31-12-25 Wednesday

Temp -3.5°C to 04°C -  The sun broke through the freezing fog late morning making for a fine but cold afternoon with light winds from the west.

Red-breasted Meganser

Penduline Tit

Brambling

53 Avocet inside Bristol city limits...

BRISTOL

Blaise Estate:

1 Little  Egret , 8 Redwing.  1 Grey Wagtail

Avocet, Lamplighters Marsh (David Minshall)

Lamplighters Marsh:

53 Avocet, 2 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 10+ Redshank, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Song Thrush, 10+ Redwing, 1 Stonechat, c10 Linnet

Stoke Park inc Duchess Pond:

3 Little Grebe, 1 Water Rail, 1 Common Snipe, 12 Fieldfare, 50 Redwing

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Oldbury Yacht Club, fields and foreshore:
c100 Lapwing, c80 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, c30 Redshank, 1 Little Egret

Aust Warth & cliffs:

5 Oystercatcher, 2 Curlew, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Stonechat, 1 Reed Bunting

Penduline Tit, Aust (Lee Gardiner)

Aust Wetlands:
3 Penduline Tit

New Passage/Northwick:
8 White-fronted Goose

Wickwar:

c150 Lapwing, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet (flying N. towards Tortworth)

Chipping Sodbury Common:
2 Stock Dove, 1 Jack Snipe, 5 Snipe, 3 Red Kite, 1 Raven, 60+ Redwing, 30+ Fieldfare, 2 Stonechat, 5 Redpoll, 1 Reed Bunting

NORTH SOMERSET

Redwing / Blackbird, Portbury (Daz B)

Portbury Wharf:
2 Redwing, Blackbird (several)

Purple Sandpiper, Portishead (Daz B)

Portishead:
5+ Purple Sandpiper

Weston-Super-Mare (airfield):
1 Marsh Harrier (Fem/imm), 13 Cetti's Warbler, 34 Reed Bunting

Red-breasted Merganser, Uphill (Matt Hull)

Uphill:
1 Red-breasted Merganser (m), 1 Little Grebe, 15 Sanderling, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Marsh Harrier (S. of STW)

BELOW M4 & BANES

Oldland:
7 Red Kite

Keynsham (Broadmead Lane):
2 Egyptian Goose

Bath (garden in Weston):
20 Chaffinch, 3 Brambling

Cattle Egret, Stanton Drew (Raoul Chandrasakera)

Stanton Drew:
18 Cattle Egret (flying SW. over Sandy Lane)

RESERVOIRS

Chew Valley Lake

Bittern Trail:
2 Mistle Thrush, 3 Robin

Tufted Duck (fem), BK Hide (George Stacey)

Bernard King Hide:
2 Tufted Duck, 5 Goosander (m)

Villice:
Teal, 1 Goldeneye, Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Redwing

Wren, Nunnery (Keith Williams)

Nunnery:
1 Ring-necked Duck (also reported at Herons Green), + Tufted Duck, 3 Little Egret, 1 Great White Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Wren

Goldeneye, Herons Green (George Stacey)

Herons Green:
2 Egyptian Goose, 1 Goldeneye, 3 Little Grebe, 1 Red Kite, 1 Buzzard

Moreton:
6 Cattle Egret (field behind)

Teal, Stratford (Keith Williams)

Stratford:
Teal, Tufted Duck, 3 Goldeneye (2m+1f), 5 Snipe, 1 Cattle Egret

Mandarin, Herriotts (Karen Wilkinson)

Herriotts inc Pool:
1 Mandarin (m), 3 Shoveller, 40+ Teal, 5 Goldeneye, 1 Marsh Harrier

Reported by: Derek John Angell, Jonathan Angell, Daz  B, Diana Bunnis, Raoul Chandrasakera, Mark Coller, Chris Craig, Lee Gardiner, Matt Hull, Nigel Jones, David Minshall, Mike Moxon, Ross Nairn, Nick Page, Paul Sadley, George Stacey, Larry Sweetland, Ben Sykes, Karen Wilkinson, Keith Williams

blagdonlakebirds, CVRS, opsbirding, severnsidebirds

30-12-25 Tuesday

Temp -2°C to 06°C - Sunny intervals with a gentle breeze from the East

As we near the end of the year the Avon Ornithological Group start their preparations for producing the 2025 Avon Bird report. The first step is collecting all the records and verifying any that are unusual. To date we have assessed most reports up to the end of November but all of the following records are missing any sort of identification notes or photos. If you saw any of the following can you please supply a description of what you saw to avonbirds@hotmail.co.uk see table at the bottom of the page.

