Bittell Reservoirs and Hopwood area (2 Viewers)

[keithr]

House Martin....

 

[keithr]

LOWER....

Approx 20 Lapwing on right shore ( distant).
Also one Wader....Sandpiper ish but no bobbing....oh hang on a bit of bobbing now..lol...so far off to tell.


MILL SHRUB...Adult Male King on middle post until it saw me...then flew off to far end.

Now 2 Oystercatcher with the Waders on Lower.


UPDATE.....going with a Green Sandpiper....it was always miles away !!

 

[keithr]

LOWER...bit later....

With light fading fast at 8.30pm I was breaking down the tripod and scope while having camera around my neck.....just folding up the 3rd leg i looked up and thought "whats that Duck up to"......dont know how I held camera scope and tripod all at the same time but just clicked while there was just a head showing.......quickly placed the tripod down and had to move to get camera over the hedge as it came out of the water...stopped to see if I was still looking and ran into the trees........another nature highlight ...yippee.

 

[keithr]

...and few more

 

[Rob_S]

Great shots Keith.

 

[JoshT01]

Water levels on Upper have dropped significantly over the last week. 10 Barnacles 5 metres from dam yesterday evening.

 

[keithr]

Every time I go to Upper there are no visible Barnacles....hope I am lucky next time.

 

[Rob_S]

In the absence of much activity on the water this time of year, I decided to walk the fields and see how Bittells 'farmland bird' situation was looking. Despite rapid decrease all over the UK taking its toll in the area, numbers of Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Linnet and considerable numbers of Lapwing can still be seen with not too much effort. Good to see that they are still around, and seem to be doing alright. Would be nice to see R.L. Partridge around Bittell, but I'm sure they are around somewhere.....

I've still yet to properly see a Yellowhammer around Bittell.

Brief walk across the fields at the north end of Upper Bittell on Weds evening produced a small flock of Greylags in the fields, two sizable groups of Greenfinches, and fleeting glimpses of what I *think* was a couple of Corn Buntings. If anyone can confirm the presence of the last of these, I'd appreciate it.

 

[JoshT01]

I've still yet to properly see a Yellowhammer around Bittell.

Brief walk across the fields at the north end of Upper Bittell on Weds evening produced a small flock of Greylags in the fields, two sizable groups of Greenfinches, and fleeting glimpses of what I *think* was a couple of Corn Buntings. If anyone can confirm the presence of the last of these, I'd appreciate it.

I've never seen any Corn Buntings around Bittell, but not to say that you didn't see them. I hear Yellowhammers all around on my runs, but I typically see them where you think you saw the Corn Buntings, along the path between Upper and the house at the top of the causeway, and in the fields at the bottom of the causeway. Pass through the field with the patch of bushes/trees just right of the path, and reach the end where the path can take you up the hill or straight on. Anywhere along these hedgerows here can produce yellowhammers.

 

[Rob_S]

Thanks Josh. I'm always on the lookout because you regularly report them. I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

 

[keithr]

I nearly always get Yellowhammer in the hedges that are the boundary of the house with the derelict barn.

 

[Rob_S]

Thanks Keith, I'll check along there next time I'm at Bittell.

 

[keithr]

UPPER...
no Geese but 8 boats out so probably why...lol

4...at least...Common Tern.

 

[Bittell Birder]

Hi all! Water levels dropped at Upper as mentioned by JoshT01. Today held 10 Barnacle Geese mixed in with 30 Canada Geese. Lots of gulls including 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 2 Yellow-Legged Gulls. Also managed a handful of LRP, lots of lapwing, common sandpiper, 2 oystercatcher and 2 Dunlin. Picked up a distant female Redstart, although had disappeared after 30mins of waiting around.

 

[keithr]

Thank you Bittell Birder for letting me look through the scope at the Barnacle Geese...very smart birds....have to get a decent one myself as I sit looking from causeway and cannot spot a thing...lol.

 

[Bittell Birder]

Thank you Bittell Birder for letting me look through the scope at the Barnacle Geese...very smart birds....have to get a decent one myself as I sit looking from causeway and cannot spot a thing...lol.

Pleasure Keith, I would greatly recommend a scope as it is a necessity when viewing from the dam!

 

[keithr]

Pics from Sunday.....

1...Barnacles and Dunlin

2...Barnacles - 10

3...Dunlin - 2

4...Gatekeeper.

 

[keithr]

More from Sunday....

1..2 and 3...Black Headed Gulls

4..Common Terns handing over Fish.

 

[keithr]

Even my Aldi 20 quid one has just committed suicide today....lol

The Barnacles were on far shore around 5pm and at least 2 Common Tern were catching fish by Dam....

Popping back later to see if the Geese come closer.

 

[Bittell Birder]

1 adult Med gull still on far shore, 3 Dunlin also on far shore.