Grimsbury Reservoir :: 09 April 2018

I was just about to leave the house for work when I received an update from Twitter - @987jonty had been out early again and had found a common scoter at Grimsbury Reservoir. I packed up my stuff, jumped in the car and dropped in on the way to the office.

As I arrived and parked, I met Mike Pollard. We walked round to the west bank and could already see a black duck in the middle of the water [#101].

We could see @987jonty further round and he made his way to us - the bird had spent the entire time in the middle of the water. As we watched swallows [#102] and house martins [#103] circled, picking up flies as they went.

We all set off for work but @987jonty and Mike suggested they might drop in after work, Mike on his way to the BOS meeting. In fact, when I returned at lunchtime, Mike was there and I'd just missed @987jonty. The scoter was in exactly the same position - too far for a good photo. I didn't see the little ringed plover that had been there just minutes before I arrived but did see a grey wagtail [#104].

Wroxton Abbey :: 08 April 2018

It had just started to rain when I read the message from Mike Pollard on the Banbury Birding WhatsApp group - 6 hawfinch between the entrance to the grounds and the main building. I duly arrived but was unsuccessful in finding the group - Mike did say they were shy ... instead I watched nuthatch, chiffchaff and a drumming greater spotted woodpecker. Rained throughout but I didn't seem to get that wet.

Sunday lunch awaited and true to form (lunchtime and spring) we had good views of a male sparrowhawk in the back garden; initially it was sitting on one of the feeder poles (no way to attract lunch) and then for quite a while on the fence. He showed considerable interest in a greenfinch which arrived in a nearby tree but presumably the odds of covering the ground and catching it were not good.

Sightings at Wroxton (16) were: blackbird, blue tit, carrion crow, chaffinch, chiffchaff, great spotted woodpecker, great tit, house sparrow, jackdaw, mallard, mistle thrush, mute swan, nuthatch, robin, starling and woodpigeon.

Grimsbury Reservoir :: 07 April 2018

I haven’t found time to be out birding locally all month so decided to head down to Grimsbury Reservoir for a quick circuit. It was surprisingly warm, reaching 17C.

First sighting was not a bird but a fox, waiting and watching in the field to the west of the reservoir. No sign of the hirundines reported by @grimsbury_birds earlier but a peregrine over, headed towards the Mondelez factory.

Chiffchaffs [#99] were very vocal and quite a few near the bridge between the river and the train tracks. A pair of buzzards circled above.

Halfway back to the car I found the willow warbler pair [#100], quite high in the trees but helpfully singing (eventually).

Perhaps I’ll need to get up earlier and catch the early visitors.

Sightings (23) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, buzzard, carrion crow, chaffinch, chiffchaff, collared dove, dunnock, goldfinch, great tit, jackdaw, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, mute swan, peregrine, pied wagtail, robin, rook, willow warbler, woodpigeon and wren.

Seamill :: 03-05 April 2018

It has been a while since I got up to Scotland to see my parents. Booked the family into the Seamill Hydro but for the first three days it rained. From the hotel room it was possible to watch the shoreline and soon I had added red-breasted merganser to the year list.

Thursday was forecast to be set fair so I got up early and was on the beach before 7.00am. Initially no sign of the pair of mergansers but a photo of a bird flying over the waves turned out to be the male. Small flocks of rock pipit teased in the half light and skylark and meadow pipits regularly rose in song and dropped back to earth.

Before heading off to my parents house I got another view of the female merganser, in the water and on the wing.

The work on the retaining wall between the hotel and the burn is now complete but there was no sign of the dippers. Sand martins through and the year list progressed to 98 - I wonder what will take me to 100?

Sightings (42) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, carrion crow, chaffinch, collared dove, common gull, cormorant, curlew, dunnock, eider, gannet, goldfinch, great black-backed gull, great tit, greenfinch, grey heron, herring gull, hooded crow, house sparrow, jackdaw, lesser black-backed gull, magpie, meadow pipit, mute swan, oystercatcher, pied wagtail, red-breasted merganser, redshank, robin, rock dove / feral pigeon, rock pipit, rook, sand martin, shag, shelduck, skylark, song thrush, starling, teal, wigeon and wren.

Wildlife BCN Summer Leys :: 25 February 2018

My first visit to Summer Leys this year. Updates on the Northants Birding website suggested I’d have a chance to encounter great white egret and brambling. A cold one but it didn’t seem to have deterred the visitors - the car park was full by the time I arrived. I’m sure everyone is happy for the interest in the site but I saw evidence of frustration that some use the site as a Country Park when it is actually a Wildlife Reserve.

In the car park was a manned Wildlife Trust tent. A brief chat confirmed that a single great white egret was showing on the western island looking from the hide shoreline. Sure enough, as I got to the Pioneer hide the GWE was visible but so distant that a photo was pointless.

Of note was the the count of wigeon and gadwall on the water, but few lapwing. Lapwing seem to have located in the surrounding fields rather than on the islands.

I met a woman photographing a great tit who said the screen at the feeding station had been busy with up to ten cameras following the brambling. It wasn’t long until I got there finding only two people. The brambling wasn’t visible but was reported to be taking 15min breaks from the feeders.

The female brambling turned up on the nearest table giving good views. At this point one of the others commented that they had seen the male that had turned up the day before - I waited 10mins and sure enough we were graced by the appearance of the male.

