Bird Observatory to
say that ‘there were Chiffchaffs everwhere’). It would seem that there is a movement
of this species. I found 171 Bewick’s Swans today with the majority (161) on the
Tack Piece. Many, therefore, have
still not left on migration. Of
note also was the sighting of the four Common Cranes on the Tack Piece as seen
from the Martin Smith hide.
11th March 2013 – A bitterly cold
day with a strong north easterly wind and frequent snow flurries. The temperature at 1130 was 0 deg.
C. Later at 1800 it was -1 deg. C.
but much colder in the windchill. I went to Slimbridge
but called in at The Moors where I found 40 Bewick’s
Swans in the usual field along Penny Lane.
Also along the lane, a Reed Bunting was in the hedgerow with some
Chaffinches and a Grey Wagtail was moving along the running stream which forms
a rhine alongside the lane. Unsurprisingly, at Lightenbrook
Lane there were no swans present. I
had lunch and noted the four Common Cranes at the back of the Rushy Pen which otherwise was quite empty. I then walked south along the canal but
I could not find any more swans.
The snow flurries became more frequent and the wind appeared to increase
and thus it was very cold indeed.
Back at WWT Centre, there was a Reed Bunting on the bird feeder at the
new hide and many of the Bewick’s Swans
(approximately 126 birds) were on the Tack Piece and most were asleep. Also on this field were a small flock of
White-fronted Geese with a Bean Goose with them.
8th March 2013 – A damp and misty
dawn brought Siskins and Redpolls to Longhope again
today.
I
went to Slimbridge via Lightenbrook
Lane where I found 27 Bewick’s Swans. I expected to see plenty of swans again
today as the previous 24/48 hours had not been good for migration. I was correct and there appears to be
just as many there as were there during my last visit two days ago.
6th March 2013 – The Bewick’s Swans will depart soon, so I made an
afternoon visit to Slimbridge and found many swans
still present although there were none in the fields at Lightenbrook
Lane. Last night following a bright
day was not good for migration because of a headwind and misty conditions which
have continued today.
5th March 2013 – Another day spent
at Slimbridge.
Along Lightenbrook Lane, there were a number
of Bewick’s Swans and many more at Slimbridge Centre.
During the afternoon I was outside the Halfway Hide and heard the steady
calling of the Bewick’s Swans on the Tack Piece
rise to a crescendo. I hurried into
the hide and was surprised to see 183 swans in the air heading towards the
river. Also surprisingly, the other
birds present did not fly. The
swans appear to be very jumpy and are exhibiting a great deal of pre migratory restlessness. They landed on the river sand and from
the Holden Tower, I was able to ascertain the
numbers. At the Zeiss Hide, a Water
Rail gave really close views as it foraged just outside the reedy
vegetation. At the Van de Bovenkamp Hide, I found the local Bittern in a tiny patch
of reeds.
4th March 2013 – I made another
visit to Slimbridge today but first checked the
fields along Lightenbrook Lane for Bewick’s Swans but none were found. At Slimbridge,
there were still a good number of Bewick’s Swans. The constant wind blowing from the east
or north east over the past week or so has halted just about all migration of
these birds and thus over 100 remain for the time being. It was a lovely bright day but the wind
is still not good for migration to the east.
2nd March 2013 – I went to Symonds
Yat this lunchtime to see how the resident Peregrines
were faring. They gave a great display of flying and saw off a female
intruder. A little later a pair of
Goshawks was on the wing for quite a while. A visit with plenty of action!
1st March 2013 – I was in
Ross-on-wye this morning and at lunchtime when I was walking near Wilton
Bridge, I found a flock of 40 Waxwings in a tree near the main road. They flew in and remained there for a few
minutes before moving off to the west.
28th February 2013 – The Redpolls
seem to have moved into the area near my house as they were present again this
morning.
