NT
1975
We spent the night at Portland, in the morning we saw the male Subalpine Warbler again, also 3 Wheatears, a Black Redstart and 4 Corn Buntings. On the sea there were 4 Great Skuas, 22 Common Scoters, 11 Gannets, a Puffin and the usual seabirds, plus a Common Sandpiper on the rocks.
Then a drive east to Chalbury Farm at Horton, where in a field, on and around a pile of wood chippings we saw a male red-spot Bluethroat, a new bird for us.
We continued to the New Forest where at Beaulieu Road we saw 2 Woodlarks, another new bird for us, also 3 Stonechats, 3 Tree Pipits, Redpolls and Goldcrests. Towards evening we watched 7 Snipe drumming at Fordingbridge.
Photos: Bluethroat.
1976
A visit to Chew Valley Lake where we saw a Little Ringed Plover, 3 Green and 2 Common Sandpipers, 4 Ruff, a Cuckoo, 2 Comic Terns out in the middle of the lake, a Snipe, 2 Oystercatchers, 4 Ruddy Duck, 6+ Swallows, 20+ Sand Martins, 6 Chiffchaffs, 13 Willow Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 3 Goldeneye, a Blackcap, a Whitethroat and a Sparrowhawk.
The best at Blagdon Lake were 2 Ravens, 5 Ruff and an albino Coot.
1983
Leading a Wingspan Bird Tour to Spain, a new bird seen today.
1987
A trip to Chew Valley Lake where there were 2 Common Terns, 3 Black Terns, a Sedge Warbler, 6 Swallows, c20 House Martins and 2 Common Sandpipers.
1988
Travelling from Arizona to Florida on a sound recording trip for a BBC series called 'Land of the Eagle', no new birds today.
1996
A drive to South Huish Marsh in Devon, where on the wires at the side of the road I saw a Red-rumped Swallow, a new British bird for me. I watched it for some time as it hawked over the marsh and returned to the wires, there were also Swallows, House and Sand Martins doing the same, and, I also saw 3 Yellow Wagtails, a Swift, a Peregrine, a Buzzard and a Raven.
1999
In Zimbabwe on a filming and sound recording trip, no new birds seen today, but a new reptile.
2013
In the garden in Portishead there was a Blackcap, 2 Redpolls and 2 Siskins. Then a trip to Slimbridge Where I saw a male Goshawk being mobbed by Rooks, a Peregrine, 4 Buzzards, 7 Common Cranes, lots of Shelducks and Wigeon, 13 Arctic Terns on the South Lake along with 83 Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper and a 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull. There were lots of warblers and on the walk to the Kingfisher hide I saw a Water Vole, at the hide I watched a pair of Kingfishers, the male presenting the female with a fish and both going in and out of one of the burrows in the bank. Later, I saw a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull in the Rushy Pen.
Kingfisher pair, also see here.
1st summer Mediterranean Gull, also see here.