Three Counties Birding

23rd to 25th MARCH

NEW FOREST

This weekend was spent in and around the New Forest; the weather was generally grey and cold with a brisk northerly wind. The only photographs were obtained using a ridiculously high ISO setting and the results were a tad grainy.

We had Friday afternoon off and went to Keyhaven, where from the car park opposite the Gun Inn we walked the inland path as far as Pennington, returning along the sea wall. Firstly we had a look over the Avon floods where we failed to see the Garganey which had been reported there. There were good numbers of Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal, and Pintail; other birds there included Little Egret, Lapwing, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits.

Among other birds we saw on the walk were Cettis Warbler, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Tufted Duck, Eider, a Slavonian Grebe off Oxey, Snipe, Grey Plover and Dunlin. Nearly home, thirty or so Golden Plover wheeled over the fields at Collingwood Corner.

In an attempt to escape the wind, on Saturday afternoon we walked in Highland Water and Puckpits Inclosures in the New Forest. It was quiet bird wise, but we did see or hear Siskins, Goldcrest, Blue, Great, Coal, Marsh and Long-tailed Tits, our first Bramblings of the year, Green Woodpecker and Stock Dove. On the way home we added Mandarins on Eyeworth Pond, and Corn Buntings on wires along the Salisbury Road at South Down. Somewhere today we had excellent views of a Firecrest, although the photo wasn't up to much.

On Sunday afternoon we went to Blashford Lakes once again, where we walked a circuit of Ivy Lake. Yesterday’s Garganey had gone, but among the birds of the walk were Greater-spotted and Green Woodpeckers, four or five singing Chiffchaffs, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Jay, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Teal, Great-crested Grebe, Pochard, and on the woodland feeders, Siskins and Goldfinches.

Crow

Firecrest

Goldfinch

Red-breasted Merganser

Siskins and Goldfinch

Siskins

15th to 19th March

AN ENGLISHWOMAN IN NEW YORK

As a present for a ‘Milestone’ birthday, our elder daughter took Ann for a long weekend in New York. They managed a couple of hours birding in the snow in Central Park, and among the birds they saw were Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Robins, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Sparrow, another Sparrow species which they’re still trying to identify, Starling, and a Pintail among the Mallards.

On a boat trip around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island they saw Greater Black-backed, Herring and Ring-billed Gulls and Brants.

Brants

Northern Cardinal

Ring Billed Gull

American Robins

Sunday 11th March

NEW FOREST

It was another glorious day, so we were out and about in the New Forest again this morning. This time we parked at Milkham Inclosure and walked through Milkham and Roe Inclosures, out across Bratley Plain to the top of Slufters Inclosure, returning left handed to Milkham.

The woods were full of bird song, nothing rare mainly Chaffinches and Wrens, but we also heard or saw Goldcrest, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Green Woodpecker, and Treecreeper. On the open heath we added Stonechats, Lapwings, Meadow Pipits and Dartford Warblers. We also saw a Peacock butterfly.

After lunch, on the way home, we called in at Blashford Lakes, where Chiffchaffs were singing, Greater-spotted and Green Woodpeckers were calling, a Grey Heron flew over, and on Ivy Lake there were Tufted Ducks, Gadwall, Canada Geese and Great-crested Grebes. A Kingfisher flew through the trees above Dockens Water, and in Ivy Lane a Red Campion was in flower.

A quick look over Ibsley Water added a Peregrine on a gravel spit, Goldeneye, Little Grebe, and Wigeon plus other distant species, but we were telescope-less today. On the drive home we added Jay, Little Egret, red-legged Partridge and Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls.

Dartford Warbler

Fallow Deer

Grey Heron

Red Campion

Saturday 10th March

NEW FOREST

After lunch we drove to the New Forest and parked at the Bolderwood car park and walked a clockwise circuit through Bolderwood Grounds, Mark Ash Wood and North Oakley Inclosure.

The highlights of the walk were four singing Firecrests, one of which showed really well, and a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker. Unfortunately neither offered a photo opportunity. Other birds of the walk included Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Siskins, Treecreeper, Marsh, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, and Green Woodpecker. We also saw three Red Admiral butterflies.

Later in the afternoon we drove on down to Calshot, where on a high tide we saw Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Curlew, Wigeon and Brent Geese which were feeding close to the shore.

There are still Holly berries in the Forest

Red Admiral

Black-headed Gull

Pied Wagtail

The Garden

With the exception of a few days during colder spells in December and February, the garden has been very quiet bird wise all winter, however in the last two weeks it has come alive.

