Army Ornithological SocietyBlog Category | UK Birding
SPTA West
I have missed 2 months! I spent August in Canada and the USA. September passed in a blur when I hosted a journalist writing an article for Bird Watching magazine about Wiltshire plus a ringing course on the Isle of Wight. This month I have had the opportunity to get out. On 2 Oct a Barred Warbler was ringed on Westdown (by my trainer) as it was only the 2nd record for Wiltshire. I was allowed to look on queuing up behind four 'A' ringers. This week I have seen 1 House Martin and 4 Swallows as well as 76 Golden Plover. We therefore have the last of the summer migrants departing and the winter visitors arriving. I was having to provide an update for the Imber Conservation Group and I have recorded 96 birds on the West this year. This is something of a surprise but when I analyse the results it should be standard for most years. There are still quite a few Chiffchaffs about though at the beginning of the month there were no Stone Curlews around (they had been congregating near Stonehenge). I have seen no Great Bustards on the West however I can report that all birds released this year are still alive and doing well. Birds have commuted to France, Holland, Suffolk and Somerset before returning to the area. I also did not find any of Wiltshire's Montague's Harriers hunting on the West but they had occasionally been seen. This was the last year of the summer fieldwork by our PhD student on Whinchats. Next year she has to write up her results. Currently data suggests that the Plain has the highest density in UK. There is more armour about on the Plain and thus sometimes areas are out of bounds. With such a large area there is always a grid square to survey. Birds are forming large flocks and hopefully will be easier to see now that the leaves are turning. Meadow Pipits and Skylarks are still calling in numbers and of course corvids are plenty. Even Ravens are to be found about the place; I saw 2 at Copehill Down yesterday. Tit flocks are forming though I have only seen Goldcrest with them. Other large flocks of Goldcrest and Linnet are moving around. Every trip out this last week I have seen at least 1 Jay; I cannot remember when I have seen so many Jays. This year has been good for owls and raptors with plenty of food. Roughly 2 out of 3 Barn Owl pairs have had a second brood that fledged though Little Owl remains on the decline. I am now looking forward to seeing our winter visitors.
CommentsSPTA West
At the beginning of June I organised a Bioblitz of the Warminster Danger Area with 46 bird species including Cuckoo and Nightingale. Skylark topped the bill for numbers with Whitethroat 2nd and Yellowhammer 5th just a few behind 2nd place. It was an excellent day and it is intended to do this again. There were 22 butterfly species and lots of wildflowers. Everywhere I look there are Common Spotted Orchids on the way out and Pyramidal Orchids in their splendour. Last Wednesday I went out in the morning and at Vedette 3 saw a Marsh Harrier complete with orange wing tag. Today I took our Canadian colleague out as he cannot drive at present (bike, road, not on 2 wheels, hospital). The object of the day was to show him a Grasshopper Warbler. It did not take too long before we found one on Southdown track reeling at the top of a bush. There were plenty of orchids, and butterflies (Marbled White and Large Skipper) as well as birds. There were at least 3 Stonechat families plus of course Whinchat, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Meadow Pipit and the list goes on. It was a lovely sunny day and we headed over to the east to view the Montagu's Harriers which did a food pass in front of us as we watched from a safe distance. There were Swifts high up in the sky and Swallows nesting at a Vedette. A pair of Lapwings were on a scrape but we did not look for Stone Curlew.
