Lazza's 2013 list (1 Viewer)

[lazza]

A train journey from Amsterdam to northern Germany last week gave no new species for the overal 2013 bird list, but still a fair number of birds, and one new mammal:

Between Amsterdam and Hilversum:
1. Greylag
2. Coot
3. Mute swan
4. Carrion crow
5. Herring gull

At Hilversum:
6. House sparrow
7. Great tit
8. Feral pigeon
9. Collared dove
10. Blue tit
11. Jay
12. Chaffinch
13. Song thrush
14. Woodpigeon
15. Long-tailed tit
16. Mallard
17. Blackbird
18. Moorhen
19. Jackdaw

After Amersfoort
20. Lapwing
21. Common buzzard

Deventer
22. Tufted duck

Also, once in Germany, I spotted a hare (6) from the train just outside Osnabrück, although less birdlife, except for a very pale Common Buzzard flying over my employer's factory in Minden.

 

[lazza]

Prestwick Carr:

90. Short-eared owl

And also roe deer (7)

 

[lazza]

A bit of spring-like weather got me out in the garden tidying up some of last year's rubbish, and while out, my first singing

91. Skylark

of 2013 was blasting out his twittering melody for nearly an hour. I didn't see it, but unmistakable (usually they are above the fields to the east of Stobhill manor, which are not full visible from my back garden!).

Then, finally, this year's bogey bird on a visit to the smaller Bothal ponds:

92. Yellowhammer

...along with at least 6 reed bunting.

 

[lazza]

A trip out to Creswell, which was exceptionally quiet, despite the high tide and rough sea. Only waders were a handful or redshank, lapwing and dunlin, and very few ducks either (although at least one long-tailed duck was about). However, shortly before I left, a single male

93. Red-breasted merganser

came out of the reeds right in front of the hide. Also, as I left, around 30 wigeon were on the small pond next to the parking area.

 

[lazza]

A long and tough ride out to Low Hauxley in icy wind and at times driving rain did not yield a great number of new species for the list, but there was still plenty of birdlife around.

Pinkfeet were pretty much everywhere, including 250+ at Stobswood (with 3 Canada Goose, and several curlew, lapwing, tufted duck and shelduck), 100+ near Acklington prison, 30 at Togston Barns and 50+ at High Hauxley (with 100+ Greylag).

But Low Hauxley itself was pretty quiet. Nevertheless, two additions to the 2013 list:

94. Knot
95. Bar-tailed godwit

Both were in among a mix of waders, which included 40+ oystercatcher, 11 curlew, 40+ lapwing, 30+ turnstone and a few redshank. Highlights on the water included 4 rb merganser, 6 shelduck and 2 gadwall among larger numbers of wigeon, mallard and tufted duck.

 

[lazza]

At last, after a rather quiet couple of weeks, three more to add over the weekend:

First, in the horse fields across from Bothal pond:

96. Meadow Pipit

Then, on Saturday morning on the banks of the River Wansbeck in Ashington, just west of the railway bridge, there were 8

97. Lesser Redpoll

And in Ashington on Saturday afternoon on Rotary Parkway, there were around 30

98. Waxwing

Taking me to 100 species for the year nearly a month earlier than last year

And finally, not much at Cresswell Pond on Sunday (everything was presumably hiding from the icy easterly gales), but around a dozen

99. Stock dove

flew past the hide

 

[lazza]

Six days on the Costa Blanca just south of Alicante - our usual Easter break - added a good number of new species to the 2013 list, some of the usual contenders and one or two new species for my lifetime Spain list:

With 5 good sunny days out of 6, there was plenty of the usual species around the local Urbanizacion in La Marina:

1. Spotless Starling*
2. Southern Grey Shrike*
3. Sardinian Warbler*
4. Serin*
5. House Sparrow
6. European Bee-eater* (seen the afternoon of my last day!)
7. Magpie
8. Common swift (one or two on the last morning)

But also a surprise, with almost daily, overflying

9. Cormorant - new for Spain

One of the tracks from the Urabanizacion to the coast, alongside one of the many canals, also added:

10. Wood pigeon
11. Kestrel
12. Red-legged partridge
13. Cuckoo* - heard in a couple of locations but not seen - new for Spain

Along the main road to Elche, which cuts by several wetland areas, more of the commoner species:
14. Little egret
15. Pied/white wagtail
16. Zitting cisticola*
17. Collared dove
18. Crested lark*
19. Glossy ibis*

My first proper trip out (on my bike) was past the river crossing over the Vinalopo (as described on the Costa Blanca bird club website), which didn't add the hoped-for Temminck stint, but did yield:

20. Moorhen
21. Blackbird
22. Little grebe
23. Mallard
24. Barn Swallow
25. Common snipe - one flushed - new for Spain

And a little further on, towards the N-332:

26. Hoopoe*

A first trip to El Pinet salinas gave:
27. Common tern
28. Black-headed gull
29. Mediterranean gull*
30. Slender-billed gull*
31. Black-winged stilt*
32. Avocet
33. Greater Flamingo*
34. Shelduck
35. Goldfinch

while a later vist to the salinas and beach added
36. Sanderling - new for Spain
37. Sandwich tern - new for Spain

* of which 14 not yet on any 2013 list

 

[lazza]

Later in my trip to Spain, I managed a couple of trips to El Hondo reserve and a long cycle up into the Serra de Crevillent mountains to the north west, as well as a couple more rides out on my bike.