Ring-necked Duck
Firecrest
White-fronted Goose
Penduline Tit

BRISTOL

Shirehampton (garden):

3 Blackcap (2m+1f)

Eastville Park:

1 Red Kite

Stoke Park inc Duchess Pond:

1 Water Rail, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Firecrest, 20 Fieldfare, 50 Redwing

Fishponds (Ridgeway Rd playing fields):

1 Common Gull

Speedwell (Coombe Brook NR):

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Coal Tit, 10 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest, 10 Redwing, 1 Chaffinch

Redfield (garden):

3 Feral Pigeon, 2 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Wren, 1 Robin,

10 House Sparrow

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Penduline Tit, Aust (Heather England)

Aust (wetlands):

3 Penduline Tit

White-fronted Goose, Northwick Warth (Matt Hall)

New Passage/Northwick:
8 White-fronted Goose

Wickwar:

1 Ban Owl (hunting at dusk)

Coalpit Heath East:
7 Cormorant (flying N.), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 12 Magpie, c30 Redwing, 5 Fieldfare, c100 Linnet, 2 Yellowhammer

NORTH SOMERSET

Ashton Court:
3 Buzzard, 1 Peregrine, 2 Jay, 1 Goldcrest, 4 Blackbird, 3 Robin, + Goldfinch

Species as labelled, Pill (Kieron Argo)

Pill (Markham Farm Fields):

1 Red Kite, 1 Kestrel, 6 Meadow Pipit, 100 Linnet, 4 Yellowhammer, 8 Reed Bunting

Portbury Wharf (BOC walk):
27 Canada Goose, 5 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 30 Wigeon, 2 Mallard, 4 Teal, 1 Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 6 Moorhen, 2 Coot, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Lapwing, 1 Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, 1 Buzzard, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Kestrel, 2 Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, 50 Rook, Carrion Crow, 1 Coal Tit, 7 Blue Tit, 7 Great Tit, 8 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Firecrest, 4 Wren, 2 Starling, 5 Redwing, 8 Blackbird, 16 Fieldfare, Robin, House Sparrow, 4 Dunnock, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Meadow Pipit, 1 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 28 Goldfinch

Portishead (WBS - Lakegrounds):
74 Canada Goose, 17 Mute Swan, 128 Mallard, 29 Tufted Duck, 1 Stock Dove, 16 Woodpigeon, 4 Moorhen, 2 Curlew, 100 Black-headed Gull, 76 Herring Gull, 1 Jay, 6 Magpie, 4 Jackdaw, 23 Carrion Crow, 1 Raven, 1 Coal Tit, 12 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Goldcrest, 4 Starling, 2 Blackbird, 3 Robin, 1 Dunnock, 1 Pied Wagtail, 6 Greenfinch

Clevedon (off Wain's Hill):
14 Goosander

Dunlin, Dowlais (Howard Taffs)

Clevedon (Dowlais):

3 Teal, c4000 Dunlin

BELOW M4 & BANES

Marshfield (Rushmead Farm WBS):

6 Red-legged Partridge, 350 Common Gull, 4 Red Kite, 10 Buzzard, 43 Skylark, 20 Starling, 1 Stonechat, 6 Pied Wagtail, 1 Chaffinch, 41 Linnet, 17 Corn Bunting, 1 Yellowhammer

South Siston (WBS - ST6874):

1 Great White Egret ( flew over), 3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch, 9 Mistle Thrush, 5 Siskin

Cow Horn Hill:
1 Red Kite

White-fronted Goose, Holm Mead (Les Williams)

Holm Mead - inc R Avon:
80 Canada Goose, 1 Greylag Goose, 4 White-fronted Goose, 1 Black-tailed Godwit

Kingfisher / Water Rail, Keynsham Mem. Park (Paul Tompkins)

Keynsham, Memorial Park:
1 Water Rail, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Grey Wagtail

Saltford:
2 Red Kite (golf course)

Bath (Twerton garden):
1 Blackcap (m)

RESERVOIRS

Chew Valley Lake

Black-tailed Godwit / Goosander, Dam (George Stacey)

Dam:
1 Goldeneye, 1 Goosander, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Great White Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 3 Pied Wagtail, 10+ Chaffinch

Bittern Trail:
1 Goldeneye, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Goldcrest, 2 Treecreeper, 1 Redpoll

Redwing, Hollowbrook (George Stacey)

Hollowbrook:
10+Redwing

Ring-necked Duck, Nunnery (Bri Thompson)

Nunnery:
1 Ring-necked Duck (also reported at Herons Green)

Whooper Swan, Herons Green (Bri Thompson)

Snipe, Herons Green (Ian Stapp)

Herons Green:
4 Whooper Swan, 10 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Snipe, 2 Little Egret, 3 Great White Egret, 3 Cattle Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Pied Wagtail, 5 Chaffinch