When
I checked The Moors near Slimbridge for swans later,
I found a Grey Wagtail foraging along the ditch and a good flock of Chaffinch
moving through the hedgerows. Along
Lightenbrook Lane, the Bewick’s
Swans were using one field further away from the lane today. More swans were near the Centre at Slimbridge and it appears that few if any have gone on
their migration.
27th February 2013 – Yet another
day very similar to the past two days.
The Bewick’s Swans in the field at Lightenbrook Lane numbered 49 today and there were 4 Common
Cranes flying over Slimbridge village. I found more swans on the river and a
few in a field down the canal towpath to the south. Unfortunately, they departed when two
riders from the local hunt came into view.
Later in the day, the Cranes reappeared over the Tack Piece at Slimbridge.
Yet
again the Lesser Redpolls were at Longhope.
26th February 2013 – A day very
similar to yesterday. This time
there were 121 Bewick’s Swans at Lightenbrook Lane.
Lesser Redpolls again at Longhope.
25th February 2013 – I went to Slimbridge via The Moors where I didn’t find any Bewick’s Swans but on the drive up Lightenbrook Lane, I found a good flock of 40 birds.
Lesser
Redpolls were again present near my house as yesterday.
24th February 2013 – A Lesser
Redpoll was over the road from my house in Longhope
this morning on a very cold day.
Later
in the day, I went to the Forest of Dean and noted a pair of Goosander on the
southern pond at Cannop and some Siskin on the
feeders at the Stoneworks. Deeper in the woodland, I found several
birds feeding together including 2 Nuthatch, Chaffinch and a Brambling. 4 very dark Fallow Deer were nearby and
they just melted away into the trees.
23rd February 2013 – I made a
Saturday visit to Slimbridge and found the reported
hybrid American Wigeon/Eurasian Wigeon
in the Wigeon flock on the Tack Piece. There were no Bewick’s
Swans at this location all afternoon.
Some were on the Dumbles late on and I also
found some in a field to the east of the Van de Bovenkamp
hide as seen from the canal towpath where I had walked south after lunch. There were 209 White-fronted Geese out
on the river sand mid-afternoon confirming that there appears not to have been
any migration with these geese and the Bewick’s
Swans so far this year. On the Rushy Pen at the feed time there were three hybrids. One was a Canada Goose/Greylag Goose
hybrid, there was what appears to be a Pintail/Red Crested Pochard
hybrid but I am not sure of the species present in this bird and finally there
was a female Mallard with a jet black bill and bright red legs and feet which
looks odd. I am not sure of the
origin of this bird in terms of species.
22nd February 2013 – After a
bitterly cold night, it was a bitterly cold day with a noticeable wind from the
north east. This wind is keeping
the Bewick’s Swans here in the Severn Valley
and holding up their migration. I
made a short visit to Slimbridge and as expected
there was a good number of swans in various locations.
20th February 2013 – I went to Slimbridge again on a very cold day. I checked The Moors for Bewick’s Swans and found 133(29) on the
‘normal’ field at The Moors.
There were no swans in the roadside fields near the Centre and after
lunch, I walked south along the canal towpath but found no swans. Back at the Centre there were a number
of Bewick’s Swans present and the 4 Common
Cranes were on the Dumbles.
19th February 2013 – I called into
Slimbridge after a business meeting in Penarth. The 4 Common Cranes came into the Rushy Pen at lunchtime. After lunch, I walked down the canal but
could not find the Bewick’s Swans on the field
that they were in yesterday. This
walk was a double check as I had not found them when driving in from the south
just before lunchtime.
18th February 2013 – I went to Slimbridge today and found a number of Shelduck
mobbing 2 Buzzards were had alighted on the grass at the back of the Rushy Pen. I
walked down the canal and found Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwits in the left
hand roadside field along with a few Dunlin. A Lesser Celandine was in flower on the
towpath, the first that I had seen this year. I found a large flock of Bewick’s Swans over a kilometre away near The Moors
in a cut maize field. This was a
new field for them this winter.
Back at the Centre, there were more than 100 swans in various fields and
ponds including the Tack Piece where there were also 4 Common Cranes.
