Weston Bird News

13th May
2nd update. Clear sky with wind picking up to 15mph NE over night. Just 10 swallows through and a migrant collared dove on the east end of the down.
Per AH: Red Kite over St Georges this lunchtime nr the M5 (J21) heading north, also 1 seen at Puxton Park this afternoon.

12th May
Clear morning with a 13mph NE wind. At Brean Down a drake common scoter flying close in to the end of the down but was lost as it flew around to the north side of the down. Passage included 30 swallow and a house martin north.

11th May
clear with a light NE wind and sea fog early morning. At sand point 50 common tern with many seen perching on various driftwood. 7 were seen on one log. 2 arctic tern flew up river. A turnstone was heard at the point plus a tree pipit. A single female wheatear lingering at the point. 1 Redpoll and 1 siskin. 3 whimbrel in the bay and a 4th at the point.

10th May
partially cloudy over night with a light variable wind. Quiet at Brean Down this morning with the highlight being a male Dartford Warbler singing near the trig point early morning. Other sightings included a Tree Pipit over and a single common tern flying north. several wall brown and speckled wood butterflies on the wing.
At sand point per AH: 50 tern sp heading up channel, 12 redpoll near the trig point, 1 wheatear and 3 whimbrel in the bay.

In the moth trap: Powdered Quaker (garden tick), Pale Prominent, Flame shoulder, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Double-striped Pug, Common Pug, Common Quaker and several Brimstone.

8th May
Another clear night with a slightly stronger NE wind. Brean Down seemed rather quiet for passerines until a Savi's Warbler burst into brief song in bushes between the water reservoir and the farm track around 08:30. Otherwise the only noteworthy sightings included a first summer Common Gull in fields along warren road. 12 commic terns lingered distantly off the end of the down in line with steep holm. A tree pipit circled over the east end of the down and a trickle of swifts, swallows and house martins.

7th May
Clear night and 9mph easterly. At sand point this morning 15 Arctic Terns (2 groups of 9 and 6) and a Black Tern flew up river. A flock of 27 Redpolls in bushes above the car park were more than likely Mealy but could not be pinned down on the deck. 13 were seen to fly high east towards clevedon. A cuckoo and a garden warbler present plus 3 singing lesser whitethroats. Other movements in the channel included 4 black-headed gulls, 2 great crested grebes and a sporadic trickle of swifts and all three common hirundines. 3 jackdaws in/off the sea and 5 shelduck moving up channel were noted. 10 Whimbrel in sand bay.

6th May
Bright morning with a light easterly wind. At Brean Down a clearer night brought in some new migrants. 4 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Wood Warbler, 2 Wheatear and a Tree Pipit present. A grey wagtail was a more unusual flyover.

5th May
low cloud and foggy with a light easterly wind by early to mid morning. With cloud cover all night, passerines looked likely to be thin on the ground so I opted for a sea watch at sand point. Things turned out fine until first a Turtle Dove seen on Brean Down in flight and then a Whiskered Tern at Berrow was seen heading towards Brean Beach. However, sea watching at sand point did produce some good birds with the highlight being a Long-tailed Duck flying up channel. Also recorded moving up channel were 1 arctic skua, 140 common terns, 10 arctic tern, 3 kittiwake, 9 black tern and 50 dunlin. Heading down channel were 4 common scoter, 3 sandwich tern. Good numbers of swift, swallow, house martin and a single sand martin passed through. Other sightings included a hobby over the car park and 6 dunlin and 3 whimbrel in sand bay.
News from yesterday per MSP at Weston STW included a Little-ringed Plover and a hobby. A Marsh Harrier was present here on the 3rd.

4th May
SSE wind high cloud with light rain by mid morning. At brean down this morning 4 yellow wagtail, 4 tree pipit, 6 wheatear, 1 lesser whitethroat and 2 reed warbler excluding 1 in the car park. 50 swift through plus 20 house martin. 2 arctic skuas north.
At Sand Point per PAG: 8 mealy/lesser redpoll, hobby, 4 black tern and 70 common terns.
At Sand Point over low tide 12 Black Tern, 8 arctic tern and 30 commic tern lingering distantly off the point.

