Highlights... 1st January to 29th February 2020
January...
The best bird of the month was a Caspian Gull (a second calendar year) on the 7th...
Also noteworthy were twenty-two Egyptian Geese that circled over on the 21st and three Scaup on the 10th only...
A Goosander was present on the 16th; last month's Red-necked Grebe remained and lingered to the 4th, with it or another reappearing on the 12th to the 19th; sixteen Golden Plovers on the 12th (following a single on the 10th); a Woodcock on the 7th; the over-wintering Common Sandpiper throughout...
A Yellow-legged Gull (a third calendar year) was seen on the 26th; the regular Cattle Egret roost peaked at thirty on the 10th at least; two Great Egrets were seen regularly throughout...
Also at least one Marsh Harrier was seen regularly; there was at least one Barn Owl on several dates; a Merlin on the 26th; single Peregrines on the 8th and 17th and at least one over-wintering Chiffchaff throughout.
And that's it for this post except for a thank you to my colleagues Joe Stockwell, Kev Butler and Charlie Wheeler for finding some of the above birds. Also thanks to Swannery WeBS volunteers Alan Barrett and Nick Urch and other work colleagues and visiting birders that reported Swannery sightings.
March 2020 sightings to follow shortly.
Steve Groves.
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(Phone-scoped) Caspian Gull (2cy), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2020
© Steve Groves |
Also noteworthy were twenty-two Egyptian Geese that circled over on the 21st and three Scaup on the 10th only...
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Scaup (two 2cy ducks, one 2cy drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2020
© Steve Groves |
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Scaup (two 2cy ducks, one 2cy drake), Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2020
© Steve Groves |
A Goosander was present on the 16th; last month's Red-necked Grebe remained and lingered to the 4th, with it or another reappearing on the 12th to the 19th; sixteen Golden Plovers on the 12th (following a single on the 10th); a Woodcock on the 7th; the over-wintering Common Sandpiper throughout...
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Common Sandpiper, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2020 © Steve Groves
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A Yellow-legged Gull (a third calendar year) was seen on the 26th; the regular Cattle Egret roost peaked at thirty on the 10th at least; two Great Egrets were seen regularly throughout...
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Great Egrets, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2020 © Steve Groves
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| Great Egret, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2020 © Steve Groves |
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| Great Egret, Abbotsbury Swannery, January 2020 © Steve Groves |
Also at least one Marsh Harrier was seen regularly; there was at least one Barn Owl on several dates; a Merlin on the 26th; single Peregrines on the 8th and 17th and at least one over-wintering Chiffchaff throughout.
February...
The best birds of the month were another Caspian Gull (a second calendar year) on the 10th...
... and a Little Auk (sadly dead) on the 24th, the first since November 2014, though thankfully that one was alive.
Also of note were a Goldeneye (female) from the 25th; what may or may not have been last month's Red-necked Grebe again on the 10th; with it or another lingering from the 17th to the month's end; a Curlew on the 24th; the over-wintering Common Sandpiper still; a peak of thirty-three Cattle Egrets in the nightly roost on the 20th; a regular Great Egret; regular Marsh Harriers with three together on the 27th; a Barn Owl on the 28th at least; a Merlin on the 19th; a Peregrine on the 7th; a Chiffchaff on the 14th (always elusive here in February) and a Greenfinch (hard to find at all now) on the 27th.  |
| (Phone-scoped) Caspian Gull (2cy), Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2020 © Steve Groves |
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| (Phone-scoped) Caspian Gull (2cy), Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2020 © Steve Groves |
... and a Little Auk (sadly dead) on the 24th, the first since November 2014, though thankfully that one was alive.
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| Little Auk (deceased), Abbotsbury Swannery, February 2020 © Steve Groves |
And that's it for this post except for a thank you to my colleagues Joe Stockwell, Kev Butler and Charlie Wheeler for finding some of the above birds. Also thanks to Swannery WeBS volunteers Alan Barrett and Nick Urch and other work colleagues and visiting birders that reported Swannery sightings.
Steve Groves.
