WWT Welney :: 22 June 2024

Kev @kev07713 had been to WWT Welney earlier in the week to see a Savi's warbler and tthe other species on offer, but agreed to go back so that I could tick the Savi's - it would be a lifer for me - it was his third encounter of the year (RSPB Middleton Lakes, Rutland, and now here). We were also going to meet up with his sister Karen @hobbylovinglife and her partner Dean @worlebirder for breakfast and then on to connect (hopefully) with some corncrakes.

We pulled off the main road leading to the Centre and the four of us listened out for corncrake - Kev informed us that the calls he'd had earlier in the week were in the field on the opposite side of the road from where we'd enjoyed them last year. Corncrakes, known for their distinctive calls, have been seen at WWT Welney, particularly on the Ouse Washes. The presence of these birds has been closely monitored, often in collaboration with the RSPB and notably, some of these birds have been identified as part of reintroduction projects in East Anglia (been ringed as part of these project), suggesting some success of conservation efforts in the region.

It is a medium-sized bird, roughly the size of a starling, in the rail family known for their elusive natures. They have brownish bodies with streaked and mottled plumage, which provides excellent camouflage in their grassland habitats. Their underparts are a lighter shade with a distinctive chestnut coloration on the wings, and they have a short, slightly down-curved bill. None of this would be something we would likely see as they are so well hidden. They prefer dense vegetation such as tall grasslands, meadows, and marshes, where they can remain concealed.

We heard one bird way off to our right but then a louder call from our left in the next field so wandered round. It called from an area not too far in front but down in what appeared to be a gully running across the field - this intermittent calling continued for about half an hour, with a second bird, further left occasionally giving a callback to the individual in front. Try as we might, we weren't getting any views. A call from the individual in the field to our right sounded louder and so we went to investigate. Sure enough, it was working along another gully but much closer to the gate we were standing behind and getting louder. At one point Karen thought she was on it, on the far slope of the gully (and I thought I was too) but it turned out to be nothing of note. Kev had posted a video from his last visit - the call is highlighted on one - here. We'd been watching for a while now so decided to leave the birds in peace and make our way onto the reserve proper, open early for Members.

The WWT site is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Ramsar site, Special Protection Area (SPA), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and is an important site for populations of wintering waterfowl and breeding waders. We made our way through to the Visitor's Centre, passing an area with nest boxes on the fence line, bushes/shrubs beyond. A community of tree sparrows is inhabiting them and were coming in and out - my first of the year. More were seen feeding with house sparrows on the feeders around the Centre.

We checked in with the staff and made our way out onto the reserve, stopping in the main observatory to see what was about. Handfuls of black-tailed godwit fed amongst avocets, redshank, teal, a couple of wigeon and a single female pintail. The observatory is a great viewing area but has windows that shouldn't be opened to avoid disturbance - when we saw a garganey drake, heading into eclipse plumage, I took photos but through the glass and heat haze would barely be a record shot.

We stayed a while, but the draw of the Savi's was too strong and me made our way along to join a handful of others in the hide. They'd had a call a little while before we arrived, and one chap suggested he'd had a brief view - we joined the vigil. A sedge warbler danced around the reedbed in front, singing strongly, giving good views, and kept us entertained. A couple of yellow wagtails spun around the reed beds and grasslands beyond.

Out beyond we could see 10+ whooper swans with cygnets - WWT Welney is a significant site for whooper swans, particularly during the winter months as these swans migrate from their breeding grounds in Iceland to the UK, traveling approximately 1,200 miles across the North Atlantic Ocean with few stops. Injured swans that cannot complete the migration back to Iceland have been known to stay and breed at the reserve. In 2011, a pair of whooper swans, named Romeo and Julietta, bred successfully at WWT Welney, marking the first recorded breeding of whooper swans in Norfolk since 1928. This year’s breeding activity seemed to be a bigger effort than a couple of injured birds.

