SAVI'S WARBLER

Savi's Warbler singing & showing occasionally( though very brief views) at Greylake RSPB this evening. First British record for me!! Fantastic bird with great song, shame it did not show very well though had good views to clinch the ID. Also 4 Crane, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 2 Bittern on site.

Patch Birding 15/6/2016

A lovely afternoon walk around the fields & farmland of my patch produced a great array of spring migrants & common resident species.

Of note good numbers of Common Whitethroat in full song, 8 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler (by pond), Lots of Blackcap & 2 Garden Warbler.
Several dozen Swift, Swallow & House Martin's over head. 1 Hobby high up over the conifer plantation passing through.

There was a considerable amount of singing Song Thrushes about today with at least 10-15 birds at different locations in full song. 2 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Siskin, 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great spotted Woodpecker, 2 Grey Wagtail (stream) all seen along the walk.

Raptor's were certainly active in the heat thermals mid-afternoon 5 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk and the Hobby.

Butterflies were very apparent today. Red Admiral, Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Large White, Small White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Skipper, Green-veined White and Peacock all on the wing. Dragonfly front produced Large Red Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, 4-Spot Chaser's, Common Darter all seen.

Report's of Golden Oriole nearby Yeovil area today so will be keeping a very clear eye open on the poplar trees on the patch over the next few day's just in case one passes through....watch this space.

With yesterday's flyover BEE-EATER, expectations are high and anything is possible on the patch!!!

BEE-EATER

BEE-EATER just flown over patch while out in garden... flying very high  North eastwards & calling loudly!!!

GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO

Great spotted Cuckoo-Reap Lane-Portland 13/May/2016

Ham Wall 12/5/2016

Took a trip out to Ham Wall this evening, weather was fantastic and ideal for some good birds. I wasn't disappointed. Had some fantastic views of Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Hobby and Great White Egret. Plenty of Pochard & Gadwall around. Look from 2nd viewing platform about 7pm found 3 Garganey(2 drakes&female), a cracking male Blue-headed Wagtail, Glossy Ibis, 4 Ruff, Wood Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper. Plenty of Swift, Swallow, House Martin present keeping the Hobbies occupied!! A fantastic few hours birding probably one of the best day's birding I've had at Ham Wall in a long time!!

Bittern

Common Tern

Great White Egret

Hobby 

House Martin

Marsh Harrier

Pochard

Record shot of drake Garganey beside Wigeon

Glossy Ibis

Turtle Dove

Just had singing Turtle Dove on the patch this morning in the woods. Fantastic find, Let's hope they stick about and breed!! 2nd site record!! Also migrant wise quiet with singles of Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff about

Corn Bunting

A few images of a very showy Corn Bunting today in Dorset!! Best ever views and glad I had camera handy just in case!!!

Ireland Home Visit

Back home in Ireland for a few day's to catch up with family & friends and also do some birding on my local home patch around Drogheda, Baltray & Clogherhead area.
Went out to Clogherhead this afternoon and had some great birds around Clogherhead & Port Oriel Harbour.

Over 50+ Great-black backed Gull, 3 Kittiwake, 10 Black Guillemot, 2 Sandwich Term, 2 Brent Geese(flying north), 12 Manx Shearwaters & 4 Gannets passing offshore. No sign of reported Iceland Gull.

Plenty of migrants up on the headland best seen included 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler. Plenty of Stonehcat, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and 10 Wheatear across the headland. No joy in finding a Woodchat Shrike or Golden Oriole in the glorious sun and basking temperatures!! :(

Some amazing birds report across southern England with decent arrival of Golden Oriole, Woodchat Shrike, Black-headed Wagtail, Red-footed Falcon, Red-rumped Swallow, several Hoopoe, Bluethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Alpine Swift also about... Patch birding when back in Dorset could throw up a fantastic surprise!!! Woodchat Shrike, Subalpine Warbler, several Glossy Ibis reported in South & East Ireland last few day's bringing a Mediterranean feel to Ireland and to the UK.

Back in the garden at home a fantastic male Sparrowhawk made an appearence on the back wall giving some stunning but brief views.. Cracker of a bird!!
Plenty of Swallows also moving through today back home.
Great to see pair of Blue Tit and House Sparrow's using nestboxes in the garden once again this year.

Black Guillemot-Port Oriel harbour

Great black backed Gulls-Port Oriel

One of three Kittiwake-Port Oriel

Grey Seal-Clogherhead 

Brent Geese flying north off Clogherhead

Sapprowhawk (male) My garden-Drogheda

New Forest & South Hampshire birding holiday

 Just back from a few day's birding and wildlife exploring around the coastline of Southampton in Hampshire and the New Forest. A fantastic few day's exploring a large variety of stunning habitat's from wetland to heathland, coastal marshes to canals. A great array of birds seen with over 100 species recorded over the 4 day's. Mammal's seen were quite impressive with Roe & Fallow Deer, Rabbit, Hare, Fox, Weasel, Water Vole and Water Shrew all recorded.
This brief post just shows a selection of the few day's highlight's and the area's they were seen at.

Farlington Marshes:
Whimbrel
Little Ringed Plover
Ring Ouzel
Spotted Flycatcher
Garden Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Weasel & Water Shrew!!!!!

Titchfield Haven:

Hobby
Marsh Harrier
Reed Warbler
Cuckoo
Garganey
Common, Little, Arctic, Sandwich & Black Tern!!
Arctic Skua
Mediterranean Gull
Whinchat

Posbrook Meadows
Garganey
Black Tern
Vast numbers of common warblers eg: Sedge, Reed, Willow Warbler and plenty of hirundines over head 100+Swift and 500+Swallow!!!

New Forest:
Dartford Warbler
Woodlark
Tree Pipit
Hawfinch
Lesser spotted Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Hobby
Redstart
Cuckoo
Firecrest

Spent a few hours out on Salisbury plain on way to Hampshire and had a male Montagu's Harrier flying over a field close to my car as I drove past!! Also found several Bustard's on the plains!!

A great few day's birding at some stunning location's. Will be back soon again in the near future.

The New Forest

One of several Dartford Warbler seen across the heathland-New Forest

Plenty of Redstart's in the ancient oak woodlands-New Forest

One of 10 Water Vole's seen at undisclosed site in Hampshire

Reed Warbler-Titchfield Haven

Summer plumaged Med Gulls flying overhead at Titchfield Haven

Little Egret-Titchfield Haven

Little Tern-Titchfield Haven NNR

Summer plumaged Turnstone-Southampton

Spotted Flycatcher-Farlington Marshes (Fresh in off the sea!!!)

Will do another blog post with more images from the New Forest birding soon.