Greenham Common & Wiltshire Downs / Plain :: 25 March 2023

We arrived at Greenham Common Control Tower car park at 7.00am to find rain. We'd seen photos and reports of a ring ouzel there from the previous day (including from our friend Bryan Manston). We knew that shortly dog walkers, runners and cyclists would descend and so wanted the best chance of seeing the bird - we kitted up and set out. The rain came and went and fortunately never got too heavy, although it was accompanied by a stiff wind.

We scanned the grass as we made our way to the last pin drop on Birdguides but couldn't spot it, although Kev (@kev07713) did have nice views of a woodlark on the ground, it flushed as I made my way over. We. reached the far hedge line and walked to get parallel to the pin drop, stopping where we could see diagonally to the spot - nothing. At least not until I scanned again and there it was! - I directed Kev to the spot and he got on it - within ten seconds it flew and back behind a long wall of gorse. A tick if only a brief one. I walked along the gorse and looked for an opening but couldn't find the bird and there was very little chance along this stretch. We decided to go back and try and look from the concrete pad at the end of the runway as at least it would allow a view down the channel. Try as we might, we couldn’t locate it.

After 15 minutes we decided that we should make use of our time here and set off down the old runway - on a gravel path as is the etiquette at this time of year with breeding birds. A woodlark rose above us and sang - I snapped aa few times as I don't really have a proper photo of this species. Damn me, it dropped and into a nearby bush - what luck. I grabbed a number of photos before it departed. We walked on and heard another woodlark and this time found it on the ground. This stayed longer and I took my fill.

Out across the grass and between the gorse bushes Kev picked out a wheatear, which became three. My first of the year.

We walked along spotting meadow pipits, stonechats, skylarks and heard more woodlarks - we eventually reached the end of the path by the bench. Kev walked ahead and out flushed a Dartford warbler from behind him - it was calmer in the wind here and we stood hoping to get a better view. We did but I fluffed an attempt for a photo (locked focus onto the bush rather than the bird). It reappeared briefly but I missed that shot altogether. The rain got heavier again and so we decided it was time for breakfast in the Control Tower cafe - delicious rolls and sausage with coffee.

We decided that we would move on from here having ticked our target birds and had previously discussed a visit to RSPB Winterbourne - apparently their stone curlews had returned and been reported. This working farm lies in the heart of Wiltshire's rolling chalk country, where former arable fields are being transformed into flower-rich grasslands. On arrival, the car park was already full and we left the car in a layby just outside the entrance gate. To get views it had been suggested the best thing to do was to walk up the track (a gentle incline) to a screen and view from there - who were we to argue. We got to the screen and started scanning - we thought the most likely area for the birds would be the clod field, fenced off with what appeared to be an electric wire. We spotted numbers of hares, stock doves and a few lapwings … but no stone curlews. We kept scanning. Eventually another birder joined us (Cliff Smith (@01000011S) and he asked if we'd seen them yet ...

Cliff said they favoured the bottom corner and the edges of the field and started scanning himself. Within a couple of minutes he was on one, and so were we. One became four - a lucky mascot. They remained distant, soon splitting up, and two became invisible once more. Cliff had left saying he was going off to visit the bustards, less than 25 minutes from here - we had planned to do the same and ten minutes after him we departed, finding that the car park was now empty. There was a large group that must have been together on some form of tour and must have all been in individual cars.

We arrived in the vicinity of where the bustards were to be found and even as we approached a group could be seen on the slope, on the other side of the valley. We picked a spot where we would not disturb and jumped out the car, setting up Kev's scope to get better views. Within ten minutes Cliff turned up and joined us - he'd been searching in "their usual spot" but they had crossed the road. We chatted for a while and when he left, we were joined by three "Bustard Project" Land Rovers each containing about 10 people. They all jumped out and viewed from our spot - one of the ladies came over and asked if we were on a tour and when we said not, she said that she and he husband had both paid £20 to see these birds - we said we'd have done it for less. They and then we left - we drove down the slope and past the birds, opening the passengers window so I could get some photos from closer range.

As we set off again, a bird dropped onto the fence ahead and then onto the fence opposite - corn buntings! We then watched as they worked around, often dropping onto and around the muck heap at the entrance to the farm. We also saw meadow pipit, stonechat, red kite and a flyover merlin. What a productive little spot.

We had eventually to drag ourselves away but decided to drive along the track to see what else we might find. It was a pleasant drive and we saw meadow pipits, kestrel, red kites and red-legged partridges amongst others.

As usual we ran out of time to get me home in time for dinner and visiting friends, leaving very happy with our day's birding.

Year List:  169.

Oldbury-on-Severn & Keyhaven Marshes :: 17/18 March 2023

A work appointment at work had been postponed at short notice and so I decided to use another half day of holiday to pop down to Oldbury-on-Severn to see the Alpine swift that had been present there for a couple of days. Kevin Heath (@kev07713) had been the previous day and others had then reported it going to roost that evening, so it should still be there at first light - fingers crossed. I left at 04.20 and was there by 05.50, finding one car already in the car park. I stopped to get my bearings, looking at a map on my phone when another car pulled up, and then another - both were birders, one from Birmingham and one from Swindon. We kitted up and set off round to the footpath between the power station and river estuary.

We arrived to find the owner of the other car in place on the footpath and scanning with his scope (Tom Hines @tomhines10) - another birder and from Sheffield. We waited, watched and had a view of the Alpine swallow clinging onto the structure of the power station - but a view from behind as it faced onto the wall.

