black necked grebe still present this aft,and green sandpiper at the teal
plus about 8 common tern&300+tufted
and a pleasant mooch with clegg(charlie) and foggy(jon tav)

Juvenile Black-necked Grebe still present this morning plus a single Whimbrel.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Thanks very much John, I think I might just do that.

Anthony Dixon wrote:

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Any news of the BN Grebe today?
I'm hoping he'll stick around until Saturday so I can get a look at him!

Anthony

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call in at houghton green pool on the way to the flash,and you can almost guarentee them there,think there was 4 yesterday,and its only 4 miles from penny

Any news of the BN Grebe today?
I'm hoping he'll stick around until Saturday so I can get a look at him!

Anthony

Tit Paté or Pasty ?

Juv BNG still off the end of spit from horrocks, among Coots.
Green sandpiper still on Teal, with Kingfisher obliging on a post.
Sedge Warbler and Kingfisher from 'new' hide(sorry forgot new name)
Plenty of Lapwing.
A few paties of tits, warblers, inc. young
At least 2 Common Tern from main flash.
Willow tit and 6 young pheasants from Bunting Hide.
Chris H

Juvenile Black-necked Grebe present off the spit this morning plus:

Single Green Sandpiper on Teal Scrape
24 Pochard
Female Peregrine

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Greenshank from Horrocks Hide mid morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

No sign of either Wood Sandpiper or Black-necked Grebe so far this morning.

3 Kingfishers at the western end though.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

Had a look for the Wood Sandpiper this evening but no joy. It was seen five or ten minutes before I arrived at 7.30 from the Horrocks hide.
Not much else around in the rain. 1 Common Tern and all the usuals.

Wood Sandpiper still present at 3:30 from Horrocks Hide, 2 Green Sandpipers from Teal
Hide.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Black-necked Grebe still present and Wood Sandpiper reported from Horrocks Hide this afternoon.

Info from Birdnet Information

Dragged the girlfriend and the dog round Pennington flash this afternoon and despited the dog getting very impatient sat on the benches in the hides, had a very enjoyable afternoon of birding!

Black-necked grebe (1 juv. - best seen from the small fence near the canal brigde that looks over the reed bed past Ramsdale hide)
Little grebe (2) 
Great crested (35+)
Teal (2 fem.)
LBB gull (5+)
Sedge warbler (2 + 1 juv.)
Reed warbler (3 + 1 juv.)
Willow warbler (3 + 3 juv)
Chiffchaff (3+)
Reed bunting (3) 
Common tern (5+)
Green sandpiper (1)
Kingfisher (1 seen another heard)
Willow tit (2) 
GS woodpecker (1)
Stock doves (6+)
Bullfinch (6 + good numbers of juv.)
Greenfinch (4 + good numbers of juv.)

Plus all of the usual suspects...

Scott


-- Edited by Scott Reid on Sunday 18th of July 2010 08:06:02 PM

12-3pm
black necked grebe-1 juv still in rammies at 2.45
great crested grebe-40+
kingfisher-2
green sandpiper-1
bullfinch-12+
lapwing-100
common tern-9
lots of young warblers and tits
tufted duck -with 2 small young pengys
little grebe-2

Juvenile Black-necked Grebe still present this morning and viewable from Horrocks Hide, just off the 'mini spit' this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

glad you got a shot of the grebe JT,

thanks Ian for heads up, i was in the wrong area, ramsdales hide not rammies pool just round the corner, got the two rammies mixed up,

also sparrowhawk flew over golf course today, a few sightings of kingfisher in front of edmonson hide, sedge warblers about still singing, nice views of two jays and juv male great spotted woodpecker from bunting hide


No bittern

went back for some record shots
black necked grebe-1 juv still present at 4pm-in rammies with the tufted

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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Juvenile Black-necked Grebe in Rammies amongst the 81 Tufted Duck there this early afternoon.

