A very Good Friday

Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), St Mary's Bay, 18/4/14

After a relatively quiet few weeks where bird-related anticipation has well out-flanked reality, the last few days it has finally felt like the cogs of spring migration are grinding into action.

This morning I headed out to St Mary's Bay to do the usual loop of one of my favourite birding locations. Parking at Northward Hill around 7.30am there was little activity around the farm or viewpoint save a few newly arrived common whitethroats, singing their scratchy song from bramble fortresses. Out by the orchard and along to the heronry, it was hard to pick out much above the din of the rooks and gurgling little egrets although both lesser whitethroat and nightingale gave it their all. Down the lane to Swigshole a couple of swallows flew through, otherwise the only other chatter came from the workers in the fields - migrants of an economic kind. Reaching the cottage and the track out north, I decided to do the loop anti-clockwise so as to have the sun and the surprisingly cool breeze behind me when I reached the sea wall. Before I reached the bay, I was pleased to find a nice flock of seven wheatears together in the corner of St Mary's marsh. Mediterranean gulls were also plentiful here, their calls swirling overhead, somewhere in the wide expanse of blue sky above me.

Heading out to the bay, I couldn't find any yellow wagtails with the cattle but I was surprised to find another birder out on the bay - but then I'm always surprised to see anyone else here! Unfortunately the chap had decided the best way to get a better view of the river was to climb over a fence and walk across the salt marsh - all for the sake of being about 20 metres closer - nevermind fieldcraft and the meadow pipits scattering from his path. Anyway...a distant flock of Brent geese were a nice reminder of migration's revolving door  - and those winter birds heading for the exit. A single Whimbrel pottered on the large expanse of mud in the bay, along with a single Avocet and smaller crowds of redshank and oystercatcher. Heading round towards Egpyt Bay were two more obliging wheatear and a Yellow Wagtail which flew over and landed briefly on the beach.

I took my time on the track back to Swigshole, admiring a pair of Marsh harriers and trying to coax something nice out of the bushes, a gropper maybe...but a couple of Cetti's was as much as I got. I did however spot perhaps the most unexpected bird of the day though - a single Fieldfare close in on one of the rspb fields! It is undoubtedly my latest record for the species...

Around this point I was starting to zone out a bit and muse on the fact that things still seemed pretty quiet when several blackbirds flushed off the path ahead of me. Their alarms stirred me slightly and I became aware of a much more nasal sounding call with them. Scanning the memory bank, I followed their flight and was chuffed to see a Ring Ouzel flying across one of the paddocks by the cottage. The bird perched on low bush first before dropping to the ground and foraging along the fence line, some 50m away, for a couple of minutes - showing off it's superb white crescent breast band. It's always great to see these birds and to find one here felt good. Incredibly, just a moment after the ouzel disappeared from view, I spotted a large, greyish bird moving along the adjacent hedgerow towards me, slightly obscured. My instinct was that it must be a female sparrowhawk cruising for some brunch but when I moved to get a better view I was stunned to see a ring-tail Hen Harrier fly right over me! Incredible! The bird quickly disappeared over some scrub and then presumably headed off over towards the Decoy fields.

Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) nr Egypt Bay, 18/4/14

After that unexpected burst of action, I was buzzing again and enjoyed a walk through the bluebells at Northward Hill before heading home. I hope it's not too cheesy to say today was a very Good Friday!

Sightings of note today:

Northward Hill:
Garganey (drake on res), 14 Avocet (Swigshole fields), 1 Buzzard, Cuckoo (1 heard), 5 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 2+ Whitethroat, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 6+ Nightingale, Willow Warbler (singing), 5 Jay, 3 Stock Dove

St Mary's bay/Egypt Bay:
Ring Ouzel (1m by Swigshole Cottage), 29 Brent Goose, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Avocet, 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Hen Harrier (rt), 20+ Mediterranean Gull, 9 Wheatear, 1-2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Cetti's Warbler

Spring is 'ear!

Ouzeling

View of the Somerset Levels from the stunning Draycott Sleights, Somerset, 6/4/13

Last weekend I managed to fit in a last minute trip down to Somerset and back. It was a lovely weekend; the weather provided a kiss of life, all spring-like and fresh, I saw bright, smart looking butterflies on the wing for the first time in ages - Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, and Brimstone. I also visited the pub that's on the cover of the Good Pub Guide 2013 (nice pint of 6X but Pea Sorbet anyone?)

Invariably the sunny conditions prompted plenty of bird activity and the levels were full of song. I even saw my first House Martin of the year, moving north across the blue sky as I waited for RSPB Ham Wall's mega Pied-billed Grebe to show on Saturday lunchtime. After finding myself alone at its favoured area, it was thanks to a passing photographer who pointed out the grebe's distant call that I eventually managed to connect with the elusive yank. The call was remarkable - a distinctly un-Grebe like grunting 'Oo oo oo' (some neat video here) and by following this, after an hour of patiently watching the reeds, I was able to get some decent views. It's not spectacular but it's a nice-looking bird with the pale, chunky bill of its name, large eye and sturdy neck giving it a 'top heavy' appearance. It was clearly behaving in a territorial manner and I admired it's eagerness to chase off a pair of (much larger) Shoveler. Unfortunately, with its nearest potential mate probably several thousand miles way, its unlikely to have much luck in Somerset but still, apparently there is a UK record of a similarly vagrant bird producing hybrid young with our own Little Grebe! Pretty amazing.

Despite bagging a lifer before lunch, it wasn't actually the grebe (or the pea sorbet) I'll remember the trip for - rather it was a wonderful encounter with a scarce but ultimately much more common UK visitor on the slopes of the Mendip Hills earlier that morning.

I've only ever had fleeting views of Ring Ouzels so to find a field full of them in close proximity at SWT's towering Draycott Sleights reserve in the hills was special. With good numbers reported the previous week I thought it might be worth a visit and although it took some time to coax the car up the steep lane and figure out the fields and limestone outcrops of the site, it soon turned up great views of the 'mountain blackbird'. Over the course of an hour or two, myself and another local birder out ouzeling caught up with numerous birds dotted across the slopes. There were handsome males with their distinct white gorgets and, with a similar dymorphism to Eurasian blackbirds, the brownish females with their paler markings. And what could be better than gazing at Ring ouzels on a sunny hilltop in spring? Howabout a couple of wheatears thrown in with them for good measure....a great morning and since it's not every day I get to see ouzels, here are some dubious photos to celebrate it a very fine bird indeed...

An Ouzeling wonderland...

Male Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus), Draycott Sleights NR, Somerset, 6/4/13

Female Ring Ouzel - you can kind of see its browner tone and paler throat...
More obvious here is the silvery sheen  on its wing which shows up well in certain light conditions

A Wheatear, hooray.

Roll on Spring...