Birds and Moths

 of Burnham-on-Sea

11th November: The three Whooper Swans have set up residence in the field s at Ford Common, Berrow. Off Burnham this morning there were 20 Kittiwakes.

Whooper Swans, Berrow, November 2008.

1st November: A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen at Berrow this morning.

29th October: Three Whooper Swans were on Ford Common, Berrow.

23rd October: There was a very good passage of birds flying south into a brisk wind today. Counts for 2½ hours this morning at Burnham and Berrow (highest count from the two sites shown) were 5600 Chaffinches,  400 Greenfinches, 500 Starlings, 22 Siskin, 40, Linnets, 22 Meadow Pipits, 5 Hawfinches, 2 Brambling, 2 Goldfinches, 6 Pied Wagtails, 9 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares, 3 Song Thrushes and a Blackbird. Surprise of the day was a Red-throated Diver flying high to the north over my house. On the Brue there were 2 Dunlin, 78 Redshank and 23 Turnstones.

Chaffinches, Burnham, 23rd October 2008.

22nd October: A thorough search of the Brue Estuary today, where there were 127 Redshank, 42 Turnstones, 27 Dunlin, 1 Common Sandpiper and a Spotted Redshank. Flying around the Parrett Estuary were 4 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. Flying south throughout the morning were 500 Chaffinches, 250 Starlings, 6 Blackbirds, 27 Wood Pigeons, 1 Redpoll, 4 Siskins, 1 Brambling, 11 Skylarks and a Redwing.

21st October: On the Brue Estuary today there was a Spotted Redshank, 4 Dunlin amongst the Redshank and Turnstones.

20th October: A brief look at the Brue Estuary in the gloom this morning produced just 87 Redshank.

18th October: Large numbers of thrushes were on the move today with 2000 Redwings, 80 Fieldfares and 1 Mistle Thrush flying over Berrow. Other species recorded 780 Starlings, 1800 Chaffinches, 155 Greenfinches, 140 Jackdaws, 35 Siskins, 30 Skylarks, 26 Meadow Pipits, 8 Alba Wagtails, 72 Wood Pigeons and 4 Swallows.

17th October: Migrants over Berrow today were 82 Redwings, 55 Fieldfares, 200 Chaffinches, 7 Siskins and 388 Starlings. The Great Grey Shrike was still present today

12th October: Long overdue was a Great Grey Shrike at Ford Common, Berrow. Surprisingly there are no records of any shrikes at Berrow as far as I am aware. 

Great Grey Shrike, Berrow, 12th October 2008. © W. M. Slade.

 10th October: A brief visit to Apex first thing produced two Hawfinches in the trees before they flew off south. At Berrow 1200 Chaffinches flew south.

9th October: Bird of the day was a Yellow-browed Warbler in a garden at Berrow this morning. Also the first Redwings of the autumn were recorded when 42 flew south.

8th October: Over Brean Down today were 5 Jays, 9 Redpolls, 42 Skylarks, 6 Song Thrushes and 300 Swallows.

1st October: A very stormy day produced a Leach's Petrel, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Great Skua, 10+ Manx Shearwaters and 4 Kittiwakes.

29th September: There was a sprinkling of migrants on Brean Down today with 2 Ring Ouzels, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 6 Jays, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Redpoll and a Mistle Thrush.

28th September: On the Brue Estuary today there were 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Knot and a Ruff amongst the Redshank and Turnstone flock.

17th September: Today's star birds were Somerset's fifth (the patch's fourth) Barred Warbler on Brean Down where people looking for it were rewarded with a Honey Buzzard.

16th September: A few more oddities today with a brief fly over Dotterel at Brean Down, a Marsh Harrier, Hobby and Curlew Sandpiper at Berrow.

15th September: The easterly winds brought a few migrants to Brean Down including a Treecreeper, a Pied Flycatcher and a Spotted Flycatcher.

6th September: A Grey Phalarope showed a couple of times over the high tide at Berrow, where the Little Gull first seen at the beginning of July still patrols the tide line. The only sighting of interest was 2 Spotted Redshank with 800 Redshank and 100 Turnstones on the Brue Estuary.

Sanderling and Little Gull, Berrow, 6th September 2008.

3rd September: An evening seawatch produced just a single Manx Shearwater and a distant possible Grey Phalarope.