17th February 2013 – A number of
Siskins were flying around the neighbours gardens this morning at Longhope.
I
had a walk at Nagshead this afternoon but the
woodlands were quiet although I did see a Wild Boar near the cycling centre in
the Cannop Valley as I was driving home.
15th February 2013 – I happened to
be in Cheltenham on business and I took the opportunity of walking up to Pittville Park to look for the reported Great Northern
Diver. I found it easily and took
some record pictures. It is a
beautiful and big bird compared to the resident Mallards. The bill is light grey and the front was
showing very white in the bright sun.
The ‘collar’ was showing well and the back was very spangled
with a slightly browner and duller rear end. When it dived, it did so very gracefully
with little effort, just slipping under the surface with no splash and
apparently no effort. It did cover
quite a distance submerged on some occasions.
14th February 2013 – A fine,
bright but cool day after the temporary snow cover yesterday which soon melted
here in the Forest of Dean. I went
to Slimbridge via The Moors where I had hoped to find
and do a count of Bewick’s Swans. I found none in the usual field and
again drew a blank in the cut maize field or similar crop. There were none in the roadside fields
either as I approached the Centre.
It appeared from reports that they were on the Dumbles
and the river and this is the direction that they came from when many flew into
Rushy Pen towards dusk. Another beautiful
sunset.
11th February 2013 – A dull and
damp start to the day with a tiny amount of snow on the highest of the hills
here in the Forest of Dean. It was
quite cold with the temperature only rising to 2 deg. C. at 1300. A female Blackcap was of note here at
the house.
I
went to Slimbridge where it was very dull but
dry. I walked up the canal to the
Cambridge Arms Bridge looking for Bewick’s
Swans. There were none to be seen
on any of the roadside or canalside fields but near
the road was a good Lapwing flock with quite a lot of Dunlin with them. Near the canal to the south of Patch
Bridge, a Little Egret seemed to be the only bird in that area. Upon my return, I found that the
Lapwings had been joined by a small flock of Black-tailed Godwits. When I returned to the Centre, I found a
good number of Bewick’s Swans on the Dumbles and when I was leaving at around 1700, some swans
flew in again from the south east as they did on February 8th.
10th February 2013 – There was
heavy rain before dawn and the general rain continued all of the daylight
hours. It was cold too, with the
temperature at 4 deg. C. at 1600.
There seemed to be a lot of activity with the local birds for most of
the morning and again Siskins were noted and first for the house was a flock of
4 Brambling.
9th February 2013 – A dull, damp
day with low cloud at times. The
highlight of the day at home was a fly over by a Peregrine, the first this year
here.
8th February 2013 – I helped out at
a swan catch at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre at Slimbridge
early this morning. 13 Bewick’s Swans and some ducks and geese were
caught. After that, I walked up the
canal to the north and found some swans in the roadside fields and near Cambridge
Arms Bridge, a Peregrine overflew.
When I returned to the Centre, I went to the Holden Tower and noted a
Bean Goose with a small flock of White-fronted Geese. I returned to the Rushy
Pen as the sun was setting which gave some beautiful light. A Buzzard was on a kill on this
pond. I could not identify
the prey but it was black, perhaps a Moorhen, Coot or Jackdaw. As I was leaving, small parties of Bewick’s Swans were flying in from the south east
which suggested that some of them had been spending the day in the area of The
Moors.
7th February 2013. – I made
another visit to Slimbridge on a cold overcast but
sometimes bright day. I walked
north up the canal in the afternoon and found over 200 Bewick’s
Swans in various fields near the canal.
A
Siskin near my house was a rare sighting.
5th February 2013. – Another cold
but sunny day with the temperature at 1130 being 4 deg. C. I went to Slimbridge
via the Stinchcombe area to look for reported Bewick’s Swans in that location but I drew a blank
although the habitat of open, wet field with little disturbance looked
good. I moved on to The Moors where
I did find some swans in the usual field up Penny Lane. I could hear more calling further up the
lane and I found some more in a field of cut maize or similar crop. In this area I found a total of 104 Bewick’s Swans.