El hondo species seen:
38. Great white egret* - my only lifer for the trip
39. Pochard
40. Red-crested pochard*
41. Coot
42. Great crested grebe
43. Reed warbler (many heard, but only one fleeting glimpse)
44. White-headed duck*
45. Cetti's warbler* (heard only)
46. Marsh harrier*
47. Collared pratincole*
48. Yellow-legged gull*
49. Cattle egret*
50. Black-tailed godwit
51. Whiskered tern* - only two seen during my last visit
52. Black-necked grebe*

Also, a possible brief view of an Aquatic Warbler low in the reeds, but not sure.

From the Vistabella road near El Hondo:
53. Grey heron
54. Wood sandpiper* (on the small pool by the road) - new for Spain
55. Northern Wheatear (in fields)
56. Feral pigeon

My trip up to Crevillente was aimed at adding some interesting raptors or mountain species, but it wasn't to be, adding only:

57. Greenfinch (!)

In Guardamar:
58. Mute swan - new for Spain
59. Muscovy duck*
(both on the pond in the park so possibly captive, but both apeared able to fly)
60. Audouin's gull* (on the beaches)
61. Great tit (along the Rio Segura)
62. Green woodpecker (along the Rio Segura)

* of which 13 not yet on any 2013 list

 

[lazza]

Back in the UK, and had a ride out to Cambois this afternoon. Not much there, mostly herring gull, but added:

100. Guillemot - a single bird seemingly beached on the sand, but clearly still alive
101. Sparrowhawk - chasing feral pigeons over the dunes

 

[lazza]

A brief ride around Cresswell and Druridge on Friday evening. Water levels very high at both, so Cresswell very quiet and Druridge pools full of ducks.

At Cresswell, it was nice to see the return of the two

102. Avocet

Hopefully they succeed again in raising a brood. At the north end of the pool, I had two very confiding

103. Stonechat

Other than that, lots of curlew and lapwing, plus the two long-tailed ducks in evidence again. At Druridge pools, a lot of Coot, teal and shoveler on the flooded fields, but almost nothing on the main pond.

 

[lazza]

Great day out, cycling from Seahouses to Lindisfarne on Saturday. Began the day with good views of the long-tailed duck in Seahouses harbour, but the fun really began once I arrived at Lindisfarne (making it across the causeway with 20 minutes to spare!). New species for the 2013 list were:

104. Grey plover - a single bird near Castle point
105. Rock pipit - plenty of them all around the island's shores
106. Gannet - dozens of birds seen flying offshore, heading north and south in groups of 3-20
107. Fulmar - a couple of sightings by the cliffs on the north coast of the island
108. Kittiwake
109. Peregrine Falcon - a single bird lifted from the cliffs, climbing high into the sky before heading west over the dunes - a lifer

Also, plenty of grey seals (8) seen offshore.

 

[lazza]

A ride out to Linton ponds and back via QE II park added:

110. Chiffchaff - Linton ponds by the west hide - at last (3 weeks later than last year)
111. Whooper swan - 2 in with 30+ mute swan at QE II park

 

[lazza]

Early morning ride out along the Wansbeck to Castle Island, feeling very springlike in temperatures 12C higher than all of last week. And to add to the feeling of summer approaching, there were 15-20

112. Barn swallow

flitting about over the river around the island and railway bridge.

Also, on Sunday, out with the girls at Belsay Hall, a common toad [1] crossed our path.

 

[lazza]

A visit to the Isle of Lewis(!) with work allowed me a little time to explore the northern part of the island, but not enough time for any serious birding. Nevertheless, some brief stops were quite good.

113. Hooded crow

were quite common across the whole island, although mostly seen around Stornoway and the airport. Also a fairly common site around the island were:

114. Raven

with a large number coming in to roost in the woods aruond Lews Castle in the evening, with wonderful tumbling flight and loud kroop-krooping!

