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The Mythe, Tewkesbury (24 March 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

Mythe brickpits: 2 Mute Swans, 2 Tufted Ducks, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Blackcap singing, 1 Chiffchaff singing, 3 Treecreepers.

Mythe Brook, in fields along the Severn: Mute Swans (a pair plus five immatures), a pair of Canada Geese mating, 45 Wigeon, 2 Teal, 3 Tufted Ducks, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Cormorant in a riverside tree in full breeding plumage. 20 Lapwings (14 migrants, at least three displaying pairs over grassland); 16 Golden Plovers (sitting in a grass field, being dive bombed by a resident Lapwing which clearly didn’t appreciate their presence on its territory); 1 bubbling Curlew; 10 Fieldfares; at least two singing Reed Buntings.

Sudmeadow (23 March 2011, contributed by Gordon Avery)

A Red Kite this morning flying low over Sudmeadow at 11.35am, closely followed by about 100 large gulls!

Coombe Hill and Ashleworth (22 March 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

Coombe Hill at first light: the threesome between the two Canadas and the white Farmyard goose continues, the Farmyard bird getting more and more insistent; three pairs of Shelducks, 2 Wigeon, 110 Teal, 8 Shoveler. The pair of Oystercatchers looking well settled; 12 Lapwings with lots of aerobatics and tail-up display, lovely to see them so active and a month earlier than last year; six Snipe; one Redshank; about eight Curlews, apparently all local birds; one Little Egret; one Swallow; three Chiffchaffs singing.

However, another observer arrived later at about 10.00am and later told me that at about midday ten Curlew had arrived, one of them colour-ringed; I took another look in the afternoon to confirm his reading of the rings and it proved to be one of the 66 birds ringed at Wibdon Warth on the Severn estuary in September 2010 (see GNS NEWS for December 2010). This demonstrates that some of the birds at Coombe Hill are clearly migrants on their way back to continental nesting grounds, shows the inland route they take, and their habits en route (leisurely progress, stop to feed and roost). By the evening there were also two Egyptian Geese, displaying quietly, a second Little Egret and a Little Ringed Plover, and a total of 30 Curlews. It just shows it’s worth spending as much time as possible in the hide, all day at this time of year!

The water level has gone down a fair bit at Ashleworth: 130 Wigeon, 80 Teal, 8 Shoveler, three displaying Lapwings, eight Snipe, at least one Chiffchaff.

Ketford Bank (20 March 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

Three Mandarin Ducks flew along the River Leadon. There is a good display of Daffodils on the nature reserve.

Coombe Hill (19 March 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

Coombe Hill was still quiet, but there was a sense of spring being at hand: still 9 Shelducks, 5 Wigeon, 110 Teal 20 Mallard, 2 Pintail, 10 Shoveler. Among probable breeding waders, the pair of Oystercatchers still present, being pursued by 13 Carrion Crows that tried to steal food from them; at least 12 Lapwings displaying (last year they didn’t arrive until late April); 6 Curlews, looking like local territorial birds; a sole Redshank. Two Meadow Pipits (the first for ages) and two Pied Wagtials, likely to be migrants. Three drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers on a bright frosty morning, and a Treecreeper singing. Four singing Chiffchaffs, and four Reed Buntings, all singing.

Coombe Hill (15 March 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

Ducks continue to decline in numbers: only 35 Teal, 17 Shoveler, 4 Wigeon, 2 Tufted Ducks (mating!); nine Shelducks, at least two pairs. The pair of Canadas which last year had a farmyard goose as a nanny/gooseberry for their three goslings is developing into a ménage à trios. The white one appears to be a gander and is devoting much of his attention to Mme Canada; M. Canada is being elbowed out; stand by for more hybrids! A pair of Oystercatchers; nine Curlews first thing (six looked like local breeders, three off to the north early on); Lapwings looking much interested in breeding: four over scrapes, five over arable, all displaying well; another 14 which were probably a flock of passing migrants; three Snipe. Three singing Chiffchaffs, about 40 Fieldfares; at least three singing Reed Buntings, a singing Yelllowhammer.

Rissington and Barrington area (12 March 2011, contributed by Andy Jayne)

In the Rissington Airfield and Barrrington Bushes area this morning there were: a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier, 11 Red Kites, two Kestrels, 31 Golden Plovers circling overhead and four Ravens.

Winchcombe area (9 March 2011, contributed by Andy Jayne)

At Winchcombe, the Great Grey Shrike was still present at Waterhatch this morning and ranging towards Spoonley Farm. Also a pair of Mandarin there. Nearby, 28 Golden Plovers and two male Stonechats at Hawling and a Little Egret at Andoversford.

At Windrush Airfield, a female Merlin, an adult male Sparrowhawk, 50 Golden Plovers, four Ravens and a single Corn Bunting.

Ashleworth and Coombe Hill (8 March 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

Coombe Hill: a continuing decrease in duck numbers, mostly on the Long Pool: 40 Wigeon, 2 Gadwall, 90 Teal, 40 Mallard, 8 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Ducks; but 16 Shelducks on scrapes, lekking and pair forming. 26 Curlews had been recorded at dusk on the previous evening; yesterday morning 29 were present, calling to one another. Clearly they were passing migrants, as they all flew off to the north very excitedly with whiffling flight between 07.30 and 08.00. At least 7 Reed Buntings already singing, some not yet in full breeding plumage. And bird of the day, a WREN !!! along the canal bank; they have been few and far between since last December’s cold weather.

At Ashleworth: rather more ducks: 200 Wigeon, 5 Gadwall, 150 Teal, 40 Mallard, 10 Pintail, 20 Shoveler. 33 Snipe flushed. A female Stonechat, the first since last autumn. And a Goldcrest singing in Meerend thicket, another species that has been few and far between.

Brockworth (2 March 2011, contributed by Andy Jayne)

At Henley Bank Plantation, a Short-eared Owl was flushed and there was a Woodcock at dusk. Nearby, an immature Peregrine scattered a flock of at least 600 Woodpigeons and there were seven Roe Deer in fields to the north.