When I was arriving at Slimbridge Centre,
there were a further 78 swans in the fields along the approach road. A walk up the canal later in the
afternoon produced no further swans.
3rd February 2013. - Another walk this afternoon in the
Forest of Dean and at dusk I noted a male Peregrine fly from a quarry where
they have been known to breed. This
was another good sign for this species.
Again, I had two sightings of a Sparrowhawk
which was probably of the same bird.
2nd February 2013 – I made a visit
to Symonds Yat.
The two resident Peregrines were perched on one of the cliffs for a
short while in the morning.
Although it was sunny, it was very cold in a noticeable wind. Later, these two birds took to the air
and displayed together and took it in turns to attack a Buzzard in a bit of a
mock fight. This all looks good for
the breeding season now only a very few weeks away. Two sightings of Sparrowhawk
were also of note.
1st February 2013 – I did a short
tour of know Bewick’s Swan haunts in the county
today. I started at Walmore Common which is extensively flooded. There were only the resident 2 Mute
Swans there. I moved on to the
other side of the river and checked the wetlands alongside the Berkeley bypass
but as late last year the habitat is not now suitable with much vegetation
growing in the water. However, I
did find 28 Bewick’s Swans at The Moors in a
field that they used regularly in the past. After that, I went to Slimbridge Centre and did a count of the swans on the
reserve there after checking all of the fields to the north along the canalside. On
the Tack Piece there was a small flock of White-fronted Geese and with them was
one of the reported 3 Bean Geese.
31st January 2013 – I walked
through Nagshead again today and although it was very
quiet in the woodlands the highlight of the walk was a Bullfinch in the meadow
area. A Long-tailed Tit flock was
foraging along the Gloucestershire Way and with them were at least 2 Coal
Tits.
30th January 2013 – I walked to Newent and back today.
28 species noted on the trip.
29th January 2013 – A day at Slimbridge where I did a count of the Bewick’s
Swans around the reserve with many of them spending the day on the Dumbles. The
Tack Piece held a large number of birds and the spectacle was excellent. I did not seen
any sign of the White-fronted Goose flock but when I left, a large flock of Bewick’s Swans flew in from the south east again.
27th January 2013 – I walked
through Nagshead RSPB Reserve today and noted that
the recent snow has caused quite a bit of damage to trees. There are many small and medium branches
broken off and many small saplings fallen under the weight of the snow which
has all disappeared now.
26th January 2013 – The Festival
of Birds was on at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre at Slimbridge over this weekend. I went down to help out with a swan bill
pattern drawing workshop. There was
little time for going around the reserve but when I was leaving at 1720, two
flocks of Bewick’s Swans, numbering 37 and 15
respectively, flew in from the south east.
I wonder where they have been spending the day.
25th January 2013 – I was
surprised to find 4 male Goosander on the River Wye just a few hundred metres
from Ross-on-Wye town centre. There
was still some snow on the river meadows and at one point there were all the
common thrush species present, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle
Thrush, Redwing and Fieldfare.
24th January 2013 – I walked south
down the canal towpath from Patch Bridge, Slimbridge. Blackbirds and Mistle
Thrushes were the main birds foraging on the towpath today and a Goldcrest was in the hedgerow.
23rd January 2013 – It was still
snowing at dawn and continued very light and powdery throughout the day but it
made no addition to the 7 inches which has accumulated over the recent few
days.
22nd January 2013 – An overcast
day and snow started to fall just after darkness fell. This snow continued overnight.
21st January 2013 – A snowy
woodland walk in the Nagshead area today but the
woods were quiet. However, at least
2 Fallow Deer were on Bixslade Tramway in the
gathering darkness at 1700 this afternoon.
20th January 2013 – Cleared much
of the snow from my local road today to get the car down the 1 in 4 hill. The Hawfinch was in the trees near my
house again. I suspect it was the
same bird that I saw on the 14th January. Of note today was a Blue Tit on a feeder
in Barrel Lane, Longhope which was sporting a metal
ring.
