Nick Bonds Birding

Deciding to keep it local until I go back to Cyprus

12th January 2006 - 1st highlight of the year was 2 Waxwings very close to home in Epsom near Horton Country Park where I also saw a small flock of 6 Bullfinches, 200c Redwings, 50c Fieldfares and a couple of Meadow Pipits.

Not a lot else done birding wise except several more visits to the Epsom Waxwings, also impressive fich flock on Rushett Farm with 30+ Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Skylark, and large numbers of Pied Wagtails.

A couple of visits to Bushey Park produced the usual species including Tawny Owl, Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker(heard), Lesser Redpoll, Siskin etc.

A couple of unlucky motoring trips to Kent rewarded us with 1w Ferruginous Duck, and drake Long-Tailed Duck at New Hythe GP's

Whilst in the area a brief visit into the Pulborough Brooks(March 13th) visitor centre enabled good views of Marsh Tit on the feeders.

Also noteable locally was a female Blackcap in my garden March 14th.

April 2006

A early spring outing to Pulborough Brooks(April 2nd) produced some summer migrants with several Willow Warblers, Chiff Chaffs, Sand Martins, and Swallows seen in gusty conditions. Also on show here was a male Peregrine, a very obliging Snipe which offered fantastic photo opportunity's, and winter ducks were still in evidence with numbers of Pintail, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler seen. Two Mandarin Ducks were also a pleasant find. 

April 6th included some local birding, a single Little Gull and 14 fantastic summer plumaged Black-Necked Grebes were on offer at Staines plus 4 Sand Martin's. Wraysbury offered nothing more than a scattering of early warblers and highlights at Beddington produced a single Water Pipit, 3+ Green Sandpiper's and 2 Sand Martin's.

An afternoon visit to Barnes WWT(7th) added further spring variety with a male Ring Ouzel showing well. A short period of rain produced 10c Swallow's, 4 House Martin's and 30+ Sand Martin's. At least two Little-Ringed Plovers were also seen well.

Another visit to Barnes WWT on 21st offered fantastic views of a single Jack Snipe, a single Common Tern was a first for the year as was Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and a single Common Sandpiper. Of note, was pleasing to see so many Sand Martin's taking advantage of the man-made sandbank to breed. Barnes again 26th produced much of the same but this time more Reed Warblers were in evidence and Sedge Warblers.

A couple of hours spent at Thursley Common (28th) produced a single Cuckoo, 2 Hobby's aswell as the usual heathland species to be found here. 2 Curlews were also present, Common Buzzard and 4+ Swallows passing through. Had 5 Common Swifts, passing high over my house in Chessington on the 30th.

May

Common Swifts were evident in my road in Chessington with 5 on the 3rd but increasing to 16+ the next day. A good days birding on the 5th at Dungeness with a lot of effort with little reward as migrants were thin on the ground except Common Whitethroats. A two hour sea-watch produced a Black-throated Diver, 2 Red-throated Divers, Velvet Scoter, 40c Common Scoter, 30c Bar-Tailed Godwits, 4 Brent Geese and at least 3 Fulmars. No skuas! A male Wheatear was seen by the power station. Dengemarsh was productive with 3 Greenshanks, 4 Whimbrel, 2 Bar-Tailed Godwits and found a fabulous drake Garganey. Yellow Wagatils were seen in the surrounding fields and a brief search at Dengemarsh gully produced 2 more Wheatears, Whitethroats and a Sparrowhawk. There were good number of terns at the patch, mostly Common, with Sandwich and a single Artic Tern also present. A 1st summer Mediterranean Gull and Kittiwake were also seen here.

(7th)A couple of hours stroll at Devils Punchbowl/Hindhead on the lookout for Wood Warblers, produced some good birding whilst looking at a Tree Pipit a flock of finches flew overhead and landed in the nearest pines. Soon I was watching a flock of Common Crossbills, feeding and basking in the sun. The flock was fairly mobile and when in flight was able to count 31 birds. I have seen Crossbills here before but not in this number. A male Common Redstart was also seen in the same area, but unfortunatley after a brief search no Wood warblers were seen nor heard.

23rd May - Flew to Cyprus!!!!!!!!

18th Nov - Returned to the U.K :-(

November

29th - Popped into Pulborough Brooks RSPB and saw a single Marsh and Coal Tit on the feeders. 

December

Staines Reservoirs was the first port-of-call on the 6th, with juv Great-Northern Diver showing distant on north basin aswell as 2 winter-plumaged Black-Necked Grebes here. Also there was a Ruddy Duck cull going on which pretty much spoilt any further birding here although small number of Goldeneye and Wigeon were present. On the same day at Beddington SF 2 adult Meditteranean Gull's were observed along with 2 Yellow-Legged Gulls. The amount of gulls present here is truly spectacular and scanning through them is hard labour! c60 Tree Sparrows were making full use of the feeder, a Peregrine ensured that the sky filled with birds, a Sparrowhawk also had a nose, other birds seen here included Kestrel, 2 Snipe, c40 Lapwing, 25c Shoveler, Gadwall, Pochard and a female Reed Bunting.