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nice one didn't see that-too busy dodging the rain
plus am
2 green sandpiper
1 common sandpiper
2 little ringed plover
7 common tern
jays 2 front of pengys hide then later seen by dennis ath-at the front of bunting
lots of young warblers about

Juvenile Black-necked Grebe in Rammies amongst the 81 Tufted Duck there this early afternoon.

Also 2 adult Black-tailed Godwits on the north side of the spit so not viewable from Horrocks Hide.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 17th of July 2010 01:32:36 PM

I would just like to thank Ian for identifying my photos of the Bitten I will be back at penny early tomorrow for a better shot

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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You need that stuffed Bittern that used to be (and I think still is?) in the rangers office

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thats in my big bag in the loft,may just pop up later and pack it for tomorrow

You need that stuffed Bittern that used to be (and I think still is?) in the rangers office

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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Well one lucky Pennington birder has won the lottery then and I have in my possession two Pennington Flash Bittern images, even if they're 'only' in-flight shots! I also have one blob in reeds on file and am aware that atleast one very good 'grounded' Pennington Bittern image is in existence.

Its more a case of just going to show what can be lurking about at apparently unlikely times of year. Always keep your options open

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I was only talking of myself,Can't really speak for anyone else,I knew you had some shots,but ive never been lucky wi bitterns at penny,only one i could have photographed was 25 years ago,all the others have been a lot less obliging,and the chances of someone seeing it well enuff for a good shot on the ground is slimbut you never know what will turn up under your nose at penny,no daupt it will be sat front of horrocks hide at 5am in the morning and be gone when i turn upbut never mind ive got my stuffed kingfisher in my bag,i can always stick that on a post and photograph that

Well one lucky Pennington birder has won the lottery then and I have in my possession two Pennington Flash Bittern images, even if they're 'only' in-flight shots! I also have one blob in reeds on file and am aware that atleast one very good 'grounded' Pennington Bittern image is in existence.

Its more a case of just going to show what can be lurking about at apparently unlikely times of year. Always keep your options open

To put it into contex Den,I've made 5000+ birding visits to penny in the last 35 years,and in that time only seen a bittern about 8 times,all in the middle of winter,normally when the flash is a foot thick with ice,and normally flying into the reeds at rammies,and only once when i knew one was showing about 25 years ago at plank lane end.
The chances of getting a shot of one at penny in summer ,not in flight I think would come in line with a lottery win,and i cannot ever remember seeing a picture of a bittern from penny,and charlie owen been trying since 1960so good luck and prove me wrong!There are just too many hiding places you never see at penny from any hideSi thi tomorrow

Dennis atherton wrote:

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what no Bittern? wheres he hiding? gonna go tommorow and have a little hunt

JOHN TYMON wrote:

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late pm
green sandpiper-1
common sandpiper-2
sedge warbler
common tern -7
teal -3
plus all the usual suspects.

---

---

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 16th of July 2010 07:18:53 PM

what no Bittern? wheres he hiding? gonna go tommorow and have a little hunt

JOHN TYMON wrote:

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late pm
green sandpiper-1
common sandpiper-2
sedge warbler
common tern -7
teal -3
plus all the usual suspects.

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late pm
green sandpiper-1
common sandpiper-2
sedge warbler
common tern -7
teal -3
plus all the usual suspects.

4 Common Sandpipers today (15th) and a single Green Sandpiper from Tom Edmondson hide early am.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

second photo, yes of course

Dennis atherton wrote:

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my bet is John Tymon gets the first photo

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The second photo....

Dennis atherton wrote:

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my bet is John Tymon gets the first photo

Come on JT you know you are going on a mission...

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I have team reckying the likely areas as you type,ready for me to just drop in and blast a few shots off tomorrow afternoon after workyou can all sit in pengys and ill be in my secret area ready for it to come out feeding in front of meIt could even be the same bird seen several times in the winternowhere near pengys hide

that would be funny, breathe in

Dennis atherton wrote:

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my bet is John Tymon gets the first photo

Come on JT you know you are going on a mission...

