Ten targets for 2017 (1 Viewer)

Nice.
At the end of January Daniel and I had an unsuccessful outing to Arbroath for glaucous gull. There were compensations with 4 purple sandpipers there, a green-winged teal at Balgavies Loch, ridiculously tame goosanders in Dundee, greenshanks etc. on the Eden and 99 scaup in St Andrews.
We had a night away for the boys' half term down in Northumberland. Pacific diver the obvious highlight, but plenty of other goodies including shore lark, c100 twite, 4 Eurasian whitefronts, slavonian grebe and plenty of scaup.
We left ourselves insufficient time to try for the black scoter at Goswick but called in at Belhaven Bay on the way home, adding great northern diver, plenty of long-tailed ducks and another slavonian grebe.
Final highlight (for me and the boys - Sue dipped) was successfully picking up the great grey shrike beside the A1 at East Linton (no chance of stopping and no chance of turning round for about 10 miles!).

Rob

February 18th: part II

Afternoon run out to Marbury for the year's fifth attempt on Bittern. Great thing about Marbury is that behind the blind that overlooks the Coward reed bed is a massive open area for the boys to run riot across while Dad gets on with the scanning which, after year ticking Pochard, I did for an hour or so before old friend from back in the day Zoot rocked up. Excellent to catch up, and to cap it all, just as we were on the point of calling time on the enterprise Zoot saved the day, spotting a very well concealed BITTERN (it was easier to make out than the attached images would suggest, just)! 2016's targets finally wrapped up. A good day.

February 19th

Over three hours trawling through the Scoter flock off Old Colwyn failed to produce any Surfies, but picked up year ticks in the form of several Red-throated Divers and a Long-tailed Duck, as well as drake Scaup as a plumage tick. I picked up just the one female Velvet wing flapping briefly but it was too far out for tickable views for the boys. Plenty of Fulmars on the cliffs, Turnstones on the beach and a single Rock Pipit right by the car as well got ready to head home leaves the year list on 110.

February 19th: part II

An afternoon run up to New Brighton for Purple Sandpipers, another miss from last year, bore fruit. Tide wasn't quite high enough to move them onto the pontoon in the marina but it did force them up onto the top of the breakwater where they could be easily scoped. Sanderling also new for the year.

This morning Daniel and I did some local birding. The outer Eden estuary held more pintail than I have ever seen in Fife before (comfortably into 3 figures). We thought we had missed pale-bellied brent geese but found a flock of 21 in a field beside the A91, together with whooper and mute swans.
Letham pools were very quiet but the American wigeon at Gaddon loch showed very nicely. Interesting behaviour too as it was following a coot around and apparently feeding on weed dislodged when the coot dived. Several Eurasian wigeon were behaving in a similar manner.

Rob

JWN Andrewes said:

Afternoon run out to Marbury for the year's fifth attempt on Bittern. Great thing about Marbury is that behind the blind that overlooks the Coward reed bed is a massive open area for the boys to run riot across while Dad gets on with the scanning which, after year ticking Pochard, I did for an hour or so before old friend from back in the day Zoot rocked up. Excellent to catch up, and to cap it all, just as we were on the point of calling time on the enterprise Zoot saved the day, spotting a very well concealed BITTERN (it was easier to make out than the attached images would suggest, just)! 2016's targets finally wrapped up. A good day.

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Great to see you and the boys James - hopefully we'll get the kids together for a play whilst the dads go birding sometime soon! Not entirely sure your boys have seen the best of a bittern just yet though....

Zoot said:

Great to see you and the boys James - hopefully we'll get the kids together for a play whilst the dads go birding sometime soon! Not entirely sure your boys have seen the best of a bittern just yet though....

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All sentiments I share. :t:

Today has been a family day, so while Surf & Velvet Scoters were showing at Old Colwyn we were waiting to see The Lego Batman Movie, which was truly, truly awful. Roll on tomorrow.

February 21st

A Barn Owl floating round the car park at Willow Tree Fen just after first light yesterday morning was our third in the space of about five miles. From the car park we could see a small herd of Whooper Swans on the water, and hear Wigeon whistling away. Goosanders passed a couple of times overhead and the Skylarks were beginning to sing. We headed off along the main drag, eyes peeled but occasioanlly distracted by Gadwall and Teal on the water to our left, Lapwings to the right on the pasture, then sharply brought back to the reeds along the track by small movements that resolved themselves into Wrens, or Reed Buntings, which had now added their voices to those of the Larks. We were the only people on site at this stage, just before half seven, but it was clear where all the action had been taking place, it looked like Terry Pratchett's Luggage had been field testing a variety of walking boots, vigorously, at one particular spot, now decorated by a couple of posts and some black and yellow tape. So we stood there for a bit, and without noticing it emerging, suddenly the Bluethroat was just there, on the grass verge between the reeds and the track. Absolute gem, it showed fantastically for several minutes before hopping back into the reeds. Job done, brilliant!

