Category: Trip reports

Tuesday 04 December – Newton St. Loe Leaders: Duncan and Pat Gill, Peter Holbrook

A record number of 50 members arrived for this year’s pre-Christmas lunch walk from Holy Trinity Church – but could we get 50 bird species? We set off in the welcome sunshine. Our group was well spread out, with Peter kindly waiting to gather up latecomers, so not everyone saw the single Bullfinch and Greenfinch. We walked past a feeder,…

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Tuesday 30 October – Elm Farm, Burnett Leader Roger Palmer and Phillipa Paget

Thirty six of us set off from Elm Farm on a fresh, dry autumnal morning. Initially we went along a level track for about 30 minutes before turning right into the valley crossing several fields with adjacent hedgerows and woods. Two Roe Deer eyed us suspiciously from a nearby field. Early birds included a Green Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Goldfinch and Chaffinch.…

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Tuesday 18 September – Tickenham Leaders: Jan Pridie and Lois Pryce

The tail end of some stormy weather was kinder than expected to 20 members meeting by Tickenham’s church. Large numbers of Swallows, House and some Sand Martins hunted across the golf course with flocks of Goldfinch. Chiffchaffs ‘wheeted’, Green Woodpeckers ‘yaffled’, and Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Coal Tits and Long Tailed Tits called or appeared along the path up to the…

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Sunday 02 September – Pilning Wetlands Leader: Lois Pryce

Nine people including two new members met at New Passage on a warm still day with a rising tide and two late arrivals who had been trying to find the Rose-coloured Starling at Severn Beach. From the shore birds could be seen stretching into the distance, included Turnstones, Curlews, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Dunlins and a Greenshank. The pools included…

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Sunday 29 July – Newport Wetlands

Gale force winds and torrential rain did not deter the two brave birders who joined us for this walk. The decision was made to head to Goldcliff and take cover in the hides but that was after a hot drink in the cafe and a scan of the pond, which yielded Gadwall, Moorhen, Mallard and a House Sparrow. The lagoons…

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Sunday 20 May – Ham Wall RSPB Reserve (joint meeting with BNS) Leader: Giles Morris

Ham Wall is now one of those venues that can almost guarantee an interesting and varied day’s birding, especially in May. This spring has been topsy-turvy in many ways, but those who made the trip were not disappointed, despite some Ham Wall “regulars” being missing. Setting out along the railway path allowed us to sort out our warbler song ID,…

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Tuesday 10 April – Hanham Leaders: – Karen Birmingham, Jean Oliver and Jenny Weeks

Twenty-five of us met on a damp grey morning for a muddy walk up through woodlands with bluebells just starting to show some colour, over the fields and back beside the river Avon, with the song of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Wren frequently accompanying us. Thirty-three species were identified including a large parcel of Linnets, several Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers,…

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Tuesday 12 December – Pucklechurch Leader: Duncan Gill

After the coldest night of the year, 22 well-wrapped members met for the pre-Christmas Lunch walk on a crisp, sunny morning. The Rose and Crown car park proved productive with eleven species sighted before we set off (but after ten o’clock!). These first sightings included flocks of both Redwings and Fieldfares. After crossing the road and climbing the first stile…

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Sunday 12 November – Axe and Exe Estuaries Leader: Gordon Youdale

Three unusual birds can’t be bad!!? Eight members met the leader at the Seaton Wetlands, an extensive mosaic of habitats created specifically for wildlife watching. We walked along to Colyford Common hide (tidal saltmarsh and reed) and then back to Stafford Marsh (ponds, reeds and Stafford Brook). Ducks included Shelduck, Teal, Mallard and Wigeon. There were also Herring and Black-headed…

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Tuesday 26 September – Priddy

Twenty-three members turned out for this popular walk on a misty morning. We spent some time near the church at a very productive tree watching a Tree Creeper. Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Robin, Pied Wagtail were also seen plus Blackbird, Blue and Great Tit and a Song Thrush. Some more distant “thrushes” just might have been winter ones. Robins were singing…

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Tuesday 17 October – Barrow Gurney

Eighteen members gathered at the village hall carpark on a warm October day. Our first Yellowhammers were seen along the cycle track heading towards the A38. Once we regained the fields a single Coal Tit showed briefly. We then had distant views of Barrow Tanks finding Herons, Cormorants and three Little Egrets (identity confirmed by a later visit to the…

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Tuesday 03 October – Portbury

A dry autumn day but traffic chaos caused by a lorry crash on the M5 delayed the arrival of the seventeen walkers who made it through. Along the lane to Portbury Warth Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Pied Wagtail were seen in the hedgerows and fields along with a couple of Stock Dove. As we walked down the…

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Sunday 01 October – Newport Wetlands

The forecast of torrential rain and gale force winds may have deterred some, but it turned out to be a worthwhile visit for the seven who set out and the weather was not really a problem. At the wetlands, the ponds had the expected Little Grebe, Wigeon, Gadwall and a Swan family with three largish cygnets.  Cetti’s warblers and Stonechats…

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Sunday 17 September – Blagdon Lake

Fourteen BOC members had a guided walk at Blagdon and enjoyed a leisurely stroll from the Lodge to Top End and back. Bird highlights included a late Common Swift with the hirundines over the Lodge before we set out, the Black-necked Grebe, Great White Egret, three juvenile Ringed Plovers, a flyover Black-tailed Godwit and about 20 Northern Lapwings at Top…

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