NT
1979
A visit to Chew Valley Lake where there were a few martins, warblers and ducks, the best being 9 Common Sandpipers. Then we drove to Cheddar Reservoir where there were 16 Common Sandpipers, a Ruff, 3 Yellow Wagtails and an Arctic Tern. We returned to Chew Valley Lake where along the trees at the back of the reeds we saw a Long-eared Owl.
1983
Leading a Wingspan Bird Tour to Spain, a new bird seen today.
1984
1987
A trip to Chew Valley lake where the best birds were a male and female Garganey.
1988
1999
In Zimbabwe on a filming and sound recording trip, no new birds seen today.
2003
An early morning in Portishead, at the Boating Lake there was a Common Sandpiper, then on the rocks at Battery Point 3 Purple Sandpipers, going north, during a one and a half hour watch, I saw 5 Whimbrel, 144 Swallows, 32 House Martins, 5 Sand Martins, lots of Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Pied Wagtails, 50+ Greenfinches and 4 Great Black-backed Gulls, on the grass of the promontory were 3 Wheatears.
Then I went to Portbury Wharf where there were lots of warblers, including 2 Grasshopper Warblers, the foreshore was quiet except for a group of 16 Whimbrel.
2006
In the garden, in Portishead, there was a male Blackcap and a Willow Warbler. Then a visit to Northwick Warth where there were lots of Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Skylarks, c10 Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Goldcrests, 2 Sedge Warblers, 20+ Wheatears, a Redstart, 3 Yellowhammers, a Reed Bunting, a Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipits, lots of Swallows and Sand Martins, a few House Martins, a Little Egret, 2 Whimbrel and a Red-legged Partridge which is rare here.
2007
A drive to Frampton with John Rossetti, then a walk south alongside the canal to a pool on the Wildfowl Trust's land where there was a flock of 17 Glossy Ibises, at the time the largest flock ever recorded in England, and the 2nd largest in the UK.
Also seen in this area were 30+ Black-headed Gulls, 3 Little Egrets, at least 2 Little Grebes, 2 Wheatears, a Yellow Wagtail, 2 Hobbys and 2 Hares.
Video of Glossy Ibises, also see here.
2013
Again in the garden in Portishead there was a Blackcap and a Siskin at the feeders.
Then an afternoon visit to Chew Valley Lake where in the area behind Herriott's Pool there was a female Woodchat Shrike.
Photos: Siskin and Woodchat Shrike.
Video of Woodchat Shrike, also see here.
2017
A visit to Frampton where on the marsh by the canal there were 2 Greenshanks, 6 Redshanks, 2 Little Egrets and a Spotted Redshank which was almost in full summer plumage.
From there I went to Slimbridge, where on the South Lake 3 of the 6 Black-winged Stilts still remained.
I watched the pair feeding together and mating, the other male kept its distance from them and often fed out of sight.
Photo: Right: Record of Spotted Redshank.
Video of Black-winged Stilts, also see here.
2019
A visit to Stinchcombe Hill where there were lots of Skylarks and 2 Wheatears on one of the fairways.
Then to Chipping Sodbury Common where there had been a Ring Ouzel, which I missed by half an hour! I did see a Swallow, several Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and 2 Whinchats.
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Whinchat.