A Song Thrush has been singing at first light every day, with a Robin joining in a little later. The House Sparrow flock which has been constant at about 30 all winter has become very vocal, and Greenfinch numbers which was decimated by the infection late last year has built up to a much more healthy 15 or so. Up to 10 Chaffinches, mostly males feed on seed falling from the feeders in the Plum tree. Smaller numbers of Great and Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Goldfinches, Wren, Collared Doves and Wood Pigeons also visit.

Two, maybe three female Blackcaps have taken up residence, but pride of place must go to the cock Pheasant which arrived in the garden as soon as the shooting season started and commutes between our garden and the back field.

Greenfinch & Goldfinch

Great Tit

The Pheasant

The Pheasant

Saturday 3rd March

BLASHFORD LAKES

It was a lovely morning, so we headed for a regular birding haunt of ours, the Blashford Lakes Reserve.

We started by looking over Ibsley Water where the water level was high after recent rain. There were still good numbers of duck, such as Pochard, Tufted and Ruddy Duck, Shoveler, Wigeon, Pintail, Goldeneye, Teal, Gadwall, and of course Mallard. Other birds included Great-crested and Little Grebes, Greylag and Canada Geese, and an Oystercatcher.

We then walked a circuit of the reserve “proper” around Ivy Lake. There were many signs of spring; drifts of wild daffodils, Hazel and Alder catkins, Primroses and Celandines, but above all birdsong. We were greeted by a singing Chiffchaff near the car park, two Mistle Thrushes picked over the grass, a Green Woodpecker yaffled and a Greater-spotted Woodpecker flew over. Other woodland birds were represented by Nuthatch, Siskin, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, and Bullfinch, and a large and vocal Redwing flock was a reminder of winter.

Goldfinches and Siskins fed on nyger seed at the feeding station near the reserve centre, where a Goldcrest flitted around our heads.

Blackthorn

Hazel Catkins

Wild Daffodils

Goldcrest

Goldfinch & Siskin

Friday 2nd March

WEYMOUTH

The weather forecast for once was spot on today, a frost early, then sunny, clouding over in the morning, with rain from lunch time. So with this in mind we went to Weymouth and postponed the shopping until lunch time.

We walked around RSPB Radipole Lake, where the feature of the morning was the number of singing Cettis Warblers, as usual they were elusive, but one eventually gave us good but very brief views. Water Rails were squealing from the reed beds and two Reed Buntings showed well, singing from the tops of small trees. Long-tailed Tits busied themselves through the Hawthorns and overhead a circling Sparrowhawk gained the attention of three concerned Greenfinches.

Water birds included Little and Great-crested Grebes, Gadwall, Teal, Tufted and Ruddy Ducks, Shoveler Wigeon and Pochard, and the Gulls were represented by Black-headed, Lesser and Greater Black-backed, Herring, and Common. Luckily we were back in the car when right on cue the rain started.

Lesser Celandine

Dunnock

Lichen

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Mallard

Mute Swans

Dog Violet

Wednesday 28th February

BLACKCAP

Since Christmas two Blackcaps have taken up residence in the garden, I digiscoped this one at 5.20 this evening.

Monday 26th February

SLIMBRIDGE

Along with Sister and Brother in Law we paid our annual visit to Slimbridge. It was a very pleasant spring day, good for taking photos.

Coot

Pintail

Pochard

Shelduck

Late February

After returning from Norfolk we paid another visit to the Blashford Lakes Reserve and Calshot, where we saw two Mediterranean Gulls on the beach, followed by a spin around the birding sites of Weymouth and Portland.

Brent Goose and Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Siskin

Greater Black-backed Gulls

Mid February

NORFOLK

In the middle of February we spent a week in Norfolk, after snow the previous week the weather was surprisingly mild. It has to be said that Norfolk was unusually quiet, certainly in the north, but we managed to see some birds. The highlight undoubtedly were two Waxwings feeding on Hawthorn berries between Holkham and Wells and a flock of Snow Buntings at Salthouse.

Greylag Geese

Sanderling

Scaup

Snow Bunting

Spotted Redshank

Curlew

Early February

In surprisingly spring like early February, we spent time as usual visiting Blashford Lakes and the New Forest. We saw nothing startling, but here are some pictures.

Hazel Catkins and Flower

Long-tailed Tit

Curlew