3rd May
2nd update. High cloud and a moderate southerly wind. At Brean Down 1 wood warbler, 1 hobby, 3 garden warbler, 150 swift north, 100 swallow, 20 house martin, 4 wheatear, 1 spotted flycatcher, 1 whimbrel, 1 cuckoo.
At sand point this morning per PAG: Gropper, 3 garden warbler, spotted flycatcher, 30 arctic terns, 1 arctic skua. In sand bay 8 wheatear, 2 whinchat.
This evening in sand bay 4 whinchat (3 male, 1 female), 5 wheatear and a whimbrel.

2nd May
southerly wind changing to ESE wind. 4 garden warblers singing on brean down. also, 1 wheatear, 1 lesser whitethroat and a trickle west of swallows and the odd house martin.

1st May
At Weston STW this evening 500 Swallow, 1 swift and the odd sand martin gathered over the wildfowl lagoons, a short-eared owl hunting along the bank of the axe and a peregrine chasing noctule bats.

30th April
Cloudy with light wind. A sea watch off Anchor Head produced 4 Gannets and 2 Whimbrel all heading north. A good stream of gulls could be seen heading off brean down to steep holm and then on to flat holm.

29th April
Cloud overnight developing into light rain by morning and a light southerly wind. At Brean Down 2 Wheatear were the only grounded migrants whilst 3 swift through and several swallow and a few house martin went over at high altitude.

28th April
14mph SW wind. Quiet at Brean Down this morning. 1 Ring Ouzel calling from a hawthorn on the track below the water reservoir. 1 Tree Pipit near the fort. 2 swift and a steady trickle of hirundines west. 1 grey heron in/off the sea headed east over the down.

27th April
8mph southerly wind and high cloud. sea fog developed mid morning. At Brean Down a Cattle Egret was present until 06:40 when it flew off with 3 little egrets. 5 Swift, 150 swallow, 2 yellow wagtail and 4 tree pipits went through. Grounded migrants included 12 wheatear, 2 grasshopper warblers, a male pied flycatcher, 1 garden warbler, 1 redpoll and a siskin. 1 whimbrel flew south.
Per AH at Sand Point: a female Redstart, 2 Blackcap, 4 Redpoll, a Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Sandpiper, 2 Ravens heading south being dive bombed by a peregrine, plenty of swallows, 4 House Martin.  Several Chiffchaff singing, & a single Willow Warbler

26th April
12mph southerly wind with high cloud. At Brean Down 300 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 20 Sand Martin, 1 Swift over. 3 Redpoll on the down, 5 tree pipit with 3 together circling the fort at one stage, 25 whitethroat, 3 grasshopper warbler, 1 male pied flycatcher, 1 male redstart, 1 yellow wagtail, 1 lesser whitethroat and 6 wheatear on the down. 23 whimbrel over including a flock of 21 north. 2 sedge warbler singing 1 on the saddle and 1 along the track to the farm heard. A Hobby came in high from the south east and plumeted down to have a go at a bird later seen heading out to sea over the fort. A dark phase arctic skua harrasing gulls later headed north (per RMu) and a gannet over the sea. There was also a noticeable influx of Blackcaps over the down.

23rd April
2nd update Clear with a 10mph W wind. Gull passage resumed again with the wind change. 1,500+ Herring and Lesser Black-back Gulls flew west over Brean Down in the space of an hour and three quaters with groups varying from 30 to 200. The ratio was around 70:30 in the Herring favour. Elsewhere on Brean the two Grasshopper Warblers were joined by a third which showed well briefly on the track below the water reservoir. 5 wheatears scattered over the top and 3 Tree Pipits over. A handfull of Swallows and a House Martin moving west over the down.
At weston stw this evening 3 short-eared owls, 1 lesser whitethroat and several whimbrel. A small group of sand martins reeling over the wildfowl lagoons in pre-roost display. A Noctule Bat also over the wildfowl lagoons.

22nd April
3rd update Cloudy with a 13mph NE wind. At Brean Down the Ring Ouzel present for its third day, yesterdays Grasshopper Warbler was replaced with 2 new birds. 8 whitethroat, 3 wheatear were also new in. Vis mig heading north 2 whimbrel, 200 Goldfinch, 100 Meadow Pipit, 50 Linnet and 3 Siskin. Swallow passage just starting to pick up as I was leaving by which time c.60 had gone through.
At Weston STW 4 singing Sedge Warblers and a singing Reed Warbler new in. Also 2 Whitethroats new in. Several Swallows and Sand Martins moving through. On the river axe 5 whimbrel present and 6 Black-headed Gulls north along weston beach.
At Sand Bay this evening a male Redstart (my first sand bay record), 1 whinchat, 10 wheatear, 16 whimbrel, 1 ringed plover, 5 dunlin.

