August 2011

I was on holiday in Tenerife with Emma and her family till the 12th. Based in the SW I did manage a few full days birding out there, that included an offshore pelagic for Whales and Dolphins (Bottlenosed Dolphins and Short-finned Pilot Whale were both seen in abundance), a day trip to La Gomera added Bulwer's Petrel and Little Shearwater amongst the hundreds of Cory's Shears from the boat. Laurel Pigeon and Barbary Falcon were seen on the island but Bolles Pigeon eluded me everywhere! A trip up Mount Teide got me Canary, Sardinian Warbler, Barbary Partridge, Rock Sparrow, Blue Chaffinch, African Blue Tit and Canary sub-species of Great Spotted Woodpecker and Tenerife Goldcrest. Other decent birds on the holiday were Bertholot's Pipit, Canary Island Chiff-chaff, Southern Grey Shrike, Pallid Swift and obviously Spanish Sparrows. All in all an enjoyable and relaxing holiday.Highlights in Hampshire the rest of the month were migrant Honey Buzzard over Ringwood, Red-crested Pochard at Ibsley Water (both 13th), Wood Sandpiper at Titchfield Haven (14th), Sabine's Gull over Sopley Pig Fields (18th), Great-white Egret on Ibsley Water (22nd), an obliging Wryneck at Warsash (29th) and Temminck's Stint at Farlington Marshes (31st). An adult Cattle Egret was also seen at Stanpit Marshes, Dorset on the 22nd whilst trying to relocate a Purple Heron on the Avon. 4 Days were spent seawatching in Cornwall towards the end of month over the bank holiday with Olly Metcalfe, Tim Jones and Joe Stockwell. The highlight for myself was a Cory's Shearwater off Porthgwarra on the first morning as this was actually a lifer!! Other birds seen and generally in quite good numbers were: Great (several), Sooty, Balearic and Manx Shearwaters, Bonxie, Pomarine (several) and Arctic Skuas, Storm Petrel (severel), Sabine's Gull (3), single Roseate Tern etc from Porthgwarra or Pendeen. Basking Shark, Harbour Porpoise, Bottlenose Dolphin and Atlantic Common Dolphin were also seen. A Black Kite showed well over The Lizard Village (27th) and a family group of Cirl Buntings were watched in Devon on the return journey (29th).

July 2011

The summer dundrums arrived and so there wasn't alot of stuff about to see or to find yourself anywhere. Hampshire highlights included Turtle Dove, Nightjars and Long-eared Owls at different undisclosed sites. 4 Spoonbills at Needs Ore (16th), with an Osprey there (23rd) and finally a Black Tern was off Hill Head (24th).

The only bird I left county for was my third Stilt Sandpiper at Lodmoor RSPB (also 24th) which was in pristine summer plumage albeit at range.

I left for Tenerife on the last couple of days of the month for a relaxing holiday with Emma and her family.

June 2011

After May being such a disappointment, I didn't hold out much hope for June providing anything better. But how wrong could I be!!

Early on the 6th a female White-throated Robin was found at Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland and so with 30 minutes I was bombing up the motorways. It had suddenly become elusive on arrival and so it wasn't until late afternoon that it appeared in the 'Doctor's Garden' where all the excitement begun. In the process of climbing the 10ft garden wall, I managed to cover myself in black burglar grease but thankfully managed a five minute session watching the bird sunning itself in a garden border.To get up to Cleveland that day I had to cancel work and agreed to work a double shift later that week. I was understandably completely shattered come Friday, and so while cutting some short bars with a circular saw at work I managed to do this:Needless to say, I needed an operation which involved a skin graft, but luckily I missed cutting right thru the tendon and bone. I was in bandages for a good month, and required several weeks worth of therapy afterwards. Obviously I was unable to drive. Which seriously messed me up with Britain's first American White-winged Scoter (form Deglandi) that was found off Blackdog, Aberdeenshire. Usually I would have gone straight away but had to wait till the following weekend for lifts with Dan Houghton and Richard Bonser (who is a driving machine!!). On the 18th the bird was elusive in poor visibility but seen on several occasions amongst the mass of Scoter and Eider. At least 2 drake Surf Scoters were in the same flock too. Further up the coast was an adult drake King Eider on the Ythan that was far more obliging. Hampshire highlights were few and far between but included a 1st summer Caspian Gull at Lower Test Marshes (2nd) and Honey Buzzard, Quail, Turtle Dove and Long-eared Owl at various undisclosed sites throughout the month.

May 2011

Except for a cancelled trip to Bass Rock (due to high winds), that resulted in going to the Farnes for the day. I didn't leave the county once - May was wet, windy and on the whole very disappointing. However the Farnes was as enjoyable as always, thankfully the sun wasn't as bright this time and allowed better photo oppertunities. I spent most of my time photographing the Puffins, to try and better the relatively poor flight shots I got last June.
It was pretty good in county though with a good passage of waders and seabirds; and so several mornings were spent at Cutbridge counting the likes of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits being the most numerous. This was by far the most productive I have ever seen Hampshire in terms of numbers - hightlights included: Wood Sandpiper & Garganey at Farlington (1st), Pomarine Skua (3 on 5th), drake Long-tailed Duck (5th) all past Hurst, Roseate Tern off Hill Head (6th), Ring-necked Parakeet & Pectoral Sandpiper at Pennington (7th), Manx Shearwater (several on 26th), poss Balearic (29th) again off Cutbridge, and 2 Quail (30th).

