Brugge Weekend

The wife and I took a long weekend trip to Brugge as we have wanted to visit for some time now.  I it is beautiful town (city?) but 2 days is plenty to see the canals and to visit the chocolate shops and cafes.

I took a day out while the wife went shopping and I headed on down to Ghent to the Bourgoyen-Ossemeersan Nature Reserve which is a real wetland paradise so close to civilisation.

I didn't get too may photos as there is literally one path that goes around the outside of the 210 hectare reserve so binoculars are a must and telescope a bonus.

Being wetland it was mostly ducks and geese, there were hundreds of Barnacle Geese which were the most numerous Goose, there were smaller numbers of Greylag and Canada, I also saw a 2 hybrid geese, a Canada x Greylag and a Canada x Barnacle.

Barnacle Geese

 

Barnacle Geese

 

Barnacle Geese

Barnacle Geese 

Barnacle Geese 

Canada x Barnacle

 

I had a couple of year ticks with Great White Egret, Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff however they were all scope views so definitely no photos. Other waders were Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Lapwing and Golden Plover.

 

Curlew

 

The reserve has some boardwalk through a swamp like area with a lot of felled trees, this leads through to a wooded area where I spent about an hour watching what must have been 200 Siskin in addition to Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch.

The reserve held plenty of Mallard, Gadwall, Widgeon, Shovelar, Coot and a few Moorhen plus of course Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Coot 

Shovelar

Widgeon

I fully recommend a visit to this reserve if you are visiting Brussels, it's only a short drive from Brugge and well worth it.

RSPB HQ

Never been to the RSPB's HQ before but since I had an hour to kill I thought I'd pop over, I'd heard they'd had a number of Brambling visiting their feeders so hopefully it would be worth my while.

I arrived nice and early, only a few cars in the car park, the feeders however were already congested to the max with Lesser Redpolls, Siskins and Tits, a few Mealy Redpolls have been reported but my ID skills aren't good enough for separation of the two.

I took quite a few shots of the birds feeding which looked great on the camera display but rather blurred when transferred to the computer and view as a larger image.

A female Brambling appeared which I was happy with but she was very flighty and difficult to photograph, so after about 20 minutes watching and photographing the birds around the feeders I decided to take a quick walk around the nature trail.

I crossed the road to the start of the trail, made my way round the first corner then noticed some movement in one of the trees, 3 Brambling which sat for a while allowing me to obtain a half decent image.

32. Brambling

 

The walk around the reserve, although pleasant did not offer up much bird life, I think they all hang around the feeders! I heard Raven calling in the distance but didn't manage to see them.  I did see a fox and only managed a quick few shots as it ran off through the woods.

 

Fox

 

I continued round to the hide by the HQ building, again plenty of close up views of Redpolls, Tits and Siskin. A nice quiet hide allowing ample opportunity to practice photographing the birds.

 

 33. Redpoll

 

 Redpoll

 



 34. Siskin

 

Somehow managed to get onto this Coal Tit who rarely stopped in the same spot for more than 2 seconds!

 

35. Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Stock Dove, a bird I rarely get to see up close flew in with it's partner and again afforded me some fantastic close up views, I managed to get a fair few shots at different angles in an attempt to catch the neck patch in different lights, I only uploaded the one though, might have another look through and see if I can find one with the neck patch looking purple..

36. Stock Dove

 

I then noticed something flying low in the background, my first thought was Merlin, it was flying extremely fast but also rising, it was difficult to get onto with the binoculars but I eventually managed it - Woodcock, awesome, only my second every sighting and my first in daylight, I presume it had been flushed by walkers as there were a few in the direction from which I first noticed it.  Now an extremely happy bunny with Brambling and Woodcock for the day I decided to call it a day but just before I did a Goldfinch landed on the feeder so I grabbed a quick photograph for the blog.

37. Goldfinch

 

So all in all I would thoroughly recommend a visit to the home of the RSPB, a small heathland being restored, hopefully when it brightens up a little (if) there may be the chance of visiting Tree Pipit, Woodlark and who knows, maybe I could be so bold as to hope for Nightjar and Dartford Warbler!!

 

Almost forgot, while in the hide I had a glance out of the side window and saw this cute little bunny, couldn't resist a photo...

Bunny - Cute....









Forest of Dean

On the way to pick the kids up I decided to go via the Forest of Dean, in particular New Fancy viewing platform to see if I could see a Goshawk before they finish displaying.  I arrived at the viewing platform, saw a pair of Buzzard over the canopy and a few Siskin in a tree close by.  Then literally within a few minutes of arriving and as my luck would have it of late, the skies opened up and the deluge began, aargh!!!!

I then popped over to RSPB Nagshead in hope of Hawfinch and Marsh Tit but again to no avail, I did manage a photo of a Song Thrush for the race though.....

13. Song Thrush

 

Since it was dire birding here I headed over to Cannop Ponds for Mandarin Duck and Dipper.  My luck improved slightly as there were a great number of Mandarin Duck present with very close views of both male and female.  Whilst I was there I scoured the brook between the two ponds for Dipper but failed to locate any, a small consolation was a pair of Grey Wagtail though so not complaining.  Then just as I was about to leave a large crow  appeared, and with a big wedge of a tail was unmistakably a Raven, even better it landed in the tree I was standing by so afforded some great close up views of this often 'seen in the distance' bird.  A couple of photos were gathered of some commoner species to make the numbers up for the race.

 

 14. Blackbird

15. Moorhen

 

 16. Treecreeper

 

 17. Lesser Black Backed Gull

 

 

As I managed to get some close up views of the Mandarin Duck I thought I'd add some of my favourite shots..

 



 18. Mandarin Duck

 

 19. Grey Wagtail

 

 20. Mute Swan

 



21. Mallard

 

 22. Coot

 

 23. Robin

 

 24. Raven

 

25. Great Tit

 

Little bit gutted about the Goshawk, will have to try again but next time check the weather forecast, especially as this would be a lifer for me.....



5th Feb - If only........

Saw an amazing variety of species today:

 Obliging Grey Heron

 

 Barnacle Goose

 

 Lesser Scaup

 

 Trio of Mandarin

 

 Pink Footed Goose

 

 Shelduck and Bar Headed Goose

 

Smew



Wood Duck

 



Plus others such as Red Crested Pochard, Chiloe Wigeon, Egyptian Goose, Hooded Merganser etc etc... Unfortunately all in the Regent's Park wildfowl collection. Very nice to be able to see and study such species up close but frustrating as you have to presume all wildfowl are part of the collection!

Managed to see my first Siskin of the year though so that was nice.