Sylvia Undata

April 24th & 25th

Started digging up and re-designing the bottom end of our garden I knew we had foxes in our garden and we have seen up to 3 at a time. I saw them next door skulking around the undergrowth and in the shade of the trees, more of that another time. They had also been digging up holes in the long strip of moss, straggly grass and the odd weed we like to call our lawn. However i was quite surprised at how big a hole/den one had made under a pile of bricks at the far end of the garden.

Whilst clearing the rotten wood and bricks (which will go back in some form or other) i came across two frogs. At the height of the pond's sexual frenzy we had twelve. I like to think the other ten climbed up the ivy and into P & G's pond creating all the tadpoles in their pond this year.

Early start (4:30am) heading off to Portland again Sunday morning. The previous evening's weather seemed favourable but i was concerned about the predicted mist and fog but it's always worth a shot in the springtime. Got there just in time to see a tree pipit in hand and then later a lesser whitethroat and female pied flycatcher. Pretty quiet on the Bill saw a few swallows, one wheatear, 15 whimbrel, a pied wag attacking its reflection in the window of a hut, lots of willow/chiffs. Then the mist rolled in and i decided to leave. Stopped in at Burley, New Forest but one stop down from where Soph and i looked last time. After patience and listening out for the distinctive calls i finally tracked down (and photographed - albeit poorly) a dartford warbler!

tree pipit lesser whitethroat

dartford warbler, Picket post, New Forest.

Appalling quality of pictures this weekend - i blame the subject, lighting and equipment!

Returned the clock Pete had been cleaning up to mum and Barry including the fully restored dial Jeanne Bailey hand painted. They were extremely pleased with their 'new clock' and finding out more about its history.

No swifts yet.

Continental Travel Contact MTB tyres

Friday 23rd April
Got in a bit of training last night and cycled from my house to Percy's the long way round. 15 miles- ish in total - 75mins not bad going, helped though by some slicker tyres. I actually feel like i am moving rather than the big tractor tyres i had sticking to the tarmac! Cycling along the paths beside Alverstoke creek i saw my first Bat of the year.

It was my 41st in the holidays and i was given a book containing the work of the photographer Giacomo Brunelli. I saw his work in the photographer's gallery, London and immediately was hooked by his style, subject matter and presentation. If i had the money i'd buy a print or two...

http://www.giacomobrunelli.com/pictures.html

I understand birders can have lists of all types. Year lists, county lists, patch lists, UK list , life list, work list, garden list etc... I have a vague recollection of what has visited our garden...which isn't a huge amount being a long terraced garden in the city but we have had some birds of note, especially with the winter weather bringing in fieldfare and redwing. This week we had a couple of fly overs of note, a heron flying extremely low until it was mobbed by a herring gull and a pair of displaying sparrowhawk.

Daytrip to Portland

April 13th

Having dipped out on the Hoopoe three times last week i hoped to be luckier this time...but no sign reported by Martin. The weather was again fine but the birding side was pretty quiet. Saw a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins early on which made for a change.

Bottle-nose dolphins, Portland Bill.

Then decided to venture round the top fields and came across white and yellow wagtail. My hunch the yellow that Peter Morgan had seen fly over the obs paid off as i know there are horses and cattle up there. Lucky really. Tick for the white wag though...always good to add to list. Just good to see more wheatear and swallows as they just don't come in our way like they do in Portland. See my not so great picture on the obs website here...

http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/aa_latestnews.htm

Also view Martin's great pictures (per se) of ring ouzel at Barlycrates (which i always venture down but didn't bother on this occasion - i know it was a different day but they have been there in numbers) Still can't grumble - was happy with my lot.

Redstart wing feather detail 'Is it a 5 or a 6?'

White and yellow wagtail in top fields, Portland.

Finally, whilst walking back to culverwell i came across a pair of skylark having a dust bath. One flew off but i had good views of the other. Normally i see skylarks high in the sky (ascending or descending) or up close on springwatch with a camera up it's beak! This was more fun!

