Suprise Visitor.

A cracking walk today with a very varied list today with a couple of superb highlights. The hedges had 4 CHIFFCHAFF, 8 BLACKCAP, 6 WHITETHROAT, 3 YELLOWHAMMER, 5 LINNET, WILLOW WARBLER.
Overhead a superb RED KITE drifted towards Ashleworth, follwed by 2 SHELDUCKS heading towards the river.Also overhead were aGREY HERON, 3 BUZZARD, 7 SWALLOW,7 SWIFT , 4 HOUSE MARTIN.
Around the fields were 6 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, STOCK DOVE, 4 SKYLARK, 3 PIED WAGTAILS in the top fields. A GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER and a hunting KESTREL. The best sightings were however a family of 1 adult FOX with 4 CUBS,also  1 BROWN HARE.

Two parts

I walked the lower patch today (Sunday), and a shortened walk on the upper patch, the net result was a good list of birds. On the lower patch the result of the flooding was obvious with all the growth around the ditches  dead with the smell of rotting plantlife  heavy in the air. As a result there were no Willow Warbler or Sedge Warbler.
There were 4 BLACKCAP, 2 CHIFFCHAFF, 4 singing REDSTART, 2 WHITETHROAT, a calling CUCKOO, male REED BUNTING.
Overhead were 14 HOUSE MARTIN, 10 SWIFT, just 2 SWALLOW and a female KESTREL.There was also a calling CURLEW, PIED WAGTAIL, 4 STOCK DOVE, just 1 SKYLARK, 4 BUZZARD and 1 COMARENT downriver.
On the upper patch a very short walk there were 7 BLACKCAP, 3 CHIFFCHAFF, 3 WHITETHROAT, a male PEREGRINE flew over at midday and a HOBBY flew towards Tewkesbury.  

Drama

Saturday was a really great Spring morning, with even the sun being seen. The title refers to a amazing sight of a HOBBY giving chase to the local flock of 7 SWALLOW and 2 HOUSE MARTINS it missed a kill but not by much.
In the top fields there was another WHEATEAR present , it:s been a good spring for them this year. Just 1 PIED WAGTAIL today the rest having moved on.
In the hedges today were, 4 CHIFFCHAFF, 1 WILLOW WARBLER, 6 BLACKCAP, 6 WHITETHROAT, 2 Male YELLOWHAMMER and a singing GOLDCREST. However the highlite of the walk was a TAWNY OWL in the open being mobbed by the local BLACKBIRDS etc. There were still 2 SKYLARKS singing from the rough pasture that had not been mown. Other bird seen were 2 BUZZARD, GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, 5 STOCK DOVE, 1 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE.. 

Destruction

The above refers to the fact Capt Twat the farmer has mown all his grass fields thereby destroying the nests of the 3/4 pairs of SKYLARKS that were nesting there .He really is a wanker .Anyway rant over it was back to the top patch this afternoon ( Friday ), It appeared that there were a few birds moving with a few departures and some arrivals . The hedgerows held CHIFFCHAFF, 3 BLACKCAP, 3 WHITETHROAT,WILLOW WARBLER but all in low numbers. The top fields produced 2 WHEATEAR ,the first for a few days, a mixed flock of 12 SWALLOW, 1 HOUSE MARTIN ,1 SAND MARTIN moving north ,as were 7 SWIFT . A lone LAPWING moving in the same direction was a rather odd sight. A small flock of 5 PIED WAGTAILS were also feeding there.
Raptors were represented by a female SPARROWHAWK and 4 BUZZARD.
It was nice to see both GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER and LONG TAILED TITS both feeding young . The usual 2 REDLEGGED PARTRIDGE and STOCK DOVE were also present. 1 BROWN HARE showed a clean pair of heals to Willow

Top and Bottom

I decided to and try to get a part of the top and lower part of my local patch into one walk today( Thursday), as driving past I could see that alot of the flood water had receded , in the event it had not receded enough for me to access the whole area. The species list was a little different but some of the hoped for species were still missed. Sadly I found that the only regular place where Lesser Whitethroat are in my patch had been cut back /destroyed , so I guess that is the end of that. So a healthy 5 BLACKCAP were again the commonest warbler, it appears to be a very good year for them , as it is for WHITETHROATS with 4 seen/heard on the walk. Although very late in arriving they appear to have done so in force this year. On the other hand only 2 CHIFFCHAFF and I think they appear to be down in numbers this year.A singing male REDSTART was nice , its good habitat in the old willows for them .Just 2 SWALLOW over but 14 plus HOUSE MARTINS near to their breeding colony was nice. On the floods themselves were 1 COOT, 3 MALLARD ,2 CANADA GEESE .A large female SPARROWHAWK zipped through the trees. Other odds and sods were PIED WAGTAIL, 2 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, STOCK DOVE and a GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.

More Rain

Yes just for a change it"s raining, so Willow and I went out expecting to get a good soaking and in the event we were not dissapointed.As for the birds some still seem to be moving.Highlight was another superb WHINCHAT our 5th this spring , other migrants were CHIFFCHAFF, WILLOW WARBLER, 6 BLACKCAP, a very healthy 7 WHITETHROAT, GOLDCREST, calling CUCKOO, male YELLOWHAMMER, 10 LINNETS including a flock of 8 ( perhaps migrants). 8 SWIFT , 2 HOUSE MARTINS passed over, and 25 SWALLOW were through including a flock of 16 on barbed wire in a cloud burst. Bits and bobs were GREEN WOODPECKER, 2 GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, PIED WAGTAIL, 4 SKYLARK, 4 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, 3 STOCK DOVE.So all in all still not bad cosidering the weather.

