August 2005

31st - A good record for the end of the month with a female type Marsh Harrier seen flying over Portbury Wharf today, a Common Sandpiper was also there.  An adult and juvenile Little Stint, adult and two juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and four Sanderling were at Clevedon Yeo on the high tide.

29th - A good selection at Clevedon Yeo throughout the day with the highlights being a Curlew Sandpiper, 3-4 Ruff and a Sanderling.  Also seen here were 11+ Little Egrets, 8 Shelduck (4 late young), c30 Teal, c100 Dunlin, c60 Ringed Plover, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, c30 Whimbrel, 24 Redshank, 11 Turnstone, 3 Common  Sandpipers, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 10+ Swallow, Whinchat and 6+Wheatears.   It was fairly quiet at Portbury Wharf with 2 Little Egrets, 2 Green Woodpeckers and a Great-spotted Woodpecker being the highlights.  A Stonechat and Wheatear were seen at Weston Moor.
 

                    

25th - Much the same as seen today at Clevedon as was seen on Sunday, 14 Little Egrets still there.

20th - Seen at Portbury Wharf today where 17 Teal (first returning birds of the autumn), 15 Little Grebes (adults and chicks), 3 Sparrowhawks (2 males, 1 female), 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (1 male, 2 females), 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Common Whitethroat and 1 Little Egret. At the Clevedon Yeo there were 2 Little Grebes, 14 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, 11 Mute Swans, 12 Teal, 105 Mallard, 2 Kestrels, 2 Buzzards, 25 Oystercatchers, 42 Ringed Plovers, 1 Lapwing!, 2 Knot, 1+ Sanderling, 110+ Dunlin, 4 or 5 Whimbrel, 110 Curlew, Spotted Redshank, 3+ Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 5 Common Sandpipers, 5 Wheatears and 30 Linnet.

18th - The Wood Sandpiper was seen again this morning at Portbury Wharf, but proved difficult to see, also here were 5 Little Grebe (+ numerous chicks), 2 Wigeon, 1 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Owls,  2 Mistle thrush, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank and a Snipe.  At Clevedon there were 10 (possibly 13) Little Egrets, 10 Shelduck, 2 Teal, 2 Buzzards, Hobby, Peregrine, 28 Oystercatchers, c30 Ringed Plover,  3 Knot, 160 Dunlin, 1/2 Snipe, 5 Whimbrel, c50 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 4 Common Sandpipers, 3 Turnstone, 3 Wheatears and c50 Linnet.  So a bit more variety and a build up in numbers at last.

17th - At last Portbury Wharf has produced a quality bird with a Wood Sandpiper seen today along with a Sedge Warbler, 40 Swallows feeding over the pools, 8 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpipers, at least 4 Common Sandpipers and an uncommon here Little Egret.  A Greenshank was heard calling from Wains Hill but there was no evidence of any migration this morning.

15th - At Clevedon today there were 5 Knot, c40 Ringed Plover, c50 Dunlin, 3 Little Egrets and Clouded Yellow butterfly.

14th - Nothing new to report at Clevedon today with 7 Little Egrets, 75 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plovers, 3 or 4 Whimbrel, 5 or 6 Common Sandpipers and 5 Wheatears. Walton Common and Wains Hill were virtually birdless.  Portbury Wharf had  2 Whimbrel,  3 Common Sandpipers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 9 Lapwing, 45 Redshank, 3 Bullfinch, 5 Chiffs/Willows and 2 Common Whitethroats.

13th - A dismal rainy day, however a visit to Portbury was rewarded with 2 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs,  2 Common Whitethroats, 3 Green Woodpeckers,  55 Redshank, 4 Common Sandpipers and 2 Green Sandpipers.

11th - At Clevedon today there were 9 Little Egrets, Sparrowhawk (female), 55+ Ringed Plover, 2 Knot (adults), 45+ Dunlin (about 2/3rds of which were juveniles), 8 Whimbrel, 4 Common Sandpipers, 4 Wheatears and a Raven.  Portbury Wharf had a good raptor show with 2 Kestrels, Sparrowhawk and a Hobby.  Also seen here were a Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpipers and 110 Redshank.

10th - The pleasant weather continues and migration is beginning to be evident with 2 Redstarts at the end of the lane from Channel View Lane at Clevedon, on the coast there were c45 Dunlin, c30 Ringed Plover, 5 Whimbrel, 2 Wheatears and 5 Little Egrets. Portbury Wharf had a Hobby and a Green Sandpiper, whilst Weston Moor was almost birdless!

9th - At Clevedon there were c15 Ringed Plover, c30 Dunlin, 1 summer plumaged Knot and 3 Wheatears.

 

8th - Another very pleasant day in the Gordano Valley produced the following at Weston Moor - 6 Buzzards, 12 Blackcaps (mostly 'brownheads' feeding on elderberries), 6 Common Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat (juvenile), 3 Bullfinchs, 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 5 Chiffs/Willows and 2 Reed Warblers. At Portbury Wharf there was 1 Green Sandpiper, 8 Lapwing, 6 Oystercatchers, 35 Curlew and 40 Redshank.  At Clevedon there were c35 Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Wheatears and 7 Little Egrets.

 

7th - A warm and dry day at Clevedon today produced 13 Little Egrets (maybe more), 5 Buzzards, 2 Peregrines, 5 Kestrels, 15+ Oystercatchers, 28
Ringed Plovers, 45 Dunlin, 4+ Whimbrel, c100 Curlew, 10 Redshank, 7 Common Sandpipers, 2 Snipe, 2 Kingfishers, 8+ Wheatears, 70+ Linnet and 3 Rock Pipits.  At Portbury Wharf during the day there were 6 Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers, 16 Lapwing,
c.45 Curlew, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Little Grebe and 1 Lesser Whitethroat. An evening visit to Portbury Wharf also produced a Little and Barn Owl.  Of non-birding interest a Seal was reported near Blakes Pools over the high tide this morning.

 

 

6th - At Portbury Wharf today there were c60 Redshank, c35 Curlew, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Dunlin, 2 Tufted Duck, Kingfisher, 1 female Sparrowhawk, 4 Common Whitethroat and 4 Chiffchaff.

 

4th - At Clevedon today there were c12 Little Egrets, 15 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Redshank, 5/6 Whimbrel, 5+ Common Sandpipers, 4 Wheatears, 28 Oystercatchers and 180 Curlew.
 

2nd - At Portbury Wharf this evening a Peregrine was seen along with one each of Common and Green Sandpiper.

 

1st - At Portbury Wharf today there were 130 Redshank, 45Curlew, 16 Lapwing, 8 Dunlin, 3 Oystercatchers, Common Sandpiper, 8 Willow Warblers/Chiffies, 11 Long Tailed Tits and 2 Kestrels.  A good selection of birds at the Clevedon Yeo with 9 Little Egrets, 2 Peregrines, 14 Oystercatchers, 9 Ringed Plovers, 1 Lapwing, 8 Dunlin, 1 Black-tailed Godwit in summer plumage, 3/4 Whimbrel, 90+ Curlew, 4 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, 6+ Common Sandpipers, 4 Turnstones,  250+ Black-headed Gulls and 4 Wheatears.