Birding at Oldbury Power Station
12/1/25 – A pair of Common Scoter on the Tidal Res. this afternoon (stayed until dusk). Some video of them getting alarmed and diving as a Grey Heron approached too low ! (#80 species for me at OPS this year, and #81 for all-comers.)
10/1/25 – A cold and rather quiet bird-wise afternoon made it difficult to persist. But it was worth it, as I found my first over-wintering Common Sandpiper at OPS, in Oldbury Pill. (They have over-wintered before, but the last was in 2001 !) Then 10 Golden Plover were feeding with c50 Lapwing inland of the seawall towards Pillhead Gout. The lake was 99% frozen, with the Coot and 2 Moorhen in the small unfrozen corner by the outlet rhine. (#79 species for me at OPS this year, and #80 for all-comers.)
9/1/25 – A frosty (-2 degs C) morning. A 2nd-yr male Marsh Harrier on Lagoon 3 (photo below), a female Black Redstart on S side of towers, halfway up, in sun (photo below) and a Greylag with 85 Canada Goose roosting overnight on the Tidal res. (then flew to Littleton). The harrier flushed 35 Meadow Pipit and 2 Snipe. And a pair of Stonechat in the reeds by the lake (which was 80% frozen). (#77 species for me at OPS this year, and #78 for all-comers.)
7/1/25 – A Black Redstart very briefly among the pipes on SW side of SW-most building and 88 Canada Goose feeding in field. (#76 species for me at OPS this year, and #77 for all-comers.)
6/1/25 – 3 Shoveler downriver (2m, 1f). (#75 species for me at OPS this year, and #76 for all-comers.)
A review of 2024 can be found here.
4/1/25 – A lot of birds seen from the yacht club at HT (all in the air, as for the 2nd HT running, inconsiderate dog owners let their dogs run loose all over the saltmarsh): a Black-tailed Godwit, c700 Dunlin, c30 Oystercatcher (Littleton), c50 Wigeon, 18 Shelduck, 30 Redshank, 120 Curlew and 120 Lapwing. And 6 Skylark on the saltmarsh. Also, Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail, Collared Dove and Goldcrest added to year-list. Plus Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler added to my year-list. (#74 species for me at OPS this year, and #75 for all-comers.)
Little Grebe asleep with a pair of Teal, and the Stonechat pair (L & Centre) with a Meadow Pipit.
3/1/25 – Matt Plenty reported 3 Cetti's Warbler (seen!). Also, Cormorant, Little Egret, Stock Dove and Linnet added to year-list. Woodcock and Chiffchaff reported on Birdtrack. (#67 species for me at OPS this year, and #70 for all-comers.)
2/1/25 – 63 species seen this morning: a Treecreeper, 1 Coal Tit, 11 Bullfinch (inc. flock of 8), all the common raptors (2 Peregrine, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard). a Greylag with 91 Canada Goose, a pair of Gadwall at Shepperdine, a pair of Stonechat (waterworks), 2 Jay, a Water Rail (heard), 8 Snipe, a Skylark, 3 Rock Pipit, a Raven, 20+ Oystercatcher and a Mistle Thrush. (No Goldcrest, Little Egret or Black Redstart.) An amazing encounter with 3 Otter in the lake (female and 2 cubs) at dawn. The 2 youngsters were on the road side of the lake, with one actually seen on the bank. Then the female saw me and came shooting over straight for me. When it got to just 5 yards away it came full height out of the water and started soft-barking at me to warn me off - quite scary, as 4 foot long. At same time the young were making a mewing call. The female had a small fish in its mouth and went over to one of the young and I presume fed it. I then retreated. Incredible !
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