BELVIDE 14.12.25 Cloudy S 3-4

 The drake Green Winged Teal was from the Chappell hide with 500 Teal, also 116 Gadwall and 3 Goosander were counted. 2 imm Peregrine were at the west end this afternoon. 1 Little Egret was noted.

BELVIDE 13.12.25 Cloudy SSW 2

 The drake Green Winged Teal was on the north shore this morning, also 5 Shelduck. A juvenile male Goshawk flew out the north wood this morning. 2 Great Egret flew south this morning, also 2 Little Egret were present. 2 Cetti's Warbler were noted with singles from the Gazebo and west end hides.

BELVIDE 12.12.25

 News received today included the drake Green Winged Teal was still present, also a single Shelduck. A Stonechat was off the west track. A Water Rail and 20 Siskin were along the south east bay. 

BELVIDE 11.12.25

 News received today included the drake Green Winged Teal from the Chappell hide and 2 Little Egret.

BELVIDE 10.12.25 Cloudy W 3

 The drake Green-winged Teal was showing well along the south shore between the Chappell and Gazebo hide this afternoon.

BELVIDE 9.12.25

 No news received today 

BELVIDE 8.12.25 Cloudy SW 2

 The drake Green Winged Teal remains on the north shore , also 120 Gadwall and 46 Mute Swan were counted. The 2nd winter Caspian Gull was present from 2pm. 2 Stonechat, 1 Little Egret and a Peregrine were noted. 

BELVIDE 7.12.25 Rain SSE 2

 Today's WeBS count produced the drake Green Winged Teal, 694 Teal, 262 Wigeon, 97 Gadwall, 438 Mallard, 15 Shoveler, 1 Pintail, 97 Tufted Duck, 13 Pochard, 9 Goldeneye, 3 Goosander, 8 GC Grebe, 133 Coot, 1 Water Rail, 103 Greylag Geese, 5 Canada Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 12 Mute Swan. 2 juvenile Goshawk and 2 Peregrine were in the area. A pair of Stonechat were off the west track. The 2nd winter Caspian Gull and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls roosted this evening.

BELVIDE 6.12.25

 News received today included the drake Green Winged Teal still present on the north shore opposite the Gazebo hide. A Great Egret was along the south east bay. A pair of Stonechat were off the west track. A Peregrine was noted. Tomorrow's work party has been cancelled due to the poor weather forecast . 

Today I took the trip down to Dawlish Warren, where a Lesser Crested Tern was discovered on Wednesday. It's been 36 years since my last one off Musselburgh Lagoons. We arrived at dawn to the news that the bird had been seen at first light. However, the bird flew off up the estuary and out of view. For the next 4-5 hours the bird showed very distantly in the middle of the estuary on the falling tide, which was very frustrating. In the end, the bird gave itself up and flew down the estuary and settled on the mud off Cockwood. Here, we had fantastic views as it was pushed closer and closer on the rising tide. I think this is only the 10th record for Britain and the first for twenty years. Some video can be viewed here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKT_gfV94AY

BELVIDE 5.12.25 Cloudy SSE 3

 A drake Green-winged Teal was found by Ken Mather amongst 565 Teal between the Gazebo and Chappell hides this afternoon. This becomes the 7th record for the reserve and follows a bird that was present earlier this year between 12th-19th January. The 2nd winter Caspian Gull was again present late afternoon. 2 juvenile Goshawk were around the reservoir at the same time this afternoon, with one beyond the dam and the other raiding the north wood. A Peregrine was noted. A Water Rail was in the west marsh. A Stonechat was off the west lane. 30 Shoveler were counted.

BELVIDE 4.12.25

 No news received today.

BELVIDE 3.12.25

 No news received today . 

BELVIDE 2.12.25 Fair S 1-2

 The 2nd winter Caspian Gull and 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls roosted this evening. A Peregrine killed a Wood Pigeon along the south east bay late afternoon. 486 Teal, 220 Wigeon, 111 Gadwall and 12 Goldeneye counted.

BELVIDE 1.12.25

News received today included a Peregrine and single Little Egret. 5 Siskin were along the Gazebo bay. 

BELVIDE 30.11.25

 News received today included a Cetti's Warbler from ther Gazebo hide. A pair of Stonechat were off the west track.1 Peregrine, 1 Little Egret, 8 Siskin and 1 Redpoll were noted.

I took a trip south to Holbury in Hampshire to see a Boat Tailed Grackle that's been present in the area since the 2nd November. The bird showed well on arrival as it strutted around in residential front garden properties.  Although it's a wild bird, it has come across the Atlantic on a boat, as they are not a migratory species and will be placed on Category E on the British list like the Great Tailed Grackle I saw in Pembrokshire in 2023.

Another way you could look at it, is that it has probably done the same thing that many American vagrants have done before it and used their survival instincts to hitch a ride on a boat. A Brown Thrasher in the 60's, Rufous Sided Towhee and several American Sparrows near Ports are all similarly guilty, but they have been accepted.

