Nightjar count at Old Lodge ... July 1st 2015

link to spreadsheet below


- had a woodcock roding on a count for the first time in a number of years.

- rather disappointing to only have one tawny owl, when we know there are more, and no barn owl which we are sure is around still.

- but the count of 8 nightjars is rather good, given that we know of two other teritories from day time records.

Martin


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Nightjar count at Old Lodge ... July 2nd 2014

link to spreadsheet below

- 7 Nightjars and 4 Tawnys

- second half of walk ( east side) was not very productive, for some reason.  I suspect this is an underestimate of the pairs

- as often happens, a crazy late to bed Woodlark

- In calculating the grid reference I take into account the estimated distance and 'clock' angle from the direction of travel of the observer.  columns H and I record this on the spreadsheet.  So it is attempting to be an accurate position of the bird.  If a second record of the same bird is made the number of birds ( # ) is given as 0.  In principle this allows a form of triangulation, on the assumption that the bird has not moved too much.


martin


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Bird Count ... 30th October 2015

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- 33 species from 207 birds

- Keith, Ron and Martin

- delayed start because of rain for an hour. weather then picked up and was quite warm, with some sun. a bit windy to start with but then decreasing. wet under foot.

- nothing special.  poor numbers

- there should have been plenty of fieldfares, but we only saw one.

- stonechats, woodlarks seem to have largely moved away, as had chaffinches

- some skylarks moving through

- no nuthatches or treecreepers

- no woodcocks

- but first greenfinches for a while

- nice flock of redpolls

- marsh tit



Martin

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Bird Count ... 24th September 2015

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- 38 species from 296 birds

- Keith, martin and mike m

- but windy, with some rain to start off with

- fabulous views of hobbies. parent and child playing acrobatics. at one point adult holding a bird it had caught plucked out some feathers and let them loose in the air, for the juvenile to catch. this was repeated a number of times.

- good numbers of stonechats and woodlarks

- just one redstart was seen

- two marsh tits were the first for a little while

- lots of mistle thrushes, which were difficult to count.

- passages of swallows, meadow pipits and starlings.

- plenty of birds missing, which we know are there

- a single blackcap near the tool store




martin

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Bird Count ... 28th August 2015

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- 38 species, with 285 birds

- 2 hobbies

- 4 kestrel, including 2 young, so probably just one family

- good flock of at least 11 linnets on south heath

- the regular 3 Ravens

- 17 stonechats, with losts of young ones

- swallows starting to move through with 17 for the day




Martin

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Bird Count ... 31st July 2015

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- 34 species

- nice sunny day with little wind

- spotted flycatcher was very active near jilly's stables

- frequent herring gulls

- buzzard young from kid's hill pretty noisy

- plenty of birds keeping quiet and not seen, including woodlark, longtailed tit, redpolls, goldcrest, thrushes, skylarks

- many immature redstarts around

- keith and ron with me

- Nuthatch and treecreepers in evidence



Martin


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Bird Count ... 29th June 2015

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- 44 species

- too hot, little if any wind, cloudless

- spotted flycatcher first for year

- lots of pigeons (17)

- wrens everywhere singing from the tops of trees (24)

- woodlarks hiding, only one

- pheasants all over the place  (9)

- nightjar did 2 separate single churrs. Did not see obvious predator

- siskin and redpoll, presumably breeding somewhere

- heron flyover and one calling from Pippiford

- quite a lot of redstarts being fed


Martin



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Bird Count ... 22nd May 2015

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 - 49 species.  so annoying not to make 50

- nice day after a lot of cold windy days

- not many tits in evidence.  Must be too busy sitting or feeding

- cuckoo with no tail was at cricket field again.  Tail may be regrowing

- one buzzard was very low and looked as if it was hunting from perches.

- geese were away from ponds in neighbouring field.  There was a pop concert on pippingford

- redstarts a little slow to start with, but plenty all over (23)

- hobby just heard in ol1

- house martin was late migrant?

- no ravens, bullfinches, greenfinches, but reasonable species count

- siskins were scattered all over.

- stonechats out with new families

- 8 woodlarks , 11 tree pipits








Martin




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Bird Count ... 30th April 2015

link to spreadsheet is at the bottom

- 46 species which is pretty good. 305 birds in total.

- bit windy, with odd shower.  Quite bright though, and birds moving around

- a Buzzard seems to be hunting on the reserve, and we have seen it on the ground and sitting in trees.  Where will this interest take us?

-  male and female kestrel is also hopeful

- garden warbler near the bridge, and a few whitethroats and a blacap were new arrivals

- cuckoos everwhere it seemed, and posing for all to see.  Only a Mistle thrush seemed to be bothered.  How do you count them.

- ravens not near nest site so may have left.

- lots of redstarts, with maybe more on ol2 than i remember

- lots of Jays and crows.  There were 12 of the latter on boundary with the stud.  Must have been something tasty.

- pheasants (11)also in abundance.  Why?  I think i saw a fox carrying one.



Martin


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Bird Count ... 30th (2nd march) February 2015

link to spreadsheet is at the bottom

- 35 species

- windy and few birds to be seen or heard.  cold but generally sunny.

- very few 'winter' birds such as fieldfares

- two reed buntings, though who knows if one was a little bunting or even both.

