Upton Country Park

28th September 2013,

The day started with heavy showers in the morning and I though I did not have much chance of get out . But I wanted to get over to Upton Country Park to see the large flock of Black Tailed Godwits that are starting to build up in the bay. So while I waited for the showers to subside I looked up Easy Tide to find what time low & high tide would be.
The weather started to turn a bit bright  and I headed of to UCP after a short journey I arrived at my destination to  find the weather here cloudy but mild.

Gear shorted and I head off through the grounds to the bay on the way there were squirrels running about and up through the trees, some ducks around the little pond 

Looking up towards the House

 

and Jay a calling as I got nearer to the bay I made my way to the old stone bench as this is wear I thought I would get a good view arrived 11.40am

 

At the Bench  their was another birder and I asked what is about and he pointed out a Spotted Redshank a first for me. After look around the bay at all the birds that were using the bay I could see a large group of waders feeding far out in the bay. So after talking to the other birder I said I would go over to the hide for a better view, I was a bit surprised with is answer  its not there any more it got burnt down a few months back. (The last time I was in this hide was May 25th) So with that I settled in at the bench and started to watch the waders that were feeding in the creek. There were a few Black Tailed Godwits up on one of the mud banks along with a few other bird.

 

View out into the bay

 





I must of caught the tide just right as it was starting to come back in and as I sat there more and more birds were getting pushed closer until late afternoon when a large flock of BTG built up on the mud bank directly in front of me. A sight I shall not forget to see a large group of these birds fly in a cross the water and land. This group built up throughout that afternoon until there must of been somewhere near 600 plus birds a most enjoyable sight.

Now the birds I saw this day were as follows.

 

Jay, Robins, Blackbirds on the way through the grounds.

Out in the bay,

Lesser Black Backed Gull, Oystercatcher, Shelduck Redshanks, Black Tailed Godwits C600, Moorhen, Mute Swan, ducks possible in the hundreds of Mallard, Teal and Wigeon, Spotted Redshanks(a lifer),Mediterranean Gull, Black Headed Gulls,  4 Little Egrets, a Common Gull and a Sandwich and Common Tern. Had to drag myself away from this place at 3.00pm a very good day indeed.







 

A Spot of Garden Bird Watching

23rd to 27th September 2013.

After a busy time at work all this week saw me chilling out in the back garden watching the birds visiting the feeders. While sat in the garden I noticed that the berries are changing colour now on the Cotoneasters and Pyracantha these are not going to last long when they are ripe.
With all the Wood Pigeons that visit the bird table, I had all the usual birds that visit gardens these were as follows Great Tits, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Starlings, Robin, Goldfinch and  and very nice surprise of a Chiffchaff  flitting about the shrubs and trees of other gardens.
Watching up in the sky for any birds flying I saw a Kestrel and ten House Martin's heading in a southerly direction on Tuesday evening and this evening Friday 27th a nice small family of Long-Tailed Tits using the suet feeder.
Some pictures of birds using the garden taken a few months ago.

 Blue Tit

Great Tit

Wood Pigeon

 



Walk a long the river Allen

22nd September 2013
Today I was up early well not that early  for my BTO Webs Survey ( wet land bird survey) a long a section of the river Allen in Dorset. To count the ducks and what other birds that might be using the river.

River Allen

 

In a hours walk me and my son counted 57 Mallards, 10 Mute Swans and one Moorhen using the river and the banks. others birds seen on the walk were another 5 Mute Swans flying high over  the river and town, Robins, Blackbirds, 5 Magpies , Black-Headed Gulls, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeons, Jackdaws, Blue tits, Great tits and 2 Dunnocks.

.Then it was back home to  carry out my garden birdwatch, with only a couple of birds recorded again using the feeders these were as follows. Blue tit, Dunnock, Starling, Great tit, Robin and a Woodpigeon.

After that the day was busy with me having to clean out 3 tropical fish tanks, the first tank I did a water change on was my 4 foot Tanganyika tank were I keep a small group of young Tropheus and 3 catfish this tanks demands a large water change of at least a 100 litres of water each week. From there I went and changed my two smaller tanks in these I have a small group of Mulitfaciatus in one and in the other I have 6 very young Tropheus which came from my main group. So I did not have much time to get out and go birding.

21st September 2013

My day started with a bit of garden bird watching for my BTO garden birdwatch, with only two Coal tits a Dunnock and a Woodpigeon recorded for the morning. Before heading off to the cemetery to pay my respect to my nephew who lost his life three years ago (18th September 2010) in Afghanistan while on a patrol. While I was here I saw a Jay, Robin, and some Swallows. Then after sitting awhile it was time to go home for some dinner.

While having dinner I decided I would go over to one of my favourite sights to watch birds (Blashford Lakes) with the hope of seeing the Great White Egret and to get a picture of a Ruff. I arrived at 1300hrs and went straight to the Tern hide first to see if the Ruff was about, it was not in front of the hide this day.
Birds seen from this hide comprised of the following.

Little Grebes, Great Crested Grebes, Coots, Mute Swans, Cormorants, Egyptian Geese, Lapwings, Black-Headed Gulls, a Peregrine , Greylag Geese, Grey Heron and a Common Sandpiper. After watching and taking a couple of photos of the Common Sandpiper

I thought I would go over to Ivy Lake to see if the Great White Egret was there, but is instead of going to the hide I had a walk through the trees to the viewing screen which looks over to the hide and gives a better view of all the reed bed and this part of the north end of the lake.
A quick scan along the reeds and no Egret, but a scan over to the left of these reeds was an island of trees and just on the edge of these trees was the Great White Egret a first sighting for me. Also there was Grey Heron and from my position at the viewing hide which I had all to myself I saw Teal, Lapwing, Shoveler, Tufted Ducks more Coots and Swan, a couple of Great Crested Grebes, Gadwall and a Kingfisher and around the screen Blackbirds, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay and a Green Woodpecker after this I left the reserve at 15.30hrs