Poor record shots at Chew Valley Lake of:
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper with two Long-billed Dowitchers
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper with Dunlin
Spotted Sandpiper
22nd November
Not much at HGF this morning. The Goldeneye is still present and 16 Pochard were on the water today. 10 Redwings flew over. I briefly checked the feeding station – nothing!
23rd November
Four new Mute Swans were present on HGF this morning. Six Mistle Thrushes were perched on the wires and the Goldeneye is still there. There were zero Great Crested Grebes today although four Little Grebes remain. Again nothing at the feeding station.
24th November
Working away today and an early finish allowed me to head over to nearby Chew Valley Lake. The recently arrived Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was not on show when I got there and the Dunlin flock with which it was associating had buggered off. I wandered over to Herriot’s Pool and sound found the long-staying adult Spotted Sandpiper so I watched this bird for a bit. I then walked back across the road to scan the edge of the main lake and soon the Dunlin flock reappeared with the Sharp-tail in tow. It was somewhat distant but the plumage characteristics which separate it from Pectoral Sandpiper could still be seen. Good bird!
Shortly afterwards the two juvenile Long-billed Dowitchers also appeared – what a wader line up this place has had this summer and autumn! Seven Bewick’s Swans were present – a lone adult on the lake and a pair with four juveniles on the spit in front of Stratford Hide. The female of this pair is somewhat famous for being a divorcee (she is called Saruni) – her ex-husband apparently arrived at Slimbridge this year with no young. See this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/8477351.stm
Also present were 2 Ravens and quite a few Snipe. I didn’t have time to have a good look through the wildfowl though.
25th November
No birding today.
26th November
I stayed fairly local all day today – just flitting from place to place. Nothing new at HGF though 21 Pied Wagtails were feeding in the south field and 2 Great Crested Grebes were back. While on an errand I drove down Parkside Lane and noticed quite a few birds at the back of the turnip field opposite Parkside Farm. Stopping I found 8 Mistle Thrushes, 45 Linnets, 30 Fieldfares and some Chaffinches.
At home a couple of Tree Sparrows were in the garden today and a gang of 10 Long-tailed Tits passed through. Overhead a skein of 50+ Pink-footed Geese flew over, heading NE – a curious direction as virtually all birds over here are flying either SE or NW. A Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard were seen in Waterworks Lane – nothing at the feeding station though. Later I had a quick wander round Rixton which was largely fruitless although 5000+ Starlings on the tip provided some entertainment. We then headed north late in the day to the van.
Not much at HGF this morning. The Goldeneye is still present and 16 Pochard were on the water today. 10 Redwings flew over. I briefly checked the feeding station – nothing!
23rd November
Four new Mute Swans were present on HGF this morning. Six Mistle Thrushes were perched on the wires and the Goldeneye is still there. There were zero Great Crested Grebes today although four Little Grebes remain. Again nothing at the feeding station.
24th November
Working away today and an early finish allowed me to head over to nearby Chew Valley Lake. The recently arrived Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was not on show when I got there and the Dunlin flock with which it was associating had buggered off. I wandered over to Herriot’s Pool and sound found the long-staying adult Spotted Sandpiper so I watched this bird for a bit. I then walked back across the road to scan the edge of the main lake and soon the Dunlin flock reappeared with the Sharp-tail in tow. It was somewhat distant but the plumage characteristics which separate it from Pectoral Sandpiper could still be seen. Good bird!
Shortly afterwards the two juvenile Long-billed Dowitchers also appeared – what a wader line up this place has had this summer and autumn! Seven Bewick’s Swans were present – a lone adult on the lake and a pair with four juveniles on the spit in front of Stratford Hide. The female of this pair is somewhat famous for being a divorcee (she is called Saruni) – her ex-husband apparently arrived at Slimbridge this year with no young. See this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/8477351.stm
Also present were 2 Ravens and quite a few Snipe. I didn’t have time to have a good look through the wildfowl though.
25th November
No birding today.
26th November
I stayed fairly local all day today – just flitting from place to place. Nothing new at HGF though 21 Pied Wagtails were feeding in the south field and 2 Great Crested Grebes were back. While on an errand I drove down Parkside Lane and noticed quite a few birds at the back of the turnip field opposite Parkside Farm. Stopping I found 8 Mistle Thrushes, 45 Linnets, 30 Fieldfares and some Chaffinches.
At home a couple of Tree Sparrows were in the garden today and a gang of 10 Long-tailed Tits passed through. Overhead a skein of 50+ Pink-footed Geese flew over, heading NE – a curious direction as virtually all birds over here are flying either SE or NW. A Sparrowhawk and a Buzzard were seen in Waterworks Lane – nothing at the feeding station though. Later I had a quick wander round Rixton which was largely fruitless although 5000+ Starlings on the tip provided some entertainment. We then headed north late in the day to the van.
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