New Years Day Twitch 2021 - Part III

 To continue with the final phase of the Twitch the news from the Gravle Pit remains bad as still no signs of the third

LITTLE GREBE

GOLDFINCH
along the bridleway was almost a foregone (don't count yer chickens) while at the
Sewerage Works it was almost a riot. Without any coaxing c2 male

FIRECREST

popped out of the hedgerow followed by a male

BULLFINCH
perching on the same briar, what a sight! They were followed by a

CHAFFINCH
that was considered very late in the day or overlooked? As if that were not enough from a single location a

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
was druming from deep in the hedge, a distant and noisy

JAY
was located then followed by at least a dozen

CHIFFCHAFF
and a

GREY WAGTAIL
gorging itself in a filtration pond while as ever many dozens of

BLACK-HEADED GULLs
were also in attendance.

Close by an attempt was made to coax a Treecreeper from hiding, one of 3 without result, while along the Solar Panel

Tree Line

MEADOW PIPIT
along with a few

REDWING
and just the briefest view of a

LITTLE EGRET
By sharp comparison to that last location the

HEATH
was a total disaster and a record breaker as the first time a total blank wa achieved.

However there was to be a Beauty about the Blank

with the frosted Birches contrasing sharply with the Pines and the

Barbed Wire Fencing
taking on twice their usual girth.
Not there in the first instance or far more likely overlooked both

MISTLE THRUSH
and

CORMORANT
were added to the tally.
Heading for the Solar Panel Compound gate en-route was another opportunity to stop off at the Irrigation Pond where the

WATER RAIL
was now giving it big licks and as a bonus only for the second time ever over the years it was also seen just briefly. The day also ended in surprising fashion within the compound with the 2 final species being the very last we would expect to record there, The fist c2 over-flying

MALLARD
along with a perched

SONG THRUSH
never to our memory having been recorded within before!
On such days there will always something 'common' that gets missed, but we won't dwell on that, as 52 SPECIES is not a Record Breaker but a most acceptable reture for the effort and we still have almost a full year to come!!

New Years Day Twitch 2021 - Part II

 Before reaching 18-Acre we had clocked up

JACKDAW

followed by
BLUE TIT
but then, on nothing more than a whim, returned to the north bank of the river Stour to flush c2

EGYPTIAN GEESE
which preceeded us to the farm yard horse paddocks where they were

Clicked and Videoed in the gloom. A

GREAT TIT
followed its smaller cousin above as the list put on a bit of a spurt with

ROOK

COLLARED DOVE

MUTE SWAN
and

PIED WAGTAIL
following in quick succession before happening on the most obliging birds of the day.
Previously the 2 to 300 strong flock of

LAPWING
had move about a quarter of a mile closer to home base, time to head north.

PHEASANT
was added en-route and with restrictions now eased on entering the
Business Park at Bournemouth International Airport there was more than an even chance of

STOCK DOVE
which was duly logged but almost unbelievably there was also a

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
with all such creatures thought to have flown off to the coast early winter!

HOUSE SPARROW
which has colonised the Park in recent years was no suprise but the 'hit or miss'

KESTREL
was a welcome addition while at the root of Chapel Lane the 'additions' were clambering out of the Pines. First up a number of

COAL TIT
followed by a singing

NUTHATCH
a lone

GOLDCREST
along with a foraging party of

LONG-TAILED TIT
Before turning into the mostly frozen ponds a

COMMON BUZZARD
had conveniently parked itself on the solar panels but after something of a vigil at the

IRRIGATION POND
there was nothing heard from the very much hoped for Water Rail. Continuing to the Gravel Pit things were much the same except for the presence of just c2

LITTLE GREBE
feeding in the narrow strip of open water at the far end, but had the cold put paid the the third bird?

New Years Day Twitch 2021 - Part I

For the sake of brevity, most images have been lifted from the archive!

Not a single peep throughout the night on several visits to a -5°C doorstep (which made it the coldest night of the year) but the occasional glimpses of a

 95% waning gibbous Moon was something of a bonus

followed by a White Out (frost only) at dawn.

The first signs of any kind of birdlife came as late as 06:32 when at least one, but maybe 2, 

TAWNY OWL

started knocking it out but maybe not this juvenile. Remembering an addition to the list may include eith a sight or sound record there were a few vocalists to get the show on the road including:-

BLACKBIRD

HERRING GULL

WOOD PIGEON

thankfully there was a reprise from the local

CETTI'S WARBLER

while the 'chacking calls' from the Ash Trees at the stables, which have become a roost, indicated

FIELDFARE

Apart from the Owl and the Warbler all others were 'seen' subsequently but first on view was a

ROBIN
followed in quick successionby

CARRION CROW

DUNNOCK
and

MAGPIE
but then followed by something not even thought of let alone expected.........
On the near ice covered surface of the main pond there was but one small break in the freeze occupied by c2 pairs of 'fighting'? 'displaying'?

MOORHEN

A bit of nonsense to kick a New Year off is harmless enough but the conditions
got us to thinking that these might just be the only Waterfowl of the day.
Bringing up the rearguard, before heading for the ploughed fields to the west, came

WREN
a small party of vocal

GREENFINCH
with a much larger flock of

STARLINGs
to close the first chapter of what should be 3 instalments!