The Hidden Garden

Wednesday October 14th A visit to the hidden garden- a fabulous woodland near Menai. Only bird life if note was a couple of buzzards and a splendid grey wagtail on the river. We did however see a red squirrel on the drive in.

Newborough and Red Wharf Bay

A walk along Newborough warren produced a few mergansers and the usual Ravens. Highlight was a seal in the bay. At Red Wharf bay there were plenty of egrets plus a few wigeon giving signs that winter is here.

Church Island

12th October 2015 A short walk from Menai bridge down to church island. At least nine herons on a small island in the straits plus a little grebe and a couple of mergansers. 

Cemaes Bay

Sunday 11th October. A walk from cemaes bay along the coast and back inland. Great view of peregrine on the cliff and two choughs seen on several occasions. Buzzard and kestrel seen plus rock pipits 

Goshawk

Friday 9th October. Walking down the track at the rear of arnside playing field down to the station I was surprised to see a juvenile goshawk fly over- perhaps a Cumbrian bird wandering after the breeding season. I was struck by it's pigeon like characteristics - a much chunkier bird than the local sparrowhawks. 

Thurnham and Holme

A trip to North Norfolk and a walk from Thurnham to Holme bird observatory and back. Flocks of Brent geese on the marshes with wigeon ( still coming out of eclipse plumage), greenshank, curlew, dunlin, bar-tailed godwit, sanderling and many egrets and grey herons. Lots of passé runes including skylark, reed bunting and a single wheatear. Highlight was a yellow-browed warbler by Holme observatory- managed a few brief glimpses as it flitted about a bunch of trees. 

Return to Cumbria

Cumbria 1st to 2nd October Back in Arnside to see a few last minute migrants. A walk on Helm Crag produced buzzard and raven but also surprisingly a wheatear at the summit of Gibson knott. On the 2nd I heard a chiffchaff singing in ashmeadow. 

Paxos 14-28 September 2015

Our second trip to Paxos and this time during autumn migration. Birding highlights were:

Large flocks of red-rumped swallows passing through

Smaller flocks of swallows with the occasional house Martin 

Usual resident flocks of twittering alpine swifts.

Migrating honey buzzards with a group of five over antipaxos.

Sightings of hobby on one occasion plus two sightings of Eleonora's Falcon

Sardinian warbler and melodious warblers seen regularly.

Spotted flycatchers seen on several occasions

Hooded Crows daily

Bee eaters heard but not seen again!

Yellow-legged gulls seen daily but few birds at sea 

A shag swimming and diving off manadendri beach

Two birds flew low over Orkos beach which might well have been kingfishers given shape and flight pattern.

A grey heron seen at Gaios 

Scottish adventure

10 to 13 September. Trip to Killin via Paisley. Little bird life at the conference but some wildlife sightings in Killin. Buzzard, kestrel and hoodie crow seen from the hotel with still plenty of swallows plus siskins. The climb to the Munro was in awful weather with 50 mph winds and driving rain. The hill of the ptarmigan yielded only a single meadow pipit! I did however see a red squirrel in the car park of the hotel.

Arnside birds again

26th August. Peregrine over the estuary plus at least ten little egrets. A sparrowhawk seen over the house too.

The Arnside osprey at last!

Friday 21st August. The osprey appears flying past the Albion looking for fish. The Albion gas to be one of the best pubs for spotting birds in the UK 

Levignac 11-15 August 2015

Our third visit to Jane and Peter's but by the far the best birdwise. Highlight was a pair of golden Orioles and two young in the poplar trees behind the garden. The splendid black and yellow male seen on several days. Also around the house icterine warbler, black redstart, hobby, serin and martins and swallows. Cattle egret and little egret and a walk to a village passed a water storage pond with passage green and wood sandpiper. A hoopoe also spotted in an orchard.

Florida

A week spent at St Pete beach brought lots of birds:

Osprey

Fish Crow

Willet

Magnificent frigate bird 

Mew gull

Laughing gull

Black skimmer

Tri-coloured heron

White ibis

Least tern

Royal tern

Forsters tern

Caspian tern

Elegant tern

Sandwich tern

Brown pelican

American coot

Wood stork

Red-crowned parrot

Great blue heron

Great egret

Snowy egret

Reddish egret

Double crested cormorant

American kestrel

Turkey vulture 

Anhinga 

Also two Dolphins at St Pete beach and two alligators seen!

Chicago

4th to 11th July

Bird list:

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewers Blackbird

American Crow

Black Duck

Peregrine Falcon

Northern Flicker

American Goldfinch

Common Grackle

Laughing Gull

Black-crowned Night Heron

Savannah sparrow

Downy woodpecker

American crow

Mourning dove

Northern mockingbird 

Purple Martin

Bank swallow

Barn swallow

Black crowned chickadee

Chimney swift

Haweswater - a walk around Bampton Common

Lovely walk getting views of Haweswater and the fells. A few mipits and wheatears in evidence but highlight was high-flying peregrine. Thursday 2nd July.

Blencathra

Wednesday 10th June. Walk up to Blencathra via Sharp Edge! Little bird life but a number of yellowhammers at the start of the path plus a few wheatears and mipits higher up. Met John and Sue from the Albion on the summit! 

Butter mere

Monday 8th June. Evening walk around Buttermere with two cuckoos heard but not seen. At least seven common sandpipers plus merganser, buzzard and kestrel.

Anglesey

17th to 19th May 2015. Sandwich Tern, little Tern and common tern off Beaumaris and newborough warren. White throat and Stonechat at newborough forest.

South Stack. Kittiwake, Fulmar, guillemot and razorbills. Chough also seen.

Bowfell

Long climb up Bowfell from Old Dungeon Ghyll. Cuckoo heard at NT car park. Wheatears on bow fell slopes, ring ouzel singing but not seen.

