APRIL 2008
28th - A drake Ruddy Duck was at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve today.
27th - Migration over/on Wains Hill included a male Pied Flycatcher, a Redpoll, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, several Yellow Wagtails, a Swift, a Siskin, a Mistle Thrush and two Peregrines. A Ring-necked Parakeet is pretty much resident in the Salthouse Fields area of Clevedon and is seen most days. On the coast at Clevedon there were 40+ Shelduck, 4 Tufted Duck, 5 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Heron (including a juvenile), a Peregrine, 9 Oystercatchers, a Little Ringed Plover, 12 Ringed Plover, 8+ Lapwing, a Knot, a Sanderling, 60+ Dunlin, 30 Whimbrel, 2 Curlew, 8 Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, 2 Turnstone, a GBB Gull, a Cuckoo, 22 Wheatear, a Cetti's Warbler, a Grasshopper Warbler, c8 Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 8+ Whitethroat and 10 Linnets. The fall of migrants was also evident at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve with 11 Wheatears, 2 White Wagtails and a Whinchat. Three Sandwich Terns and 3 Arctic Skuas were seen on an evening seawatch.
26th - A walk from the Clevedon Kenn to Wains Hill produced 10 Wheatears (one possible Greenland race), 13 Whimbrel, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Curlew, a Stock Dove and a Whitethroat. The first Cuckoo was reported from Wains Hill. An evening seawatch was rewarded with a Razorbill, 24 Arctic Terns and 40 Common Terns. A male Zebra Finch was in Clevedon Town centre, obviously a long distance migrant!
25th - Three Lesser Whitethroats and a Whitethroat were seen at Clevedon
24th - Three Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua were seen from Lady Bay. On the coast at Clevedon there were 45 Shelduck, 3 Little Egrets, 18 Oystercatcher, 4 Ringed Plover, 6 Lapwing, 56 Whimbrel, 15 Curlew, 10 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 10 Turnstones, 2 GBB Gulls, 5 Wheatears and 2+ Lesser Whitethroats.
22nd - A Little Ringed Plover and a Reed Warbler were at Dowlais Farm, Clevedon. A male Redstart was a Wains Hill.
20th - A fall of migrants at Wains Hill, Clevedon today with a Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Swift, at least a dozen Blackcap, Willow Warblers and Chiffies, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, Whinchat, 6 Tree Pipits flew over along with 50+ Meadow Pipits, a few Siskins and a Redpoll. Two Common Sandpipers were at Clevedon Pill. A Hobby was seen over Clevedon and later in the Gordano Valley.
16th - Some good new birds today at Clevedon with a female Pied Flycatcher (we had none last year), 3 Tree Pipits, 2 Redstarts and a Grasshopper Warbler in, around and over Wains Hill. Another Redstart was at Dowlais Farm. At least 3 Wheatears were at the Clevedon Yeo in the evening. At Portbury Wharf there was a fall of hirundines with c500+ Swallow, House and Sand Martins, a singing Willow Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Peregrine, a Little Owl and a Common Sandpiper.
15th - At Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve
today there was a Grasshopper Warbler and a Wheatear. A Yellow Wagtail was
at Clevedon.
14th - A female type Marsh Harrier was seen migating up the channel from Portbury Dock today, other than that, nil to report.
13th - Nil new at the Clevedon-Yeo with 16 Teal, a Grey Plover, 8+ Dunlin, 2/3 Whimbrel, 18 Turnstones, a GBB Gull, 5+ Swallow and 4+ Chiffies. Three Bar-headed geese were seen at Weston Moor in the Gordano Valley (they may be hybrids).
12th - The warm and sunny afternoon gave a least 6 Buzzards a chance to soar in the Gordano Valley (seen on the way to Tesco's!)
11th - A Cory's Shearwater was a great sighting today from Portishead ( record now withdrawn by observer) at 1pm, it was later followed by 2 Gannets.
10th - Little sign of migration at the Clevedon-Yeo today, here today were 60 Shelduck, 4 Teal, 2 Little Egrets, 23 Oystercatchers, 4 Ringed Plover, 5 Grey Plover, 6+ Lapwing, 4 Knot, 10 Dunlin, a Whimbrel, 24 Curlew, a Spotted Redshank, 80 Redshank, 31 Turnstones and a Cettis Warbler. A Redpoll was a fly-over at Wains Hill and a Ring-necked Parakeet is being seen regularly in the area of Salthouse Fields, Clevedon.
6th - A Stone Curlew was a great find at the Clevedon-yeo early this morning (only the 9th Avon record), regretfully the bird was only seen by one observer and could not be re-located. Also at Clevedon were 120 Shelduck, a single Wigeon, 15 Teal, 18 Oystercatcher, a Ringed Plover, 6+ Lapwing, a single Dunlin, 22 Curlew, 130 Redshank, 19 Turnstones, 4 Sand Martin, 16 Swallows, a Cetti's Warbler and 3 Chiffies. At Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve there were 11 Tufted Ducks, 2 Gadwall, 39 Shelduck, 2 Wigeon, 6 Teal, Goldenye, 20 Redshank, 3 Curlew, a Cettis Warbler and a Willow Warbler.
5th - Migration from Wains Hill today included a Tree Pipit and a Yellowhammer, also flying over were a few Chaffinch, c100 Mipits, hirundines were mostly Sand Martins with a few Swallows and House Martins in the mix. A Greylag Goose was seen at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve. Snow predicted overnight, lets see what tomorrow brings.
4th - The only report today was of a Little Ringed Plover at Clevedon.
3rd - At the Clevedon-Yeo today there were 70 Shelduck, 15 Teal, 3 Little Egrets, 10 Grey Plover, c10 Lapwing, 12 Curlew, a Spotted Redshank, 80 Redshank, a GBB Gull, a Green Woodpecker, a Sand Martin, 6 Chiffchaff, a White Wagtail, 3 Wheatears, a Reed Bunting and a Peregrine.
2nd - Today at Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve there were 9 Sand Martin, a Swallow, c30 Meadow Pipits, 2 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 4 Little Grebes, 6 Tufted Ducks and the Goldeneye. 17 Kittiwakes were seen from Ladye Bay.