LESSER SPOTTED

The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is the smallest of our three resident woodpeckers being no bigger than a sparrow. They live in deciduous woodland and like to forage high in the tops of trees up on the thinner branches so are very difficult to locate. 

They are now very rare and myself and Steve Bool my birding buddy had never seen one. So after having some insider knowledge off a birding mate that they were in the New Forest in Hampshire we decided to head down there to see if we could finally tick off this very rare and illusive bird. Our insider knowledge was that good our mate had told us the location of the exact tree where the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers liked to land on and do some territorial drumming.

We both decided on a really early start so met up at 3am to start the long drive down there. We arrived at the New Forest at 5.30am it was still very dark but we were entertained by the many Deer that shone in the headlights as we drove to the car park.

At first light we made our way to find the area where the Lesser Spotted's hopefully would be.

this is the area where the LSW hopefully were

We found the tree so stood around hoping that the birds would turn up. We were joined after an hour or so by two other birders who had came to the same spot hoping to see the woodpeckers. A Green Woodpecker landed in the tree and was followed a couple of minutes later by this Great Spotted Woodpecker but still no Lesser Spotted's.

male GSW 

Steve then all of a sudden shouted what's that? as a small bird with an unusual flight pattern flew over his head and onto the tree it was the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker a male we were delighted to have finally seen this fantastic bird.

lesser spotted woodpecker

It stayed for a good few minutes giving us excellent views and photographic opportunities.

It finally flew off and although we waited for another half hour or so the bird didn't return but what a session to finally get this cracking little woodpecker.

What a stunning place the New Forest is the views are spectacular.

stunning views

 This horse and trap was a lovely site trotting around the tracks.

horse and trap

We decided to move on to see what else was about and walked up to this flat area which was covered in gorse bushes and scattered trees. There were a few Meadow pipits scattered about.

meadow pipit

Also this handsome Greenfinch was in full song.

greenfinch

We met quite a few birders who told us that Dartford Warblers have also been seen in this area, that's another bird that's been on my bucket list and would be another lifer for yours truly. After scouting about for a while Steve spotted one low in a tree it flew off and landed on top of a gorse bush just long enough for me to get these record shots but I'd seen it brilliant.

dartford warbler another lifer

We came back down to the spot where we'd seen the Woodpeckers still beaming over getting the Dartford Warbler when we spotted a Marsh Tit it was calling loudly as it foraged in a large tree. Steve got the scope ready and took this cracking bit of footage, what a super bird.

The Lesser Spotted didn't show again but we were more than happy with seeing it earlier on.

what a bird

two very happy birders

After 7 hours of birding we decided to call it a day and what a day it had been, a lifer for Steve and two for me no wonder we're smiling, we also saw a distant Goshawk to top the day off. A big thank you yet again to Steve for doing the driving and a big thank you to myself for buying the coffee and cake. The New Forest what a brilliant place.

A TRIP TO GOLDCLIFF LAGOONS

 I took myself down to Goldcliff Lagoons yesterday 26th March as I hadn't visited this site for a while and now as we're entering Spring I thought it might be a good time for me to take a look at this wonderful little reserve.

There's has been a new electric fence put up around the reserve to stop predators like foxes, badgers and other predatory mammals getting at the ground nesting bird nests during the breeding season. A good thing except the views now for photographers and birders a like is somewhat restricted as they've put the fence along the front of the hides and viewing platforms.

As I walked in the first thing I saw was a Redwing still here in late March and picking some sort of berries from a thick bush. There were singing Chiffchaffs everywhere I got these images as they were busily foraging in-between bursts of their familiar song. 

chiffchaff

singing it's distinctive song 

  

redwing

I went into the first hide where I met fellow birder John Lawton, he makes birding videos on the places he visits and has got his own YouTube channel. 

There were loads of Waders on the Lagoons mostly Black Tailed Godwits with a few Knot in the mix. When they all took off together it made for a spectacular site with them all twisting and turning in the air.

It's usually the presence of a bird of prey like this very distant Marsh Harrier which will spook them.

distant female marsh harrier

When it passes they all settle back down to feed.

blackwits settled back down

Here's one landing on the water.

blackwit coming into land.