2nd September: On the Brue and Parrett Estuary this morning there were 140

1st September: On Brean Down today the highlight was a late Cuckoo. Also here were 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 5 Whitethroats and a Blackcap. There 40 Black-tailed Godwits circling the Brue Estuary in the afternoon.

30th August:  A very pleasant and warm day today, but not many birds. On the Brue were 800 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Snipe, 23 Turnstone and a Ruff. A Crossbill flew south over Burnham around midday and there were 7 Grey Wagtails and 2 Yellow Wagtails also south over here. Last night produced the first interest on the moth front of the year, hence there being no updates on the moth page. Surprise of the night was the capture of 3 Jersey Tigers, these being the first ever record for the area. Other immigrants included 2 Nomphilla noctuella, 16 Silver Y, and a Dark Sword Grass and a Great Silver Diving Beetle. Also of interest are the Long-winged Coneheads, I been meaning to look for these for a while now, only to take two steps outside my garden and find at least five. 

Jersey Tigers, Long-winged Conehead and Great Silver Diving Beetle. Burnham 30th August 2008.

24th August: Outside the patch by only a few metres was an adult Red-necked Phalarope on the UV pools at Weston Sewage works.

Red-necked Phalarope, Weston sewage works, 24th August 2008.

Early August: A pair of Long-eared Owls fledged two young which were very noisy for a few nights squeaking away through the night.

July

31st July: There were 7 Little Terns on the beach at Berrow.

19th July: Strong winds produced 66 Manx Shearwaters at Berrow.

8th July: There were 8 Manx Shearwaters offshore at Berrow.

7th July: 2 Arctic Skuas and 3 Gannets off Burnham today.

5th July: At Berrow there was an adult Mediterranean Gull (increasing to 4 by 13th August), 4 Common Scoter and a Little Gull.

24th June: There was a Hobby at Berrow.

20th June: At Berrow in strong wins there were 140 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Razorbill, 2 Great Skuas, and a male Common Scoter.

19th June: 2 Great Skuas and 500 Manx Shearwaters off Berrow.

6th June: A single migrant Spotted Flycatcher today at Berrow.

3rd June: Offshore at Berrow there were 5 Gannets, an Arctic Skua, 14 Kittiwakes and 6 Grey Plover on the beach.

 May

18th May: At Berrow today there was a fine summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper, Little Tern and a Little Stint with the Common Scoter also still offshore.

17th May: Today there were 2 Little Stints, and a Little Tern at Berrow and the 3 Common Scoter were still drifted about offshore. Around midday 2 Red Kites drifted slowly north over Berrow Village. The only other sighting was a Hobby at Apex.

Red Kite, Berrow, 17th May 2008.© P. Gay.

16th May: There was a good mixture of waders at Berrow this evening with 1 Little Stint, Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Also here were 3 Common Scoter, and around 100 "Commic" Terns.

5th May: A great start to Bank Holiday Monday with a Whiskered Tern seen several times along the beach between Burnham and Brean. Also seen from Berrow was a Pomarine Skua, a Sandwich Tern, 2 Black Terns, 5 Gannets, 16 "commic" Terns, 150 Sanderling and 100 Dunlin. Another rare bird these days was a Turtle Dove on Brean Down.

Whiskered Tern, Berrow, 5th May 2008.

4th May: The best birds today were three Common Redpolls on Brean Down.

3rd May:  A few odds and ends at Berrow this morning. On the beach were 37 Whimbrel, 57 Oystercatchers, 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 62 Dunlin, 1 Greenshank, 3 Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper. There are now plenty of Warblers around, 35 Reed Warblers, 12 Sedge Warblers, 15 Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Whinchat and 4 Chiffchaffs. There were 2 Common Terns offshore, and a sprinkling of Swifts and Swallows coming in off the sea, at one point several Swifts were accompanied by 2 Hobbies together.

Rubbish pictures of Bar-tailed Godwits and  a Hobby, Berrow, 3rd May 2008.

April

27th April: Surprise of the day was a Cattle Egret in the company of 3 Little Egrets at Brean Down seen heading south, these birds were then seen at Berrow still heading in a southerly direction. The Short-eared Owl is still hanging around the Golf Course/Dunes.

25th April: The first two Swifts were at Apex this afternoon, where there was also a Garden Warbler.