With hindsight the next segment of the day was perhaps an tactical error, as we transected the fields around Throckenholt searching for Rough-legged Buzzard, but to no avail. I'd hoped we might perhaps pick up a Grey Partridge or two along the way, or even a Crane, but no, just Red-legs, Pheasants and a handful of Common Buzzards to show for our time.

On then to Great Barford, with Red Kite from the A1 just north of the A14 junction a year tick; didn't realise there were any round here. At the Little Bunting site another year tick, Green Woodpecker, proved hugely popular, rendering the boys their best views to date of this species, with multiple sightings on the ground and up in trees. We then learnt from a departing birder that our protracted Rough-leg dip had cost us prolonged views of the Bunting feeding on the ground. Forty five minutes later we were still empty handed, and Sam was reaching his tolerance for standing still and quiet so we decided to split and try again later.

Now, it may seem that I am ignoring our quest for target species with all of this naughty twitching, but a crucial element of today's itinerary was an attempt on the Paxton Ring-necked Duck so twenty minutes after leaving Barford we were parking up at Doddington, and heading out to scan the new workings. It was all pretty bleak, and I couldn't find it amongst the distant Tufties, or the even more distant Pochards, nor even off on its own anywhere. Oh well, we tried, but by now I was getting twitchy over the Bunting, so back we headed.

Arriving at Barford we learnt that our fruitless sojourn hadn't cost us the Bunting (always a worry) and this time, after just a twenty minute wait, a sharp eyed bearded gent picked the Little Bunting out. As luck would have it his skills at giving directions were every bit as sharp as his eyes and I quickly managed to get the scope on the bird. More luck followed, as when the assorted flock of Chaffinch, Linnet & Reed Buntings spooked and flew up the Little Bunting remained, relying on being in cover to keep it safe and allowing us to keep on it. Also it didn't move around a great deal, so the boys could easily take turns on the scope while I rattled off a load of shots at where the bird was to see later if there was anything recognisable later (results attached).

Stopped off at Draycote on the way home but my unfamiliarity with the site meant we didn't manage to get to where the Red-necked Grebe has been hanging out or find the best place to view the Gull roost for Glaucous Gulls. The best we managed was a sleeping drake Scaup (none last year, third sighting this year, go figure) and twenty minutes in the playground while I reviewed my laughable Little Bunting shots.

Home late, tired, but satisfied.

Nice account and some great birds there Arch. Well done!

John

Good thread that I should have posted on before. I like the ten birds but have seen none so far this year. Got my first Waxwings a couple of weeks ago - not hard as they seem to be loitering around every other supermarket car park in Sheffield. WF Geese have been up the road on various reservoirs but have so far evaded me these last few weeks but Crossbills should be cinch with a flock regularly haunting a pine wood a few miles away. I've only heard Grasshopper Warblers, never seen one so that's my #1 focus on the list. Maybe it's the Turtle Dove actually - again, heard recently but not seen for years. On my own list #1 is Hawfinch.

February 24th

Cheers John, cheers Julian. And Julian, if you ever do a winter North Wales run Hawfinches can usually be found around Llanbedr-y-cennin.

We did our own North Wales run today, but forwent a crack at Hawfinches in favour of starting the day at Old Colwyn, once again clanging out on any exotic Scoters but picking up a nice drake Eider for the year.

Next stop was on Anglesey, Inland Sea, scattered about with Wigeon, Pintail & Goldeneye, Brent Geese to-ing & fro-ing, and there off in the north west corner, a somewhat distant Black-necked Grebe. Also yet more Scaup, this time a modest flotilla of eleven.

Chough & coffee were next on the agenda, both available with ease at the South Stack visitor centre, with two of the former preening on the roof before dropping down to the lawn below the feeders. A single rather lonely looking Razorbill on the sea the only other bird of note here.

More auks, this time Guillemots (Black & regular) were on offer in Holyhead Harbour, along with a breeding plumage Shag sitting on a buoy. Last year tick of the day was a Great Northern Diver in the channel off Penrhos where we drew a blank on Slav Grebe.

Dropped in to Conwy RSPB for a coffee while the boys tore around the play area, then back to Old Colwyn for another scan through the Scoters. Sea a lot flatter now, and much easier to scan through the flocks, but still no joy. Thousands of Scoters, but more without range than within. Enough attempts would, I am sure, bear fruit, but finding the time for such may be an issue. Back to Conwy for an excellent last act, watching the Starlings come in to roost in the reeds. I do love a good day out in North Wales, and this was one.

March 4th: - part I

An uncharacteristically relaxed weekend morning off today. I've recently moved our feeders (the saplings around their previous location had started to envelop them), and the comings and goings of a variety of Tits and Finches have been a major talking point since. Often the first thing I'm told about when getting home from work is who's been visiting, and this morning the boys and I have been watching Siskins, Bullfinches and the like filling up on sunflower hearts. Year lists, targets and so on will keep, sometimes it's nice to just sit at home and watch.

JWN Andrewes said:

Chough & coffee were next on the agenda, both available with ease at the South Stack visitor centre, with two of the former preening on the roof before dropping down to the lawn below the feeders.