Neglected Corner

As it says in the title I decided to look at the lower patch of my local area, it is an area that I should pay more attention to as there are some different species that the upper part does not get, although looking over the flood meadows that the area consists of it looked more like Febuary rather than May. The flood waters  are still high, so the hoped for Sedge Warblers were not found and the same for Lesser Whitethroat and our best summer guest Spotted Flycatchers likewise , although the latter has not yet arrived yet I think.
So as for the birds that I managed to see from a fairly restricted area , here goes. The first patch record of a flock of 7 TUFTED DUCK on the waters was nice. In the hedgerow by the flood were WHITETHROAT, CHIFFCHAFF, 3 BLACKCAP. 3 GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKERS flew over. There was a good number of SWALLOWS feeding over the floods and fields with 40 plus present and it is pleasing to report the first decent count of 20 plus HOUSE MARTINS ,there was a single SWIFT also. A calling CUCKOO is always nice. A single PIED WAGTAIL perched on a floating log .I must try to bring you more from the lower part of the patch as when it dries out it will be very productive.   

Slower

As it says above it was a little slower than the previous days , the northly wind having some affect, but at least it is dry and the flood waters seem to have gone down slightly. The hedgerows produced 6 WHITETHROAT, a massive 11 BLACKCAP, 4 CHIFFCHAFF, 1 WILLOW WARBLER, male YELLOWHAMMER, a BULLFINCH WASheard .Overhead passage was slower but still 30 plus SWALLOW5SWIFT, 5 HOUSE MARTIN and 3 YELLOW WAGTAILS passed northwards.The odds and sods were 2 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, 5 STOCK DOVE, just 2 PIED WAGTAILS in the top fields , GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER and 2 SKYLARK. It was a good day for BUZZARDS with 8 been seen including a mini kettle of 6 .A final bonus was a calling CURLEW from over the flood waters, hopefully they will recede  enough in time to allow a further attempt at nesting as no doubt their first go will have been washed away

Swifts move through

I did not get out until gone 4pm but I managed to do 2 hour stint around the patch . It was very apparent that overhead passage was going to be the order of the day with 80 pus SWIFT and 75 plus SWALLOW moving north, also 8 HOUSE MARTIN tagging along. The hedges were slightly quieter with 6 BLACKCAP, 2 CHIFFCHAFF, 1 WILLOW WARBLER, 4 WHITETHROAT,2 YELLOWHAMMER, 2 LINNET, no whinchats today. The top fields were not as busy as they have been, a flock of 10 PIED WAGTAILS feeding, a superb female SPARROWHAWK made a valiant attempt at a passing SWALLOW , I actually heard the wind snap as the bird turned in midair. The best of the rest were 6 BUZZARD , 4 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, 3 STOCK DOVE, also 2 HARE . It makes me wonder if I am seeing all this at the end of the day what am I missing when I am working.

No Time

After yesterdays excess and a morning of torrential rain I felt it would be a bit like after the big show,in the event I took a short walk around the patch as I had an appointment early evening and came away feeling that I was missing out on another yesterday! .Time meant I could not take in the top fields , but around the other field margins were ,1 BUZZARD, 1 RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER and 2 PIED WAGTAIL OVER. It was obvious that an influx of BLACKCAP had taken place with 10 been seen/heard. 1 singing REDSTART in the distance was nice and it was pleasing to see 5 WHITETHROAT in the same places as last year.After yesterdays WHINCHAT low and behold another popped up , 2 chiffchaff made up the migrant tally .An added bonus was a calling CURLEW over the flooded river meadows . I came away feeling that I had missed alot of birds , so lets hope I get more time tommorrow. Oh I FORGOT THERE WERE 8 SWALLOW and 1 SWIFT over

Cracker

It felt sort of Birdy today. After work I had an appointment in Tewkesbury and I noticed on the way and back that there were parties of SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS feeding over many of the fields . So as soon as I could Willow and myself were hot footing it up the road, and yes I was right.Today was one the best days for a very long time, birds were taking advantage of a break in the weather and were streaming north. The first bird I saw was a SPARROWHAWK over the garden, so a good start .The hedgerows were a much better bet today, with 5 BLACKCAP,6 CHIFFCHAFF, 2 WHITETHROAT, 1 YELLOWHAMMER , but the best birds by a country mile were 3 superb male WHINCHAT,1 WILLOW WARBLER was also singing. Now this was getting good and it soon became apparent that there was even some vis mig, at least 74 plus SWALLOW and 10 plus HOUSE MARTIN over to the north. Around the fields were 2 BUZZARD, 3 STOCK DOVE, 1 GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER and 4 SKYLARK. It again the top fields that that provided the qaulity with a flock of 8 PIED WAGTAILS showing that WAGTAILS are still passing through, it was then it got even better, first a male KESTREL , then 2 male and 1 female WHEATEARS perched on fence posts and then a stunning HOBBY through to the north ,low and less than 30 feet from me. The final bird seen was a MEADOW PIPIT which is running a little late , but I think that is true of many birds this year. Can"t wait for tommorrow although the weather forcast is pretty dire.

Short blast

A quick dash between the ever present rain , I managed a short survey of the patch and felt quite happy until a friend of mine Rob Large told what he had at Coombe Hill Meadows 170 plus ARTIC TERN etc but a full mouth watering account will appear on the Holy Bible of bird sights , THE GLOSTER BIRDER So in a 30 minute paddle a singing YELLOW WATAIL was nice, 11 SWALLOW, 1 HOUSE MARTIN , 3 SWIFT over to the north. A BUZZARD low over in the rain . The hedgerows had 2 CHIFFCHAFF, 3 BLACKCAP, LINNET, YELLOWHAMMER,1 COMMON WHITETHROAT ( I think different individual to yesterdays as in another breeding territory , or as least I am hoping so)A drumming GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER outside the front door was a nice start to the walk. 1 STOCK DOVE over.