21st April
2nd update 18mph NE wind and light rain. A quieter morning at Brean Down by comparison 1 Ring Ouzel, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Whitethroat and a handfull of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins through.
At Sand Bay this evening 155 Dunlin, 35 Ringed Plover and 2 Sanderling on the beach. 10 Wheatear and 2 Whinchat at the top of the beach. In the marsh at least 4 whimbrel could be made out before light failed.

20th April
14mph NE wind with fog. At Brean Down 5 Ring Ouzel, 150+ Willow Warbler, 5 Redstart, 3 Tree Pipit, 20 Whimbrel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Whitethroat, 3 Whinchat, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 20 Wheatear. Overhead 2,000 Swallow, 100 Sand Martin and 10 House Martin through. A Yellowhammer feeding at the top of the steps was unexpected. 100+ Goldfinch, 20 Meadow Pipit and a Redpoll through.
Per AH at Sand Point: 3 Whitethroat, 1 reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Sand Martin, 3 Whimbrel at the point & 5 over heading north, 2 White Wagtail briefly at Swallow Cliff, & a steady trickle of Swallows along the point probably in the region of 100 birds.

19th April
1 Ring Ouzel at Crook Peak this morning plus a Wheatear and a Swallow through.

17th April
2nd update cloudy with a 10mph ENE wind. A good mornings passage at Brean Down with some interesting birds seen: 1 Fieldfare east, 2 Redpoll in/off the sea and landed between the saddle and the trig point, 1 middle eastern race of Swallow north showing very distinctive red underwing coverts and reddish breast, 20 swallow north, 6 sand martin north, 2 yellow wagtail north, 5 tree pipit, 1 whitethroat, 1 wheatear, 55 meadow pipit north, 2 siskin east, single figures of chiffchaff, willow warbler, pied/white wagtail moving through.

At Uphill per AH: 1 Ring Ouzel on west facing slopes briefly before flying towards Brean Down and 4 Common Sandpipers at Brean Sluice.

16th April
2nd update Clear sky and 6mph E wind with pre dawn rain (judging by the wet roads). At Brean Down 50 willow warbler, 7 wheatear, 5 tree pipits, 3 redstart, 2 grasshopper warblers, 2 white wagtails and a whitethroat. A female Black Redstart had tagged on to a group of wheatears and was feeding with them between the saddle and the trig point. Also c.15 Blackcaps and a handfull of chiffchaffs present. 15 sand martins, 1 house martin and 2 swallows.

At Sand Point per AH: 3-4 male redstarts, 1 grasshopper warbler, 2 blackcaps, c.30 chiffchaff/willow warbler, great spotted woodpecker in from the west, 20 swallow, 1 house martin, 6 sand martin and a wheatear near the point.

15th April
Light variable wind this morning and clear sky. A quiet morning at Brean Down with 1 Merlin at the fort, 2 Tree Pipits and just 2 swallows through. A Redpoll flew out to sea over the fort.

14th April
8mph NW wind. At Brean Down a Marsh Harrier flew north over the first hump having seemingly flown along Berrow and Brean, the first Whitethroat heard singing at Fiddlers Point. Vis mig moving west included 75 Goldfinch, 40 Linnet, 20 Meadow Pipit, 25 Swallow, 1 House Martin.

13th April
8mph SW wind. At Brean Down this morning, 1 Yellow Wagtail over calling, 1 Grasshopper warber seen flitting along by the path not far from the fort, 5 Tree Pipit (4 west and 1 perched), 120 Swallow west, 60 House Martin west, 10 Sand Martin west. Also 40 Willow Warbler (c.25 by Brean Down Farm flycatching over the flooded area. A small influx of Blackcaps c.15, 5 chiffchaff were the only other summer migrants. Other passage included 60 goldfinch west, 20 linnet west, 1 grey heron west, 1 great spotted woodpecker west and 3 Blue Tits behaving like recent migrants. A Redpoll was lingering around Brean Down Farm. Passage of Herring and Lesser Black-back Gulls numbered close to 1,000 moving west.