April 2011

The turn of the month bought particularly nice weather and gave spring migrants the chance to get straight back on breeding territories. By the 9th, I had seen Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Wheatear, Chiff-chaff, Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher and Osprey all back on their traditional breeding grounds in Cumbria. However, that was it for me in Cumbria, the term was over and back to Southampton I went...And what good timing this was.The day after my return; 3 quality county birds were up for grabs - all were potential county ticks for myself and many. First was a Whiskered Tern in Stokes Bay, and despite the early morning start there was no sign. Mid-morning and news of a singing Savi's at Farlington Marshes filtered out...on arrival this bird stopped singing and after waiting 2-3 hours; nothing!
I went for lunch with Emma's family...and as with what always happens when you've arranged something - things get worse! The Black Stork seen briefly the week before flying thru the county was seen 2-3 more times in New Forest at early afternoon. Trying to ignore all the messages; the final straw came when it was relocated by Keith Betton sat in a tree at Slufter's Inclosure. On arrival the bird took flight and circled low several times over my head before dropping down a few hundred yards away in cover. Dusk was spent back at Farlington where the Savi's reeled almost continously!! A week long holiday in Cornwall with the family was a nice break and got in some quality birding while enjoying the early summer. Although I didn't find anything good myself except groppers and Turtle Dove. Highlights included: Long-billed Dowitcher at Lodmoor RSPB enroute, 2 male Woodchat Shrikes in the same field by the campsite at Treen, Bonaparte's Gull on the Hayle and a Night Heron on the return leg in Dorset. Oh..and I dipped two apparent Little Swifts over Wadebridge. Other highlights of the month were Pied Fly at Farlington (14th), 2 Lesser Peckers in the New Forest (16th), Pearl-bordered Fritileries near West Dean (25th) and a bird race score of 137 in daylight hours (30th).

March 2011

March contained mostly local birding around the uni. Highlights included: 1-2 Long-eared Owls at an undisclosed site, 39 Black Grouse, 5+ Hawfinch, and Great Grey Shrike.The only trip out of Cumbria was to Ireland with Dan Pointon, and Mark & Ashley Powell on the 14th. The Indian House Crow at Cobh, Co. Cork failed to show despite an extensive search of the area by midday so we cut our loses and headed off to Rossbeigh, Co. Kerry. Ash Powell soon located the prize a little along from where we had parked fairly close in - the Stejneger's (White-winged) Scoter displayed all features but unfortunately never flew so we could view the full extent of the white in wing. However it was close enough to view its peaking head further back that steeps down gradually to it's prominently angled knob that appeared to hang over the bill, which seperates it from the North American form Deglandii and Velvet Scoter.The following day (15th) saw us take the laborious drive North to Termoncarragh Lake, Co. Mayo for the wintering American Coot which took some work locating. But Ash Powell came up with the goods again. We eventually got closer and could see all features including the white undertail coverts and lack of frontal shield. A hybrid Blue-winged Teal x Shoveler was also on the lake. Back down to Co. Galway that evening we located the Forster's Tern (seen for the 3rd consecutive year) and the usual adult Ring-billed Gull at Nimmo's Pier.The next morning (16th) there was no further sign of the Forster's Tern but a second Ring-billed Gull joined yesterdays bird. We then decided to try again for the House Crow in Cobh. On arrival; within seconds we could hear a distinctive squawk coming from the pier - and almost immediately caught sight of the bird on telegraph wires. I loved watching this bird - this bird has character and will no doubt be here for a very long time!! The rest of the day was spent looking for our own stuff around Great Island but all we could muster up were some white-winged Gulls. Neither of which I saw. Again thanks are in order to Mark for doing all the driving!

February 2011

The first half of the month was generally quiet as with most February's, so local birding was the name of the game and considering this is Cumbria there really isn't much to see. A Long-tailed Duck was at Lake Windermere where three Otters (female + 2 cubs) which showed well:
I eventually gave up looking for Waxwings, but they continued to pop up everywhere including outside my kitchen window which is where I got this image:
Mid-month it kicked off again with the unexpected re-discovery of the Oriental Turtle Dove in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. I twitched the bird on the 15th but should have followed my gut feeling and not bothered as it was a no show. It was no surprise that the following day it was in the garden again and so a second attempt on the 17th took place. Right on cue, the bird flew over the road at 07:45 and into No.41, The Leys where we watched the bird for a good 30 minutes before the bird disappeared again.On the 25th, Dan Houghton, Ed Bennett and myself made the journey north to Kennacraig for the ferry to Islay for a three day visit. Our aim of course was the Richardson's Canada Goose. Not really knowing where we was likely to bump into it, we scanned every flock of Barnacles from the ferry to Gruinart Flats RSPB but there was no sign. We did however find several groups of Greenland White-fronts. At the end of the day we did find it in a field next to the visitor centre which is apparently its favoured spot and so this was where we saw it for the next two mornings. other good birds on this trip were White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Chough, Black Guillemot and Iceland Gull.