APRIL 2009
28th - Very quiet at Clevedon today with 40+
Shelduck, 4 Little Egrets, 7 Oystercatchers, 4 Lapwings, 52 Whimbrel, 3
Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, 10+ Swallows, a Wheatear, 4+ Whitethroats, 2
Yellow Wagtails and a Whinchat.
26th - At the Clevedon-yeo today there were 47
Whimbrel, a Bar-Wit, 25 Dunlin, 3 Turnstones, 4 Oystercatchers, 4 Lapwing, 3
Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, 5 Wheatears, 3 Little Egrets, 3 Grasshopper
Warblers (2 at Dowlais and one at Broadstone Lane), a Garden Warbler, a Whinchat
and a Swift. A Yellow Wagtail and a Redpoll flew over Wains Hill.The
coast path near Walton Common produced 6 Whimbrel, a male Cuckoo; several
Whitethroat; 1 Lesser Whitethroat; 1 Stonechat. Two Whinchats dropped into
Clapton Moor this evening.


25th - A female type Marsh Harrier was seen
flying inland from Battery Point today.
24th - Seawatching produced 2 Arctic Skuas (1
pale and one dark) which were watched chasing and then killing a small passerine
mid-estuary, 17 Whimbreal also flew past. On the coast at Clevedon there
were 40+ Shelduck, a Little Egret, a Coot (Yeo Bank Farm), 6 Oystercatcher, 8
Ringed Plover, 4 Lapwing, a Knot, 12 Dunlin, 4 Black-tailed Godwit (YBF, in
breeding plumage), 8 Bar-tailed Godwit 8 (3 in breeding plumage), 72 Whimbrel,
3 Curlew, 4 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3 Turnstones, 25+ Swallows, 3 White
Wagtails, 7 Wheatears, 3+ Reed Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, 3+ Whitethroats, 1+
Lesser Whitethroat and a Yellowhammer (only heard but good song). A Swift
flew over Wains Hill where a Cuckoo was also heard calling near the allotments. Anyone
lost a Glossy Starling? This one was in Clevedon.

22nd - A Yellow Wagtail and a Grasshopper Warbler
were at Dowlais Farm, Clevedon today.
21st - Two Wood Warblers were at Wains Hill and
the two Lapwing broods reported from Dowlais Farm.
20th - A visit to Dowlais Farm produced three
Lapwing chicks on the scrape (seems early?), three Yellow Wagtails (2
females & a Male) and a Whitethroat. Thanks to Lyn Loder for the pic.

19th - A BTO atlas walk in Portishead was not
exactly riveting, the highlight being a Grasshopper Warbler at Battery Point.
At Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve the only birds of note were 26 Dunlin and a
Sanderling.
18th - At Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve today
there were 5 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaff 3, 2 Whitethroat, a Lesser
Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler, a Common Sandpiper, a Yellow
Wagtail and the first Cuckoo of the year was heard.
17th - A Common Sandpiper was at the swimming
pool end of Portishead marina along with 17 Mute Swans and a Canada Goose.
16th - A Portishead garden enjoyed a visit from
a mixed group of 2
Goldfinches, 6 Siskins and 2 Lesser Redpolls today.
15th - An Osprey was the star turn over Wains
Hill this morning (hopefully the picture will not cause to many concerns!), also
here was a female Ring Ouzel, flyovers included a flood of Hirundines and
hundreds of Goldfinches with a few Redpolls, Siskins and Linnets and a Tree
Ppipit and a Yellow Wagtail. On the coast at Clevedon there were 40
Shelduck, 2 Wigeon, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Oystercatchers, 4 Lapwing, 4
Dunlin, 5 Curlew (2 possibly Whimbrel - too far off to be certain), 60 Redshank,
a Spotted Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, 15 Wheatears (all females), a Cetti's Warbler, 2 Willow
Warblers and 6 Chiffchaffs. House Martins were seen in the Gordano Valley.
A Grasshopper Warbler, a Cetti's Warbler, a Redpoll and the female Goldenye were
at Portbury Wharf. Oh, and there was another report of a Goshawk
in the Kenn area of Clevedon....

14th - Two Bar-tailed Godwits and a Spotted
Redshank were at Dowlais farm. Three
Tree Pipits flew over Wains Hill this
morning and a small flock of Redpolls were also seen along with a male Shoveler.
A Whinchat was at Portbury Wharf.
13th - A Redstart day at Portbury Wharf Nature
Reserve with 4 males and a female seen alongside at least 5 singing Cettis
Warbler, a Little Owl and many Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps.
The Goshawk was again seen at Clevedon, this time perched in a tree before being
driven off by crows. On the coast at Clevedon it was quiet with 3
Wheatears, 7 Redshank, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Oystercatchers, 32 Shelduck, 2 White
Wagtails and 3 Sand Martins.
12th - At the Clevedon-Yeo today the first
Whimbrel of the year was seen along with 12 Mute swans, 55+ Shelduck, 3 Teal, a
Peregrine, 3 Herons, 4 Little Egrets, 32 Oystercatchers, c10 Lapwing, 22 Curlew,
85 Redshank, a Spotted Redshank(heard only), a Cetti's Warbler, the first
Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat and Reed Warbler of the year, 4+ Chiffchaff and 3 Redpoll.
Addendum to Goshawk sighting posted 5th April.
Two
additional flight shots of the first-adult male Goshawk from 5th
April 2009. (The bird having been previously seen on 14th February,
29th March and 4th April.)

11th - A patch tick for a few of the regulars
with a pair of Grey Partridge near Clapton-in-Gordano this afternoon. This
morning at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve their were plenty of common Warblers
but only 9 Tufted Ducks, 3 Little Grebes, 2 Bullfinch and c15 Redshank were of
note.

10th - A fall of migrants at
Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve this morning with a Grasshopper Warbler, c6
Blackcaps, c6 Willow Warblers, 80 Redshank, 15 Dunlin, a Grey Plover, 30
Swallows, 10 Sand Martins, Yellow Wagtails and 3 Redpoll. At Clevedon
there was another Grasshopper Warbler, 30+ White Wagtails, a Yellow Wagtail and
Sedge Warblers.
8th - A good blow overnight persuaded the sea
watchers out and they were rewarded with 3 Great Northern Divers, 6 Sandwich
Terns and 8 Gannets from Ladye Bay, Clevedon. From Battery Point a pale
phase Arctic Skua was seen going up and then down the estuary along with c60
Kittiwakes and a Peregrine.
6th - A Ring Ouzel was found near the Salthouse,
Clevedon this morning, however it could not be re-found this afternoon.
5th - An Arctic Skua was the lone highlight from
a sea watch at Ladye Bay. Walton Common was desperately quiet first thing
with just a few Reed Buntings of note (6-7 Roe Deer and 2 Hares also here).
A visit to the Perfect Bite pools at Clevedon by the planning committee of the
patch watchers Latvian adventure (if anyone has any gen on birding in Latvia in
May please use the e-mail link above!) was rewarded by good views of the
apparently resident male Goshawk.


4th - A Redstart was seen at Portbury Wharf
Nature Reserve. A male Goshawk was seen at Clevedon.
3rd - Four Siskins were seen in a Clevedon garden
today.