23rd April: At Berrow this morning there were 4 Grasshopper Warblers, a Redstart, 23 Whimbrel and 44 Arctic Terns.

20th April: At Brean Down there was a fall of migrants with 5 Ring Ouzel, 150+ Willow Warbler, 5 Redstart, 1 Yellowhammer, 3 Tree Pipit, 20 Whimbrel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 6 Whitethroat, 3 Whinchat, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 20 Wheatear present. Overhead passage included 2,000 Swallow, 100 Sand Martin and 10 House Martin, 100+ Goldfinch, 20 Meadow Pipit and a Redpoll through.

17th April: Sightings from Brean Down with some interesting birds seen: 2 Red Kites flew east in quick succession, 1 Fieldfare east, 2 Redpoll in/off the sea. 2 Yellow Wagtail north, 5 Tree Pipit, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Wheatear, 55 Meadow Pipit north, 2 Siskin east.

16th April: At Brean Down there were 50 Willow Warbler, 7 Wheatear, 5 Tree Pipits, 3 Redstart, 2 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 White Wagtails and a Whitethroat.

15th April: A quiet morning at Brean Down with 1 Merlin at the fort, 2 Tree Pipits and just 2 Swallows through and a  Redpoll flew out to sea. At Berrow there was a Short-eared Owl over the dunes.

14th April: At Brean Down a Marsh Harrier flew north, and the first Whitethroat heard singing.

13th April: At Brean Down this morning, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 5 Tree Pipit, 120 Swallow west, 60 House Martin west, 10 Sand Martin west. Also 40 Willow Warbler and 15 Blackcaps.

12th April: A singing male Siberian Chiffchaff was at Apex this morning click here to listen to it.. There were 2 Reed Warblers at Berrow.

Siberian Chiffchaff, Apex, 12th April 2008.

5th April: An Arctic Skua passed Berrow this morning.

4th April: Much quieter today. The wintering Black Redstart with a manky head is still at Brean Down. While at Apex there were 10 Willow Warblers, 6 Chiffchaffs, 15 Sand Martins and 5 Swallows.

Sand Martin, Apex, 4th April 2008.

2nd April: At Apex this afternoon there were 5 Willow Warblers and 6 Chiffchaffs.

March

31st March: Brean Down produced a male Redstart, 1 Willow Warblers, 5 Wheatears and 25 Chiffchaffs.

15th March: At Brean Down today there were 30 Chiffchaffs, 16 Sand Martins, 3 Wheatears, 2 Siskin south, 4 Skylarks, 20 Meadow Pipits.

14th March: A single Black Redstart was in Brean Cove this morning.

13th March: The first signs of spring today, bird wise if not weather wise, with the first Wheatear at Brean Cove.

12th March: There were a few seabirds driven inshore by the overnight storms.  At least 40 Kittiwakes, an Arctic Skua, A Manx Shearwater, 3 Fulmar and an Auk sp. were seen in the morning of Berrow.

February

There has has been pretty much nothing to report throughout February. A couple of Black Redstarts have been at Brean Cove during the month and that's about it.

January

31st January: Strong winds produced 70 Kittiwakes off Burnham today.

29th January: On the Brue / Parrett Estuaries today were 2 Scaup (male on Parrett, female on the Brue pools), a Little Grebe, 1 Shoveler, 14 Avocet, a Common Sandpiper,  at least 2 Water Pipits , a Raven  and a Peregrine.

27th January: After a short absence the drake Scaup returned to Apex, but rather surprisingly had managed to persuade a female to join him.

female Scaup, Apex, 27th January 2008.

12th January: A bright day for a change. The were 2 Common Scoter over the sea off Berrow this morning. From the Brue Estuary a female Marsh Harrier could be seen hunting Stert Point before it drifted off west. The Scaup was back on the ponds at Apex.

1st winter drake Scaup, Apex, 12th January 2007.

8th January: In the Brue and Parrett Estuaries today were 6 Avocet, 600 Wigeon, 40 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, a Grey Plover and the Scaup was with the Wigeon off Stert Island.

6th January: The first winter Scaup was on Apex.

5th January: The Scaup had returned to Apex today.

3rd January: On Apex the Scaup was still present and a Gadwall had joined the Mallard.

2nd January: There are still two Black Redstarts at Brean Down.