19th January 2013 – There was snow
still lying thickly today and 2 Meadow Pipits were in a field in the middle of Longhope foraging in grass which had been exposed by horses
scraping the ground. 2 Song
Thrushes were on the patio today together.
This was a sign of the cold weather and the covering of snow.
18th January 2013 – SNOW and lots
of it. There appeared to be a lot
of birds foraging locally and there was a significant movement of winter
thrushes over Longhope today.
17th January 2013 – I made a short
walk down the canal at Slimbridge to try to find the Bewick’s Swans which had been reported in the area
known as The Moors. I found several
flying around in that general area but could not work out the exact field that
they were landing in as it was too far away and I could not get across the
canal for a closer look.
15th January 2013 – Helped out at
the swan catch at WWT Slimbridge. After that I went to the Zeiss Hide
where I managed to see the Bittern in the reed bed. This was the first sighting of this
species this year. At the Holden
Tower, the Egyptian Goose was with the Canada Geese on the Dumbles
which was also a first for the year as was the highlight of the day, a Bean
Goose among the White-fronted Geese.
A fine ending to the day.
14th January 2013 – The light snow
that fell overnight had turned to rain by morning but it was still very
cold. A Hawfinch from the house was
the highlight of the day and this bird was with at least 14 Chaffinch, a high
number here. I walked up Barrel
Lane in the afternoon and found Snowdrops out in flower, the first that I have
seen this year.
13th January 2013 – A cold and
generally blue sky day with the temperature hardly getting above 2 deg. C. all
day. I went to Boys Grave after
lunch and although it was quiet, I found 2 Jays feeding together on seed and a
male Chaffinch came down after they had left. A Goldcrest
and a Robin were foraging in a pile of logs in the woods.
At
Nagshead RSPB Reserve, there were at least 3
Bullfinches in the meadow area near the Information Centre otherwise the woods
were very quiet in the Forest in the late afternoon.
To
the east of Brierley, on my way home, a Fallow Deer
crossed the main road in front of me in the near darkness.
11th January 2013 – I went to WWT Slimbridge but called in at Minsterworth
Ham en route. There had been a
report of a Whooper Swan family there but I did not find them. However, there were 8 Buzzards on the
ground spread out over one field.
I
went down to the Zeiss Hide during the afternoon and noted 69(6) Bewick’s Swans on the Dumbles
and 2 more on the Top New Piece.
There was a Siskin in a tree by the hide at South Finger and a Cetti’s Warbler was calling. There were also 4 Little
Egrets together on the Bottom New Piece.
Back near the Centre there was an impressive number of 39 Redshank on
the Rushy Pen just before dusk.
10th January 2013 – I had a walk
over May Hill over lunchtime. It
was slightly misty in Longhope but on top of the hill
at over 900 feet the visibility was down to about 100m. There, it was very quiet,
nevertheless, I amassed 21 species on my walk including winter thrush flocks of
mixed Fieldfare and Redwing. Jay, Treecreeper and Goldcrest were of
note.
9th January 2013 - I had a walk at Boys Grave in the late
afternoon and found two Fallow Deer in Wet Wood which lived up to its
name. Indeed, much of the paths in
the area are very wet. Generally,
it was quiet in the woods as darkness fell.
8th January 2013 - I went to the
Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre at Welney for the
day. It was dry and relatively calm
on the fens but the swan flocks were quite small and hard to find. In the afternoon, I drove over Hilgay Fen, found 2 Bewick’s
Swans and then I moved on to Southery to the east of
the A10 road. Here I found three
flocks, one of 16(10) and another of 126(37) reflecting a good number of
cygnets. A further flock was in the
vicinity and numbered about 500 birds but this was a mixed flock of Bewick’s Swans and Whooper Swans but they were
further away and it was not possible to do exact species and cygnet
counts. Three different Barn Owls
were hunting the side of the desolate roads across Hilgay
Fen, two being together. After dark
at the Centre some swans roosted to the east and could be heard calling not far
from the car park.
