Kodiak Jack at Wedgewood Rooms Southsea

Saturday 11th January, Tracey, Callum & I went down to Southsea to see Kodaik Jack play at the Wedgewood rooms for their 2nd album launch party.

Hengistbury Head Dorset

9th January and the fisrt time this year that I was sent down to Bournemouth so I took a late lunch and had a walk around Hengistbury head in the wooded area had a Green woodpecker.

On and groynes were a Guillemot, Black redstart, Stonechat, roosting Ringed plover, Dunlin and Purple sandpiper.

Then to my surprise a Swallow flying around beach huts,

and out on the sea a flock of around 30 Common scoter.

2014 Year List = 91

Flying visit to three Hampshire sites

Working in Havant, so took the opportunity to make flying visits to 3 sites, first stop Walpole Park Gosport, some other birders there already all looking at “Waldo” the returning adult Ring-billed gull, also added Dark-bellied brent goose, red-breasted merganser, Mediterranean gull, Common gull & starling.

Colour ringed Mute Swan Orange with Black P2N

2014 Year List = 79

Then onto Southsea Castle for the Purple Sandpipers seven seen, also two Shags diving close in.

2014 Year List = 80

And finally to Black Point Hayling for the wader roost adding Oystercatcher, Ringed plover, Grey plover, sanderling, Dunlin & Bar-tailed godwit.

2014 Year List = 86

White-billed diver - Brixham Devon

Monday 7^th and I had an early start as I had a call in Plymouth. I arrived on site and the user was already there, so I set about finishing off his new laptop and transferring settings/data form his old laptop. This all went very smoothly with no issues, he checked his new laptop and was happy. So was I and set of to Brixham arriving at the car park near the Brixham Environmental Laboratory at 11:30.

I looked around the harbour seeing Great northern diver, Shag & Guillemot, then towards the harbour entrance where Gannet, Black-throated diver & Red-necked grebe were seen. I then started the walk around to the breakwater lighthouse, and as I approached the fishing harbour I saw the Iceland gull, and also Grey seal put in an appearance.

Carried on walking round and went out onto one of the arms getting close views of Turnstone, 2 more Black-throated divers another Red-necked grebe and Shag. 

Carried on round seeing Razorbill, more Great northern divers in and around the marina, but no White-billed diver, out onto the breakwater  more Great northern divers I reached the lighthouse and still NO White-billed diver, other birders had seen it, so I started the walk back to the car looking at all the divers.

I arrived back at the car still no White-billed diver. So I decided to have one last look over the water before heading home, I added kittiwake and Slavonian grebe, some other birders arrived I pointed out these birds and they said they had just come form the White-billed diver and Black guillemot that were in the marina.

So I got in the car and drove around to car park and joined some other birders looking and some of the birders that had been in the other car park joined us, we found the Black guillemot and then the White-billed diver, happy with some great views I  left Brixham around 17:00.

2014 Year List = 73

Lunchtime at Little Marlow gravel pit

3^rd January, and I was working in High Wycombe, so my lunchtime was spent at Little Marlow GP. The pair of Black Swans were still around and a wintering Chiffchaff was seen, I saw 40 and adding 18 to the year  list, Great crested grebe, Cormorant, Black swan, Greylag goose, Egyptian goose, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted duck, Red kite, Pheasant, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Lesser black-backed gull, Stock dove, Ring-necked parakeet, Chiffchaff & Chaffinch.

2014 Year List = 60

2014 Birding starts in Poole

2^nd January and I started this year working down at Fleet’s Corner Poole, as I drove around the site to park up I saw a Buzzard worming, I stopped the car and took some photo’s. As I had arrived early I had a quick walk around the site adding, Black-headed gull, Herring gull, Woodpigeon, Pied wagtail, Robin, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion crow, House sparrow & Goldfinch. When I got back to where the Buzzard had been, it was close by in a tree being mobbed by the local Carrion Crows.

2014 Year List = 11

Lunchtime I made the short drive to Upton Country Park, which has a good mix of habitat and a walk around gave me 41, adding a further 31 to this years list. Little grebe, Little egret, Grey heron, Mute swan, Canada goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Avocet, Curlew, Redshank, Great black-backed gull, Feral pigeon, Great spotted woodprcker, Meadow pipit, Wren, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Long-tailed tit, Coal tit, Blue tit, Great tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Jackdaw, Raven, Siskin & Reed bunting

2014 Year List = 42

Brunnich's Guillemot Twitch Portland Harbour 28th December

On Friday 27th December I received a phone call from Allen Worgan, who I had met earlier in the year down at the Semi-P twitch on Hayling Island, asking me if I wanted to go to see the Brunnich's Guillemot. I wasn't feeling to great as I had a cold, so said I would not be joining him. Later that evening I was feeling much better so called Allen to see if he was still going and if offer of a lift was still on, it was. Allen would pick me up at 04:30 Saturday, as we would stopping to pick up his brother Chris in Basingstoke. I then got all my kit ready set the alarm for 04:00, and went to bed.
04:00 came round and I got up quietly so not wake anyone else, Allen arrived just as I was finishing my bowl of porridge, loaded up the car & of we went to pick up Chris. With us all in the car Allen drove down to Weymouth, we popped into Mcdonalds to use the toilets, and I got a coffee, then to a garage for some lunch. We then went to the car park oppersite Portland Castle, as it was still dark we waited in the car and watched other birders arriving. When it was light enough we left the car park and headed to Portland Marina, where we soon had a first views of the Brunnich's Guillemot. It liked to follow the harbour wall and get level with the castle, then turn around come back into the marina and go around the moored boats, diving alot as it went. This made for quite an amusing sight as birders followed it up and down, we stayed put and got great views over the three hours we were there as it passed close by to us. Some of the photographers with their huge lenses went down to the waters edge, one slipped and nearly toppled in, which made alot of birders laugh. Birds seen: Black throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Shag, Grey Heron, Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Guillemot, Brunnich's Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail & Carrion Crow.
We left just as heavy rain/hail arrived, Allen stopped at the garage in Weymouth for some energy drinks, we then found out where the Glossy Ibis was so we went to Radipole Park Drive to the flooded playing field, and we had a quick look watched it feeding and then flying to be in one of the goals for Radipole Park Rangers, a nice bonus before Allen drove us all home.

Brunnich's Guillemot

Me, Allen Worgan & Chris Worgan

Glossy Ibis in goal

2013 Year List = 192