February 2023

We went to Forest of Dean to see what was about. Lots of Robins, Nuthatches, Coal Tits, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Chaffinches, Stock Dove, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Grey Squirrels, Goldfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail & Mistle Thrushes at various feeders around the forest, but no Hawfinches. We did see a Treecreper briefly. Lovely to see a good number of Mandarins & Goosander though.

Coal Tit [Adult]

Nuthatch [Adult]

Stock Dove [Adult]

Mistle Thrush [Adult]

Goosander [Female]

Goosander [Male]

Mandarin [Female]

Grey Wagtail [Female]

Goosander [Male]

Mandarin [Flock]

Galatea at Yate 4th February 2023

Me & Dad went to see 45699 Galatea passing through Yate Station on the Bath & Gloucester Steam Express from London-Gloucester & back. She is currently disguised as both 45562 Alberta & 45627 Sierra Leone.

Compton Dando SWT & Chew Valley Lake
5th February 2023

We took Mum out to Compton Dando SWT to see the Hume's Leaf Warbler by the sewage works. Other birds inculded Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Bullfinches, Goldcrest, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Robins & Wren. The Hume's Leaf Warbler was still present and showed well at times, but was very mobile unlike the last time when me & Dad went.

We headed down to Chew Valley Lake. It was very quiet at Herriott's Bridge, so moved on to Heron's Green Bay. The usual waterfowl were present such as Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Canada Geese, Coots & Gulls. A Great White Egret was feeding in pool with a Little Egret. As was the Contentinal Cormorant, before flying off. Managed to see the first Common Sandpiper of the year along the bank. We later went back to Compton Dando SWT for Hume's Leaf Warbler, but was again very elusive and did not show much while we were there.

Hume’s Leaf Warbler

Pied Wagtail [Female]

Bullfinch [Male]

Goldcrest [Female]

Great White Egret [Adult Winter]

Great Cormorant

Tufted Duck [Male]

Eurasian Wren [Adult]

Common Coot [Pair]

Grey Wagtail [Female]

Common Sandpiper [1st Winter]

Yate 8th February 2023

The Grey Wagtail visited our garden on a daily basis.

Little Avon
9th February 2023

We went to Little Avon to see the Dipper. It showed reasonably well, but was flighty and joined another bird further up river before flying around the corner. Other highlights from the area were Common Buzzard, Fallow Deer & Muntjac.

Common Dipper [Adult]

Common Buzzard [Adult]

Fallow Deer [Females]

Muntjac [Male]

Trooper's Hill & Marshfield 10th February 2023

We went to Trooper's Hill LNR in Bristol to see the Dartford Warbler that been present since 30th October 2022. The Male was very mobile & didn't hang around for more than a second, except when we first saw it. It perched on a bush for a couple of mintues before flying off down the hill. A couple of Jays were also seen. We went back via Marshfield, where we saw a pair of Stonechats on Down Road & Common Buzzard perched on a fence along Shirehill Lane.

Dartford Warbler [Male]

Dartford Warbler [Male]

Stonechat [Female]

Common Buzzard [Adult]

Horton 11th February 2023

The Little Owl was resting in the usual tree near Horton village.

Slimbridge WWT
16th February 2023

Me & Dad went to Slimbridge WWT to look for the White-rumped Sandpiper that had been present since 14th February 2023. The bird was feeding distantly at the back of the South Lake from the Discovery Hide with Dunlin, before they all flew off. We went to the Rushy Pen, where the 1st Winter White-rumped Sandpiper showed very well feeding in front of the hide. It then later flew back over to the South Lake. The 1st Winter Male Greater Scaup was present at the back of the Rushy Pen, which by this time had moulted into it's Adult feathers. A few Bewick's Swans were present on the Rushy, but most were feeding out on the Tack Piece. Also a few Pintails showed well in the pen. When went back to South Lake, the White-rumped Sandpiper showed very well on the right side of the causeway. On our way home, we popped into Little Avon to look for the Dipper, but no sign today. A very lovely Grey Wagtail showed well by the car park.

