SOUTH WEST
Highlights The region’s star rare birds of February were undoubtedly the Sociable Lapwing in Cornwall, at Ruan Lanihorne (1st to 9th) and the drake Baikal Teal at Greylake RSPB, Somerset, throughout the month.
AVON
CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Westonsuper-Mare had a Brent Goose (9th), 3,000 Dunlin, a Spoonbill (12th), Black Redstart and Water Pipit. The Blind Yeo had 20 Goosanders and three Great White Egrets. Clevedon-Yeo had 26 Knot (25th) and two Merlins. Battery Point, Portishead held nine Purple Sandpipers.
SEVERNSIDE: A few Common Scoters were identified from nocturnal migration recordings. A Crane flew over (19th). The wintering Black-necked Grebe remained at Portbury Wharf. Severnside produced 41 Avocets, 200 Curlews, three Bar-tailed Godwits, 24 Black-tailed Godwits, 280 Turnstones, 11 Knot and a few Jack Snipe. Seawatching produced a Fulmar (5th) and 150 Kittiwakes (6th). Severnside sites logged two Yellow-legged Gulls, three Short-eared Owls, a Merlin and Water Pipit. Oldbury Power Station had a Marsh Harrier (12th), three Black Redstarts and a single Brambling.
THE RESERVOIRS: Chew logged a Garganey, five Scaup, a Lesser Scaup and Bearded Tit (1st), a Yellow-legged Gull, three Mediterranean Gulls, a Ring-billed Gull, Marsh Harriers and a Firecrest. Blagdon had two Scaup and the wintering Ring-necked Duck. The Long-tailed Duck remained at Barrow Gurney, apart from one trip to Chew. Reservoir totals dropped to 93 Goldeneyes and 24 Goosanders. Seventy Cattle Egrets and 35 Little Egrets fed around Stanton Drew, the Cattle Egrets returning to roost at Chew. Single figure counts of Great White Egrets were at both main reservoirs. River Chew attracted 200 Siskins and a Redpoll.
OTHER SITES: A Mandarin visited Saltford. Ten Goosanders remained at the Yate Lakes. Bristol Airport had 40 Golden Plovers. Flooded fields at Saltford hosted two Mediterranean Gulls, 600 Common Gulls, 400 Black-headed Gulls and 36 Cormorants. A Bristol sports field had a Ring-billed Gull (16th). Marshfield had a Hen Harrier (26th) and Short-eared Owl (29th).
A White-tailed Eagle, no doubt from the Poole Harbour release program, was around the Bath area. Small flocks of Waxwing toured Bristol and Bath. The Eastern-race Lesser Whitethroat re-appeared (13th). There were 10 Firecrests and a Black Redstart in Bristol. Lower Woods at Wickwar had four Hawfinches mid-month. Saltford recorded three Redpolls and a Crossbill. Jane Cumming
CORNWALL
WEST: A Scaup remained on Stithians Reservoir. Hayle had a Spoonbill, Ring-billed Gull, Kumlien’s Gull, five Caspian Gulls, an Iceland Gull, a possible White-rumpled Sandpiper (9th), Swallow (22nd) and Reed Warbler (18th). Glaucous, Azores, Kumlien’s, Caspian and Iceland Gulls, and a possible American Herring Gull were at Mousehole. The Siberian Chiffchaff remained at Marazion (to 6th)
Boscathnoe Reservoir had a Water Pipit and Serin (3rd), and 16 Goosanders (14th). Four Garganeys were at Gwithian (3rd). A Siberian Lesser Whitethroat was at Pendeen (9th). Two Sand Martins were over St. Buryan (29th). Marazion had a Bittern (20th). A Ring Ouzel was at Black Head (25th). Two Little Buntings remained at Tremethick Cross (to 25th).
NORTH AND CENTRAL: The Long-tailed Duck remained on Porth Reservoir, as did the two Spoonbills at Walmsley. Six Water Pipits and a Little Stint were at Chapel Amble (1st-4th). The five Lesser Scaup were still at Lower Tamar Lake (1st). A Sociable Plover was at Ruan Lanihorne (1st-9th). Long-tailed Ducks were at Feock and Restronguet. A Snow Bunting was at Chapel Porth and St. Agnes Head (7th-12th).
There were 51 Cattle Egrets at Porthilly (20th). Helford Passage had 95 Med Gulls (13th). Padstow had 170 Common Gulls (17th). There were 13 Great Northern and 29 Black-throated Divers off Roseland (11th). 17 Eiders in St. Austell Bay (18th). A Pomarine Skua was off Falmouth (23rd).
SOUTH-EAST: Up to four Great Northern Divers were on Siblyback Reservoir. The Snow Bunting stayed at Tregantle (to 11th). Two Slavonian Grebes remained at Hannafore. Seventeen Red-throated Divers were off Downderry (18th). Torpoint held 18 pale-bellied and 16 dark-bellied Brent Geese (9th). A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was at Liskeard (2nd). The Great White Egret remained on the River Lynher (to 15th). Twenty Crossbills were on Bodmin Moor. Deena Sharp
DEVON
HIGHLIGHTS: Lower Tamar Lake had up to five Lesser Scaup (1st-8th). Slapton Ley had a Lesser Scaup (1st-4th), Ring-necked Duck (2nd-29th) and Scaup (3rd-4th). Northam Burrows CP had a Lesser Scaup (20th), Scaup and Short-eared Owl. Green-winged Teal were at Yelland (6th-19th) and on Lundy (7th-13th). A Serin was at Prawle Point (24th). Powderham had a Ring-necked Duck (10th), Lesser Scaup (11th) and three Scaup (11th). Fremington Quay had up to three Glossy Ibises (18th-27th), plus a Spotted Redshank. A Kumlien’s Gull was at Exmouth (28th-29th).
ISLES OF SCILLY
HIGHLIGHTS: Long-staying birds included Firecrests in the Carreg Dhu Gardens area, and Spoonbills near Samson, with one still present at the end of the month. A Cattle Egret commuted all month between Tresco and St Mary’s. The Greylag Goose remained in Higher Moors. Hen Harriers were on St Martin’s early in the month and over St Mary’s (23rd). A Raven flew over St Martin’s (3rd).
A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the Abbey Gardens, Tresco (2nd). A Green-winged Teal was on Shooters Pool, Lower Moors intermittently (from 10th), with a Siberian Chiffchaff there (10th-11th). A Water Pipit flew over Higher Moors (12th). Tremelethen had a Siberian Chiffchaff (13th) and Long-eared Owl (26th). A Short-eared Owl was in Lower Moors (15th), and at Porth Hellick (21st).
Black Redstarts were on Porth Loo (18th, 20th and 24th) and Little Porth (11th and 18th). A Black-tailed Godwit was in the Porth Hellick area (25th and 28th-29th). A Marsh Harrier flew over Gugh and Wingletang, St Agnes (29th) Will Wagstaff
SOMERSET
HIGHLIGHTS: The Baikal Teal remained at Greylake (to 27th at least), with a Green-winged Teal there (2nd-18th), plus a Hen Harrier (13th-17th). The Kentish Plover remained at Burnham-on-Sea (3rd-18th). Wet Moor had an American Wigeon (10th), and two Bewick’s Swans, a Turnstone and Little Gull (11th). Shapwick Heath had up to four Ring-necked Ducks (4th-27th), up to three Whooper Swans (4th-15th), three