JANUARY 14TH 2014 - UPDATE

Not much birding has been done since my last blog, the weather has been rather foul.

I have added a couple of birds to the garden list: Eurasian Bulfinch, Redwing, Tawny Owl (heard) and Pied Wagtail. We have seen 24 species actually in the garden, amazing!

Other birds seen during our short walks include: Common Raven, Fieldfare, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and whilst coming back from the pub last Saturday night a Barn Owl flew across the road in front of us.


Today we have driven across form Dorset to Kent to see our grand daughter and early tomorrow morning I will leaving the UK for my trip to Guyana, I am really gonna miss all the lovely rain we have been having. Journey birds new to my year list were Northern Lapwing, Rose-ringed (ring-necked or Rosy) Parakeets and lots of Common Gulls.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR REGULAR UPDATES FROM GUYANA

JANUARY 9TH 2014 - 'TWITCH AND DIP'

No its not the name of a new comedy act it was my birding efforts of today.

YESTERDAY TWO RARITIES APPEARED AT MY LOCAL RESERVOIR (SUTTON BINGHAM) SO TODAY I WENT TO LOOK FOR THEM - THAT'S THE TWITCH PART.

THE DIP PART WAS WHEN I GOT THERE AND BOTH THE BIRDS HAD DISAPPEARED.

last night a thousand gulls roosted on Sutton Bingham reservoir and one of them was an ICELAND GULL and today when I turned up to watch the roosting gulls come in - ONLY 3 TURNED UP! marvellous!

For the last 6 days a YELLOW BROWED WARBLER has been sighted at the same reservoir right by the car park, when I got there this morning at first light, in the rain - the bird had gone!

Whilst looking for the gull during my second visit this afternoon at 4pm a guy came up to me and said "I have just been watching the YELLOW BROWED WARBLER, just over there by the car park"  .........I threw him in the reservoir and went home....dipped twice!

HOWEVER.........in between my twitching events I had  a nice hour watching my bird feeders in the garden at Hooke. A new species went on the garden list....Eurasian Nuthatch.

You know I travel a lot to see exotic looking species but when it comes down to good old English Garden Birds they take some beating, have a look at these pictures.....who needs Costa Rica, Gambia, Guyana etc etc.........

Greenfinch

Coal Tit

Marsh Tit

Eurasian Nuthatch

Long-tailed tits (11 arrived and 'canned' 8 of them - just count the tails)

The mis-named Great Spotted Woodpecker (female) - where are its spots?

hate them or hate them - the Common Starling is gorgeous in winter - this one is losing its spots already!

love them or hate them - the Wood Pigeon is a beautiful bird

JANUARY 2ND 2014 - PORTLAND HARBOUR, DORSET

PORTLAND HARBOUR BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS:

ALL FIVE SPECIES OF BRITISH GREBE AND TWO DIVERS (LOONS).

BLACK GUILLEMOT

VELVET SCOTER

(NO SIGN OF THE BRUNNICH'S GUILLEMOT)

After yesterday's atrocious weather it was a pleasant surprise to find a clear sky this morning. The wind and rain has subsided, it was peaceful and calm outside and the bird feeders were busy.

My first birds for 2014 were:

1. Dunnock
2. European Robin
3. common blackbird
4. Common Chaffinch
5. Blue Tit
6. Great Tit
7. Wood Pigeon
8. Collared Dove
9. European Greenfinch
10. Common Starling
11. House Sparrow
12. Eurasian Jackdaw

After some deliberation with Dawn we decided to go shopping to Weymouth, Dorset. However I convinced Dawn that she would get more done without me and it would be a great idea if she took my credit card whilst I went birding to Portland Harbour!! Smashing.....but expensive?

The weather deteriorated, it clouded over and the wind picked up, but I still enjoyed 4 hours birding around the harbour. I stopped at Ferrybrdige, Portland Castle, The Royal Yachting Centre, Osprey Road and Sandsfoot Castle.

The harbour looking from Portland castle towards Weymouth

birds in the harbour:

1. Black-headed Gull
2. Meditteranean Gull (50+)
3. Great Black-backed Gull
4. Herring Gull
5. Lesser Black-backed Gull
6. Kittewake
7. Northern Gannet
8. Common Scoter
9. Velvet Scoter (1 female)
10. Black Guillemot(1st winter)
11. Common Guillemot
12. Razorbill
13. Great Cormorant
15. European Shag
16. Red-breasted Merganser
17. Eider duck (1 female)
18. Little Grebe (2)
19. Black-necked Grebe (19)
20. Slavonian Grebe (6)
21. Red-necked Grebe (1)
22. Great-crested Grebe (8)
23. Great Northern Diver (9 - ther have been up to 17 in recent days)
24. Black-throated Diver (2 - first winter)
25. Grey Heron
26. Oystercatcher
27. Brent Geese
28. Bar-tailed Godwit
29. Peregrine Falcon
30.Common Kingfisher

Male - Red-breasted Merganser

My first Shag of 2014 - hopefully many more to follow!

Birds seen from the car during the journey:

Common Pheasant, Common Gull, Common Coot, Common Moorhen, Common Pochard, Common Buzzard, Red-legged Partridge, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck.

Great (billed) Black-backed Gull

Great (Mouthed) - Black-backed Gull

So my 2014 list has started with 51 species!