NT
1985
Leading a birdwatching holiday to Northern Spain.
1997
A drive north from Bristol on the M5, just north of Gloucester there was a Red Kite, I was going to Loddington in Rutland to sound record for Green Umbrella for their TV series 'Living Europe'. At Loddington I was shown where the hide was, in a hedgerow, at the edge of a wheat field, close to a Yellowhammer's nest where the pair were feeding chicks, it was this I had come to record. Also in the area were 3 Red-legged Partridges, Skylarks, Blackcap and Whitethroat.
Later, I drove north of Oakham to Edmondthorpe, to a similar area of farmland, where there were pens for rearing Grey Partridges, these were also on the list to record. Each pen had a partridge family, but they were hard to see in all the undergrowth, luckily they were very vocal at times.
Yellowhammer chicks being fed by female, male singing in background.
Clucking calls from female Grey Partridge, chicks cheeping, calls and hisses from male.
2004
A return to Severn Beach, where the winds had dropped slightly, seeing a Fulmar and a Common Tern.
2018
A morning visit to Slimbridge where there were 2 Spoonbills, 8 Little Egrets, a Greenshank, lots of Avocets with chicks, 5 Cranes, the pair on the Rushy with a large chick and also there 14 Black-tailed Godwits.
Little Egret.
Spoonbills
2019
A morning trip to Slimbridge and a walk out to the 'Dumbles' to see a Little Bustard, which was found yesterday. The bird was in the long grass and thistles a long way off, during the time I was there it showed as a dark blob for a split second!
Also seen was a Green Sandpiper, a Hobby, and on the Rushy several pairs of Avocets with various sized chicks, plus a pair of Little Ringed Plovers.
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Right & below: Little Ringed Plovers.