The heat haze was increasing and even if we got a view of a Savi's warbler, I might not be able get a photo with any detail. Out in the reeds a roe deer watched us as we waited for our quarry. Marsh harriers quartered the edges of the reed beds, and various species took to the wing and mobbed the harriers until they departed. Way out in front a great white egret was feeding with what we first assumed was a little egret, but eventually showed to be a spoonbill. They fed together for a good 45 minutes before the spoonbill departed high, left, and away.

Within 20 minutes the spoonbill was back, circling before dropping not where it had been feeding previously, but out of view at the back of the reed bed. Three green sandpipers flew out into the same area – perhaps a pool we couldn’t see from our position.

We heard a short call from the Savi’s, and we all focussed our attention again - it went silent. About 20 minutes later, a bird flew in from the left to an area that has yielded most of the views of the Savi's ... most of the birds we'd seen doing this so far today having been reed buntings or sedge warblers. But no, out belted a Savi's warbler call! One of the most distinctive features of Savi's warbler is its song, a mechanical, insect-like reeling sound that can continue for several minutes; not dissimilar to a grasshopper warbler; we were only afforded 10 seconds.

Inhabiting these dense reed beds and marshy areas offers both food resources and protection in keeping with its secretive nature. One chap said he could see it climbing but I just couldn't get onto it, until it then flew right - yes! Immediately it dropped from view, and I never did see it come up again, or make another call. A tick is a tick, no matter how small ... doubly true for a lifer ...

We waited and waited, were joined by Nick @old_caley and Anne Truby, but we had nothing more to add. It was approaching lunchtime, and we made our way back to the Visitors Centre for sausage rolls and sandwiches.

After lunch Karen and Dean left to try and see the great reed warbler at RSPB Ouse Fen, while Kev and I returned to the observatory to see if we could locate the red-crested pochard reported earlier and seen by Kev on his last visit. He scanned and once or twice thought he might have the bird at great distance, only for it to be obscured from view as quickly as it had appeared. I couldn't in all conscience tick it.

While we were watching, a kingfisher cut along the edge of the reeds on the front edge. A swallow pounced on it, forcing it down onto the water - it soon recovered and was off again, but with the swallow then repeating its attack - not something we have ever witnessed before. While both species can coexist in the same habitats, their interactions are apparently often marked by competition and territorial disputes, reflecting their shared need for similar nesting and feeding environments. It is apparently recorded that swallows may harass kingfishers, particularly during the nesting season. The kingfisher spun around and made for some taller reeds far to the right. I walked to the other end of the building and located the male kingfisher perched on a reed stem. After a couple of minutes it dived, caught a fish and then stared along the water's edge again, coming into swallow airspace. Before it was forced down again, it spun back and this time flew deep into the reeds.

Kev continued to search for the RC pochard but to no avail. I had a friend's wedding anniversary celebration to attend and so we called it a day and made it home by teatime - another good day out with a few ticks ... can't be bad.

Year list: 218.

Bucks, Bicester Wetlands & about :: 15 June 2024

Kev @kev07713 and I only had a long morning for birding this weekend as Kev had a family birthday to attend in the afternoon - the weather was also forecast to be rubbish and so we decided to keep it local. We met earlyish and made our way to a site in Buckinghamshire that had reported a calling male quail, something we like to connect with each year. Found in grasslands, farmland, and open countryside, quail are small, plump birds with a mottled brown plumage that provides good camouflage in their grassy habitats. They are migratory, arriving in the UK during the summer months to breed before migrating back to Africa in the winter - they are omnivorous, eating a mix of seeds, insects, and other small invertebrates.

We parked up on the side of the single-track road, so that cars could pass, and as soon as we stepped out of the car immediately heard a calling quail. We listened as it worked right across the field, eventually pausing right of centre, occasionally stopping and calling; it is a distinctive call and often described as a "wet-my-lips" sound. It is a three-note call, with the second note usually being the loudest and most pronounced - the call serves to attract females and establish territory. Interestingly, while we were there a second bird called from the field to the right, less pronounced but definitely a call from a second location. While hoping to catch a glimpse we could see a number of curlew flying and so we all ought to be considerate and minimise disturbance of curlew potentially nesting in the same fields - currently at their most vulnerable.