7th January 2013 – An afternoon at
WWT Slimbridge where I walked along the canal to the
south looking for Bewick’s Swans but the road
fields on the way to the Centre were devoid of all birds and I could not find
any swans on the canalside fields as far as the South
Finger hides area. The only birds of note along the canal was a flock of 12
Goldfinches. Back at the Centre,
the Rushy Pen had been flushed and no swans were their
either but as the afternoon feed time approached, the swans returned and there
were 80 present on this pond at 1600.
6th January 2013 – I had a short
walk at Brierley looking for Willow Tit but in the
overcast, damp, dull and slightly foggy conditions the whole woodland was
quiet.
I
later had a walk along the Gloucestershire Way at Nagshead
RSPB Reserve and found a small flock of birds which included a flock of
Long-tailed Tits, a Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Blackbird,
Robin and Treecreeper all together.
5th January 2013 – Another hazy
day and like yesterday it was quite mild.
I went to Ross-on-Wye and noted a healthy flock of House Sparrows near
Sainsbury’s supermarket. This
was good to see as in recent years this species has been in decline. The extensive floods in the area of the
town have receded and although the river is still high there are only
‘lakes’ in some of the fields as opposed to the whole area of the
fields being underwater.
4th January 2013 – A mild day
dawned with hazy sunshine and a temperature at 1230 of 11 deg. C. I checked Walmore
Common for Bewick’s Swans. They have only been reported once this
winter and then only 2 birds seen.
This was the case at 1145 today when I found 2 adults on the far side of
the extensive flood water from the main road.
I
moved on to The Moors near Slimbridge in another
search for these swans. I found
some in the second field north of Penny Lane and although I could see an adult
and a cygnet an exact count could not be made as others were behind the hedge
and only viewable as white patches through the hedge. They appear to be
preferring this field this winter to the nearer one alongside the lane
which now, unlike Walmore Common had very little
water left on it.
On
my way in to WWT Slimbridge Centre, I found more Bewick’s Swans on the right hand road field, another
field they are using a lot this winter.
There were 17(3) birds there and again a lone White-fronted Goose. The Rushy Pen
held only Black-headed Gulls as there had been a flush and no swans were
present apart from one resident Mute Swan.
I moved on the view the Tack Piece at 1430 where there were 24(0) and 5
minutes later, I checked the Dumbles where there were
another 79 swans present. I moved
on to the South Finger area where I found 3 Lesser Redpoll, a Treecreeper and a Water Rail was heard.
2nd January 2013 – A day which was
overcast, reasonably mild and somewhat breezy was spent at Slimbridge. I found 15(2) Bewick’s
Swans on the right hand road field at 1230 and then I walked up the canal to
the Cambridge Arms Bridge and looked at the permissive footpath sign as I had
heard that the access to Green Lane had been retracted. This I found to be correct with a new
‘Private’ sign and a laminated sign explaining that the farmer had withdrawn
permission for the path because of gates being left open and his livestock were
getting onto the canal towpath.
There were no other swans in the canal side fields. When I returned to the road field, there
were 46(7) swans present. I later
found 15(0) swans on the Tack Piece at 1440 and 46(5) on the Dumbles at 1310. There were 133 White-fronted Geese on the
Tack Piece too. Also there was a
flock of 37 Redshank with one Spotted Redshank.
1st January 2013 – I went to Strumble Head for the day. It was a generally dry day with a stiff
wind from the WNW. Turnstones and Oystercatchers were the main birds to be seen
at the Flagpoles car park in Goodwick. There was a notable movement of
Kittiwakes for the time I was there, at the Head, between 1240 and 1700 as well
as a lot of auks which were mainly Razorbills. Other birds of note were Great Skua, Red-throated Diver(2), Great
Northern Diver and 3 Gannets, two of which were first winter birds. I walked part of the coastal path to the
east and the underfoot conditions were the worst that I have ever seen after
the rain of the last month.