It's an interesting debate. Who knows, that someday in the future an extra category might be added to the British list that might recognize these ship assisted vagrants? 

BELVIDE 29.11.25 Rain NW 2

 A quick visit this morning produced the 2nd winter Caspian Gull, 1 Dunlin, 381 Teal at 248 Wigeon. 2 Little Egret were at the west end. 2 Stonechat were off the west track. A Brambling was at the woodland feeding station. A Peregrine was noted.

Tomorrow's work party has been cancelled. We have added an extra work party next Sunday to compensate for this. 

BELVIDE 28.11.25

 News received today included the juvenile male Goshawk over the north wood early afternoon. 2 Shelduck and a Stonechat were noted.

BELVIDE 27.11.25

 No news received today 

BELVIDE 26.11.25 Sunny am/ Cloudy pm S 2-3

 A juvenile Goshawk was disturbed off a Moorhen along the south east bay late afternoon, also 2 Peregrine were around. A Water Rail was along the Gazebo bay. 3 Snipe were at the west end. 5 Pintail, 7 Shelduck and a Goosander were counted. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was in the pre roost.

BELVIDE 25.11.25

 News received today included 3 Little Egret, 1 Red Kite, 1 Chiffchaff and a Brambling at the woodland feeding station. A Stonechat was off the west track.

BELVIDE 24.11.25

 News received today included the juvenile male Goshawk again over the north wood early morning. A Water Rail was along the Gazebo bay. A Brambling was at the woodland feeders and 4 Redpoll were by the Gazebo hide. A Shelduck was noted. 

BELVIDE 23.11.25 Cloudy WSW 3

 3 Caspian Gulls roosted this evening including an adult 3rd winter and 2nd winter. (photos) Also an adult Yellow-legged Gull and adult GBB Gull roosted. The juvenile male Goshawk (photo) raided the north wood late afternoon, also 2 Peregrine were present. A pair of Stonechat were at the west end. 3 Brambling were at the woodland feeders. 6 Pintail dropped in this morning.

BELVIDE 22.11.25 Rain SSW 2-3

 A very quiet morning with single Bramblings at The Woodland and Gazebo feeders and 3 Little Egret left the north wood roost early morning . 

BELVIDE 21.11.25 Sunny SW 1-2

 4 Brambling were around, with 2 at the Gazebo feeders, one along the Gazebo bay and another at the woodland feeders. A Red Kite and Peregrine flew over. A Stonechat was off the west track. 30 Collared Dove on the Barn roof opposite the West End Hide was a noteworthy total. A 1st winter GBB Gull in the pre roost is noteworthy these days. 2 Shelduck and a Little Egret were present.

BELVIDE 20.11.25 Sunny N 2-3

 An adult Pink-footed Goose was with the Greylag flock. At least 3 Brambling again, with 2 at the woodland feeders and one at the Gazebo hide. A Little Egret was noted.

BELVIDE 19.11.25 Fair N 4

 A 2nd winter Caspian Gull (photo) was at the west end around midday. A male Brambling was visiting the Gazebo feeders. 1 Little Egret was at the west end. A Peregrine and Red Kite were in the area. 7 Common Gull and a Yellow-legged Gull roosted this evening.

BELVIDE 18.11.25

 News received today included 2 Brambling at the Gazebo feeders. An imm Peregrine was on the north shore. A Little Egret was at the west end.

BELVIDE 17.11.25 Sunny N 2

 A drake Common Scoter from the Scott hide was a new arrival, also 110 Pochard and 2 Goosander were counted. At least 3 Brambling today, with 2 at the Gazebo feeders and one at the woodland feeding station. A Golden Plover flew over late afternoon. 2 Little Egret were at the west end. An adult Yellow-legged Gull and 4 Common Gull were in the pre roost.

BELVIDE 16.11.25 Overcast NE 2

 A male Merlin (photo by Paul Smith) was off the west track, also a pair of Stonechat. At least 6 Brambling were in the area, with 4 at the Woodland feeding station and 2 behind the Gazebo hide. 4 Shelduck and 1 Goosander dropped in. 2 Chiffchaff and a Cetti's Warbler were noted.

A great turn out for this morning's work party, where we continued along the south east bay coppicing the willow scrub habitat. 

BELVIDE 15.11.25 Murky E 3

 2 Dunlin and 2 Snipe were at the west end.  3 Brambling were between the Chappell hide and Gazebo bay, also a Chiffchaff. 3 Goosander, 3 Pintail, 75 Pochard and 2 Mandarin were counted.

BELVIDE 14.11.25 Rain NE 4-5

 Disappointingly the weather conditions didn't stir up anything exciting. 2 Pintail, 305 Wigeon, 428 Teal and 2 Mandarin were counted.