Griswold' Birding Year 2017 (1 Viewer)

[ClarkWGriswold]

No more birds to add but on returning home I prepped all the veg for tomorrow's dinner. Then finished off reading Running Wild by Mike Tomkies in the back garden. A great book and I thoroughly recommend it. Whilst sitting in the garden it was almost as if the birds knew I didn't have my camera:-O. I could have had some decent shots of the Male Blackcap singing away in the tree right next to the garden; or the Siskins, Bullfinch and Goldfinch feeding no more than 12 feet away. Still. The end to a great birding day and I shouldn't be greedy8-P

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Had a quiet walk with the children today down the Gower. Combined this with ice cream, a visit to the park/ beach and a visit to my brother and they were happy. :t:

Added three year ticks, one of which I really should have had by now. And the third is not an easy bird to get in Wales.

158. Kittiwakes
159. Linnet - at last!
160. Dartford Warbler

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Added another species today feeding over the River Towy. Again, I normally see these earlier in the year but they seem a little late this year.

161. House Martin

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Went to Budapest for the weekend with a bunch of mates. Great place. Friendly people;good beer and decent food. Managed to get out of the bars on Saturday afternoon for a quad bike session. Wish I had my bins. Had a couple of raptors from the bus but as it was travelling at 60mph I was far from certain with the ID's. Are Long legged Buzzards in the area?

Anyway. Managed to add a less than satisfactory year tick flying over the M4, on the way to Heathrow.

162. Ring-necked Parakeet.

Stroll on Scotland8-P

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Had a day out with the children today in the Beacons. At Cwm Cadlan I heard my first Cuckoo of the year. Then, whilst the boys were feeding apples to the horses, I heard my first Tree Pipit.

163. Cuckoo
164. Tree Pipit

Next it was on to Garwnant. Sars dropped me off a couple of miles from the centre and I walked down through the forest to meet them. Couldn't find any Crossbills but every tree and bush seemed to hold Willow Warblers. Plenty of Siskins also around as well as the odd Chiffchaff. Birds of the walk though were 4 immaculate Lesser Redpolls in full breeding plumage - superb birds.

The boys enjoyed the park and the ice cream. My youngest cracks me up when he refers to Dippers as "Up down, funk you up. Up down funk you up" birds. He christened them this when we were watching one bobbing up and down on the canal by my sister's house. :-O

From here it was on to another location. Wheatear, Mipits, Skylarks were along the path. Coming over the brow of the hill was a very pale Common Buzzard, followed by a Red Kite and then a Kestrel. I found a Kestrels nest here a couple of years ago so hopefully they'll breed again in the area this year.

Within 5 minutes of arriving at my destination my target bird was in the bag. As usual, I heard him before I saw him. A handsome male Ring Ouzel.

All in all a very good day. And I've just finished packing for Scotland tomorrow :eek!: I don't like being this organised:-O

165. Ring Ouzel

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Have a few to add from recent few days in Scotland:

166. Twite
167. Common Sandpiper
168. Red Throated Diver

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

169. Arctic Tern
170. Arctic Skua
171. Bonxie
172. Puffin
173. Fulmar
174. Guillemot
175. Razorbill

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

176. Common Crossbill
177. Osprey

Heard Capercaillie but need to see it as it would be a lifer.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

So Kev picked me up at 07:15 this morning and we headed off for Garreg Lwyd. Dotterel had been reported last Monday but nothing since. Given the lack of reports I was mostly looking forward to a good walk.

On arrival we picked the usual Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. At the top we set off to cover as much area as possible. Fortunately there was another birder with his camera trained on something. We did a wide arc so as not to disturb whatever it was he was photographing. Sure enough, there they were. 2 stunning Dotterel. A lifer for all of us present:t: He was doing the same us, and didn't really hold out much hope. Ended up having a decent conversation with him, in particular birding in Scotland, given he had an upcoming trip to Aviemore. A real decent fella.

178. Dotterel Lifer Number 3

We then walked off to where the birds had flown to and ended up having more great views and decent views of a summer plumaged Golden Plover. A year tick for Kev. Having seen the birds early we headed off to a different location as Kev hadn't seen Ring Ouzel this year. Also picked up another year tick for Kev in the form of a Cuckoo as well as the Ring Ouzel.

Driving we both picked up year ticks with Common Redstart and then over Glynneath I had my first Common Swift of the year.

A fantastic morning's birding:t:

179. Common Redstart
180! Common Swift

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Headed West today after work as did a lot of local birders. Thanks to Chris to ongoing information throughout the day.