9th April
Another quiet day on Brean Down with a single male wheatear, my first House Martin of the year, a redpoll and 6 swallow through. A handfull of willow warblers, chiffchaffs and blackcaps on the down.

8th April
7mph SSE wind. On Brean in arctic conditions: 1 Tree Pipit circling over the fort, 1 flighty female Wheatear at the fort, small numbers of Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. A stock Dove east and just 2 Swallows through.

7th April
8mph westerly wind. At weston stw 190 redshank over high tide along with a common sandpiper and spotted redshank. several swallow and sand martins hawking over the river at high tide.

6th April
Cold northerly wind with pre-dawn snow/sleet/rain. Very little migration over brean down this morning with just a single flock of 30 meadow pipits, 2 swallows and a siskin. Grounded migrants included a male Redstart, Wheatear and a willow warbler. At weston stw a male redstart present along with a dozen sand martins and a couple of swallows. Single figures of willow warblers and chiffchaffs also present.

5th April
Heading into the cold Northerly wind at Brean Down: 200 sand martin, 100 swallow, 110 goldfinch, 1 siskin, 3 grey heron, 90 meadow pipit.

3rd April
7mph NW wind. A good steady passage of several species heading north over brean down this morning:
180 Meadow Pipits (in groups of c.10)
75 Goldfinch (in groups of 5 - 10)
20 Linnet
30 Sand Martin
5 Swallow
1 White Wagtail
1 Skylark
Heading west over the down were 200 lesser black-back gulls and 150 herring gulls.
Also, a Blackcap and Willow Warbler heard singing. The Black Redstart was still present in the car park.
At weston stw the Spotted Redshank and Common Sandpiper were still present this evening.

2nd April
Foggy with a moderate westerly wind. 100 sand martin and 20 swallow at weston stw.

1st April
18mph WSW winds this morning. A 40 minute sea watch at anchor head produced 700 lesser black-back gulls: 600 west, 100 south. 100 herring gulls west. A swallow north over the beach lawns. Similar numbers of gulls were coming off the mendips and heading west over brean down.
Per AH at Weston STW this morning: 1 short-eared owl, 1 spotted redshank showing some summer plumage, 1 swallow, 1 sand martin and several chiffchaff.

31st March
8mph easterly winds and clear sky. A brief search at Brean Down produced a male Redstart at the saddle, 1 willow warbler, 5 wheatear and 25 chiffchaff. Also 10 meadow pipits.

25th March
A short-eared owl flushed by a dog walker wandering in the saltmarsh this morning at weston stw.

15th March
Cloudy, 12mph SE wind and light rain from mid morning. At Brean Down 30 chiffchaff spread over the east half of the down, 16 sand martin north (in 2 groups of 7 and 8 plus a single mid morning), 3 wheatear (2 male plus a female), 2 siskin south, 4 skylark, 20 meadow pipit. The female Black Redstart still present in the cove.

In the moth trap an Early Thorn and a Diurnea fagella on the house wall this morning.

13th March
Cloudy with a 12mph westerly. A rather splendid looking adult summer Meditteranean Gull with Black-headed Gulls before flying off towards Berrow.

12th March
Past anchor head in a 45 minute sea watch: 1 adult kittiwake S, 3 curlew N and a group of a dozen small waders north. At the axe estuary 1,000+ gulls heading west into the high winds consisting of approximately 600 herring gulls, 250 black-headed gulls, 150 lesser black-backed gulls and 50 common gulls. At lunch time a first winter Little Gull was with the black-headed gulls at the mouth of the axe estuary.

11th March
A 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull in sand bay then flew south with black-headed gulls. 11 Stonechats in the sand bay marsh plus 16 rock pipits and a water rail pushed out by the high tide.

10th March
A Common Sandpiper at Brean Cross Sluice

9th March
Bright with occasional light showers and 8mph westerly wind. The Spotted Redshank still on the river axe. At Brean Down, a male Black Redstart at the fort, 13 Stonechats and 3 migrant meadow pipits.

1st March
Windy (up to 33mph) over night dropped by morning. 18 Gannets north past Anchor Head at 8:45 in one group.

29th February
Avocet in Woodspring Bay spotted by the Clevedon team.

