30th April 2010

2 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler – Moulden Canal, Swindon - Malcolm Royal

MARSH HARRIER (female) – migrating over Hackpen Hill – Eian Wall

29th April 2010

GARGANEY (pair) - on meadows behind the Pelican Pub, Stapleford – John Fishwick

9 Wheatear – SPTA west – Rob Turner, Mike Hamzij

Grasshopper Warbler – Chippenham – Mark Coller

PEREGRINE, Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Cuckoo, Wheatear, 4 Reed Warbler, 4 Sedge Warbler, 15 Linnet, 3 Swift, 3 Reed Bunting – Water Eaton - Robin Griffiths

2 SANDWICH TERN, TURNSTONE, OYSTERCATCHER, MEDITERRANEAN GULL (2nd summer), 4 Dunlin, Redshank - CWP74 – Robin Griffiths

28th April 2010

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (2nd summer), TURNSTONE, R4edshank,  Common Tern, Cuckoo, 2 Hobby - CWP74 - Brian Piercey & Mark Coller

Common Sandpiper – CWP301 - Mark Coller

24 Wheatear – in one party, SPTA west – Rob Turner

6 Wheatear – Westbury White Horse – Rob Turner

Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler – Nightingale Wood, South Marston – Malcolm Royal

Curlew, Wheatear, Stonechat, Lapwing – SPTA east – Malcolm Royal

6 WHIMBREL, 2 Common Tern – CWP83 – Mike Trew & Brian Piercey

3 Hobby, 4 Common Tern, Cuckoo – CWP74 - Mike Trew

27th April 2010

3 Common Sandpiper, Reed Warbler, 7 Sedge Warbler – River Avon, Chippenham – Mark Coller

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (2nd summer), TURNSTONE, 2 OYSTERCATCHER, Redshank, 3 Dunlin, Curlew, 4 Red-Crested Pochard, 7 Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Cuckoo, 2 Shelduck, Hobby - CWP74 – Neil Cowley, Jean & Len Ingram, Nigel Pleass

6 WHIMBREL - CWP83 – Nigel Pleass

3 Nightingale, Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Grasshopper Warbler, Barn Owl, Hobby, Cuckoo, 3 Swift, Reed Warbler, 3 Garden Warbler, 2 Woodcock – Knighton – Graham Deacon

26th April 2010

MEDITERRANEAN GULL (2nd summer), 7 Dunlin – CWP74 – Bob Philpott 

4 WHIMBREL - CWP83 – Mike Trew 

Little Ringed Plover, Common Tern, 4 Lapwing, 2 Red-Crested Pochard – Kent End, CWP - Mike Trew 

 2 Swift – Grittleton – Stewart Dobson

12 Wheatear, Curlew – Fyfield Down – Malcolm Royal

Cuckoo – Bradford on Avon - Rowena Quantrill

Bath – Watch mounted on Peregrine Falcons’ nest

Story from BBC -

Ornithologists throughout the south of England are descending on a churchyard in Bath to keep watch over the nest of a pair of peregrine falcons. The female falcon on the spire of St John the Evangelist church in Bath has laid a clutch of four eggs. The rare birds have fallen victim to egg collectors in the past, and the site will be protected by a 24-hour watch scheme. Ornithologist Valerie James said there were excellent views of the nest. “We should have wonderful views with the aid of ’scopes and anyone who is really interested should go along and take advantage of a stunning bird on your doorstep,” she said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/8642661.stm

RSPB fake nests aim to lure Ospreys to southern England

From the BBC website -

Conservationists are attempting to lure rare ospreys to new nesting sites in southern England using polystyrene models of the birds in “show homes”. Osprey breeding grounds are centred on Scotland and the RSPB wants to see them spread to other parts of the country. The charity hopes the birds will be tempted into thinking the new sites are good places for ospreys to settle as they return from the winter in Africa. Five fake nests are at Arne reserve and two at Poole harbour, both Dorset. The RSPB says ospreys would once have been widespread but became extinct in the UK for four decades before returning to breed in the 1950s, with the birds now mainly found in Scotland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8638876.stm

Ask the climate question says Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

The following is from the WWT website:

With the General Election around the corner it has never been more important to ‘Ask the Climate Question’ of prospective candidates. To ask them how, if they are elected, their policies will bring about the changes desperately needed to tackle climate change.