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I wonder how many frustrated photographers we could fit into Pengies?

my bet is John Tymon gets the first photo

Come on JT you know you are going on a mission...

crikey!

I received an email last night asking for an opinion on a 'mystery bird'. It was taken from the Tom Edmondson hide at 08:30 on the 9th of July and was apparently being mobbed by Black-headed Gulls. The photos, although barely record shots, clearly portray a Bittern, flying off towards Pengies direction!

So, there is undoubtably a Bittern knocking about Pennington somewhere. Be on the lookout!

Thanks to John Cartwright for sending me the images.

tues 13th pm
pretty quiet
oystercatcher-2
common sand-2
lesser whitethroat-1
common tern-8 incl 2 juv
lots of hurrundines

Sunday 11th July 1730

Ramsdales Hide
4 Black Tailed Godwit

Edmonson Hide
2 Kingfishers showing well

monday 12th pm
dunlin-1 full summer plumage
ringed plover-3
little ringed plover-1
common tern 8 adults + 1 juv (no ring)
common sandpiper-4
oystercatcher-2
loads of sand martins

bit quiet this aft
just
4 black tailed godwits
1 common sand
1 green sand
4 common terns

Did anyone see a large brown bird flying over Edmonson hide on Friday at about 8.30 a.m. I managed to snap a photo of the back end but can,t manage to identify it

sat 5.30am-8.30am
Ringed plover-1
little ringed plover-3
black tailed godwit -1 on spit then flew east 6am most likely same one adam saw
common sanpiper-3
green sandpiper-1
common tern-6
oystercatcher-2
lesser whitethroat-1
grey wagtail-1 f
pied wagtail-3
stock dove-6
great crested with 2 large young-on pengys
little grebe-1
lots of young whitethroat

Saturday 10th July 6.45-9.00

1 Little Ringed Plover - spit
2 Ringed Plover - spit
3 Cormorant - end of spit
1 Common Tern
2 Oystercatchers
1 G C Grebe
1 Little Grebe
1 Black Tailed Godwit - Teal Hide
1 Grey Heron - Teal Hide
2 Stock Dove
2 Pied Wagtail (juvenile)
2 fox cubs playing tag opposite Edmonson Hide


-- Edited by Adam Jones on Saturday 10th of July 2010 03:13:54 PM

10 Black-tailed Godwit Teal Hide
1 Green Sandpiper here
3 Common Sandpiper - Spit
2 Ringed Plover - Spit

2 or 3 Common Terns still hanging around

Plenty of Common Whitethroat singing

Early thins morning:

2 Curlew on Horrock's scrape then flew SW at 06:03am
Peregrine flew east at 06:35am
11 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Green Sandpiper on Teal scrape.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

4-6pm
green sandpiper-2
common sandpiper-2
little ringed plover-4
ringed plover-1
pheasant-1f with 8 tiny young
lesser whitethroat-1
lots of young of most species
gadwall-1f with 5 small young front of rammies hide

Dennis atherton wrote:

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you should compose a penny site life list, i bet noone has seen more than you at penny, did Dave wilson ever give a number of species he had seeen at penny? it would be interesting to know how many species you have seen at penny over the years, i bet it would be a good list, get them notebooks dug out

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I would if I could remember-the number I could remember is on the main site,but in those notebooks,i know theres many more.I Think charlie owen will have the biggest penny listif he can remember what he's seen

you should compose a penny site life list, i bet noone has seen more than you at penny, did Dave wilson ever give a number of species he had seeen at penny? it would be interesting to know how many species you have seen at penny over the years, i bet it would be a good list, get them notebooks dug out

Rob Thorpe wrote:

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JOHN TYMON wrote:

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If i ever clear the loft and find all my old notebooks-beware the ones who have the highest penny list or GM list.

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I'm sure they're quivering in their boots John...

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They should be as my best birding was between the age of 12 & 24 ,then i had a motorbike accident,and lost a lot of my memory-so there could be owt in them notebooks