We bumped into Colin Oram who had tried for the bird the previous evening and been unsuccessful - back for another try. The bird had fallen silent, and we left him on his quest, deciding to make for Bicester Wetlands Reserve as a couple of green sandpipers have been reported there of late - somehow managed to avoid seeing any so far this year.

We entered the main hide to see if any sandpipers were showing - they weren't. A photographer was in place when we arrived, and we chatted to him about what he'd seen. Eventually we decided that we'd make our way round to the back pool but as we got to the car for our gear the rain started to fall, getting heavier by the minute - we returned to the shelter of the main hide. The other chap was already packing up to go.

We watched as reed and sedge warblers moved around the reedbed to the side of the hide, Cetti's calling but never seen. A lone shelduck swam on the water and has apparently been associating itself with a female mallard and her ducklings - occasional groups of swifts, a handful of swallows and the odd house martin passed over us and the reedbed - the water works behind was playing host to hundreds of hirundines. A single hobby flew through and didn't stop.

Watching the sedge warblers move around it became clear they were leaving and soon returning to the same spot and soon I was able to see a juvenile that was being fed. Eventually I counted four fledglings.

Kev continued to scan and eventually spotted a green sandpiper way off to our left and in the very far corner of the pool across the road. The bird walked back round behind some reeds out of view, and then later relocated several times before getting to within about half the original distance. The green sandpiper is a medium-sized wader that can be seen in the UK primarily during migration periods and in winter - we are lucky to have almost continuous presence of these birds here at Bicester Wetlands. They show dark greenish-brown upperparts with a distinct white belly and underparts, and during flight, a contrasting white rump, and a dark tail. They feed on a variety of invertebrates, including insects, worms, and crustaceans, which they pick from the surface of mud or shallow water - there are several margins and pools that are perfect for them here on the Wetlands.

Alan Peters, the Reserve Manager, arrived and we had a nice chat about the reserve, visiting birds, and the quail we'd visited earlier. It also gave Kev an opportunity to collect a key for the reserve - a keyholder's reserve here - not to be reliant on being with me and using mine.

Alan eventually left to go and try to hear/see the quail and not long after a mash harrier appeared on the far side of the reedbed. It was mobbed by some lapwings and crows but continued quartering the area, occasionally stalling, and dropping towards the reeds. After a few minutes it dropped into the base of a tree and was lost, and before Kev could set up and start videoing.

The rain seemed to have passed for the moment and so we left the hide and went to have some breakfast before relocating to a village where there are regular spotted flycatchers. Refueled we arrived and parked the car short of where we might be standing, starting to listen and watch. Slowly we walked on, coming across a section of wall that had been dismantled - we knew it had been dismantled, rather than having fallen, as stones were 'neatly' stacked, there was a great deep hole under where the wall would have been, there were various tools scattered around the area, and some roots removed that had encroached into and under the wall. Kev immediately vocalised the worry that this disturbance wouldn't help our quest. This was reinforced when a workman started up a chainsaw and started clearing once more. Fortunately, it didn't last long, and he was interesting to chat to - we couldn't see any of our flycatchers and so eventually worked back down the lane, hoping to find a displaced bird.

We were passing a gateway to some disused outbuildings and stopped when a bird flitted through, landing on a floodlight - a spotted flycatcher. We watched as it left, but it soon returned to the same spot this time with a fly in its beak. It then flew right, and we presumed to a nest site.

These insect-eating birds breed across Europe and migrate back to Africa for the winter. They have a relatively plain appearance and song but can be recognised by their upright posture and a habit of perching conspicuously while hunting for insects; typically, they hunt from a perch, darting out to catch prey mid-air before returning to the same or a nearby perch. They build nests in many structures including tree crevices, buildings, or on branches, typically laying 4-5 eggs. A second bird appeared. Watching them was very entertaining due to their behaviour and hunting styles, although much of the time they were hunting along and behind structures looking for prey rather than displaying their considerable aerobatic prowess.