My one stop on the other side of the island, at the Callanish stone circle, provided a few waders, including redshank, oystercatcher and

115. Greenshank

The highlight, however, was watching a flock of 18-20 long-tailed ducks fly in off the sea to the Loch near the airport

 

[lazza]

After surviving the Rail Ale trail along the Tyne Valley on Saturday, I was up and out on my bike on Sunday, visiting St Mary's Island and Holywell pond. At St Mary's I ticked off a couple of glaring omissions for 2013 so far:

116. Sanderling
117. Purple Sandpiper

Lots of Sanderling on the rocks and beach to the north of the causeway (with a couple of ringed plover), and a single purple sandpiper on the rocks to the south, in with turnstone, oystercatcher and redshank.

Out in the bay there were a pair of eider and a pair of

118. Common scoter

To Holywell pond via Beehive flash (a single redshank) and although the water was rather quiet, there were several swallows and

119. House martin

over the pond. Calling in at the public hide, three other birders were getting news of a vagrant nearby, so I followed them north along the Waggonways path to the flashes near the Seaton Delaval/Seaton Sluice road, where there was a rather splendid

120. Pectoral Sandpiper - a lifer

 

[lazza]

A brief amble around the smaller ponds at Bothal added

121. Northern Wheatear

A pair on the fields along with yellowhammer, linnet, pied wagtail and skylark. Also, pretty sure there was a water rail calling from the reeds.

And this morning in the garden, a brief view of a female

122. Blackcap

- a first for the garden

 

[lazza]

A decent jump forward this weekend...

Firstly, out on my bike up to Beacon Hill on Saturday morning, and the country lanes and woodland were alive with birds singing! First new addition to the 2013 list was:

123. Willow warbler

Several heard, but the first were in the woodland at Mitford. Then came:

124. Red-legged partridge

A single bird on farmland near Stantongate(?).

Then, on Sunday, a short ride around Bothal was very productive, being rather dominated by wagtails! First were a pair of grey wagtail by the stepping stones over the Wansbeck, as well as a

125. Common swift

over Bothal village. Up to Bothal pond, there was not much wildfowl about on the pond, but at the eastern edge of the pond, there were four

126. Yellow wagtail

- very bright against the green/brown of the muddy edges of the pool. Also two pied wagtail with them. Then, along the road to Sheepwash bridge there were a further dozen pied wagtail and a nice surprise on the flooded part of the field nearest to the main road - a single

127. Little ringed plover

 

[lazza]

Not much going on this last week, as been away with work then away for the weekend. First addition was on a visit to London for work, when I had the chance to have a wander around Morden Hall park NT property, adding

128. Common whitethroat

Over the weekend, a visit to Preston and the Northwest didn't add any new birds, but there was a common pipistrelle bat (9) in the garden one evening.

And a brief jaunt on the bike this afternoon was dominated by warblers, with blackcap (4), whitethroat (3), willow warbler (3+) and chiffchaff (3+) all seen and heard along the tracks and lanes east of Coopies lane (Dunces Houses lane down to Waddle Bank woods). But the only new addition was a single:

129. Sand martin

fluttering over Waddle bank wood in the company of 4 swift

 

[lazza]

A couple of rides out on the bike added a few summer visitors to the list. Starting early Saturday morning with a trip up to Hauxley with an unsuccessful search for the Great Egret, I did manage to add:

130. Common sandpiper
131. Sedge warbler

And then calling in at East Chevington - which was fairly quiet in comparison:

132. Common tern
133. Sandwich tern

And at Prestwick Carr later int he week:

134. Reed warbler

 

[lazza]

A work trip to Switzerland didn't allow a lot of time to explore, but I did manage a couple of hours in Montreux on one day, and a couple of stops in the mountains on the way home.

In a 2-hour stroll along the lakeside in Montreux, and during a couple of stop-offs while driving in the Lake Geneva area, I managed:

1. Carrion crow
2. Magpie
3. Woodpigeon
4. Black kite*
5. Starling
6. House sparrow
7. Barn swallow
8. Common swift
9. Mute swan
10. Mallard
11. White wagtail
12. Coot
13. Great-crested grebe
14. Grey heron
15. Black redstart*
16. Black-headed gull
17. Common tern (new for Swiss list)
18. Red-crested pochard
19. Greenfinch
20. Blackbird
21. Yellow-legged gull
22. Tufted duck
23. Pochard (new for Switzerland)
24. Goldfinch
25. Goosander (new for Swiss list)
26. Goldcrest (new for Swiss list)

Up into the mountains on the way back to Geneva. Near Troistorrents:

27. Jay

And at Morgins and the lake right on the French border at Pas de Morgins:

28. Great tit
29. House martin (new for Swiss list!)
30. Chaffinch
31. Coal tit
32. Buzzard
33. Raven

And, nearly forgot, singing from the trees near where I was working (in Evionnaz, Valais):

34. Serin (new for Swiss list)

So, that's 34 species, of which 2* are not on any previous list this year.

Also, an unidentifed mid-to-large sized bat in the evening in Montreux.