Matt Hall
Bristol based birder particularly interested in visible migration. Severnside patcher. Record shots from a Nikon P950.
- Beautiful crisp morning and stacks of birds at New Passage with @j-dunning.net - 16 White-fronted Goose still, 2 Pintail, 4 Golden Plover, 5 Knot, 400 Blackwit, 3000 Dunlin, 11 Ringed Plover, male Marsh Harrier and Redpoll. Brambling behind Aust Services. Dodgy phone scoped video of the dawn scene
- Full day out on the Severnside patch produced a bonkers array of species: 2 Bewick's Swan first thing then flew NE, 16 White-fronted Goose, 4 Pochard, Cattle Egret, Barwit and 2 Blackwit at New Passage/Pilning Wetland. The 3 Penduline Tit continue to draw a crowd, plus Barn Owl at Aust Wetland.
- The 8 White-fronted Geese on Northwick Warth were totally fearless this morning, happily bathing and drinking from the puddle closest to the seawall. Wonderful to see them so close. Fingers crossed they draw in some Beans over the New Year.... #ukbirding
- Very pleased the goose influx made it this far west with 8 White-fronted Goose (1 juv) on Northwick Warth this morning. Cattle Egret, Red Kite and 2 Pintail at Pilning Wetland. 1 Penduline Tit at Aust Wetland with the other 2 at Cake Pill in a mixed tit flock in scrub. Pretty amazing! #ukbirding
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- Unseasonal Garganey plus Ruff, Knot and 400 Black-tailed Godwit at Pilning Wetland. 2 Crossbill, male Goosander and 12 Brent Goose the best of the vismig at Aust. Looks like the Penduline Tit has moved on this morning #ukbirding
- Absolute belter of a patch tick in the form of this Penduline Tit! On the reedy pool at the north end of Northwick Warth. Very grateful to the finders! #ukbirding
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- Enjoyable bit of vismig at Aust Services with 9 Crossbill (group of 8 and single), Yellowhammer, 2 Snipe, 189 Chaffinch and 29 Siskin all SW. My first patch Crossbill I've seen on the deck! Curlew Sandpiper, Knot, 9 Grey Plover, Barwit and Blackwit at New Passage #ukbirding
- Pilning Wetland felt extremely dead this morning, until a Ruff lifting off the wader pool was joined by a previously unseen Pectoral Sandpiper. Flew strongly NE calling continually. Frustrating and exciting in equal measures - I do hope it returns @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social
- Nice variety today on Pilning Wetland with brief Glossy Ibis before flying NE, Spotted Redshank (thanks @severnsidebirds.bsky.social), 2 Golden Plover, Grey Plover, 6 Curlew Sandpiper, 15 Pintail and Yellow Wagtail. 9 Crossbill, 3 Redpoll, 6 Siskin and Red Kite best of the vismig at Aust Services
- The Curlew Sandpiper influx continues with 31 in the high tide roost this morning at New Passage, plus 3 Knot, 3 Whinchat, 4 Wheatear, Yellow Wag and Redpoll over. Cracking male Redstart (thanks for the call @severnsidebirds.bsky.social), Whinchat, 4 Wheatear and Siskin at Severn Beach.
- Blockbuster views of Severn Beach's two star birds today - Sabine's Gull and Grey Phalarope. Also at SB were 2 Manx, Med Gull and Common Tern. 2 Curlew Sand, Sanderling, 3 Greenshank and 2 Whinchat at New Passage. Hobby, Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Siskin and 2 Tree Pipit at Aust Services/STW first thing
- Mega estuary watch from Severn Beach today. Personal totals: Sooty Shearwater (1st on Severnside for 51 years!), juv Sabine's Gull, 2 Grey Phalarope, 2 Leach's Petrel, 4 Storm Petrel, Black Tern, 3 Common Tern, distant Skua sp, 10+ Manxies, 8 Kittiwake, Med Gull, Hobby and 4 Curlew Sandpiper. Insane
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- Sooty Shearwater off Severn Beach, lingering. Unreal!! @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social
- Speculative estuary watch at Severn Beach with @oscardewhurst.bsky.social turned up trumps this morning. Whilst watching 2 Black Tern a Grey Phalarope joined them in the same scope view before all heading downriver. Just amazing! 2 Manx Shearwater and a distant female Goosander/RBMerg also seen
- More good birds today - cracking juv Spoonbill flying high to the NE, 8 Manx Shearwater and very friendly adult Med Gull again at Severn Beach. Unfortunately was too late for @j-dunning.net's Sabs Gull - becoming a bit of a nemesis bird on patch #ukbirding
- Sensational day on patch between biblical squalls. Wood Sand, 35+ Curlew Sand, 3 Little Stint, 2 Ruff, Knot, 9 Common Sand, 4 Pintail, 2 Spot Fly, 2 Yellow Wag, Tree Pipit at New Passage. 2 Black, Arctic and Common Tern plus Storm Petrel, 8 Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua and Med Gull at Severn Beach
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- Waders on the move in grim weather today. 7 Curlew Sand, Little Stint, 5 Knot, 6 Snipe, 3 Green and 3 Common Sand at New Passage/Pilning plus 2 Pintail, Whinchat, Wheatear and Yellow Wag. 5 flyover Grey Plover in a mixed wader flock at Aust Services with Spot Fly and 7 Wheatear also seen #ukbirding