We waited for almost three hours before the swift left, preceded by a couple of passes from a peregrine - perhaps influencing the bird to stay put as long as it did. More than twenty people had gathered and witnessed the departure and almost immediately they dispersed, and we regrouped along the path to the car park - and into the car park itself. We were then treated to almost twenty minutes of intermittent views before the bird was lost from view.

I had to get back to work for afternoon meetings and so at 09.45 I was back on the road and heading for home. As I left site, I had a phone call from Adrian Sparrowhawk to say that they had just arrived and "was that me leaving?" - we had missed each other by a couple of minutes ... they stayed and unfortunately never connected with the bird - it had moved on after feeding for just half an hour or so. I was devastated for Adrian and his crew for the day (Jeff Bishop, Bryan Manston).

The following day (Saturday) I picked up Kevin Heath and we made our way down the A34 to Lymington, stopping for breakfast on the way - we had no specific target for the day but as we ate breakfast close to Southampton, we noted that the long-staying Iceland gull had been reported the previous day - we would keep an eye on reports and maybe drop by on the way home.

We pushed on and parked at Normandy Marshes, immediately spotting a sleeping spoonbill and two greenshanks (my first greenshank of the year). Distant but a tick is a tick!

We approached the lagoon and picked out avocet, red-breasted mergansers, pintail, dunlin, ringed plover, black-tailed godwit, Brent goose, and four more spoonbills amongst the many birds on offer. Another year tick was spotted redshank. Continuing to scan we watched as three Mediterranean gulls dropped in and strutted around with black-headed gulls and a variety of ducks watching on - another first for the year - this was turning into a great day and especially as we hadn't really targeted anything at the outset.

We walked around the lagoon and scanned the sea behind, picking out distant curlew, various gull species, cormorants, grey plover, great-crested and little grebes. This is such a special place, and we were just enjoying viewing the birds when Kev had a message from Nick Truby (@old_caley) to say that he had just seen that we were within walking distance of a surf scoter - it had just been reported on Birdguides. I'd never seen one so we relocated over to Pennington Marsh, taking the car so that we could move on from there without having to retrace our steps. We left the car and spotted a little egret perched on the wires above - not seen one do that before – usually if at height they are in a tree or bush. We added better views of pintails on the way to the Jetty Lagoon where the scoter was reported to be drifting south.

We made our way along the shore and looking into the sun spotted what we believed to be our bird, out in the bay – and distant. We could see a birder viewing through his scope from the jetty and joined him, hoping to get the bird in better light. By the time we got there it had drifted back directly in front and back lit by the sun. Soon we made our way along the footpath improving our viewing angle. It was still tricky to capture a photo.

A second lifer in two days. Like buses. We watched for a while, but the bird drifted offshore, diving from time to time, but didn't get any closer. The same could not be said for a small flock of turnstones that seemed more than happy to feed on the edge of the footpath even as people strolled past. On the other side of the path a Cetti's warbler called intermittently and eventually I managed to pick it out as it relocated. Now I knew where it was, I saw it relocate again and then call frantically. As I watched a water rail appeared in the bush beside the warbler, more than six feet in the air ... another unusual sight. As quickly as they had appeared, they dropped from view.

Lunchtime arrived, and we made our way back to the car for a snack and I added some photos of curlew and a lovely stonechat enroute. One of the skylarks did the decent thing and rose into the air, giving it large as it did so.

Off we went to Redbridge Wharf Park, as we’d seen the Iceland gull had not long been reported and so was likely to still be in the area. We had a delay of about 20 minutes crossing the bridge due to ongoing roadworks but pulled up in one of the four spaces in the train station - we saw a gentleman walking his dog and coming our way and so waited and enquired as to whether he knew if there was a parking charge ... there was no sign or machine we could see - there wasn't. He himself had seen the gull through a birders scope and he was happy to walk with us over the railway bridge and onto the water’s edge.

As we approached we were dismayed to see two blokes out in the mud walking around - they didn't seem to be collecting bait and so were presumably surveying - they had specialised footwear to support them on the mud. We scanned the gulls that were there noting: lesser and great black-backed; herring; common; black-headed - but no Iceland. We did however spot a great northern diver in the distance.

We continued searching and were joined by Paul Winter (@pdwinter) who turned out was the original finder and had seen the bird on at least 25 previous occasions - a lucky omen? He was quite positive given the bird had been reported earlier but was also dismayed that there weren't many gulls around given the disturbance. Another handful of birders arrived, and a couple left after only half an hour. A kingfisher perched at distance giving us something to watch as we waited. At least two hours passed with us surveying each passing gull and relocating under pine trees during short spells of rain.

Eventually another small flock came in and landed - I followed a bird that seemed of interest and found it to be what I thought a 2cy Iceland gull should look like - Paul confirmed. A third life tick in two days! - it was also a lifer for Kev. The bird stood looking away from our position and into the wind, preening occasionally. The sun came out and back in - lighting was very tricky. Our best views were obtained through the scope.

After about 20 minutes the bird decided enough was enough and took to the sky and was gone. As is ever the case, I wasn't on the bird in flight until it was distant and from behind.

In addition to my photos, Kev took some video which can be seen in a couple of Twitter posts - first & second. A great record.

I was going out in the evening and so at 16.30 we packed up and made for the car. A successful day out with a lot of cracking birds.

Year List:  162.