Stratford:
10 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Redwing, 1 Bullfinch

Herriotts inc Pool:
7 Shelduck, 1 Mandarin Duck (m), 12 Shoveler, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Little Egret, 2 Great White Egret, 4 Grey Heron, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Grey Wagtail

Reported by: Jon Angell, Kieran Argo, Paul Chapman, Jane Cummings, Alan Daniels, Andy Davis, Heather England, Will Feay, Paul Francis, Matt Hall, Rob Hargreaves, Mike Jackson, Brian Martin, Lee Patch, Katie Robson, Paul Sadley, George Stacey, Ian Stapp, Larry Sweetland, Martin Seagrave, Ben Sykes, Howard Taffs, Bri Thompson, Gary Thorburn, Jean Tye, Les Williams

blagdonlakebirds, CVRS, opsbirding, severnsidebirds

Rarites requiring a description 

Species		Date	Site
Tree Sparrow	7	01/01/2025	Uphill, Bleadon Hill
Hen Harrier	1	08/01/2025	Redhill, Under Lane
Whooper Swan	4	15/01/2025	M5, Clevedon
Mealy/Greenland Redpoll	1	01/02/2025	Bristol, Stoke Park
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	1	01/02/2025	Manor Woods Valley LNR
Pale-bellied Brent Goose	c2	19/03/2025	Bristol, Cathedral
Goshawk	1	20/03/2025	Worle, Sedbury Close
Pale-bellied Brent Goose	c2	24/03/2025	Bristol, Cathedral
Red-breasted Merganser	2	26/03/2025	Severn Beach
Alpine Swift	1	05/04/2025	Severn Beach
Nuthatch ssp europaea	1	23/04/2025	Bath
Little Tern	6	25/05/2025	Severn Beach
Merlin		30/05/2025	Marshfield, Rushmead Lane
Wryneck	1	24/08/2025	Sand Point, St Thomas's Head
Tree Sparrow	4	04/09/2025	Bitton, Cullyhall Farm
Lesser Whitethroat	12	04/09/2025	Bitton, Cullyhall Farm
Pectoral Sandpiper	1	06/09/2025	Blagdon Lake
Glossy Ibis	15	13/09/2025	BG
Glossy Ibis	9	14/09/2025	Hanham
Razorbill	1	15/09/2025	Severn Beach
Leach's Petrel	4	15/09/2025	Severn Beach
Glossy Ibis	3	28/09/2025	Blaise Castle
Yellow-browed Warbler	1	28/09/2025	Sand Point - Middle Hope
Leach's Petrel	1	04/10/2025	CVL
Little Ringed Plover		05/10/2025	New Passage / Northwick Warth
Bar-tailed Godwit	2	05/10/2025	Chew Valley Lake
Hobby	2	14/10/2025	Chew Valley Lake
Pale-bellied Brent Goose	1	31/10/2025	Oldbury Power Station
Whimbrel	1	06/11/2025	New Passage
Caspian Gull	1	09/11/2025	CVL
Richard's Pipit	1	09/11/2025	Aust
Yellow-browed Warbler	1	15/11/2025	Wains Hill
Yellow-browed Warbler	1	15/11/2025	Lambridge
Reed Warbler	1	16/11/2025	Aust
Glossy Ibis	1	19/11/2025	Knowle
Hoopoe	1	20/11/2025	Rockhampton
Caspian Gull	1	23/11/2025	CVL

29-12-25 Monday

Temp 03°C to 07°C - Overcast to start but some sunshine by 10am. The gentle east north east wind continues to gust to 22 mph making it feel colder

As we near the end of the year the Avon Ornithological Group start their preparations for producing the 2025 Avon Bird report. The first step is collecting all the records and verifying any that are unusual. To date we have assessed most reports up to the end of November but all of the following records are missing any sort of identification notes or photos. If you saw any of the following can you please supply a description of what you saw to avonbirds@hotmail.co.uk see table at the bottom of the page.