- Autumn kicking into gear on patch this morning. Lovely juv Curlew Sandpiper at Severn Beach in the high tide roost. Osprey (my 4th of the year!), 2 Green Sandpiper, Tree Pipit and 4 Yellow Wag at New Passage. Common Tern, Med Gull, Pintail, 2 Whinchat and Garden Warbler at NP yesterday #ukbirding
- With there clearly being an unusual Shag movement (see Paul's post) underway on the Severn I thought I'd give Severn Beach a go over high tide. A flock of 10 flew over the car as soon as I arrived, with another later floating on the river. A long awaited patch tick - my first of the year! #ukbirding
- Nice to get in on the Crossbill influx this morning at Aust Services (11 birds, site record), with Yellowhammer also over. Even better to capture @j-dunning.net learning to count! Juv Wood Sand still, ad Med Gull and 2 Common Sand at Pilning Wetland made for a great midsummer (?early autumn) morning
- Plus a distant flock of ducks heading NE from the Services impressively picked up and snapped by @j-dunning.net have subsequently resolved into 25 Common Scoter! Turned up later at Slimbridge and Sharpness
- Ditched the patch for Ham Wall/Shapwick Heath today - Red-footed Falcon, Purple Heron (eventually!), Glossy Ibis, Osprey, drake Garganey, 2 bugling Crane, 3 Red Kite, 30+ Hobby, 2 Cuckoo, 8 Cattle Egret, a Garden Warbler singing in seemingly every bush... So so so good! #ukbirding
- Lovely drake Garganey and Little Stint on Pilning Wetland this morning. 6 Arctic Tern went NE over high tide at Severn Beach this afternoon #ukbirding
- Severn Beach this morning: Cuckoo, Whinchat, 4 Common Scoter, 36 Grey Plover, 14 Whimbrel, 13 Barwit, 16 Sanderling, Common Tern, 5 Little Gull, Arctic Skua, Hobby, 2 Wheatear, 3 Yellow Wag, 4 Tree Pipit. Pilning: Cattle Egret, Pochard, 2 Greenshank, 3 Common Sand, Barwit, 3 Yellow Wag #ukbirding
- Pretty amazing watch with @oscardewhurst.bsky.social from the Severn Beach vismig spot this morning, highlights: Wood Warbler, 3 Little Tern, 6 Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, 5 Little Gull, 5 Sanderling, 50 Barwit, 4 Greenshank, 85 Whimbrel, Hobby, 2 Red Kite, 2 Yellow Wag, 7 Swift #ukbirding
- Unexpected bit of quality Severnside seabird passage over midday high tide - Bonxie, 3 Arctic Skua, 60 Kittiwake, 75 'Commic' Tern and my 3rd Osprey of spring. Overland Skua passage always a highlight of my year! Large tern numbers seen lower down the estuary presumably passed high unseen #ukbirding
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- 'Tis the season for dire vismig photos! Osprey, 12 Little Gull, 4 Grey Plover and 7 Sand Martin the passage highlights from Severn Beach this morning with @oscardewhurst.bsky.social. Marsh Harrier, Jack Snipe, Willow Warbler and Wheatear also present
- Excellent Kittiwake passage this afternoon at Severn Beach with 600+ NE. 115 Gannet and early dark phase Arctic Skua appeared out the gloom. 3 Jack Snipe remained on show at Pilning Wetland with 150 more Kittiwake NE, Pintail, Swallow and 15 Sand Martin. Not quite Booted Eagle, but still brilliant
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- Really excellent morning of vismig with 2 White-fronts, 9 Hawfinch, 1622 Redwing, 610 Fieldfare and surprise Stork. Plastic avian megafauna trifecta of White Stork, White-tailed Eagle and Crane from Aust Services now achieved - Great Bustard flyby tomorrow? #ukbirding
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- Having gotten my ear in on Scilly, very pleased to join the patch Yellow-browed Warbler club with one calling then eventually seen well at Aust STW. Bonus 2 Hawfinch and a Brambling over Aust Services with 6 Barnacle Goose scoped towards Littleton Warth made for a lovely morning #ukbirding
- What a week! And not all about the scarcities - whilst having our picnic lunch sat on Pelistry Beach discussing how tropical it looked we were interrupted by this Snow Bunting flying in off and running around our feet. Scilly magic #ukbirding
- Brilliant day on Severnside. Goshawk (patch tick thanks to @oscardewhurst.bsky.social), Dark-bellied Brent, 5 Pintail, Marsh Harrier, Treecreeper (rare here) plus first Redwing and Siskin at Aust Services/STW. Lesser Yellowlegs still, Spotshank, Little Stint and Ruff on Pilning Wetlands #ukbirding
- Lesser Yellowlegs on Pilning Wetland (currently on Butts Pool). Been dreaming about finding one on patch since I started birding here! @birdguides.bsky.social @bristolbirding.bsky.social
- Not what I expected to see on patch today! Managed to intercept this White-tailed Eagle at Aust Services heading SW. Initially seen at Slimbridge this morning before departing downriver over Sharpness. Seen from Severn Beach after me too. Very exciting! #ukbirding
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