This issue often gets pushed to the bottom of the list of priorities, but already 300,000 people die worldwide each year as a result of climate change and serious decisions need to be made by the next UK Government to help ensure a safe future for wildlife and people.

During this election the Trust and other organisations are supporting the ‘Ask the Climate Question’ campaign which is being co-ordinated in Swindon South and Chippenham by WWF-UK (World Wide Fund for Nature). These are marginal seats and so are receiving more attention than other areas from the major political parties.

This gives everyone who is concerned about climate change an opportunity to make their voices heard and raise the issue higher up the political agenda. We are urging people to ask their candidates what they will do, if elected, to prevent damaging climate change by raising the issue with door-step canvassers, opinion pollsters, political agents as well as the politicians themselves by letter or email.

25th April 2010

2 LITTLE TERN, 3 SANDWICH TERN, 2 LITTLE GULL (summer adults), MEDITERRANEAN GULL (2nd summer), WHIMBREL, 2 BLACK-TAILED GODWIT, 2 Swift, 2 Shelduck, 3 Wigeon, Shoveler, Little Ringed Plover, 5 Common Tern, 2 Common Sandpiper - CWP74 – Nigel Pleass, Malcolm Royal, Chris Walker, Trevor Clayson, Steve Davies

Cuckoo, 2 Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 12 Whitethroat, 30 Willow Warbler, 20 Chiffchaff, 40 Blackcap – Nightingale Wood, South Marston – Graham Deacon

4 Garden Warbler – Chippenham – Rowena & Bill Quantrill

Swift – Chippenham – Lynne Hallam

Swift – Ashton Keynes - John Grearson

WOOD SANDPIPER - Kent End, CWP

Cuckoo – Oare – Malcolm

5 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Wheatear – Etchilhampton Hill – Anthony Mitchell

MERLIN, 2 Wheatear – Walkers Hill – Tony Reader

6 Swift – Langford Lakes – John Fishwick

3 Swift – Corsham – Alan Carpenter

OYSTERCATCHER, Little Ringed Plover – CWP301 – Trevor Clayson

2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper – CWP97 – Trevor Clayson

Red Kite – Ashton Keynes – Trevor Clayson

Cuckoo – CWP68c – Trevor Clayson

Cuckoo – Moulden Hill, Swindon – Trevor Clayson

24th April 2010

6 Nightingale, 4 Grasshopper Warbler, 3 Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, 25 Willow Warbler, 10 Chiffchaff, 40 Blackcap – SPTA centre – Graham Deacon & Nigel Goodgame

Cuckoo, Sedge Warbler – Nightingale Wood, South Marston – Graham Deacon

2 Siskin – Langford Lakes – Rob Turner

2 MANDARIN (pair), 2 Grasshopper Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Cuckoo – Knighton – Malcolm Royal

Cetti’s Warbler, Sedge Warbler – Axford – Malcolm Royal

2 Grasshopper Warbler, 14 Sedge Warbler, 8 Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Snipe – Swindon SWT – Matt Prior

2 Wheatear – Easton Down – Matt Prior

5 LITTLE GULL, MEDITERRANEAN GULL (adult) - CWP74 – Barry Mitchell

2 Little Ringed Plover – Kent End, CWP - Barry Mitchell

OUT OF COUNTY…..5 Nightingale – Swillbrook, CWP - Barry Mitchell

Wheatear, 2 Stonechat – Tan Hill – Matt Prior

Fieldfare – Hodson Woods – Steve Davies

2 RUDDY SHELDUCK - Chiseldon floods – Steve Davies

4 Common Tern, 3 Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler – Coate Water – Steve Davies

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