Category: Birdwatching

Bird Fair August 2019

This year British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water is donating its proceeds to Cambodia’s Big 5, White-shouldered Ibis, Giant Ibis, White-rumped Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture and Red-headed Vulture.

Rutland WaterRutland Water Dunlin Hide

Once we had finished putting up the tent we went to the main marquee to watch Moth Trap Releasing with Phil Stirling and Richard Lewington.  They had good selection including a few hawk moths such as poplar, elephant and privet.

There was heavy rain on Friday that meant the site was very muddy all weekend, but I managed to do a moth trap Saturday evening.  I trapped Peach Blossom, Magpie, Golden Spot, plus a few more that were new.

Moth Releasing Live
Angel Shades
Early Thorn
Gold Spot
Magpie
Sallow Kitten
Private Hawk Moth
Peach Blossom
Few moths from the event and my moth trap

At the Wild Zone we did pond dipping and bug hunting with Mike Dilger and found a lot of different life.  Had a good selection of beetles including ground, lesser stag and violet ground beetles.

On the pond dip we had couple new finds including screech beetle larva, pirate otter spider and a caterpiller.  Our friend Neil known as pond man, Nick Baker, RSPB, Leicester Wild Life Trust and Richard Lewington were not able to identify whilst we was at the show.  We managed to identify it as a Parapoynx Sratiotata moth caterpiller, one of four different aquatic moths in the UK that Richard and Neil later confirmed.

Lessor Stag Beetles
PondDip
Pirate Otter Spider
Parapoynx Sratiotata Caterpillar
Volucella
Hawker Dragonfly Larvae
Selection from pond dipping and bug hunting

A handy thing about staying on site is that you can get up early in the morning to catch the early birds.  Such as White Throat, Lesser White Throat, Blue, Great, Marsh & Long Ttailed Tits,Bull, Gold and Chaffinches, Willow Warbler, plus excellent views of Chiffchaffs.  We had a couple trips out on the reserve bird watching including a walk with the BTO younger birders.

We managed to find Black Tern and Ruddy Shelduck and identify ourselves, plus later had help identify Yellow Legged Gull.  A Wood Sandpiper dropped in for a short while then flew off and a Great White Egret stalked for food.

There was also great views of Osprey’s during the weekend flying, on the nest, plus managed to get a photo of one with a fish.

Common Tern
Chaffinch
Great White Egret
Wood Sandpiper
Opsrey Nest
Avocet
Black Tern Common Tern
Yellow Legged Gull
Yellow Leg Gull
Ruddy Shelduck
Raven
Osprey
A variety of birds over the weekend

Was great to have so many people on the BTO walk, more than last year.

BTOYoungBirdersBTO Young Birders and Naturalists

OverallI had a great weekend and caught up with many of my friends, plus made some new ones.

Twitter links of some young naturalists that I met
Toby Carter – @tobywarbler
Calum Mckellar –  @mckellar_calum
Kabir Kaul – @kaulofthewilduk
Arjun Dutta – @arjundutta210

Frampton 03/08/2019

Had a good day at Frampton Marshes, highlight was seeing the Long Billed Dowitcher.  Was a day of waders including Spotted Redshank, Knot, Turnstone, Ruff, Dunlin, Redshank, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Common & Wood Sandpiper, Black & Bar Tailed Godwits.

There were also eight Spoonbill that were at the reserve and managed to get a photo when a Marsh Harrier flow over and spooked everything.

Many Painted Ladies were feeding on the teasel, some looked as though they had newley emerged as they were in good condition.

Black Tailed Godwits
Black Tailed Godwits

Frampton Marshes

Frampton Marshes

Fungi

Fungi

Painted Lady

Painted Lady

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher

Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler

Spoonbill

Spoonbill Feeding

 

SpoonbillsFly

Spoonbill in flight

Spoonbill FlightB.JPG

Spoonbill in flight

 

 

 

 

 

Norfolk 23/02/2019

Today we had a foggy start, but a sunny end which resulted in 3 lifers and a whole lot of new birds to add onto the year list in Norfolk. We went to Lynford Arboretum, Sculthrope Moor, Holkham Gap and ended up at Titchwell.

We started off early-like always-for an unexpected day ahead of us. The first stop was at Lynford Arboretum and we was engulfed in all of the bird calls with a variety of different types of tit, finch and thrush. After a brief wander around we met a man that kindly informed us that there were Hawfinches in the paddock next to us and when we got there, there was a flock of about 20 of them in a tree. After finishing off we then moved onto Sculthrope Moor.

Hawfinch

Hawfinch

Once we had arrived there we were told that the Arctic Redpoll was still on the feeders so we rushed down there to see it. Unfortunately, it had flew away before we got there but whilst we was waiting for it there was multiple lesser and mealy redpolls going on and of the feeder also lots of siskin as well.

Lesser and Mealy Redpoll

Lesser (right) and Mealy  (left) Redpoll

There were multiple woodpeckers such as green that kept laughing, great spotted drumming with the occasional call, finally a lesser spotted woodpecker was drumming in the back ground which was one of the lifers.

Long Tailed Tit

Long Tailed Tit

After a while the Artic finally dropped onto the left hand feeder and showed for a bit before disappearing of again.

Artic Redpoll

Artic Redpoll (right Bottom)

Then we went around a few hides and unexpectedly got a willow tit which was a lifer also good view of brambling and bullfinch then went onto Holkham Gap to get snow bunting and shore lark which sadly did not get so when to Titchwell.

Bullfinch

Bullfinch

When we were on our way to Titchwell we had a red kite fly over the car which was nice. Once we had arrived, there were a lot of birds down at the beach so we hurried along the costal path. When going along it we had very good views of water rail which was nice and when we had eventually got to the beach there were hundreds of waders including avocet, ruff, grey plover, knot, sanding, black and bar tailed godwit also curlew and dunlin. Once we had started sea watching there were many goldeneyes of shore and one smart adult male long tailed duck. Then just before we was going to head back for lunch we had a male red breasted merganser fly in and landed on the sea, also a gannet flew through which was both new for the year. Then on the way back we just about got a glimpse of the spotted redshank which was also new for the year.

Water Rail
Sanderling
Barnowl
Avocet
Water rail

After lunch we went to try and find the red crested pochard which we eventually found at the back of the pool. Then we decided to make a final stop to the beach which resulted in a black throated diver which was new for the year list and the hundredth bird also a slavonian grebe.  Then on the way back we got a male hen harrier and a barn owl on a post. We ended on 103 birds for the day 140 for the year and 245 for life.

 

Thetford 02/02/19

Went to Thrtford Forest (Santon Downham) and then onto Sculthorpe Moor to try and get a varity of birds including Great Grey Shrike but did not manage to see one.  Did though get two new birds that I had never seen before, Brambling and Goshawk.

Our Highlights were Crossbill fly over, Lessor and Mealy Redpoll, Siskin, Bullfinch, Green and Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Creeper and Nuthatch.

Blackbird
Brambling
Bullfinch
Goshawk
Redpoll
Siskin
Water rail