Greenshank

Steve texted saying Greenshank LFGP and I was there pretty quick and saw it in the NE corner before it got grief from Jackdaws, soon leaving to the SE, but turning ENE and into the gloom.

Over recent years many Greenshank have left after a few minutes, so it is always important to get there ASAP. I am happy to get one back after the 26th did exactly that at 07:40.

Rain and flooding issues again

Saturday I did manage to see 1 Linnet at the NW edge of DP, by standing on the grass verge by Sandford and Mohawk, 1 flying into the bramble after just 10 minutes. Brian had a Greenshank which as most do, flew off at 07:40.

2 Swift over BSL and another brief and distant Kestrel in front of the tall buildings of Winnersh Triangle, but with more or less constant rain on Saturday, it wasn't very easy to do much. A few brave ones of us sat in Bittern Hide waiting it out, but nothing showed up.

Sunday 04:15 and we, meaning myself, 9 others and Meridian News, were out for the FOLL dawn chorus and it was raining for about half of it, no owls, few warblers to start with, the nearby calls of Oystercatcher told us it was dismayed to have had it's nest flooded out....3rd time in 3 years.

Our walk was predetermined by flooding and around BSL West side was the only option, so naturally we opted for Nightingales and after seeing one with average views, we took a stroll around the viewpoint, allowing me to glimpse the Black Tern Brian had found 06:35 opposite the sailing club. It was a very brief glimpse, but with Nightingale now showing very, very well, saving the scheduled morning walk completely, so the Tern had to wait. It didn't and left 07:15 before we made it round the bay.

Several Garden Warblers sang, but poor views for just a couple of us and a Cuckoo put in a brief view after most had just left. Either way, most seemed very pleased with the fine views and song of Nightingale and we will repeat this next year, of course hoping it isn't flooded and raining.

The bigger picture consequences of the flooding are that we have lost all the lake edge and island nesting species....again. So Mute Swan, Greylag, Canada, Moorhen, Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull, Tufted Duck and probably upset, or even ruined it for a few Reed and Cetti's Warblers too.

Meridian are apparently doing the feature on the dawn chorus walk this Friday, as part of the 6 O'Clock news.

Update and month so far

After seeing the White Stork, later got out again and did half an hour skywatching in the car park field, Derek and I picked up Hobby and Peregrine over Lavell's and Lea Farm landfill, around 14:30-45.

Today I bumped into Burt and Brian at Bittern Hide where we sat for about an hour, not really seeing much, afew Swallows, more on Sandford plus 6+ House Martin.

I was hopeful something magical might happen, another good wader, a Sandwich Tern, but sadly there have only been 2 confirmed sightings in April 7th 1985 and 8th 1989. If anyone knows who claimed the 4 on 7th 1996, let me know.

So the park year is on 116, April total so far is 102, =6th highest.with 2011

114 is the highest in 2013, 2nd is 111 in 2003, 3rd is 104 in 06', 08' & 12', finally 101 in 2007.

Month wise I am amazed we haven't had more Shelduck, but the month total is down because few wintering species lingered into April, no Wigeon, no Redwing, or Fieldfare, anyone had Siskin?

It's not too late for a Garganey, or an Osprey, but I will be trying to get Linnet tomorrow on the NW fringes of the park up where Sandford Lane meets Mohawk Way, I saw 3 flying North from Sandford Park yesterday and think they are local.

Fantastic off patch county tick

My good friend Derek arrived for coffee at about 09:35, about 2 mins before I looked at Berksbirds to find White Stork was being seen just outside Swallowfield. We left in about 5 mins and despite a wrong interpretation on my part as to which field we needed to view, we got to the right area and saw the bird perched at the top of the tree whilst we were still driving and found a good crowd, parking quickly at the now hard to park at site.

And there it was preening and looking ever more likely to fly off, which it of course did around 11:15....West it would seem, but could still be at AWE land somewhere. This places me on 259 for the county and 1 away from Brian, 3 away fro Derek, neither of them needing it.

Here my best iphone shots.

Early fog again

Arriving at BSL for 06:20 I could see no further than 110 metres and despite these being the conditions I saw such good birds 2 days ago, nothing was doing today. I hung in the car park for 15 minutes hoping for a Yellow Wagtail, but quit then a bit annoyed the fog had ruined my early morning attempt.

I could hear but not see Common Terns calling and a few Willow Warblers, but that was it.

Am also annoyed the White Stork seen at Farmoor yesterday didn't make it over Berks!

Contrasting days

This morning was so quiet compared to yesterday, just the Cuckoo calling again in the tall willows behind Teal Scrape and a small group of Swallow heading West was all worth noting.

I have looked at past wader records for end of April and May and provided total number of records per month, based on frequency order

Dunlin : 13 April records, 19 May
Curlew : 9 April records, 3 May
Greenshank : 7 April  records, 13 May
Whimbrel : 4 April records, 5 May
Grey Plover : 2 April records, 3 May
Black-tailed Godwit : 1 April record
Turnstone : 1 April record, 4 May
Ruff : 3 May records
Sanderling : 4 May records
Temminck's Stint : 2 May records

Make what you like of this information.

Early lunch visit got me Sedge Warbler finally, at the back of Tern Scrape, also Reed Warbler there and mating Oystercatcher.

That's much more like it

An early start and I even brought my first cup of tea of the day with me.

Opting for BSL first I could see it was fairly thick fog, so doubted I'd see much, but maybe a Common Sandpiper might be there at the beach. But before I'd even got to the bridge at 05:58, 2 medium sized waders came over my head at about 70-80ft, seeing straight bills with my naked eye, it was clear Whimbrel was out and having to move to get my bins quickly on them, they were moving away ENE fast into the fog, but I could see no wing bar and no obvious trailing legs....they had to Bar-tailed Godwit....and in just 1-2 seconds they were gone into the fog.

This is my 6th record for Bar-tailed Godwit, with only 10 records for the park, 3 in April, 3 in May, 2 in Sept and 1 record is 'Observer Unknown' in March, the full history of records is;

Apr 20th 1982 : 2 Over BSL 06:14 (FJC)
Sept 16th 1984 : 1 Over BSL (Tom Bedford)
Mar 17th 1988 : 2 Over (OU)
Aug 1st 1996 : 32 Over but not specically identified as Bar-tailed (Brian Uttley)
Sept 11th 2005 : 1 Over 10:30 (PMC & bird walk)
Apr 29th 2007 : c56 Over LFGP NE 19:49 (FJC)
May 17th 2008 : 1 Adult female BSL island (ARy, BTB et al)
May 14th 2009 : 1 Adult female LFGP (TGJ et al)
May 6th 2011 : 1 Flew off WNW LFGP 07:07(FJC)
Apr 21st 2014 : 2 Flew over BSL low 05:58 (FJC)


And just when I thought it can't get better, at 06:09 as I got back to my car parked at the locked gate, I looked up and got onto a Marsh Harrier heading North, it had already gone over and was probably about above the bottom of the car park field, or just beyond, at around 250 ft. Due to the fog and direction of light I had no chance of sexing it! This is my 8th at DP.

After all that I had a much quieter visit at LFGP, 6 Common Tern, my first Cuckoo and another Hobby, which went over my head at 12-15ft North along the hedgerow.

Update for later today is a possible Goshawk seen by Roger Stansfield, that went over LFGP North. I also saw 2 Mistle Thrush young being fed in the car park field at last.

Update #2 : GSE gave me his picture of the Arctic Tern he photographed on the 19th and so thought it fair to compare it with the 13th April 2013 bird