White-rumped Sandpiper [1st Winter]

Greater Scaup [1st Winter Male]

Pintail [Male]

Bewick’s Swan [Adult & Juvenile]

Grey Wagtail

White-rumped Sandpiper [1st Winter]

Galatea at Standish Junction 18th February 2023

After missing her earlier today, I finally managed to see 45699 Galatea hauling the 16:33 Worcester-London Cotswold Venturer at Standish Junction at 17:37. Fortunately there was still enough light for me to get this pic of her working up to Stonehouse.

Bodmin & Chapel Porth 22nd February 2023

On our way down to Porthtowan, we saw a Dipper feeding in the river on Bodmin Moor. We spent a few hours at Chapel Porth Beach watching some Rock Pipits in the car park.

Common Dipper [Adult]

Rock Pipit [Adult Winter]

Jackdaw [Adult]

Rock Pipit [Adult Winter]

Helston, Sennen & Land's End 23rd February 2023

We went to Helston Boating Lake in Coronation Park to see the Female Ring-necked Duck that had been present since 3rd January 2023. The bird showed very well and like with some of the Males, she was keeping with the Tufted Ducks. A couple of Grey Wagtails were seen briefly, before flying back to the nearby river.

After putting in a bit of time at Sennen Cove, we saw at least 4 different Choughs. Two with leg rings & two without. We finished the day near Land's End with a Female Adder in the hedge and then I spotted a Male Hen Harrier, which flew quickly past us and out of sight. What a finish to the day!

Ring-necked Duck [Female]

Ring-necked Duck [Female]

Adder [Female]

Red-billed Chough [Pair]

Adder [Female]

Hen Harrier [Male]

Hayle Estuary & Sennen 24th February 2023

We started on the North Cornish Coast with sightings of Choughs, Raven, Peregrine Falcon & Fulmar. We then moved to Copperhouse Creek in Hayle & saw Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwits, Mediterranean Gulls, Common Teal, Common Redshanks, Greenshank & Little Egret.

The Choughs were still showing well at Sennen Cove that afternoon.

Final port of call was the Hayle Estuary again, this time at Lelant Saltings where the Gulls roosted. Sadly both the Ring-billed & Caspian Gulls on the last two days escaped the camera lens, but I had a slightly better view of a Common Greenshank feeding and a Juvenile near the car park at Copperhouse Creek.

Red-billed Chough [Adult]

Peregrine [Adult]

Fulmar [Adult]

Grey Plover [Adult Winter]

Bar-tailed Godwit [Adult Winter]

Mediterranean Gulls

Mediterranean Gull [Adult Moulting]

Red-billed Chough [Adult]

Common Greenshank [Adult Winter]

Red-billed Chough [Adult]

Gweek, Marazion & Hayle 25th February 2023

We spent a couple a hours watching the Choughs again on the North Cornish Coast before going to Argal and College Reservoirs for a walk. It was a lovely area, but didn’t see much wildlife.

We went to Gweek to have lunch and watched a pair of Grey Wagtails foraging in the river before having a drive around Goonhilly Down, which again didn’t have much to see in the way of birds.

In the evening a flock of Sanderlings were wave chasing along Marazion Beach, before flying to roost at Penzance. We returned to the Hayle Estuary at Lelant for the Gull roost, but again no luck with Ring-billed & Caspian Gulls. A Grey Heron foraged in the creek & a 1st Winter Common Gull was on the bank.

Grey Wagtail [Female]

Sanderling [Flock Winter]

Sanderling [Adult Winter]

European Herring Gulls

Grey Heron [Adult]

Lower Tamar Lake
26th February 2023

We went to Lower Tamar Lake on the way home. The feeding station by the hide attracted Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinches, Nuthatch, Water Rail, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Long-tailed Tits & Willow Tit. On the lake itself were 6 Goosanders.

At Upper Tamar Lake we had a walk around but didn’t have time to go to the far end, so didn’t see much here.