Bird of the day!

[GuyF]

Today mine would probably be 7 Spoonbill at Arne, although I also saw 2 GN Divers, 1 Black-Necked Grebe, a few Avocets and Pintails and a displaying male Goldeneye. However, I once again failed to see the Long-Tailed Ducks that are there, one day I will see them!
By the way, Aeshna, what is a WeBS count, because I have heard of them before and they seem to be a kind of species and numbers count but I've never known.
Thanks
Guy

[John]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Just back from a good day at Titchwell. The Avocets seem to be back early + the most numerous duck on site was surprisingly Pintail- c80 of these glorious duck.

The highlight of the day came at the end when sitting 2 metres away on a mossy branch on the ground under some scrub was a magnificent Woodcock- the camouflage, the large eye looking at us feeling secure in its cryptic plumage. In the end it had a crowd of c40 admirers.

Soon after leaving we had good views of a Barn Owl hunting over a field.

Now I'm tired, sated from fish + chips + a lovely day to reflect on. Up early tomorrow to do WeBS counts!

There is a possibilty that you may have crossed paths with Boddie, Fourwings and Oscar2006 as they were there today also.

Was the Woodcock by the side of the path between the car park and the visitors centre as there has been one there for the last two years around this time of year.

John

[John]

Perhaps I ought to sit at my window more often. The weather, although better today, has not put me in a mood to go anywhere so here I am, sitting at my PC (when I should actually be out in the field) looking at my garden.

I saw a bird drop into some foliage at the bottom of my garden and even though it dropped like a stone there was something about it that caught my eye. I got my bins out and scanned the area. Every now and again some foliage would move, then it came out. A stonking male Reed Bunting. Another bird I don't get that often in the garden.

John

[colincurry]

I was out yesterday walking part of the Ouse Valley Way. I saw some smallish brown birds with a buff belly that I eventually identified as meadow pippits. I find the smaller birds very hard sometimes - but I continue to learn and am a (very) late devloper. After coffee in Holywell churchyard, I carried on across the partially flooded fields to the river bank and spotted what I originally thought were two widely separated pairs of greylag geese. On closer inspection, one of the pairs turned out to be egyptian geese. Definitely a first for me in this country. In one of the flooded fields, I also saw about 20 shoveller ducks - the male is so elegant.

Colin

[colincurry]

PS I also followed a muntjac for about a quater of a mile along the path; but could not get a decent picture. I did finally catch up with it when it was skulking in the undergrowth at the side of the path. I got a good sighting but no snap. Not a bird - forgive me.

Colin

[Deer Stalker]

Went for walk in the New Forest today & heard Crossbills & Hawfinch singing again. Also heard the first Woodlark & Firecrest singing this year.

So Iv'e got 4 birds of the day
The rest are in the Diary section.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by GuyF

Today mine would probably be 7 Spoonbill at Arne, although I also saw 2 GN Divers, 1 Black-Necked Grebe, a few Avocets and Pintails and a displaying male Goldeneye. However, I once again failed to see the Long-Tailed Ducks that are there, one day I will see them!
By the way, Aeshna, what is a WeBS count, because I have heard of them before and they seem to be a kind of species and numbers count but I've never known.
Thanks
Guy

Guy- WeBS is acronym for Wetland Bird Survey which gives us an index of waterbird populations- including waders, gulls as well as the more obvious water birds. c2000 people up + down the country count these birds on a given Sunday each month, mostly September- March, though some carry on through the summer, on most of the important waterbodies. This survey gives trends on numbers of birds, quite a few of which winter in UK in internationally important numbers.

One of my patches is Thames on the boat race route-Putney- Barnes Bridges which is surprisingly productive. For instance today on here I counted pr Gt. crested Grebe,31 Cormorant, Black + 5 Mute Swan, 286 Mallard, 328 Teal, 63 Gadwall, pr Pintail, 60 Tufted Duck, 3000+ gulls of 5 species + few other species. Shows how the river has recovered + is extremely biologically productive!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by John

There is a possibilty that you may have crossed paths with Boddie, Fourwings and Oscar2006 as they were there today also.

Was the Woodcock by the side of the path between the car park and the visitors centre as there has been one there for the last two years around this time of year.

John

John the Woodcock was where you mentioned- I'd seen it there a couple of years back- makes a change from seeing a flushed or roding bird- so near + an amazing looking bird.

Shame I didn't realise the other WAB guys were there, but they'd have probably wanted to avoid me as I was part of a large RSPB group!

[Boddie]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

John the Woodcock was where you mentioned- I'd seen it there a couple of years back- makes a change from seeing a flushed or roding bird- so near + an amazing looking bird.

Shame I didn't realise the other WAB guys were there, but they'd have probably wanted to avoid me as I was part of a large RSPB group!

Not at all, it would have been nice to have met. We stopped and watched a barn own hunting too, soon after having left Titchwell. A fantastic sight to finish off a great day out.

I won't mention the WAB BADGE

[nightshade]

I knew you wouldn't mention the mythical WAB BADGE