Forest of Dean Trip

Out of focus Tree Pipit

Today we set off mid afternoon for our annual trip to the Forest of Dean to view Nightjars and Woodcock.

Prior to arriving to the usual traditional site for both the above species, we took trips to Cannop Ponds and Nagshead.  Cannop Ponds had Mandarin with chicks and Grey Wagtail with fledglings.  In fact, the overgrown pathway along the stream had fledglings galore, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Dipper and Redstart.

Nagshead was hard work with nothing visibility showing for long periods of time.  After getting a crick in the neck I managed a fleeting but highly unsatisfactory sighting of a Pied Flycatcher along with many sightings of Nuthatch and fledglings and Treecreepers.

Probably the worst photo of a Woodcock ever

We arrived at the site for Nightjar around 9:00pm and were immediately entertained by a Chiff Chaff closely followed by a Tree Pipit in a dead tree.  After a long wait, the Woodcock started to fly past, sometimes two at a time and then just after 10:00pm the Nightjars started to churr.  I chanced upon two as they performed wing claps at the far side of the clearing and someone else then saw them briefly alight on a  dead tree close by only then to fly out of sight.  After waiting about half an hour they had restarted to churr but by then it was too dark to view them.

That was probably one of the hardest days birding I have had for a long while, where we really had to work hard to see our target species and even then not all of us did.

Pacific Swift or Preplanned Trip to Lakenheath?

Nightingale

Myself and Mike-PCC were going to make a trip to Lakenheath Fen yesterday but after looking at the weather forecast we decided to postpone the visit till today .  So, this morning we left very early at 5:00am, stopping off for a break at Paxton Pits where we managed to find our first sought after bird of the day, a Nightingale, a year tick for myself and a lifer for Mike.  As we walked round the Heron Trail at Paxton Pits, we heard the bird before we saw it and got brief glimpses before relocating it on a tree branch almost above our heads.  We watched it for about 10 -15 minutes singing it;s heart out, a beautiful start to the day.  Of course, with such good views I would have managed some superb shots if I had remembered my SLR, so the pic opposite will have to do (digiscoped with phone through my bins).

As time was marching on, well it was 7:00am, we then made our way to Lakenheath Fen arriving an hour later and walked out to the furthest viewpoint.  From that viewpoint we saw quite a few Marsh Harriers and then on our way back to the Visitor Centre after being very patient, we obtained close views of a Bearded Tit as it flew slowly over the path.  Unfortunately, no sign of any Golden Orioles this year for us.

A five minute drive away and we were soon viewing unparalleled views Stone Curlews.

Stone Curlew

Stone Curlew

Stone Curlew and chick

Stone Curlew

After being bitten alive by little midgies we managed to locate a Spotted Flycatcher, another year tick for Mike, who by this time was just being greedy with all the year tics he was massing.

As it was nearing lunch time, we headed back to Lakenheath Fen and sat looking at some Poplars while eating our sandwiches, hoping for a Golden Oriole to fly past.  We of course did not see any Golden Orioles but did see a Bittern as it flew flew past and also a Hobby who was sitting in a dead tree, being very obliging for digiscoping birders.

Hobby

We did contemplate, twitching the Pacific Swift at Trimley but after doing the maths, decided that we just did not have the time and made our way home instead.

Little Owl again

Half an hour before the obligatory viewing hour of Spring Watch, I decided to take a trip to look for my new Little Owl friend.

Little Owl

Wyre Forest and Hidcote

Redstart

Myself and my birders wife were visiting friends in Kidderminster this weekend and I was allowed time off to slope off to the Wyre Forest this morning.  Earlier on this year, when myself and Mike-PCC visited it was hard going trying to find anything but today was relatively easy with good sightings of a male and female Redstart and another lone male, quite a few Wood Warblers and masses of Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Treecreepers all busy feeding their young.  I even managed to glimpse the elusive Dipper on Dowles Brook but just could not find any Pied Flycatchers anywhere.  After searching Knowles Coppice 3 times and the Orchard twice, time ran away with me and I had to give up (I do have a further chance to look for these later on this month at Nagshead) but it looks like Pied Flycatcher maybe my bogey bird for the year.

Wood Warbler

Treecreeper

On the way home we look a long route back via Hidcote, one of our favourite National Trust gardens.  The Gloster Birder had given me a tip off last week that there were Spotted Flycatchers on site and after a walk round the gardens and nooks and crannies, I found the pair, who proved a bit elusive but did offer an opportunity to get a couple of snapshots.

Spotted Flycatcher - What a beauty!

Little Owl - Yay!

After a few weeks and driving by a location just south of Warwick in the vain hope that the area looked good Little Owl territory, I scored with a one on a dead log in the exact field this evening.  Hopefully as I visit more frequently over the next few months I will be able to record some images, and the bonus is that it is a field which is private and the birds cannot be disturbed by me or Joe public.

Turtle Dove (finally)

After dipping 3 times on Turtle Dove last weekend, I was determined to see one today and arrived at Otmoor just after 7:30am.  After walking past the feeders onto the main path I immediately heard one purring and soon saw it on top of a dead tree (result - at last!).  About 50 yards down the track another one was purring and a further 50 yards on from that another one was in a tree.  I believe I heard a further one in the distance as well making 4 in total.  I didn't manage to obtain a good photo of any of the birds, but here is a video I took last year of one purring.

As I had well and truly nailed my bogey bird for the year, I decided to take the time to amble past the first screen and back snapping a few obliging warblers along the way.

Lesser Whitethroat

Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Other notable birds seen this morning were Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Buzzard, Red Kite and a Snipe drumming overhead for about 5 minutes.