Horsebere Penduline finally swings in my direction.....

Last Thursday and Friday I managed to engineer it at work to enable me to work close to Gloucester, my aim was to twitch the Penduline Tits at Horsbere Pools. I visited for an hour before work and an hour after work but to no avail.

I kept an eye on the bird news and was glad it was re-found so I managed to ensure I worked close again today.  I didn't have time to visit before work so I popped out over lunch.  When I arrived there was no sign of them despite about 30 minutes of scanning.  There was a flock of Long-tailed Tits flitting up down the reed bed.

Long-tailed Tits

Also in the reed beds were Moorhen, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit and a pair or Chiffchaff.

Female Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting

Chiffchaff

I decided to take a walk around the pool to see what else I could find, and maybe find the Pendulines.

The fields around the pool contained about 15 Magpie, a large flock of Fieldfare interspersed with a few Redwing and a Buzzard soaring and calling over.  There were a number of Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and a few Goldfinch.

Meadow Pipit 

 

Pied Wagtail

Goldfinch

 

Magpie

Around the other side of the pool I was treated to some great views of a pair of Stonechat, I followed them along for about 10 minutes trying to get a decent shot but they wouldn't let me approach any closer than about 10 meters.

Male Stonechat

Female Stonechat

Male Stonechat

 

Female Stonechat

On the way back round to where the Penduline Tits are normally seen I was treated to a lovely view of a Kingfisher flying around the reedbed trying to find a suitable perch which it failed to do.  Out on the water there were 4 Mute Swan, 3 Wigeon (2m & 1f), Mallard, Coot and Moorhen with Gull numbers steadily increasing.  When I arrived it was predominantly Black-headed Gull with a pair of Herring Gull and a single Common Gull, by now there were approx. 15 Herring Gull, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Common Gull and a different looking Herring Gull (Had it confirmed on the Facebook UK Gulls ID group as a Herring)

Herring & LBB Gulls

Herring & LBB Gulls

Herring & LBB Gulls

Herring & LBB Gulls

Mallard

It was another no show on the Penduline Tits so I headed up to the brook to have a look, there I heard so loud 'seeping' which I couldn't place, I spent 20 mins trying to locate them.  The sound ceased whilst I was checking another area so before I left I thought I'd have one last look and suddenly in my binoculars was a Penduline Tit :)  I spent about 10 minutes with fleeting views when other arrived, I was able to put them onto it for a bit until it flew straight up then appeared to come down by the brook.  One of those present went to check while we continued to search the reeds, he found the pair in the Willows along the brook and they gave some great views to about 10 people.

Penduline Tit

Penduline Tit

Penduline Tit

 

Penduline Tit

Penduline Tit

A worthwhile couple of hours at a small pool you would never realise was there next to a busy road across from and industrial estate gave me a lifer and a year tick, happy days....

Testing Day

So I was allowed out geeking today whilst the misses spent the day talking wedding plans and hen night with friends.

I thought I'd have a great day being on the south coast and was spoilt for choice as to where to go. I settled on Farlington Marsh which should provide me with waders and sea ducks and hopefully Short-eared Owl. When I arrived though, the tide was so far out that the bay was dry and devoid of bird life, the marsh itself was buzzing with dog walkers so I decided to forget the idea and head to Titchfield Haven. Before I left I had a quick scan of the channel with the telescope and picked out Curlew, Oystercatcher and a nice pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.

I arrived a Titchfield, the area quite busy. I parked up and scanned the Solent first but nothing on the sea as it was so rough, the wind was very blustery and blew my tripod over whilst I was getting my telescope, this has bent the arm which controls the head :o(

There were a few Herring Gull and Cormorant out on a spit and some Oystercatchers very close in affording a great opportunity to get some shots.

Oystercatcher

 

I then locked up the car and turned to head over to Titchfield Haven only to find it was closed, today was not turning out to be my day.....

 

As time was running out I decided to head to Stanwick Lakes as it was on the way back to our friends. I arrived on site and low and behold it too was shut, it was still accessible by foot though so I just parked up on the feeder road.

 

The woods are extremely wet and boggy making it difficult to walk round, certain paths are closed off and others completely flooded. The woods were alive with Blue Tit and Great Tit but no Coal. I saw a couple of Goldfinch which I don't really recall seeing much in woodland. I got some great views of a pair of Lesser Redpoll feeding.

 

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

 

I also saw plenty of Woodpigeon, a Goldcrest, 2 Redwing, a Song Thrush and a Treecreeper but this was it for the smaller birds. I continued round passed the Study Centre lake on the way back to the car. I had a quick scan, present were Mallard, Gadwall, Coot, Moorhen, a Little Grebe tucked up in the reeds and then my first Kingfisher of the year.



Mallard

Gadwall

 

128. Kingfisher