Peterstone Great Wharf – Sluice Fm > Peterstone Gout

We had a well attended trip to Peterstone Great Wharf this morning, with a few new members coming along, with a total of 19 folk. We walked from Sluice Farm eastwards to Peterstone Gout & back. Yours truly was taxied from the golf club by the Gout, by a kind GBC member who fetched their car after walking back [the heat got to me]. Star bird was a juv Peregrine which was sitting on a fallen tree trunk in the saltmarsh. It took off on 3 forays to chase waders [unsuccessfully] and landed ahead of us on further fallen trees as we progressed. There’s a very ropey phone-scoped photo below. A couple of Bar-tailed Godwits flew by and the best wader at the Gout was a Greenshank in with some Redshanks. There were 4 different Shelduck families, 2 with recently hatched tiny ducklings and a line of 6 Little Egrets at the Gout. John Wilson

Update – from feedback, the species list increased by 12 to 47!

Here’s the provisional list of 47 species: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z8lev9nihWVPctit_zwKK2REblZHbo4c/view?usp=drive_link

Cosmeston

Mainly a butterfly day today with at least 12 Clouded Yellows seen, plus Small Skipper, Ringlets, Gatekeepers, Whites, Common Blues and a Red Admiral. Star however was a juvenile Goshawk with what appeared to be an injured leg, which circled above Cogan Wood. It was quite distant but my instant thought was Gos, athough when I looked at my back of camera pix I thought maybe Honey-buzzard, but after downloading and adjusting them Gos it was.

Cosmeston

First couple of days back after a 2 week break visiting various places.
It was a nice surprise to see a Red Kite drift slowly across E paddock this morning, heading NNE towards Penarth. A pair of Gt Crested Grebes have 4 half grown ‘humbugs’ on W lake. There’s plenty of Gatekeeper bnutteflies about and I think the dragonfly is probably a Migrant Hawker.

Finally i seen Nightjars this year on third try

While in Suffork visiting RSPB Minsmere i went to Frederick’s Mount woods which large space between the trees – wait a while for sundown and dusk to come, finally mass churring started then they appeared at least 10 as they most flew 2 to 6 feet of the ground zooming across the space as if jet fighter – After i through i was tracting a nightjar high and as i pressed it turn on penny heading for the ground, so after just 3 shots i gave up attemping to take Pic’s and listen to their bleeping sounds and wing clapping as they past…

3 of my 4th of hope List on my Visit to Suffork

2nd on my Hope list – was Roseate Terns at RSPB Minsmere which i saw + long distance Pic’s, nothing great but good enought for my Bird spiece collection but back to Dartford Warbler – late afternoon walk on the heath and pair started to call and i got my cigar moment – i must mention i was walk on big public path, i used no calls and they pop to see me and i was away within five mins – i never disturb them as many people walking past with dogs and many horse riding past

Somerset Levels – Ham Wall RSPB & Shapwick

We had a successful trip to the above, yesterday, 14th June. 12 Club members came along and were treated to some good birds and good weather, although it did get rather hot & humid as the day progressed. Highlights were fabulous flight views of BIttern, Great White Egret and Marsh Harrier, with some Bittern ‘booming’ heard. Hobbys were on the target list and we did see two, but they were flying very high. Bearded Tits were heard ‘pinging’ by a few folk but weren’t seen. Neither was the Great Reed Warbler that had been reported for a few days in the Shapwick Heath reserve, by Noah’s hide, although two of our group did hear it a couple of times.
In all, we saw or heard 52 species – click here for the full list. A few ‘besties’ of the many photos taken, below, all by myself. John Wilson.

Cosmeston

A few birds from recent days. The Tawny Owlet has been around for a while and has been rather too confiding, but now seems to be more mobile and is not so obvious. Jays are usually pretty hard to come by in mid summer. The adult Great Black-backed Gull was also a fairly unusual visitor at this time of year. The Whitethroat was being very active by the dipping pond and in the couple of shots I managed to grab it looks like it’s carrying food, so must have a nest there.