We were joined in the hide by two excellent birders Craig Constance and Little Dai who spotted a couple of Bar Tailed Godwits to distant for a pic but a great species to see. They also spotted some Snipe which I did manage to get a distant pic of.

a couple of distant snipe

Avocets are always a beautiful bird to see here's a single bird and a courting couple doing a bit of displaying.

avocet

a displaying couple

We went down to the sea wall where little Dai spotted some diving porpoises way to distant for a photo but we had great views through his scope.

There has been reports of a single Pink Footed Goose swimming around with the Greylags at Goldcliff we managed to see it and I got a photo happy days.

pink footed goose

From the seawall hide we briefly saw a Bittern and Craig spotted a flyover Common Crane which him and Little Dai got very excited about.

This Oystercatcher with a Redshank and Teal for company was the last photograph of the mornings birding.

A very good morning with some good birds seen and them porpoises was an added bonus. The new electric fence although a bit of a pain didn't stop me getting some half decent images although the hides are that far away from the lagoons I think a scope would be handy next time. Made some new friends and learned a bit from them as well, so all in all it was a good day. 

A SPARROWHAWK FLEW IN

 People that feed the birds in their gardens will if their lucky have a Sparrowhawk visit. They're obviously after the finches, tits, thrushes or any other small birds that visit garden feeders as these make up the mainstay of their diet. The female is larger than the male and will tackle birds as big as a woodpigeon but the male being small will mostly hunt the smaller garden birds. I was lucky enough to have a male Sparrowhawk come into our garden as it tried to grab one of the finches that was feeding on the bird table. Luckily for the Finches it failed this time and so stood on a branch near the feeders and also luckily for myself I had my camera handy.

male sparrowhawk

What a handsome bird, I was that excited that during the brief time it was perched and I was firing away with my camera I cut part of his tail off the photo but never the less I think they came out pretty good. 

close up (look at them eyes)

Here are some of the birds that it was after.

chaffinch

blue tit

coal tit

great tit

goldfinch

robin

song thrush

 

nuthatch

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Great experience seeing him swoop into the feeders, it would be great to think that there's a pair nesting somewhere close but who knows as they're very secretive birds, until the next one cheers.

AT LAST THE ELUSIVE WATER RAIL

 After birdwatching for over 50 years and over that time I've seen some wonderful birds I'm embarrassed to say that I've never seen a Water Rail. I've had the odd fleeting glance of it's backside as it sprints into the reeds but never a really good view of one out in the open. They are notoriously very shy and seem to favour staying deep in the reed beds where the only clue to their whereabouts is their loud calls which sound like pig like screams. They may come out to the edge of the reeds or on icy Winter days come out into the open looking for food but mostly stay hidden away. There has been some cracking pictures on social media of Water Rails but whenever I've gone to these locations it's always been a no show. So on Sunday the 9th March Steve Bool and myself went to Forest Farm nature reserve near Cardiff, lovely area with an old canal and river with plenty of trees and two hides made out of shipping containers which over look ponds and a small reed bed. We sat in the first hide for a while with not really much showing so decided to give the second hide a go. Within 10 minutes of us being in there Steve spotted a small bird up near some Moorhens I got my binoculars on it and at last there it was my first proper sighting of a Water Rail.

at long last (rallus aquaticus)

 I was pleased as punch to have finally bagged my first Water Rail, it didn't hang about for long and soon ran back into the reeds. Luckily it came out a few more times allowing Steve and myself some great views and we were able to get some pics and a bit of video.

great to finally see one out in the open

                                                                                                                                                         

A short clip Steve took of the Water Rail 

After the buzz of seeing the Water Rail we decided to walk along the old canal where Steve spotted this male Green Woodpecker. I managed to get some decent images even though it was quite a way into the trees.

male green woodpecker

They are a stunning looking bird, it was calling quite loudly as we stood and watched it for a while.

Here's some more birds that I photographed while we were there.

a very tame robin

The Robin's and Blue and Great tits were so tame that they would fly into the hides inches from where we were sitting.

moorhen

grey heron

grey heron showing off it's breeding plumage

jay

A super morning at Forest Farm especially for myself having finally seen a Water Rail.

Another big thank you to Steve Bool for once again doing the driving and making my birding list grow ever bigger cheers mate, who knows what the Spring and Summer will bring I can't wait.