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That's a bit dudey Or, to put it another way after looking at the photo, most impressive :t:

Jos Stratford said:

That's a bit dudey Or, to be it another way after looking at the photo, most impressive :t:

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The older I get the more my attitude towards dudey softens!

March 4th: - part II

A gentle afternoon family outing to Burton Mere Wetlands, where we found when we arrived that the Avocets had started to return to nest. Otherwise fairly hum-drum, so we decided, as the drizzle had eased off, to go looking for Short-eared Owls down at Decca Pools. Parking up at Denhall a quick scan revealed a very distant Merlin perched up out on the salt marsh, but it took a brisk stroll all the way to the old quay at Little Neston to find ourselves a Shortie, with a fine male Hen Harrier hot on its heels. Back at the car we added a ring-tail Hen Harrier to the afternoon's tally, getting some grief from a Carrion Crow. Three Marsh Harriers, plenty of Pink-feet, Wigeon, Teal, Lapwings, Redshanks and a couple of Stonechat all joined in the fun. I always used to enjoy visiting this stretch of the Dee marshes way back when, and it's been gratifying on recent visits to find it can still deliver the goods.

March 5th

Started off our fruitless search for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Marbury this morning in light drizzle. By the time we cut and run and made it back into the car clutching our coffee & hot chocolate from the van in the car park, it was fair lashing it down. The morning managed to achieve some sort of redemption with a slight detour for the Frodsham Great Grey Shrike on the way home, but all in all a pretty damp affair. Got home to snow!

Daniel and I had a morning outing to Scone Palace yesterday. Scotland's only reliable site for hawfinch came up trumps with at least 15 seen. Daniel also had a Scottish tick in the shape of nuthatch (which I only heard!), plus the first jay of the year.
On the way back we called at Letham Pools and saw the first lesser black-backs and gadwall of the year.

Rob

Sue is away at the moment (a trip which may include a trip to Stow-on-the-Wold this afternoon!) so the boys accompanied me on my WeBS count on Sunday afternoon.
I have the good fortune to cover Ruddons Point and Shell Bay, which makes for a good birding outing when it isn't too windy.
The drive across Fife produced a ridiculously belated year tick in the shape of stock dove. Cocklemill marsh delivered a few common snipe and a single jack snipe, which gave very nice views and was a lifer for Andrews. No surf scoter but a red-necked grebe coming into summer plumage and a couple of Slavonian grebes were nice. The high tide wader roost contained the overwintering whimbrel (not sure how many years there has been a bird - or sometimes two - wintering here, could be as many as 10th winter).
Razorbills gave good views from Kincraig Point and our first gannets of the year were gathering round a fishing boat.

Not a bad excursion.

Rob

March 19th

I've been keeping a very interested eye on the comings and goings of the big fella in Start Bay the last week or so, and as my weekend off drew closer I started to lay plans. So it was that after an afternoon drive to Exeter on Saturday afternoon and an overnight at the M5 Travelodge (dudey enough for you Jos?! o ) we set off on our quest.

First up was a visit to a well known car park near Brixham, my first visit in fact, and my first real attempt at Cirl Buntings since the days it was necessary to negotiate what seemed like an age of winding country lanes to get down to Prawle. This was so much easier. Having been told which bit of the site would yield the best dividends I parked up at the right end of the car park, stepped out of the car, and from a small bush around 10 yards away I could instantly hear a Cirl Bunting singing. Like I said, so much easier. Excellent point blank views were enjoyed by all, after which a quick check of Birdguides revealed the whale was still off Slapton.

My plan had been to bird around for the rest of the day before hitting Slapton at around three, with the whale's habits of late having been to pop by of an afternoon, but with sightings already coming through I buckled and it we were Slapton bound, via the Dartmouth ferry which went down very well with the boys.

Plenty of Gannets off shore, but no whales, just some rather distant porpoises. And boy was it windy. Kind of damped down a lot of bird activity, had been hoping for maybe a Sand Martin or Swallow or two, but they were keeping well out of it, can't say I blame them. We relocated after an hour or so and went looking for vantage points over the bay, bumping into plenty more Cirl Buntings along the way, as well as a fly-by Peregrine which I thought was a year tick, but the boys assured me we'd had one at World's End (I checked when we got home, they were right, memory's getting worse).

Still no whale though, so we decamped for lunch at Dartmouth Castle and then headed back to Slapton to spend the rest of the day on cetacean stake-out. Plenty more porpoise (buggers to photograph), and the boys had a blast playing on the beach, and eventually the call went up; Humpie had arrived! It was going at quite a rate,awesome beast, brilliant views, but like the porpoises a real challenge to commit to virtual celluloid. Eventually it was lost to view and so, with a five hour drive ahead of us, we struck for home enormously satisfied.

Ps - Many thanks to John & Jon for helpful and timely info!

Well done gang! Nice catch with the immature Peregrine, James, and I see the Humpback did give you some memento pix eventually. Long way home though....

Cheers

John