Reading Birds

I've been living in Reading again recently....found a lovely spot for bird watching at Dinton Pastures country park - at the top end of it across the road, is a filled in gravel pit (I think?) known as Lavells lake, with two hides.
Most excitingly, on my first visit, it yeilded my first ever sighting of a Bittern. 5 were seen to be wintering on the lake last year, just one so far this year, and it hasn't been seen much in three weeks. Hopefully it and others will be back. He was staying amazingly still in the reeds, but somebody spotted it when he moved a leg (the hide was packed out, as it was a sunny Saturday, early November, but it was nice to have a community atmosphere and extra pairs of eyes), and about half an hour later he flew across the lake to a roosting spot in another reed bed.
Also on the first trip, a good 25 cormorants. 25! Lots of intereting ducks - Wigeon, Teal (beautiful green!), Pochard, Shoveler, Gadwall, which will hang around all winter.
Haven't failed to see raptors on either visit - my birthday bird watching trip last Thursday turned up Red Kite, Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrohawk, and a possible Hobby, according to the old man in the hide (though I thought it too late in the year for Hobby)

This blog has been regenerated for the benefit of Mr Cole, whom it was a pleasure to see on Sunday, when he informed me that he appreciated and enjoyed this site.
Now I'm back in Baddesley, expect Baddesley birds to be more frequently updated with tales of birds here and further afield.

Kites cubed

After last weekends excitement, I saw another of the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire/Berkshire population from a train window, somewhere between Reading and Oxford.
Then, at Harewood House in Leeds, plenty of good views of the birds released there in 1999, to re-establish a population in Yorkshire.
The 'best' of my attempts to photograph them without the aid of a telescopic lens is below: I will post some blown up pictures at some point to prove that the birds I saw were indeed Red!

Let's go fly a Kite!

A trip to see friends in High Wycombe produced three sitings of Red Kites, though all through the car window, and therefore fleeting. Forked tails and longer, narrower wings than a Buzzard made these guys unmistakeable, and as the ubiquitous Buzzard is the only large raptor I see round here, a very welcome sight. I'd like to see these handsome birds colonise Hampshire more efficiently, I understand they are seen sometimes, even over Romsey recently, but a move into North Baddesley would be welcome.

Trip also turned up two unidentified black birds, by which I mean birds which were mostly black or dark in colour, not actual blackbirds. They were in the light so difficult to see, but definitely dark in colour, about starling sized but definitely not starling shaped. More of a chat type shape. Suggestions on a bird themed postcard!

Cuckoo!

After a shocking delay, I report unexcitedly that I saw pretty little Meadow Pipits on the beach by Durdle Door on Monday the 10th.
Today on Baddesley common I watched a buzzard spiral higher and higher, until it reached a group of 4 others, making 5 buzzards in all flying together so high I could only follow them with binoculars.
A reddish kestrel flew out of the woods and began hunting over the fields soon afterwards, and just after that a cuckoo started calling from the woods - first one of the year that I've heard.

At last!

Goldfinches! Hadn't seen any all winter. Was a flock, on a wire, in North Baddesley. Unmistakeable with their pretty red faces.

First Baddesley Kestrel of the year! Took long enough. Spotted in a field near St Johns church, but I couldn't really look, I was driving!

A flock of long tailed tits keeps following me, but they are most welcome, and definitely were in our garden last weekend. A very attractive visitor.

Please do comment on this blog, even if you all think I've gone strange!

A new hobby* to refresh the sole*

Like Charles Kennedy in the full glare of the media spotlight, I have admitted I have a problem. In the words of the Eels song, I like Birds.

They are small and medium sized and large and drab and colourful and watchable and very varied and lovely indeed.

Very relaxing to watch, and despite my past amusement at people who wanted to see as many species as possible, I'm falling into the Pokemon mentality - gotta collect 'em all!
I will be updating here mostly with species of note in Baddesley, or selections from what I see from my bike on the way to work. Also from more exotic trips and holidays.

So to kick off, here is every species (only 87!) I remember having definitely seen in the UK. Enjoy! (There are probably lots I never identified, being foolish!)

Great Crested Grebe,Little Grebe,Fulmar,Cormorant,Shag,Northern Gannet,Grey Heron,Little Egret,Mute Swan,Bewicks Swan,Greylag Goose,Canada Goose,Brent Goose,Egyptian Goose,Mallard,Shoveler,Ruddy Duck,Mandarin,Red Kite,Marsh Harrier,European Sparrohawk,Common Buzzard,Common Kestrel,Peregrine Falcon,Red Legged Partridge,Common Pheasant,Golden Pheasant,Moorhen,Coot,Oystercatcher,Ringed Plover,Lapwing,Dunlin,Common Snipe,Curlew,Common Redshank,Common Sandpiper,Turnstone,Great Skua,Meditteranean Gull,Common Gull,Black Headed Gull,Herring Gull,Lesser Black Backed Gull,Kittiwake,Common Tern,Common Guillemot,Razorbill,Puffin,Stock Dove,Wood Pigeon,Collared Dove,Little Owl,Kingfisher,Green Woodpecker,Great Spotted Woodpecker,Skylark,Sand Martin,Swallow,House Martin,Yellow Wagtail,Grey Wagtail,Pied Wagtail,Dipper,Wren,Dunnock,Robin,Stonechat,Fieldfare,Song Thrush,Long Tailed Tit,Marsh Tit,Coal Tit,Blue Tit,Great Tit,Nuthatch,Tree Creeper,Magpie,Rook,Jackdaw,Carrion Crow,Common Jay,Starling,House Sparrow,Tree Sparrow,Chaffinch,Greenfinch,Goldfinch,Bullfinch,Siskin

*Bizzare/silly puns intended.