SEPTEMBER 2005

29th - Little of note at the Clevedon-Yeo this morning with 6 Little Egret, 90 Shelduck, 90 Teal, 2 Kestrel, 2 Ringed Plover, 1 Lapwing,  c40 Dunlin and Wheatear 3 of note.  Little to report at Portbury Wharf with the highlights being  2 Grey Wagtails and a Kingfisher.  As Battery Point 2 Rock Pipits and a Common Tern (going downriver) were seen. A new Goldfinch record in my garden today with 13, used to get only one or two before the Nijer seed arrived!


 

28th - The weather gradually deteriorated during the day with heavy rain by mid-afternoon.  Much of the same at Portbury Wharf today with 2 Tufted Duck, 1 female Shoveler, c30 Teal, 5 Grey Wagtails, 1 Raven and 40 Linnet.  At Portishead boating lake there were c25 House Martins, 20 Linnet and 6 Meadow Pipits.

27th - At Portbury Wharf today there were 4 Canada Geese, 16 Mute Swans, 7 Little Grebes, 35 Teal, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Stonechat, Wheatear, 2 Mipits and c20 Swallows.  A seawatch from Battery Point was unproductive.

26th - No sign of the mystery bird at the Yeo today.  There was 50 Redshank, 14 Knot, 9 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, Peregrine, 12 Skylark a few Wigeon and 20+ Teal.

25th - A bird initially identified as a Lesser Yellowlegs was found at the Yeo late this morning and showed on and off during the afternoon. It was originally spotted at the top of the Yeo, before joining Redshank at the mouth.  High tide tomorrow is at 12:44 (9.1m) so probably best to try and get down there an hour or so either side. There is a great deal of debate over the I.D of this bird and the probability is that is was in fact a Wood Sandpiper.  Various photo's and Video grabs are on the following link MYSTERY BIRD, credit to the photographers concerned.  At Portbury Wharf there were 32 Tufted Duck, 1 hybrid (probably Tufted x Pochard), 15 Mute Swan, 30 Teal, 3 Wigeon and a Little Egret.

23rd - Some evidence of migration in the Gordano Valley today with 11 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 4 Bullfinch, 2 Stonechat, Hobby, several parties of Long-tailed Tits and flocks of Goldfinch and Greenfinch seen.

22nd - The Ring Necked Duck has returned to Portbury Wharf again, also there was 80 Teal, c105 Mallard, 15 Wigeon, 12 Mute Swans, 24 Tufted Ducks, 9 Little Grebes, Hobby, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and a Snipe.  at Clevedon there was a Green Sandpiper, female Ruff, 95+ Shelduck, 60 Teal, 3+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 10 Wheatear, at least 40 Meadow Pipits and 140+ Goldfinch's near mouth of Kenn. Only one Swallow but 10+
House Martins were seen.

21st - It remains quiet at Portbury Wharf with 31 Tufted Ducks, 8 Little Grebes, 7 Mute Swan, 2 Whinchats, 4 Bullfinch and 30 Linnet seen.  Clevedon-Yeo had 8 Knot, 5 bar-tailed Godwits, c75 Dunlin/Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Grey Wagtails, 10+ Wheatear, female Pintail, 12 Wigeon and c30 Teal.

20th - At Clevedon today there were 18 Little Egrets, 35 Oystercatcher, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, 24 Turnstone, 10+ Wheatear, and a singing Chiffchaff near Yeo Bank farm.

18th - On a high tide at Clevedon this morning there were 15 Little Egret, 4 Cormorant, 2 Grey Herons, 8 Mute Swan (6 juvs), 15 Wigeon, 90 Mallard, 20+Teal, 1/2 Buzzard, Peregrine (male), 39 Oystercatcher (good count for Cl-Y), 20+ Ringed Plover, 36 Knot, 1 Little Stint, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 90+ Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 2 Jack Snipe(seen on a tiny patch of mud below the sea wall at nearly high tide), 80+ Curlew, 60+ Redshank, 1 Greenshank, a few Turnstone, 20+ Swallow, 2 House Martins, 1 Yellow wagtail, Kingfisher, 11 Wheatear and 2 Raven.  At Portbury Wharf there were 14 Tufted Ducks, 3 Siskins, 5 Reed Buntings a Little Egret and 12 Lapwing.

 

Also, found on the sea wall at Clevedon was this picture (click here) of the skeletal remains of the leg of a ringed bird, I will endevour to find out about it's owner, in the meanwhile if you think you can i.d the bird from the photo, let me know.  Update - this ring is from a racing pigeon, so no doubt a Peregrine had a good lunch!

                    
 

17th - The most interesting report today came from Clevedon where a Hirundine showing characteristics of Northern Rough Winged Swallow was briefly observed, but regretfully could not be nailed down, another one for the 'got away file'!  In the Gordano Valley today 59 Blackcaps and 3 Grasshopper Warblers were ringed, indicating it was a good night for migration.  A Manx Shearwater that had been taken into care was released from Battery Point this evening.

