Patch Birding - Salford GP

I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to make it to the patch today as I was out till 05:30 for birthday celebrations.  However I somehow managed to get up at 07:30.....

I arrived on site with a strong cup of coffee and headed straight to the Main Pit where I was hoping to see the Pochard again however they had departed along with most of the other water fowl.  The Tufted Duck were still there but left shortly after I arrived as there was some shooting going on in the back ground.

While scanning the water I noticed another birder, it was @NeilDuggan who is also birding Salford Priors GP for Patchwork Challenge 2015, great to finally meet up.  As detailed in a previous blog post, we have separated the area so we can cover more ground in an attempt to understand what the area holds.

Neil has visited the site a lot more than I have so has greater knowledge of where to look.  We checked out the old tree but still no sign of the Little Owl.  Neil then showed me the area where he'd seen 15 Jack Snipe about a week ago, again there were about 15 Jack Snipe.  I've never known anything like it, they seemed to be everywhere.

We said our goodbyes as we'd parked at opposite ends of the site, I decided to head up past the flooded field and the small pit.  The flooded field held a small number of Skylark whilst the small pit held a small number of Mallard and Tufted Duck.

A lot less about today than yesterday but still managed to add 4 species to the Patch Birding list:

Herring Gull - fly over
Lesser Black-backed Gull - fly over
Skylark - Flooded Field
Goldcrest - Pophills.

The Goldcrest was a bonus as it was my 100th species for 2015 for my year list and means I reached my target of 100 species for January.

Forest of Dean

Had a few hours to kill today so made a trip to the Forest of Dean for the Two-barred Crossbills that have been showing extremely well of late. They had been reported around Crabtree Hill just down from Speech House and a blog I read yesterday gave Ordnance Survey grid references. I parked up in the Speech House car park and took a walk to said grid reference but was unable to locate any Crossbills by sight or sound. I did however manage Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Stock Dove and Marsh Tit for the year list, Goldcrest and Marsh Tit are also Bird Race ticks. Them Goldcrests are difficult to photograph, I had to put the camera onto manual and rattled off a fair few shots of which this is the best one!

76. Goldcrest

 

Thought I'd add this Treecreeper as it's marginally better than my one from previously on my blog.



I was on my way back to the car when I stopped to watch some Nuthatch's chasing each other around the canopy, when a tit flock came through which contained a few Marsh Tit, again not the best clarity as I was on manual trying to keep up with them. I've just realised that I also need Nuthatch for the Bird Race list but don't think I got any shots other that silhouettes of them.

77. Marsh Tit

77. Marsh Tit

 

I thought I'd add this one to today's blog as I was reasonably pleased with it, seems that Robins are the only birds I can satisfactorily take photos of.

Robin

 



After my abysmal failure at locating the TBC's I decided to head down to Parkend as Hawfinch's had be reported around the grassy area along the side of the cricket pitch. I spent about half an hour searching and only managed to find 2 Robins and a flock of Greenfinch. I decided to give it up and started to head towards the car when I heard high pitched squeaking, on looking up I saw a flock of finches fly over my head and across to the top of some tall trees. I stopped for a look and was rewarded with not 1 Hawfinch but 8! I've taken a few shots but they were at a distance, high up and with a grey back drop, you can just about make them out as Hawfinches from their shape and pattern.

 78. Hawfinch

 



78. Hawfinch





So even though I didn't catch up with the TBC, or even Common Crossbills actually, I still had an enjoyable couple of hours as this was only the second time I've seen Hawfinches.