From the disused railway embankment, looking over Gull Island, a red kite harried the assorted gulls. Behind, a buzzard was being mobbed by a crow and a kestrel flew passed and onto a post, unfortunately facing the other way and flying off before I could get a photo.

Back at the Rotary Hide, the GWE was visible in the reeds ahead from the Pioneer Hide - although not visible from Pioneer.

I’m looking forward to coming back, although on the end he of my normal range for Saturday mornings.

Sightings (41) included: black-headed gull, blackbird, blue tit, brambling, bullfinch, buzzard, Canada goose, carrion crow, chaffinch, common gull, coot, cormorant, dunnock, fieldfare, gadwall, goldfinch, great crested grebe, great tit, great white egret, greenfinch, greylag goose, herring gull, kestrel, lapwing, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, moorhen, mute swan, oystercatcher, pochard, red kite, reed bunting, robin, rook, song thrush, teal, tufted duck, wigeon, woodpigeon and wren.

RSPB Arne & Branksome Dene Chine :: 16 February 2018

Half term and off to visit my daughter in Bournemouth. We have had the opportunity to try out a few B&Bs over the last three years and we have settled on one which is out of town on the edge of Poole / Sandbanks, almost opposite the top of Branksome Dene Chine.

Last October we were lucky enough to spot firecrest a hundred or so yards down from the top of the Chine so on this visit it was only natural to have another look - in fact we made it a daily visit on our way down to the promenade for our morning stroll and coffee.

Happily we were not disappointed and were able to watch these birds flit from tree to bush, hardly stopping long enough for me to get off any photos. However, with the new camera body [Nikon D7500] and the greater tolerance to low light (ISO settings) allowed me to take some photos at 1/500 thus avoiding much blur. I am very happy with the results and have been surprised by the positive response on Twitter.

Mid-morning we picked up our daughters and drove over to Mortons House Hotel at Corfe Castle in Wareham for lunch. As usual, the triple decker BLT was popular. We didn’t stay long as we were off to RSPB Arne for a walk around.

Arriving at the reserve, the main car park was full and we were immediately directed to the overflow car park. This suited us as we had decided that we would follow the Coombe Heath trail, as we had in February 2017. We walked round in a clockwise rotation stopping at the first screen. From here we could see Brent geese on the water and the fields beyond, redshank, avocet, shelduck, and had a spoonbill fly over. We continued onto the hide and from here could appreciate the numbers of avocet present - a few hundred rather than the 500 last time. We also added curlew, dunlin and black-tailed godwit.

Coming off of the estuary path we saw a single white doe off to the right - sika deer - and then two more in the gorse to the left. Despite looking we couldn’t locate any dartford warbler. Another couple of doe sika deer on the return trail before heading to the reserve cafe for drinks.

On the way back to the car we stopped off at the feeding station as they were closing up the hut. Charlotte had seen nuthatch earlier (but I hadn’t) but it stayed away - the consolation prize was a single male siskin on the feeders.

This really is a good place to visit and I’ll likely be back if not just to find dartford warbler later in the season.

Sightings (30) included: avocet, black-headed gull, black-tailed godwit, blackbird, blue tit, brent goose, carrion crow, chaffinch, coal tit, cormorant, curlew, dunlin, dunnock, great tit, kestrel, lapwing, little egret, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, mistle thrush, pied wagtail, redshank, robin, shelduck, siskin, spoonbill, teal, wigeon and woodpigeon.

RSPB Otmoor :: 11 February 2018

A sunny, cold and blustery day but better than the rain yesterday. Charlotte was out playing tennis from lunchtime so Sunday lunch was rescheduled for teatime. A visit to RSPB Otmoor was called for.

The car park was quite full again. It is good to see the interest in the reserve; its while since I visited and the car park was quiet. Nothing much around the car park or up to the feeding station; at the feeding station it was business as usual with ground feeders interrupted by two squirrels and a male pheasant. Just as I went to move on a kestrel swooped into position and hovered over Moorleys.

Crows, geese and ducks on Greenaways and not much in the sky. As I reached the turn for the hide, a mixed flock of golden plover and lapwing took to the wing, spooked by an invisible foe - noticeably fewer than when I was here in mid-January. In the hide the mixed seed was attracting good number of linnet, reed bunting, chaffinch and yellowhammer.

Onwards to the first screen, finding good numbers of wildfowl. It was noticeable that the water level was higher as the two island, one straight ahead and one to the right were both submerged. This meant that no snipe were visible and the majority of the birds rested on the leftmost waters edge. Waiting quietly a shout went up from the other inhabitant saying that the hen harrier was up - the male. Although distant it was beautiful to watch as it quartered the far edge of the reed bed, near the oak tree. All too brief but at least I got a photo this time. Shortly after a female marsh harrier followed suit hunting more to the left and slightly closer.

On the way back along the path between Greenaways and The Closes a redshank was spooked from one edge of a pond to the other, disappearing into the short grass stubble.

A cold but worthwhile visit.

Sightings (37) included: blackbird, blue tit, buzzard, canada goose, carrion crow, chaffinch, coot, dunnock, goldcrest, golden plover, goldfinch, great tit, grey heron, greylag goose, hen harrier, kestrel, lapwing, linnet, long-tailed tit, magpie, mallard, marsh harrier, moorhen, mute swan, pheasant, pochard, red kite, redshank, reed bunting, robin, rook, shoveler, stonechat, teal, tufted duck, woodpigeon and yellowhammer.