Swifts return

Saturday 2nd May. Swifts return to Arnside - one seen going into SPAR shop holes. This is an early return date. 

Another barbon trip

Wednesday 29th April. An early morning trip to barbon. Three redstarts seen plus several pied flycatchers heard. Two tree pipits singing and visible on the tops of the bushes. No sign of any cuckoos. 

Cartmel

26th April. A walk from Cartmel including Rusland scar. Blackcap and white throat and willow warbler much in evidence. Plenty of hirundines over Cartmel village. 

Pied Billed Grebe again

23rd April. Managed a return visit to see the Pied Billed Grebe - again early morning and this time it was very visible in the reeds and then came out in full view. The otters were seen again plus marsh harrier, first house martin of the year plus rattling lesser whitethroat.

Low Barbon Fell

Monday 20th April. A walk. Around low Barbon fell starting at the Barbon inn. Redstart and pied flycatcher in song, dipper on the stream plus grey wagtail. Kestrel and Buzzard. A red grouse flushed too.

Pied Billed Grebe

Sunday 19th April. Early morning walk in Leighton moss. Singing grasshopper warbler and lesser whitethroat. Pied bilked grebe briefly visible from lower hide but mainly in reeds. Three otters very visible too plus willow warblers and plenty of swallows house martins and sand martins.

Swallow!

Saturday 4th April. A walk from Silverdale station back to Arnside produced a welcome site over Haweswater When six sand martins appeared over the lake followed by a single swallow, our first of the year which is earlier than last year despite the cool spring.

Chiffchaffs

Friday 3rd April. A walk over Warton Crag produced my first chiffchaffs. They had been seen in Silverdale at least ten days before but so far none in Arnside.

Sand Martins

Thursday 2nd April. Having a coffee and scone at Catch 22 and 4 sand martins appeared over the fishing lake so another summer visitor added.

Hawkshead

Hawkshead 29th March

Still no chiffchaffs but a pleasant two days. Plenty of Buzzard sightings but no Red Kites. Sightings of Goldeneye, Merganser and plenty of Siskins. Summer migrants hiding in the cool weather.

Singing Blackcap

Was surprised to find a singing blackcap in ashmeadow walled garden on Friday 27th March - possibly an overwintering bird? Still no singing chiffchaffs for me despite plenty of records from Silverdale. 

First Migrant

Wednesday 25th March. Cycled over to Heversham to pay bill for floor. Highlight was a wheatear on the marsh road flittong from post to post. At least 3 singing skylarks.

Laughing Gull

Monday 23rd March after Focus concert on the 22nd March. The Laughing Gull on the pontoon together with many turnstones and five purle sandpipers

Madeira

A week spent in Funchal as part of mobile learning 2015. 

Around the Hotel: Sardinian Warbler, Black Redstart, Madeiran Kestrel and yellow-legged gull with Cory's Shearwater and Common Tern on the sea. Also ring-necked Parakeet and Serin.

A trip to the southern tip of the Island: little egret and grey heron on the farmed fish nets. Short-toed Lark, Rock Dove, Madeiran Kestrel and lots of Serins. Best event was arrival of a party of Swallows which included a house Martin and a red-rumped Swallow. 

A cable car ride up from Funchal. Picked up plain swift and a migratory whitethroat on the top. Then started a levada walk which was lengthened by a diversion. However Chris spotted Madeiran chaffinch and Madeiran firecrest in one tree! 

Another cross island trip brought a yellow wagtail with a blue head - possibly of the Iberian race.

Biibury

Our last trip to Bibury before Jane and Pèter depart for France. A walk along the river produced grey wagtails plus red kites, buzzard and a Kestrel. A walk on the Sunday (8th March)to get a paper had singing yellowhammer and a flock of Lesser Redpolls.

Appletreewick

13-20 February 2015. Another great week spent in wharfedale. Frequent sightings of dipper and goosander along the river. One sighting of kingfisher plus lots of redwings, fieldfares, grey wagtails and buzzards. Occasional kestrel and Sparrowhawk sightings.

Lowther Park

10th February 2015. A circular walk around lowther park following the river. Not a great deal to report apart from buzzards and goosander on the river. One or two grey wagtails plus a Sparrowhawk.

Haweswater

A sunny but cold and icy walk around Haweswater. A few Buzzards, Ravens Plus Kestrel and Sparrow Hawk. A carpet of common gulls roosting on the reservoir. Siskins seen and heard frequently. Two red squirrels in the hotel garden at Breakfast.

Black Redstart

2nd February . Trip to Leighton Moss to find three tundra bean geese. No luck in searching through the greylags but a visit to cote stones farm on the way to Carnforth gave good views of a Black Redstart on the farm roof.

Arnside birds January/February

The goldeneye were present in the river frequenting Arnside and Sanside. Upto five birds were seen at Arnside - I saw none upto Xmas. Several sightings of Peregrine were the only other highlight. 

Badhofgastein

Not much to report report from our skiing trip from 17 to 24 January. A few sightings of Ravens plus dippers on the river. Finch flocks on the riverside path contained Serins Siskins and goldfinches. 

Pomarine skua

Wednesday 14th Jan. Trip to pilling and fluke hall looking for Pom skua. Many pinkfeet in the fields and after walk along sea wall, the skua flapped into view and landed on the salt marsh just in front of me. It looks like it could be a sickly bird. On way bak, light bellied Brent goose with pinkfeet at lane ends and several groups of whooper swans with a few be wicks. 

Nice birds

Visited Nice for Chris's birthday - 21st to 23rd December 2014. Birding highlight was large numbers of sandwich terns offshore. A black redstart at the Chagall museum garden cafe was also great.