Though not the most colourful of birds, their subtle plumage and movements have a charm of their own, and the streaked (not spotted!) chest and delicate feathers add to their understated beauty.

The rain came down and we watched two birds on a fence, one departed and the other stopped out. Kev got a nice video of the remaining bird and the rain and posted it on X here. We had to get Cinders home for his birthday party and so drew our outing to a close with this encounter.

Year list: 215.

Berkshire & WWT Slimbridge : 07 & 08 June 2024

Back from Scotland and time for our annual pilgrimage to see nightjar and woodcock. Kev @kev07713 Karen @karenheath62 Charlotte and I dropped down to a site we know in Berkshire that is an ideal habitat offering a mix of open ground for hunting and dense cover for roosting during the day. We parked in a lane and made the short walk from there to the same area we enjoyed the spectacle last year.

Nightjars feed on flying insects, particularly moths and beetles, catching their prey in flight using their wide mouths and bristle-fringed feathers. The best time to observe them is during their active periods at dusk and dawn, and although we'd seen some video footage of the dawn period, our preference was for dusk.

We saw a pair of great spotted woodpeckers in their preferred tree and watched as both left to feed and probably return with food for their nest. Very shortly after we had our first indication confirming the presence of nightjars, churring very early at 7.39pm - nightjars are known for their distinctive churring song; it lasted only a couple of minutes and then stopped for the next couple of hours.

We chatted and listened (just in case) but noted that we'd had our first flyover woodcock at 9.00pm last May (the report here) - it wasn't until almost 9.20pm before we had our first view of a woodcock this time. The light was being lost quickly and I managed a few record shots of woodcocks as they started to pass regularly - circa 15 while we were counting.

Once we'd counted 15 woodcock flyovers the nightjars started calling around us, mainly from behind. Kev strolled back to see where the calls may be coming from and found an individual in a tree - he managed to get a video (see his post on X here) before the bird departed and I arrived (no chance for a record shot). We watched over the back treeline and had great views of flying nightjars, watching them drop into the heather and scrub before rising again. All too far for photos, and the light had gone. Woodcocks continued to pass over, but we were distracted now.

A couple of people appeared, conducting a nightjar survey for the BTO. They moved around the area to get the best views and record the number of birds calling. Since nightjars are primarily active at night, they are difficult to study, and little was known about their movements during breeding and migration. However, recent tracking with high-resolution GPS devices has provided the most detailed and accurate information ever on the migration and movements of British nightjars. These surveys at known locations are an excellent way to monitor changes through the seasons and over the years.

We watched at least three nightjars flying and perching on various trees and Kev managed to take another video - I was again on the other side of the trees and path - idiot. I'd had great views though, just not the photo I wanted. We eventually packed up and made for the car - we'd be getting home after midnight.

Kev and I agreed to meet the following morning and made for WWT Slimbridge - as it doesn't open for members until 8.30am, we didn't rush. There were a handful of cars already in the car park - members that had gone in a little early. We got kitted up and made for Middle Point where a white-spotted bluethroat has been showing again. This is most likely a returning individual that birders have been going to see for the last three years. I feel it is becoming easier to see – I’ve heard a number of people recount the number of repeat visits they had before seeing it in previous years, but it has been a simpler exercise in the last two.

Male bluethroats are particularly colourful, with a bright blue throat featuring a white or sometimes reddish spot, a white belly, and a combination of brown and orange on the upperparts and flanks. The primary component of the bluethroat’s diet includes insects such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, ants, and spiders and so the bird is often out of view and down in the reeds. Bluethroats typically forage on the ground, where they search for insects and other invertebrates among leaf litter, under stones, and in low vegetation.

We passed a birder coming the other way who confirmed the bird was showing - we walked on reaching the Shepherd's Hut and set up outside. As expected, the bird had gone to ground and we scanned around waiting for a view - reed and sedge warblers, and reed buntings popped up and down. A crane flew passed.