A trip out to Kent on the 17th started at Oare Marshes. Was greeted with flitting views of 2 Bearded Tit near the car park. There were many Lapwing, Wigeon, Common Teal, Gadwall present with 3 Snipe preening together in the winter sunshine. Shortly after managed to locate the 1st winter Long-Billed Dowitcher and showed well enough in the company of yet another Snipe. 2 Little Egrets were also in the area.. On to Sheppey and quickly saw a ringtail Hen Harrier as we drove down Harty Ferry road......followed shortly by another. Onto the raptor watchpoint and we were soon watching various Marsh Harriers showing well, and not far away a single Green Sandpiper. A Buzzard was also seen and down at the Harty Ferry pub there was a Merlin. Brent Geese flew up-channel and waders were seen with Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Redshanks all seen. Another 2 Little Egrets were also in the area but unfortunatley no Short-Eared Owls! A large flock of Golden Plover were also seen flying up the Swale and there were a few Grey Plover dotted around. Managed to see my first Redwing walking home from work o 18th, there just does not seem many around so-far this winter!

152 species seen in Britain 2006 so far.

Glaucous Gull - Oare Marshes - Kent

Waxwing - Bracknell - Berkshire (had just flown into a window)

In 2005  highlights and lifers were had with adult Glaucous Gull at Oare Marshes in Kent, Little Bunting in Worcestershire, Kumliens Gull at Gosport in Hampshire, Great-Spotted Cuckoo in Sussex with plenty of Waxwings seen in Surrey, Hants, Berks, Kent. Full details to follow. Mid April until early October spent in Cyprus, click on the Cyprus 2005 link! Since returning have seen the 1st winter Laughing Gull at Gosport, with the usual Ring-Billed Gull also had a bonus male Black Redstart there, then Saturday 20th November went to see the Grey-Cheeked Thrush that was present at Great Wood Country Park in Northaw near Potters Bar, the same day went to Broadwater GP's to see the drake White-Headed Duck. Good little spot with two Kingfishers seen, Little Egret, Siskins, Water Rail etc.

7th December 2005, a visit to Rainham Marshes, Essex provided us with my first Sociable Plover which was a first winter bird, I am sure that there will be many more visits to this reserve.

January

2nd - Waxwings in Nottingham, 60c birds present, also drake Ring-Necked Duck at Long Eaton gravels pits on the same journey we went for the Sora at Attenborough NR in Notts. Finished the day in Norfolk with Couses Artic Redpoll, Meally Redpoll seen at Titchwell RSPB

3rd - Shorelarks and Snow Buntings at Holkham Gap Norfolk, along with large gethering of the usual Geese species at Lady Annes Drive on Holkham freshmarsh

9th - Great Grey Shrike at Paddock Wood in Kent showed very well, various other species seen on Sheppey with Long-Eared Owl and Hen Harrier being the highlights

16th - Kumliens Gull at Walpole Park in Gosport along with the usual Ring-Billed Gull, Hawfinches in New Forest Hampshire

February

3rd - 77 Waxwings in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, nice and local

4th - Kittiwake and Black-Necked Grebe were the highlights on a trip to Dungeness

9th - Glaucous Gull at Oare Marshes(see photo)

13th - Hen Harrier and two Black Brants on a trip to Sheppey in a failed attempt to see Rough-Legged Buzzard

21st - Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker and Lesser Redpoll in Bushey Park in London also two Tawny Owls present still

24th - Drake Lesser Scaup at Scotney gravel pits(Sussex end) nr Dungeness

27th - Little Bunting at Caunsall in Worcestershire, also Red Kite and Buzzard

March

13th - Yellow Legged Gull at Dungeness

18th - 25+Wheatears 4 Black Redstarts and Sandwich Terns were the first major spring arrivals for me at Dungeness

24th - Yellow Wagtail at Oare Marshes Kent, Siberian Stonechat at Barnes WWT plus first Sand Martins, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow Legged Gull and Blackcap there

25th - 2 Water Pipits, 4+Green Sandpipers, Tree Sparrow, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Yellow Legged Gull, Little Ringed Plover and 6 Sand Martins all at Beddington Sewage works today

31st - Hoopoe(photo shortly) at the courage brewery in Reading also escaped drake Hooded Merganser on the lake there

April

2nd - Disappoinment of the year! Dipping the Belted Kingfisher at Shugborough in Staffs, consoloation with Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard and some more Waxwings in a pub garden nearby.

5th - Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Common Redstart all at Portland, a lovely pair of Garganey at Radipole RSPB + Peregrine

6th - One of my favourites for the U.K. Great-Spotted Cuckoo at Lancing in Sussex, managed to photograph and video, also 5 Waxwings seen in the car park

7th - 2 Great Skuas east past Portland, plus several 'Scandinavian' Rock Pipits at Portland Bill

13th - Cyprus!!!

July

7th - A superb Roseate Tern at Rye Harbour, plus resident Meditteranean Gulls, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Wheatear etc, a short trip out on a short return to the U.K allowing me to catch up with many summer species otherwise not seen before my departure.

November

12th - 1w Laughing Gull at Walpole Lake Gosport, Hants, also adult Ring-Billed Gull, Meditteranean Gull and male Black Redstart present

19th - Grey-Cheeked Thrush at Northaw nr Potters Bar in Herts also drake White-Headed Duck at Broadwater gravel pits in Harefield

December

7th - 1w Sociable Plover at Rainham Marshes rspb in Essex

27th - Juv Black-Throated Diver at Papercourt gravel pits nr Ripley in Surrey, Dartford Warbler at Thursley Common