Initially when Kev and I arrived at Strumble Head we were slightly in the wrong area. Good to complete a recce for a sea watch in Autumn though:t: Thought we were going to add another decent species to our dip list. :-O. Did add a year tick though.

181. Manx Shearwater

Knowing that Chris had seen his bird on telegraph wires we backtracked a bit. Sure enough there he was. An absolutely superb Male Red-footed Falcon sat on the telegraph pole no more than 20ft away. I really missed not having my SX50 and had to settle for a crappy iPhone photo. Watching him do a circuit of the field was an amazing sight. :t:

182. Red-footed Falcon. Lifer #4B B B

A really unexpected bonus so stroll on Sunday and the Forest of Dean.

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I need to get a camera soon:-O

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

After clearing the shed, and dumping a load of stuff, along with cleaning the patio/decking yesterday I'd earned enough brownie points for a day's birding.

The day started well enough but unfortunately tailed off toward the end. Having collected Kev from Port Toilet at 04:30 we headed straight for the Forest of Dean. No sooner had we pulled up at Highnam Woods then we could hear our target birds singing away. :t:

Had a lovely little walk with Nightingales all over the shop.

183. Nightingale

Next it was off to Nagshead. Walked to the Bruce Campbell hide and down to the lower hide. Blackcaps everywhere was a bit of a theme for the day. By the Bruce Campbell hide we both had year ticks in the form of a couple of Pied Flycatchers.

184. Pied Flycatcher

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Next we headed to Frampton. Plenty of Common Terns around which were a year tick for both of us. Nice view of a Green Woodpecker flying off as well.

185. Common Tern

Now, and it was my fault, we made the mistake of going to Slimbridge. Did have a decent chat with a birder from Worcestershire along the Summer walkway but that was about it. The main road in was closed so you had to take a detour around a single track lane. This relies on people being able to reverse:eek!: Unfortunately this clearly wasn't the case. Got particularly annoyed by a driver of a Chelsea taxi that even though I had pulled my all the way over on to the verge, still drove past me with a face like a smacked arse:C She did not appear to want to get the wheels of her Q7 dirty!!!

Med Gull was about the only decent bird we had though Kev picked up a year tick on the drive over in the form a Sparrowhawk having a drink from a roadside puddle.

From here we headed off to Goldcliff. The longish staying Temnicks Stints were no where to be seen. Nice to see another male Garganey though that for once, was right out in the open. Also good to see the Avocet doing well. Plenty of chicks around.

I think that's my last birding session until we head to Somerset in a couple of weeks. I must also admit that I'm a little jealous of Rob (Trystan - another BF lister) being on Mull at the moment. One of my favourite places full stop.

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Picked up Garden Warbler this week.

186. Garden Warbler

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Managed to nip out for an hour before my cousins daughter's christening this morning. Picked up Kev and headed down to Kenfig Pool. Plenty of Warblers around which were good to see/ hear. Spent 45 mins in the hide with a couple of birders we've previously bumped in to around South Wales. Then had a quick 15 mins on the North side of the pool. Thinking that we had missed out on our target bird we were both watching a Common Buzzard on the other side of the pool. Then the birding gods must have been smiling on us as between the trees, and in view for all of 2 seconds, flew the Purple Heron. :t: If either of us had been looking elsewhere we would not have seen it. A lifer for both of us.

187. Purple Heron Lifer# 5B B B

And the do in the local rugby club after little Rosie's christening was great. Brilliant to catch up with family, and Jess and Ben put on a great spread. A lovely day all in.

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Just spending a week in Somerset. Added the following on the first day.

188. Marsh Harrier
189. Hobby
190. Great White Egret
191. Glossy Ibis

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Cracking morning today with the old man. Added the following:

192. Bittern
193. Little Bittern - great views.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Had a decent seafood platter at Crustaceans in Weymouth today. Then went over to Chesil Beach for the Little Tern colony. Back remains in bits:C:C:C

194. Little Terns

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Stopped off at Cranham Common in Gloucestershire on the way home from Somerset this morning. Had a very nice flight view of species number 195.

195. Hoopoe Lifer #6 B B B

Landed to see my first UK Hoopoe. Tried twice last year but dipped on both occasions.

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Cracking morning up in Dinas. Pied Flycatchers and Common Redstarts in good numbers. On the river was a Dipper and Common Sandpiper. Garden Warblers by the car park as usual with plenty of Willow Warblers around as well. Added the following:

196. Wood Warbler
197. Spotted Flycatcher
198. Whinchat - probably the best view I've ever had of a stunning male.