Birding and other distractions

The long-staying Northern Mockingbird at Exmouth, present since early February, is only the third record for this species in the UK. It was fortunate to see it immediately on arrival, sitting atop a telegraph pole. The bird then flew to an aerial on the roof of a house before disappearing into gardens.  No steps needed for these views! At Newlyn an American Herring Gull has been around the harbour area for a couple of weeks. Again seen immediately on arrival the 1st winter bird looked quite different to local Herring Gulls of the same age. Clearly darker overall though the head was whitish, and with a glaucous gull look about it I thought, especially the bill.  The bird was very approachable. Also at Newlyn was a very odd Herring Gull with yellow legs. Paired with a 'normal' Herring Gull the mantle colour of both birds was similar, therefore different to a Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis. Whilst walking back a singing Rock Pipit landed nearby, presumably a local breeding ...

In view of the improvement in weather and thinking that the long-staying buntings at Thursley could soon go I headed there, though couldn't leave until late morning, arriving on site just after 1 p.m. The weather was warm and sunny, and both Little and Rustic Buntings had been seen in the morning. Seed had been placed out near the birds favoured bushes, and after about 30 minutes one Little Bunting joined a Reed Bunting on the ground. Reed Buntings and Goldfinches frequently came down to feed, though it was another hour before a Little Bunting was seen again, albeit two together at one stage  The Rustic Bunting was very elusive and only a poor view was obtained in nearby small trees. Nevertheless, the bird looked very smart in by now summer plumage. My suspicion about the possible disappearance of the buntings was correct in the case of the Rustic which was not seen in the following days. Other birds included my first Wheatear for the year, two Stonechat, two Buzzards, and a singin...

Following the report of Large Tortoiseshell at Darland Banks yesterday I checked the site this morning. It was mostly sunny and reasonably warm so conditions were quite encouraging for butterfly activity. I saw one Brimstone and five Peacock, but unfortunately no sign of Large Tortoiseshell: it was always going to be a needle in a haystack situation for the butterfly on such a large site. Other insect activity included good numbers of queen bumblebees, seeking out nest sites. Bee-flies were also quite evident, mainly the Dotted Bee-fly, as shown in the picture. The adults drink nectar from flowers, while the larvae are parasitic on solitary bee larvae. After much searching I managed to find an Adder, a male with generally dull markings prior to shedding its skin in the coming weeks. After two years of visits to Darland I get the impression that the Adder population is not so high, which is somewhat surprising as the habitat looks generally good. Wild flowers included a number of Stinki...

A sunny day after a damp and gloomy week. The local Adders seemed to appreciate the sunshine, three giving extended views. Most interesting was a melanistic individual in the paddock. The characteristic zig-zag stripe was barely visible on this dark individual. There was a chalky area of discolouration behind the head, which will surely disappear when the snake sheds its skin in the coming weeks.  Along the road two other Adders were seen, individuals thought to have been seen earlier in the month. The sunshine also encouraged some butterfly activity, a very small individual Peacock, and a slightly worn Comma. Peacock Comma

A chilly start though increasingly brighter later in the morning, with light winds. Two Cattle Egret were in the field with cows, behind the hedge. On the marsh a single Egyptian Goose was somewhat distant, but near the seawall good views were obtained of 21 White-fronted Geese, and 15 handsome Barnacle Geese also flew in. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Tundra Bean Goose that had been present two days earlier. Plenty of activity from Lapwing on the marsh, with flocks seen in flight when disturbed by a bird of prey, and the distinctive calls from territorial males in display flight often also heard. There were two separate flocks of Skylark, each of approximately 20 birds. Near the seawall two small groups of up to 10 Greenfinch were nice to see, plus some very smart Pied Wagtails. Still a few Redwings around, but they'll be on their way soon I expect. Raptors were represented by two Marsh Harriers and a single Sparrowhawk which flew over. Cattle Egret Barnacle Geese Barnacl...

Another sunny day, with a definite feeling of spring. Lesser Celandine is starting to flower in warmer spots, and a hoverfly was taking advantage of the available nectar. Lesser Celandine and hoverfly Characteristic pit-chu calls alerted me to a nearby Marsh Tit.  A stunning male Bullfinch sang softly in the hedgerow but didn't show well enough for a picture. Marsh Tit A total of five Adders was found, two in DV, two in PV, and one in TF. An estimate of overall population size is a nice objective,  though no doubt very difficult to achieve, involving the identification of individual snakes. The best distinguishing feature is the shape of the zig-zag pattern on the upperparts, especially behind the head. Some individuals have a distinctive feature, such as the Adder in the third picture, with an inverted heart-shaped pattern to the rear of the head. However, others can be very similar, so an uphill task to identify individuals from one visit to another.  All Adders seen to...

A pleasantly sunny day, albeit with a cool breeze. Redshank were roosting on Crystal Pool as it was high tide on the river, and amongst them was a single Spotted Redshank. On arrival a Grey Wagtail had flown over, and later a Sparrowhawk. We walked up to the creek then onwards via Cliffe Fort to the Alpha Pool. Birds present included a winter plumage Slavonian Grebe and a pair of Red-breasted Merganser. Flamingo Pool was relatively quiet, though a small number of Goldeneye was notable. In contrast Radar Pool was full of birds. Gulls already occupied the breeding islands, of which a good proportion were Mediterranean Gulls, typically very vocal as they flew over.  Wildfowl included very good numbers of Wigeon, Pochard, Pintail and Tufted Duck. Amongst the latter were two female Scaup. A Black Swan with the Mute Swans was difficult to miss. Slavonian Grebe on Alpha Pool. Flamingo Pool Gulls and other birds on Radar Pool islands Adult Mediterranean Gull Black Swan