28th February
2 Short-eared Owls still present around Weston STW.

27th February
clear day with light WSW wind. Firecrest, 6 Brambling and a Blackcap in Grove Park this lunch time (MSP)

26th Feburayr
cloudy with 17mph SW wind. My first summer migrant this morning was a singing male chiffchaff in the pine trees on the corner of oldmixon crescent. Passage of gulls this morning over weston stw with a 6:4 ratio of black-headed and herring gulls in the black-headed gulls favour and herring gulls outnumbered lesser black-back gulls by 4:1. No common gulls noted going through.

24th February
Rather heavy cloud and a moderate WSW wind. A scan over the river axe over high tide produced 250+ Redshank, 200+ Dunlin, 1 Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper at the sluice. Since the change in weather the gull passage has picked up again and many black-headed, common and herring gulls passing through with smaller numbers of lesser black-back gulls. 2 great black-back gulls also on the banks with the roosting gulls. At the axe estuary 50+ golden plover and good numbers of lapwing present. 5 Purple Sandpipers at Anchor Head over high tide.

In the moth trap a Hebrew Character

16th February
Clear sky with a 12mph ENE wind. A drake Pintail was amongst 15 Mallard at the point. The Merlin was still present as was the Siskin which was heard calling near the toilet block.

13th February
Clear sky fog and a light easterly wind. At Sand Point a Brambling and Lesser Redpoll came in from sand bay together and headed towards the point presumably heading straight out to sea as they were not seen or heard again.
Yesterday, 2 Short-eared Owls were at Brean Cross Sluice (AH).

12th February
Clear sky and a light easterly wind. The Merlin still present lingering around the point. little migration of note with just a trickle of lesser black-backs in/off the sea from the welsh coast heading east and a couple of grounded meadow pipits. 5 purple sandpipers remain in residence at anchor head.

10th February
Clear sky and a light easterly wind. Little of interest today. 5 Stonechats (4 male and 1 female) on sand point and a siskin lingering over the car park. At weston stw even less noteworthy news with a flock of 25 migrant meadow pipits on the axe bank being the highlight.
I had a call from Secret World this afternoon to say that the Tawny Owl is doing well and is hoped to be released soon.

9th February
Clear sky and a light southerly wind. A male Merlin flew towards the point but could not be relocated. A large pipit was seen circling swallow cliff which was initially identified as a Richards Pipit until I realised that the calls were in fact coming from a migrant House Sparrow. Other passage consisted of Black-headed, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls all heading south-west plus some migrant skylarks, meadow pipits and single brambling and siskin. Event of the day however was the dramatic rescue of a Tawny Owl that had become tangled in a kite string in the car park. A male Goshawk was again over Worle Hill. It seems possible that this bird may be in residence in Weston. Click on the link for the Tawny Owl Rescue

16th January
8mph southerly wind. Little migration of note at sand point with a trickle of black-headed gulls, 3 curlew and a siskin in off the sea from the north.

14th January
18mph SSW and cloudy. A brief visit to the Axe est this morning. Teal numbers up to 385. Also 200 curlew and 200 lapwing present.

13th January
cloudy with light rain and strong southerly wind. imm/female Black Redstart in the car park at Brean Down this morning. A movement of gulls noted this morning with a trickle of black-headed gulls moving south along the river axe. amongst them smaller numbers of herring and common gulls plus a single lesser black-backed gull.

12th January
Goshawk over worle mid morning (PAG)

11th January
A leucistic Common Gull in fields between Wick and Berrow this morning. At first glance it looked like a white-winged gull but close inspection revealed its true identity. 2 Short-eared Owls at weston sewage works.

7th January
1 Fulmar south past Anchor Head in an hours search this morning.

6th January
2 Jack Snipe, 1 Water Pipit and a Merlin in Sand Bay marsh this morning. The Water Pipit looked like the same bird as last month which again avoided having its photo taken. The Merlin looked like the same bird as last month being a very small bird with a fresh looking all brown plumage, perhaps an immature male.

3rd January
5 Short-eared Owls together at Brean Cross Sluice this afternoon (MSP).

1st January
At the axe 1 spotted redshank, 1 merlin. 6 purple sandpiper at anchor head. 38 grey plover and a knot in sand bay.

Moths: 1 dark chestnut, 3 light brown apple moth.