After quite a wait Kev spotted our bird on a post way off to our left - he alerted the assembled birders, and we all got our tick.

For the next half an hour it flew up and down this fence line, occasionally dropping from view for 5 - 10 minutes. Eventually it did the decent think and perched on a long twig protruding above the reeds and made a record shot a bit easier. Eventually it flew right at greater distance and out of view.

I was scanning with binoculars and pointed out where I was searching on posts in front of the reeds, away to our right; Kev scanned the area and picked up our bird again. It was too far for photos but soon it reappeared on another perch out in front of us. We decided to make our way back to the Visitor's Centre for some breakfast/brunch.

We made our way round past Rushy Hide having seen a report of drake garganey there just an hour before. Entering the hide it wasn't apparent that it was there at all but as we know they can go AWOL for long periods of time, sleeping/feeding in reeds or dense scrub. It took a while but eventually I saw it in a bay largely concealed by reeds, before it disappeared - Kev didn’t have a chance to see it. 15 minutes had passed when it reappeared at the end of the scrub and at the very far end of the pool. It is entering eclipse plumage and so not quite the stunning individual I'd been hoping for.

Talking of stunning birds, the gadwall is usually a rather plain species but at this time of year really ups its game. A number of these striking individuals were preening close in front. A male gadwall in breeding plumage has a finely marked grey head and neck, with a subtly mottled appearance. The body is primarily grey, featuring intricate patterns and a distinct black rear end.

Just in front of the garganey were two families of shelduck, the young looking particularly cute, quite a number with each pair of parents. They took to the water and looked very conscious that they should stay close to mum and dad. A little ringed plover dropped in very briefly.

We continued walking, and while I paused to watch a warbler in a tree, a kingfisher flew over the path between us and a woman approaching from the other direction. It headed towards a pool beyond a hide. Hoping it might stay around the pool, we entered the hide and spotted it right in front of us. The kingfisher perched for a couple of minutes before relocating to another branch on the left side of the pool. Before finally departing, it moved to the front of the reeds and scanned the water below.

Out in the fields beyond we could see an Egyptian goose on the edge of a pool, feeding on the grasses.

We toured around the rest of the hides and enroute Kev rescued a drinker moth caterpillar crossing a path where it was very likely to be stepped on - footfall traffic was very heavy now. I suggested that he should select an implement to lift it with as I'm sure I'd read that the contact with the hairs is an irritant and care should be taken if you handle one of these. Of course, Kev didn't listen - I know how his wife Karen feels 😂. Reading up on this species it appears that this large, fluffy-looking moth is on the wing in July and August, but that you might spot a caterpillar at almost any time of year. They're most often found in marshy places such as the habitat we were standing in at Slimbridge, the caterpillars feeding on a variety of grasses and reeds. The moth is called the "drinker" because of the caterpillar's habit of drinking drops of dew from grass stems.

Eventually we reached the Kingfisher Hide and found that there were no views of kingfishers to be had. Scanning around we saw a crane working through the meadow to the right, just visible above the long grasses. This crane became two as another raised its head above the height of the grass and followed the first as it worked further and further right.

As they got closer to one another, I had the thought to try and get the two birds in the same photo; as I focussed, I saw a juvenile working along between them. Now trying to get the three in the same photo, I spotted a second juvenile ahead of the leading adult. Like most cranes, this species displays indefinite monogamous pair bonds and their clutch usually contains two eggs, with seldom one laid and, even more rarely, 3 or 4. It was therefore great to see the successful fledging of likely both eggs. I got a photo with three birds, but never the four.

Trying to distract us were three roe deer (one buck and two does) also working through the meadow and dropping to the pool edge for a drink. One doe made the most of abilities prancing left to where the buck was largely concealed from view.

It was getting late in the day, and we could see reports of diversions on the road home, so made tracks encountering road closures and road works in a few places.

Year list: 213.