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Hi, My name is Christopher Teague and I am 20 and live in Yate, South Gloucestershire.

I have just finished a 3 year course at Ruskin Mill College in Nailsworth.

At the moment I am working for the BTCV at the Tree Life Centre doing a Diploma Qualification in Work-based Horticulture. I am also working at Organic Blooms for 2 days a week.

I like Birdwatching and Steam Trains. I am hoping to update my blog more often now I am home.

Contact me

The birds of

South

Gloucestershire

Bristol

Ornithological

Club

Bristol and Avon Bird

Sightings

Latest

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Blagdon and Chew Valley Lakes 12/05/12

We first went to Blagdon Lake to see the Squacco Heron and it was very easy to spot as it was perched in the tree for a few minutes before flying a few yards right. We managed to get a closer view of it walking and posing in front of the lake before flying off further back down the road. We went down the road to park up by the lake for lunch and saw two Great Crested Grebes displaying head shaking and collecting weeds and both birds rose up as they performed the Penguin Dance, the first time I seen the Grebes dance. We had a tip-off about a young Owl so we walked down the road a few yards and it was a Tawny Owl Chick - that was my first one as well. We went to the hide at Chew, but the water was really high, so there was nothing about. We went Herriot’s Bridge then where there was at least six Reed Warblers singing, flitting about and perching in the reeds. At Heron’s Green we were looking at a Roe Deer Doe in front by the trees and we didn’t notice there was Barn Owl posing in the tree outside the owl box until somebody pointed it out to us. The weather had been very good today after all the rain we’ve had lately and the Barn Owl had been out in the day looking for food. I wondered if they had chicks in the box. As we had been doing so well seeing Owls, we decided to go to Portbury Wharf to look for the Little Owl to make it a hat-trick. We’ve never seen it there so far even though lots of other people have. WE STILL HAVEN’T!!!!!!!

Squacco Heron

Great-crested Grebes

Tawny Owl

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Slimbridge 13.05.12

We went to Slimbridge to see what was about, in the sightings book it said 4 Common Cranes at the Holden Tower. These Cranes were born at Slimbridge and taken to the Somerset Levels for release as part of the Great Crane Project. Two of them have satellite transmitters on them. It was good to think that they managed to find their way back home. We saw the Cranes flying over from the left hand side of the hide and flew almost straight past. It was great to hear them calling. They were gaining height pretty much every time they soared. We went to the Martin Smith hide and saw a Little Egret fishing - then the Cranes flew around and landed in front of us and began to feed. We left them to it and went back to the car for something to eat ourselves and while we were there they started flying around over the car park. We were going to go to 100 acres to look for Cuckoo, but we couldn’t get in the car park there so decided to go to Breakheart Quarry to try and find Grizzled Skipper. They are really small and hard to spot but we saw one flying and perching briefly. There were probably more, but we didn’t see many. The Dingy Skipper was also present in small numbers but it didn’t keep still enough for a photo.

Common Cranes

Little Egret

Grizzled Skipper