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Brent Birders Monthly Bird Highlights

FEBRUARY & MARCH 2025

• Barn Owl. Recorded from Whinfield (10 Feb), Brent Hill (15 Feb) and Brent Mill (19 Feb).

• Blackcap. First song on 25 March near Lydia Bridge.

• Buzzard. Five up together on 10 March near Brent Hill.

• Canada Geese.  First records of the year of two flying over village on 1 Feb.  Subsequent reports from several sites including Avon Dam (one on 24 March)

• Chiffchaff. First song on 9 March.

• Cormorant.  One at Avon Dam on 18 Feb.

• Dipper. Several records from above Shipley Bridge and Avonwick, and from the Glaze Brook.

• Egret species. One in a field at Harbourneford on 29 March was possibly a Great White.

• Fieldfare.  One on farmland near Bloody Pool on 22 March.

• Firecrest. Up to two in a village garden, often on a small conifer in a pot, first seen on 8 Feb, and a male in a Pennaton garden, on camellia, around 17 Feb.  Singing and displaying above Lydia Bridge on 5 March, and several dates subsequently.

• Golden Plover. Up to 400 in the Three Barrows/Wacka Tor area on 12 Feb.

• Goosander. Max count of 21 roosting at Avon Dam on 1 Feb, but only 15 on the synchronized Devon roost count on 16th (out of 49 on Dartmoor, and a Devon total of 120). Max count of 10 in March. Pair on river Brent Moor House on 6 March.

• Greenfinch. Considered to be more than usual. Conspicuous on Brent Hill gorse

• Hen Harrier. Male at dawn on 6 March above dam on W side of Gripper’s but just outside 17.

• House Martin. First was in the village on 31 March.

• Kingfisher. Several sightings from Horsebrook at Stidston.

• Linnet. Two among Chaffinches feeding around ring-feeders in Highland cattle field at Beara Common on 25 February, the first for February since at least 2014. First on Brent Hill gorse (where they breed) on 22 March.

• Mallard.  None seen at Avon Dam or Somerswood in Feb, but a few occurred in March.

• Meadow Pipit. Small flock on Brent Hill throughout. First singing on moor on 28 Feb.

• Raven. Confirmed breeding Inglenook (Adult entering nest). Confiding pair on Brent Hill.

• Redshank. One on Avon Dam spillway on 24 March was only the second record for site and parish.

• Rook. A count of nests on 30 March found 36  at Brent Mill, including four at Corn Park.

• Siskin. Up to four on Moorland Park feeder throughout.

• Snipe. One flushed at Dockwell on 28 Feb, and another near Gisperdown on 8 March. ‘Chipping’ song at Small Brook Mire on 6 & 24 March

• Stonechat. Regular on Brent Hill from 22 Feb and, after an absence since October, on field hedges below the hill from 25 Feb. Also a male on hedges at Hope Wood on 11 March, and another at Furze Penn on 9 March.

• Swallow. First was near Owley Gate on 23 March, then at Little Bullhornstone on 28 March.

• Teal. Max count of only eight at Avon Dam on 18 Feb.

• Wheatear. The first was on Huntingdon Warren on 24 March.

• Willow Warbler. First song on 30 March near Lydia Bridge.

• Woodpigeon. About 30 heading NE past Brent Hill on 2 March were perhaps returning migrants.

• NON-BIRDS. First Hares seen since last year, one near Bloody Pool and one on Brent Hill, both on 25 Feb.  Brimstone, peacock, red admiral and small tortoiseshell butterflies seen in flight before the end of March.
   

Records provided by Nicky Cozens, Phil Dean, Paul Edginton, Mike Goss, Paul Heatley, Kerry Honnor, Laurette Guest, Chris & Andy Morgan, Peter Reay, Dave Scott and Doug King Smith.

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