June 7, 2026
Seventeen of us set off from Portbury village in cool blustery conditions which improved as the morning progressed. Immediately there were House Martins over the allotments and from the railway bridge two Buzzards circling in the distance over the Gordano Valley. When we turned off the road a Goldcrest was heard and, in a different
On a sunny, clear and cool day, a group of twelve set out from the picturesque Duchy of Cornwall-owned village of Newton St Loe. Passing Holy Trinity Church, which dates to the 11th century, the group noted Woodpigeon, Wren and Robin. The route proceeded down Workshop Lane and along a track which led us to
May 31, 2026
What a great time of year to visit Ham Wall – Bitterns booming, Cuckoos calling and warblers warbling! The air was filled with dragonflies and damselflies and many birds were nurturing their young. Nine of us met in the car park at 09:00, later to be joined by others so we eventually totalled 15. On
May 26, 2026
Despite favourable weather conditions for some at least, the attendance at today’s walk through Priors Wood was limited. Initially, it appeared the event might proceed in solitude until Colin and Olwyn arrived shortly before 10:00, for which their presence was appreciated. The first notable observation consisted of five House Martins near the house eaves prior
At last, some fine weather! 13 members, including two recent recruits, met for a walk round Watercress Farm, a rewilding project near Wraxall. The Blind Yeo now snakes round part of a formerly arable field creating pools and a damper habitat. We were thrilled to find a singing and displaying Sedge Warbler, the first appearance
May 19, 2026
Eight of us visited Puxton Moor. Presumably small numbers due to a poor weather forecast. However, it didn’t rain all morning! We had a quick look at the outside of Puxton church built in 1557, but the site is much older. After crossing a ploughed field we heard our first of ten Reed Warblers by
Thirteen persons attended this field trip, braving the showers. The group walked up Hodder’s Combe and saw and heard male Pied Flycatchers and heard Common Redstart. A family of Treecreepers was seen with two juveniles with flecked plumage on the back and wings. The route took us up Slaughterhouse Combe and we heard our first
We began our tour with a morning flight to Amsterdam where we were joined by our excellent guides, Mark and Matt from Naturetrek. https://bristolornithologicalclub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/BOC-Netherlands-Trip-Report-11-16-May-2026.pdf The final total was 121 species. Di Bunniss
Fifteen met on a mild, overcast evening, with one short spell of light rain. RSPB had identified three territories of singing Nightingales this year, there having been only two in each of the previous three years (down from 20 singing males in 2001). There were plenty of woodland birds (18 species total) to entertain us
Facebook often targets me with irrelevant ads, but this one hit home. It was a T shirt that said. I Came, I Saw, I Missed the Shot. That was much of my experience during my first outing with the Bristol Ornithological Club to Westhay Moor! Darn those little warblers! They hide so well! Nevertheless, plenty