31st December 2009

80 Blackbird – notable influx at Nightingale Wood, South Marston – Graham Deacon

WHITE WAGTAIL - Salisbury – Shayne Ford

3 MEDITERRANEAN GULL – in flooded fields at Stratford, Salisbury - Shayne Ford

2 Raven – Grittleton - Stewart Dobson

22 Goosander (7 male) – Coate Water – Nigel Pleass

13 Goosander (6 male) – Liden Lagoon - Nigel Pleass

2 Raven – Orcheston – Robin Nelson

5 WHOOPER SWAN - at East Clyffe, Stapleford from A36 layby – Robin Nelson

MERLIN (female) – over Stratton St Margaret, Swindon – Robin Nelson

Decline of the Cuckoo

A report in the Daily Telegraph today says that the cuckoo is “in danger of being lost” to Britain.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the decline was “staggering”, and was now one of the most urgent conservation priorities.

“We have not got that long to work out solutions as to how we recover its ailing population,” said a spokesman.

He added: “People now go an entire year or longer without hearing the cuckoo. That would never have been the case 30 to 40 years ago. It would have been a bird on everybody’s consciousness in spring.”

The cause of the cuckoo’s decline and that of other migratory birds, including the turtle dove, nightingale and wood warbler, is not known but the research in Africa is looking at land degradation.

30th December 2009

5 WHOOPER SWAN - still at Steeple Langford in field at East Clyffe viewed from lorry cafe on A36 with Mute Swans – birding pager only

Blackcap (male) – in a Swindon garden – Barry Keep

10 Little Egret – roosting at Swindon STW – Matt Prior

Blackcap (male), 5 Lesser Redpoll – in a Purton garden – Simon Tucker

250 Golden Plover – Upton Scudamore – John Osborne

2 MANDARIN (males) – Coate Water - Felicity Cobb

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (redhead), 34 Goosander (15 male) – Coate Water – Malcolm Royal

Blackcap (female) – in a Swindon garden - Trevor & Sue Clayson

29th December 2009

10 Little Egret, 3000 Starling – roosting at Swindon STW – Matt Prior

24 Gadwall – Wroughton Reservoir - Malcolm Royal

Record Year for Twitchers

Twitchers look set to break the record for the most species sighted by British birdwatchers in a year.

Figures released today show that in 2008, 407 different species are confirmed. Up to 11 more are likely to be added to the list. The total of 418 bird species recorded in Britain in a year beats the previous high of 412 in 2004. Many of the winged visitors sighted, some for just a few minutes, included exotic visitors from across the globe.

This story is reported in various newspapers. Click below for the account in the Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/record-year-for-britains-twitchers-1852103.html

Bitterns and Red Kites Success Story

The bird conservation success of the decade.

The return of bitterns and red kites to the UK countryside is the bird conservation success story of the Noughties, according to a review of the decade by the RSPB.

The conservation charity has collated survey figures for threatened birds since the turn of the century to give a snapshot of the species which have fared the best and worst over the past ten years.

In a league table of birds whose populations have increased in the Noughties due to conservation efforts, the bittern comes top followed by the red kite, the white-tailed eagle, the woodlark and the corncrake. They have benefited from conservation work including reintroduction projects and creation and protection of threatened habitats.

Click on link for full story:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-237669#

New Wagtails Guide from BTO

If you are not sure how to age, sex or identify wagtails, then a new guide produced by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) may be just what you need. The guide is available free from GBW WAGTAILS, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.

28th December 2009

11 Chiffchaff – Ashton Keynes STW - Matt Prior

Water Rail, 220 Redwing, 60 Fieldfare, 6 Reed Bunting – Nightingale Wood, South Marston – Graham Deacon

Woodcock, 4 Snipe – Blakehill – Robin Griffiths

2 Blackcap (male & female) – in an Ashton Keynes garden – John Grearson

Little Egret – Alton Barnes – Ed Smith

7 Goosander (5 male) – CWP28 – Stewart Dobson

6 SMEW (2 male), 50 Red-Crested Pochard, 8 Pintail, Goldeneye - CWP29 – Stewart Dobson

200 Golden Plover, 120 Lapwing – Bishops Canning – Anthony Mitchell

4 Siskin – in a Devizes garden – Anthony Mitchell

PEREGRINE, 40 Lapwing, 10 Golden Plover, 30 Corn Bunting, 150 Linnet – Firsdown – John McCarthy

3 Brambling, 2 Blackcap – in a Salisbury garden – John McCarthy

3 Stonechat, 60 Golden Plover – Roundway Down - Trevor Clayson

WHITE WAGTAIL - in a Salisbury garden – Shayne Ford

5 WHOOPER SWAN -still present and viewed from the A36 between Stapleford & Steeple Langford by the first car parking area from Stapleford – Shayne Ford

35 Lapwing, Marsh Tit - Fyfield Down – Maurice Dyer

3 MANDARIN - Coate Water – Jim Day

27th December 2009

146 Golden Plover - Zeals - Chris Oliver

Blackcap (male) – on a garden feeder, Wootton Bassett – Bob Philpott

Snipe, Little Owl – Blakehill – Robin Griffiths

2 SMEW (redhead), 5 Pintail, Chiffchaff – CWP29 – Robin Griffiths

5 SMEW (one male), 8 Goosander (5 male) – CWP30 – Robin Griffiths

4 Goosander (one male) – on the River Avon, Downton – John Fishwick

Red Kite – Ogbourne Maizey - Malcolm Royal

27 Goosander, Ruddy Duck, 300 Lapwing, 12 Golden Plover, 34 Snipe – Coate Water – Malcolm Royal

Blackcap (female) – Upper Stratton, Swindon - Ken Cypher

580 Lapwing, 550 Golden Plover – Barbury Castle area – Trevor Clayson

2 Raven, 120 Golden Plover – Roundway Hill – Anthony Mitchell

5 WHOOPER SWAN - now present and viewed from the A36 between Stapleford & Steeple Langford by the first car parking area from Stapleford

26th December 2009

11 SMEW (2 male & 9 redhead) - CWP29 & CWP 30 - Nigel Pleass

HEN HARRIER (ringtail), 90 Lapwing, 2 Stonechat – Wylye Down – John Fishwick

Blackcap (female) – in a Chippenham garden - Brian Gibbs

4 WHOOPER SWAN - still present and viewed from the A36 between Stapleford & Steeple Langford by the first car parking area from Stapleford

Woodcock, Stonechat – Cumberwell – Rowena Quantrill

12 Goosander, Ruddy Duck – Coate Water - Trevor Clayson

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