15th - In wet conditions at Clevedon 9 Little Egrets, 25 Shelduck, 70+ Mallard, 20+ Teal, 2+ Ringed Plover, c40 Dunlin, 2 Whimbrel, 45 Redshank , 15+ Turnstone and a least 9 Wheatear were seen.  A local birder was lucky enough to add Wheatear to his garden list after one landed on a neighbours roof in the Dial Hill area of Clevedon.

13th - A Siskin, 1 Redpoll, and a Mistle Thrush were observed over Wains Hill this morning.

11th - In dull. overcast conditions at the Clevedon Yeo this morning there were c8 Little Egrets, 4 Curlew Sandpipers, juvenile Little Stint, 2 Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, c80 Knot, 40 Redshank, c150 Dunlin, c30 Ringed Plover, 2 Greenshanks, 3 Common Sandpipers, c70 Teal, 8 Wheatear and several hundred Swallows and House Martins passing through.

                   

10th - Two quality birds were found at Clevedon today with a Ring Ouzel in the churchyard on Wains Hill and a Garganey was flushed from the end of Channel View Lane, flying upstream.  Portbury Wharf had a Little Egret, a Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, c70 Know and a Sparrowhawk.

9th - At Portbury Wharf today there were 13 Ringed Plover, c100 Dunlin, 1 Little Egret, 3 Jays (unusual here, these were probably migrants)

, 1 Wheatear, 2 Blackcaps, 8 Lapwing and 20 Linnet.  Weston Moor held 5 Stonechats, 1 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear and a Little Grebe.

8th - At Clevedon today there were 11 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, 32 Shelduck, 35+ Teal, 30 Oystercatchers, 80+ Ringed Plover, 46 Knot, 1+ Sanderling, 320 Dunlin, 4 Black-tailed Godwits,  115 Curlew, 32 Redshank, Greenshank, 5 Common Sandpipers, 19 Turnstone, Kingfisher, 50+
Swallow, 10 Wheatears and 30 Linnet.  Further reports from Clevedon gave the combined count of Ringed Plover and Dunlin at c600, 4 Curlew Sandpipers, a Juvenile Little Stint and 57 Knot.  At Portbury Wharf there were c180 Dunlin, a Black-tailed Godwit, Little Egret, female Sparrowhawk, 6 Tufted Duck, a Gadwall and 9 Little Grebes.

7th - The fine weather continues and today at Clevedon there was 1 Knot, 4 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Sanderling, c500 Dunlin/Ringed Plovers. 1 Wheatear, 4 Whinchats, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Willow Warbler and a male Peregrine.  At Portbury Wharf a Med Gull was seen and c110 Turnstone and 80 Redshank were in Killkenny Bay (South west of Battery Point), Portishead.

6th - At Clevedon this evening 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 30 Knot, 3 Sanderling and 4 Common Sandpipers were seen before it became too dark to see anymore!
 
5th - The only birds of note at Portbury Wharf today where 2 Little Egrets and 4 Snipe.  At Weston Moor there were 3 Whinchat, 2 Stonechat and 2 Spotted Flycatchers.
 
4th - A very hot day for September produced 14 species of wader at Clevedon today,  there were 17 Little Egrets, 20+ Teal, 130+ Mallard, 1 male Tufted Duck (unusual here), 34 Oystercatchers, 90+ Ringed Plover, 3 Knot, 2 Sanderling, 1 moulting adult Little Stint, 2/3 Curlew Sandpipers, 240+ Dunlin, 6+ Snipe, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 40 Curlew, 12 + Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 3/4 Common Sandpipers, 24 Turnstone, 12+ Wheatear and 65+ Linnet.
 
3rd - Again, a good selection of birds at Clevedon with the first returning Shoveler (2) and Wigeon (2) of the autumn, along with a Greenshank, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Snipe, c30 Dunlin and Ringed Plover, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egrets, Hobby, Whinchat, Whitethroat and a Yellow Wagtail.  A Kingfisher was at the Perfect Bite pools.  A Siskin, Tree Pipit and a Redpoll flew over Wains Hill.
 
        
 
2nd - At Clevedon today there was a good selection of birds with 12 Little Egrets, 1 Teal, 2 juvenile Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards, 6 Oystercatchers, 70+  Ringed Plover, 14 Knot, 2 Sanderling, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 280 Dunlin, 4+ Whimbrel, c60 Curlew, 16 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpipers, 12 Turnstone, Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail and 4 Wheatear. A Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Reed Buntings were at Wains Hill.  At Portbury Wharf there was a Greenshank, 2 Little Egrets, 4 Tufted Ducks, 2 Kingfishers, 12 Little Grebes, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers, 25 Teal and 20 Ringed Plovers.
 
1st - At Portbury Wharf today there was 1 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 8 Little Grebes, 2 Tufted Ducks and 2 Kestels.
 
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