Penduline Tit

Whooper Swan

White-fronted Goose

BRISTOL

Bishop Rd to Horfield Common:

18 Feral Pigeon, 22 Woodpigeon, 3 Collared Dove, 4 Herring Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 9 Magpie, 4 Jackdaw, 8 Crow, 6 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 1 Wren, 13 Starling, 3 Blackbird, 15 Fieldfare, 1 Song Thrush, 6 Robin, 6 House Sparrow, 4 Goldfinch

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Oldbury Power Station:
2 Gadwall, 69 Wigeon, 63 Teal, 1 Little Grebe, 19 Oystercatcher, 85 Lapwing, 5 Curlew, 650 Dunling, 36 Snipe, 29 Redshank, 5 Grey Heron, 24 Redwing, 1 Black Redstart (f)

Aust Warth:

1 Kestrel,

Aust Wetlands:

1 Penduline Tit

Northwick - Cake Pill:
1 Penduline Tit

Pilning Wetlands:
8 White Fronted Goose, 15 Snipe, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Penduline Tit

NORTH SOMERSET

Dundry - West:

1 Barn Owl

Clevedon - Blind Yeo - Strode Rd:
2 Shelduck, 8 Mallard, 11 Goosander (5f & 6m), 2 Moorhen, 1 Redshank, 1 Cormorant, 2 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher

29-12-25 Grey Plover Cl-Y (Simon Williams)

Cl-Y - Dowlais:

Shelduck, 4 Goosander, 10 Oystercatcher, 2 Grey Plover, thousands of Dunlin, 1 Peregrine, 4 Greenfinch

BELOW M4 & BANES

29-12-25 White-fronted Goose Keynsham (Bri Thompson)

Bitton Holm Mead:

4 White-fronted Goose

29-12-25 Egyptian Goose Bitton (John Aldridge)

Bitton Station - new pool:

2 Egyptian Goose

Lansdown - Monument
2 Stonechat

Bath:
1 Red Kite, 1 Ring-necked Parakeet

RESERVOIRS

Chew Valley Lake

Bittern Trail:
2 Goldcrest - together

29-12-25 Goldeneye CVL (Merv Carlyon)

Herons Green:
4 Goldeneye (2f &2m)

Moreton:
4 Whooper Swan

29-12-25 Pintail CVL (George Stacey)

Herriotts inc Pool:
2 Pintail (f&m)

Reported by: John Aldridge, Jon Angell, John Budd, Merv Carlyon, Bryan Cook, Neil Delaney, Richard Giles, Matt Hall, Dave Hughes, Nigel Jones, Nigel Kempson, Andy Middleton, Fiona Neate, Nick Page, Stuart Poiner, George Stacey, Bri Thompson, Simon Williams

blagdonlakebirds, CVRS, opsbirding, severnsidebirds

Rarites requiring a description 

Species		Date	Site
Tree Sparrow	7	01/01/2025	Uphill, Bleadon Hill
Hen Harrier	1	08/01/2025	Redhill, Under Lane
Whooper Swan	4	15/01/2025	M5, Clevedon
Mealy/Greenland Redpoll	1	01/02/2025	Bristol, Stoke Park
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	1	01/02/2025	Manor Woods Valley LNR
Pale-bellied Brent Goose	c2	19/03/2025	Bristol, Cathedral
Goshawk	1	20/03/2025	Worle, Sedbury Close
Pale-bellied Brent Goose	c2	24/03/2025	Bristol, Cathedral
Red-breasted Merganser	2	26/03/2025	Severn Beach
Alpine Swift	1	05/04/2025	Severn Beach
Nuthatch ssp europaea	1	23/04/2025	Bath
Little Tern	6	25/05/2025	Severn Beach
Merlin		30/05/2025	Marshfield, Rushmead Lane
Wryneck	1	24/08/2025	Sand Point, St Thomas's Head
Tree Sparrow	4	04/09/2025	Bitton, Cullyhall Farm
Lesser Whitethroat	12	04/09/2025	Bitton, Cullyhall Farm
Pectoral Sandpiper	1	06/09/2025	Blagdon Lake
Glossy Ibis	15	13/09/2025	BG
Glossy Ibis	9	14/09/2025	Hanham
Razorbill	1	15/09/2025	Severn Beach
Leach's Petrel	4	15/09/2025	Severn Beach
Glossy Ibis	3	28/09/2025	Blaise Castle
Yellow-browed Warbler	1	28/09/2025	Sand Point - Middle Hope
Leach's Petrel	1	04/10/2025	CVL
Little Ringed Plover		05/10/2025	New Passage / Northwick Warth
Bar-tailed Godwit	2	05/10/2025	Chew Valley Lake
Hobby	2	14/10/2025	Chew Valley Lake
Pale-bellied Brent Goose	1	31/10/2025	Oldbury Power Station
Whimbrel	1	06/11/2025	New Passage
Caspian Gull	1	09/11/2025	CVL
Richard's Pipit	1	09/11/2025	Aust
Yellow-browed Warbler	1	15/11/2025	Wains Hill
Yellow-browed Warbler	1	15/11/2025	Lambridge
Reed Warbler	1	16/11/2025	Aust
Glossy Ibis	1	19/11/2025	Knowle
Hoopoe	1	20/11/2025	Rockhampton
Caspian Gull	1	23/11/2025	CVL