Skylark, path from Top field to culverwell.

Blashford and Burley

April 12th

Went with Sophie to visit Blashford Lakes. Had great views of the sand martins using the man made nests over the hide and also little-ringed plover again. Brambling at woodland hide.

Sand martin and brambling at Blashford lakes.

Moved on to try and find dartford warblers at Burley but none surfaced. Will try again later in summer. Had fine lunch at the Red Lion, Boldre but couldn't find The Turfcutter's Arms.

Post FA cup semi-final wanderings.

Tuesday 13th April

Still amazed how we (Portsmouth FC) got through to the final against Chelsea but we the fans and the team deserved it! After all the rubbish that has gone on this season it is consolation (and more the sweeter we dumped Redknapp and his millionaire turncoats out of the cup) for being relegated.

Took a stroll round Farlington today. Not much about. Three remaining brent geese and mine first sedge warblers. No wheatear but a couple of swallows and a whimbrel.

The marigold a few houses along is flowering nicely, people often stop and take photos, so i thought i'd join them! There are a few around the streets of Portsmouth but the one in our street had a heavily protected collared dove nesting in it. The owners built a crude but effective method of stopping predators getting to nest.

Portland, Dorset

April 8th

Another fine day but the birding was slower due to overnight conditions. One of the first birds ringed however, was a firecrest. Fantastic to see up close although my photos don't really do it justice.

Firecrest freshly ringed in Obs garden

Did get to see a few more swallows, wheatear, blackcap and redstart but nothing like yesterday. Must say had a great time staying at Obs due to the weather, the good 'fall' of the commoner migrants and the fact that i didn't have to drive everyday. Met some nice people and did alot of walking. All good!

On way home stopped off at Blashford Lakes to look at the sand martins and their new man-made home and had good views of little-ringed plover (on eggs), lapwing making a scrape and a common sandpiper close to the hide.

Common Sandpiper, Blashford Lakes.

Lapwing making scrape, Blashford Lakes.

In the beginning...

Portland, Dorset

6-8th April 2010

Spent a few days at Portland Bird Obs last week. Witnessed, as Martin (Cade) explained, '...one of the last of the 'winter' sunrises before the sun starts to rise from behind the distant Purbeck coast (St Alban's Head, in the distance, is a tiny bit north of due east from the Bill and 29 kms away)...' The significance of this is that i will be cycling to these hills and on to Exeter in just six weeks time!

6th April

Early start, getting to the obs from Southsea by 6:30a.m. Glorious day but relatively slow birding for Portland. This is however different for me as i don't get to see the migrants as early, in as many numbers and basically due to being busy with work. I was happy and besides if the birding is slow then Portland offers stunning scenery, especially when sunny. Saw first willow warbler, chiffchaff and blackcap of the year. Went to Lodmoor as things were slow and saw first swallows of the year as well as singles of sandwich tern, reed bunting and cetti's warbler. When i got back to the obs and ventured round huts and took photos of a chiffchaff fluttering on the ground unperturbed by me. Pleasant evening talking to Peter Morgan, Ruth and Kevin(?) and Richard Ford and witnessed the (or a) little owl calling from the top of the telegraph poles in the dusk.

chiffchaff

April 7th

Glorious day and exciting as it was as in Peter's words 'the best day of spring so far'. Haven't been lucky in my visits to Portland to witness a decent 'fall' of migrants so seeing the bushes full of birds was very satisfying. Highlights were a decent view of a grasshopper warbler, black redstart, pied flycatcher and first whitethroat of the year. Amazing to see the willow warblers hungrily feeding unfazed by humans with big camera lenses. The bill ended up being filled with 'grockles' so not many birds down there but did get good views of redstart and wheatear.

Redstart at the bill before the masses arrive. Later a redstart and pied flycatcher were ringed at the obs.

Obliging willow warbler in the bushes near the huts