CommentsSPTA West
After trips to Corsica and Extramadura it was back to SPTA. Yesterday I was able to get into the Warminster Range Danger Area to survey a grid sqaure. First bird was a calling Nightingale whist 2 Fox Cubs explored the the cut ground in front . I had expectd to hear this bird as the habitat was just right with a lovely scrub canopy and a thicket around it. There were a lot of Whitethroats, Chaffinches and Linnets in dense scrubland as I headed north with steady numbers of Yellowhammer, Goldfinches, Chiffchaffs and Wrens. Towards the end of the survey there were 2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling from amongst the low bushes. Stock Doves had taken up residence in the owl box in a small copse but at least a Kestrel flew out of its box. A Swift passed by and on the grassland Skylarks were singing. There were a number of Marsh Fritillaries as well as Dinghy Skippers, Meadow Browns and lots of moths. Today I spent the morning around Deptford Down. The track I could take my car down last year is now only passable to the most robust of 4x4s thanks to greenlaners. I checked out a scrape from which I could see the A303 but could only find a pair of Red-legged Partridge plus Skylarks. I then surveyed a square with just a hint of woodland plus a small dam and a few Hawthorn bushes. As ever there was a pair of Mallards on the water and plenty of Skylarks singing around the square with one lone Meadow Pipit calling from a post in the centre. Best view was 4 Swifts passing overhead. On the grass there were nearly 200 Rooks but I could not find a Jackdaw. Whitethroat and Corn Bunting were singing from lone bushes. I found a different route off the area and stopped at the Berril Valley on my way home to say hello to Jenni who was carrying out an invertebrate survy as part of her Whinchat study; she has found 24 nests so far and most had been predated. Nearby a pair of Reed Buntings watched proceedings as we discussed the project and sightings of harriers, Hobby and Stone Curlews.
CommentsSPTA West
The sun has been shining on the Plain these last 2 weeks. Blackcaps have arrived in force and there are numerous Chiffchaffs. Corn Buntings are found around the edges of the area and Yellowhammers are across the whole area. I was with the RSPB staff looking at Stone Curlew plots and around Imber Clump we found quite a few Wheatears. There are plenty of Buzzards and Kestrels around plus there was a Sparrowhawk in the grass last Friday. Stonechats are singing as are Skylarks. Birds seem to come alive this time of year as there are plenty of Goldfinches, Linnets, Chaffinches, Wrens and tits. I can still hear Goldcrests in the woods and there are plenty of corvids about. Ravens are nesting around the area and near Knook Camp the nest is above a Kestrel Box. Pairs of Red-legged Partridges are everywhere. Obviously the shoot did not do a very good job. Not only are the birds getting into Spring but puddles of water can be found with adult Fairy Shrimps and some are full of tiddlers. Some puddles even have Palmate Newts breeding in them. Mammals are doing well and as I was watching a Reed Bunting, 3 Fox Cubs were watching me. Tawny Owls are doing well as the vole population has fought back from the previous 2 winters; the boxes are filling up. I even took a couple of days off to go and see the Two-barred Crossbill in Norfolk though the Baikal Teal did not show whilst I stood on a windswept Fen Bank. Today I checked out some Stone Curlew sites with 3 birds and 4 lapwings on 2 sites. There are 2 Peregrine nests still active and I am waiting for Whitethroat, Nightingale and Whinchat to arrive. I did manage some ringing which was biased to Greenfinch in the valley and Blackcap on the Plain. It is Easter Weekend so Imber Village will be packed but the rest of the area will be open with no troops; more surveys.
CommentsSPTA West
It is still very wet with roads flooded and bournes full. Tilshead and Shrewton have traffic lights in place to control traffic through the floods. The tracks are covered in mud from armourd vehicles and tanks are about. I have been out twitching especially the Red-flanked Bluetail which was not too far away. I even drove to Cepe Country Park for the Leser Yellowlegs after watching a Bittern at Blashford Lakes. I finished the day with Hawfinch at Blackwater Arboretum. Yesterday during the Hen Harrier survey I added Merlin to this year's list of birds. At NZ Farm a firefight put off quite a few birds from flying direct including a Hen Harrier but afterwards a Short-eared Owl did not deviate. The previous day a Short-eared Owl flew low right past me at Vedette 6. At Thorncombe Farm a Woodcock and 2 Snipe were flushed and another Woodcock was flushed at Grant's Farm. In the wood a male Bullfinch gave fantastic views and 3 Goldcrest were flitting around at the entrance into the woods by the valley track. There were 18 species on the walk despite the very strong winds. There are hundreds of Fieldfares and Starlings scattered across the Plain and Golden Plover are still present as are Lapwings. A drive around woods and hedgerows at midnight did not attract a Long-eared Owl and all the surveys conducted suggest that they are not present but I am sure there has to be one somewhere. The area is so large that not all of it is covered and all this rain does not help by limiting nights out.
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