- three ravens and little clear activity at nest

- rather few finches by number, no greenfinches or linnets

- done on 30th february, due to circumstances beyond our control



Martin



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Bird Count ... 19th January 2015

link to spreadsheet at the bottom

- 34 species, and 279 birds involved which is not bad for January

- cold but little wind.  Open ground frozen

- peregrine was a surprise

- longtailed tits had two good flocks

- plenty of pheasant

- dunnocks more visible and calling

- great spotted woodpeckers drilling and flying all over the place

- lots of herring gulls in the morning

- one lone fieldfare

- Lots of things missing that probably are here ... Woodcock, woodlark, skylark, siskin, pied wag, etc


Martin








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Bird Count ... 19th December 2014

link to spreadsheet at the bottom

- 29 species and just 175 birds seen

 - almost trod on woodcock

- sparrow hawk had made kill

- clear sky for the most part, with fab sunset.  A little cold and windy ( nw )

- Ian and Ron with me.  Keith called in sick

- plenty of birds missing, including fieldfare, tree creeper, buzzard, long tailed tit, herring gull.

 - Nothing moving about.

- plenty of reed buntings

- no sign of dartford warbler, though there have been sightings

- 3 Ravens at nest site.  One child helper?

- owl box in owl wood needs mending again



Martin

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Bird Count ... 20th November 2014

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- 34 species

-  including a single woodlark.  Quite late to be still here at the top of ashdown forest.

- good weather, plenty of blue sky and no wind.  A bit cool. Hardly late november.

- winter migrants, with all usual thrushes

- one woodcock

- no brambling, tree creeper or skylark

- as always quieter immediately after lunch

- saw a bright yellow slime mould on some dry grass

- flock of 12+ goldfinch above me as i write this, waiting to be fed

- keith and ron with me today


Martin



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Bird Count ... 27th October 2014

link to spreadsheet at bottom

- 32 species

- bit windy, but lots of sun

- 32 species was not bad given few winter visitors

- single brambling was nice, eating mast crushed by our cars

- barn owl looks likely to be in residence, but did not see it

- lots of birds not seen, but undoubtedly present

- skylarks and meadow pipits probably moving through


- reed buntings back for winter

- saw a number of dragonflies, including southern hawker, common darter

- 3 slow worms

- forwarder has done a thorough job

- log pile now being taken away, i think



Martin


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Bird Count ... 29th September 2014

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- 39 species observed, with an amazing 426 birds seen, though mostly from two groups of swallows and house martins moving through on migration.  Also birds emerging after moulting and practicing song again.

- First grey wagtail for a bit.  Quite normal to see them at this time, dispersing from nesting site.  Similarly marsh tit.

- Meadow pipits are one of the first winter arrivals with 28

- dull, showery, warm, light breezes

- migrating birds --  meadow pipits, swallows, martins, wood pigeons, starlings, mistle thrushes

- no real winter birds yet

- but most of summer birds gone

- 2 slow worms, some dragonflies

- some good chestnuts

- woodlarks singing

- 2 sparrowhawks

- no longtailed tit, greenfinch, siskin, crossbill, buzzard, woodcock, stock dove, jackdaw, reed bunting, tawney owl or yellow hammer.  Which would have made 50

- nice lot of stone chats


martin

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Bird Count ... 28th August 2014

link to spreadsheet at bottom of page

33 species observed, with 212 birds altogether.

slightly disappointing day, with nothing particular

3 Ravens and one hobby are highlights

lots of species are certainly present, but not showing.  Moulting still.


martin

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Bird Count ... 25th July 2014

link to spreadsheet at bottom of page

35 species observed.  The numbers sometimes drop with the breeding over and moulting starting.

The linnet numbers this year at 12 were good for the reserve.

Mistle thrushes are early breeders, and sometimes congregate at Old Lodge.  Having 17 at this stage is probably normal.  There is another peak later in the autumn with continental influxes.

Stonechats numbers at 15 are bolstered by young and/or second broods

only 217 birds observed, and probably far more hiding in the bracken.

Martin

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Bird Count ... 19th June 2014

a link tothe spreadsheet of the observations is at the bottom.


43 species counted.

a surprising number of blackcap 10, mostly male and singing.   And whitethroats at 8 were a good number of these later arrivals.

Great spotted woodpecker also achieved 10, which seems more than normal to be observed, maybe this is driven by feeding young?  similarly nuthatch at 7, and tree creeper at 4

Redstart at 19 was perfectly respectable, as were stonechat at 17.

Woodlark and tree pipit  in usual places but the numbers could have been higher.

As usual the odd yellowhammer and redpoll around and possibly breeding.


A grand total of 320 birds for the day.  Or about one a minute.


 Martin


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Bird Count ... 15th May 2014

link to details below

Martin and Keith

Weather good, with very little wind.  Birds singing all over the place.


Recorded 50 species, though this includes feral pigeon

Highlight was my first Lapwing for the reserve.  It was calling and flying in a purposeful way, not just going from a to b.  Is it nesting nearby?  I guess so.

Plenty of species, including buzzard, Tawny Owl, Kestrel, Raven, garden warbler, heron, cuckoo, stock dove.

Still many missing.  Where was greenfinch, Jackdaw,  mistle thrush, tuesday's firecrest, woodcock, this months mandarin duck?

A broad bodied chaser and slowworm add to the bounty.

Lots of stock doves in pairs, including one out of a beech tree hole.

Looked out for spotted flycatcher and turtle dove, but nil

Family party of long tailed tits, parent ravens plus one, pheasant egg shells, blackbird egg shells.

Martin


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