A day by day log of bird sighting on Blow's Downs for spring 2004

16/03/04 - Log opened for this spring.
16/03/04 - Common Stonechat, 1 male & 2 females in Paddocks.
17/03/04 - Common Stonechat, 5
17/03/04 - Northern Wheatear, 9
18/03/04 - nil to report
19/03/04 - nil to report
20/03/04 - nil to report
21/03/04 - One male Northern Wheatear on the slope above the paddocks at 16:15
22/03/04 - 1 Northern Wheatear in The Paddocks
22/03/04 - min of 18 Northern Wheatear on the Model Aircraft field adj to Twentynine Wood.
23/03/04 - nil to report
24/03/04 - 1 Northern Wheatear in The Paddocks
25/03/04 - 1 Northern Wheatear in The Paddocks
25/03/04 - 1 Greylag Goose flew over (3rd site record)
26/03/04 - nil to report
27/03/04 - nil to report
28/03/04 - 1 northern Wheatear in The Paddocks (male)
29/03/04 - Woodcock flew east along the escarpment at 8am
30/03/04 - nil to report
31/03/04 - nil to report
01/04/04 - nil to report
02/04/04 - male Northern Wheatear on Paddocks @ 17:00
02/04/04 - Swallow over site
03/04/04 - nil to report
04/04/04 - nil to report
05/04/04 - nil to report
06/04/04 - nil to report
07/04/04 - nil to report
08/04/04 - nil to report
09/04/04 - nil to report
10/04/04 - Northern Wheatear (male) in Paddocks
10/04/04 - 1st Willow Warblers on site (2)
10/04/04 - 1 Brambling flew over
10/04/04 - 100+ Meadow Pipits on model airfield (Caddington)
11/04/04 - nil to report
12/04/04 - Northern Wheatear - 1 male on the brow of the slope above Kingsbury Avenue
12/04/04 - Blackcap - 1 singing from the paddocks scrub
12/04/04 - Willow Warbler - 1 or poss 2 singing in the chalk pit
12/04/04 - Swallow - 1 flew over chalk pit.
13/04/04 - nil to report
14/04/04 - Common Redstart, male, early am Paddocks Slope then Kingsbury slope above Jeans Way. I or another later at east end of Kingsbury Slope
15/04/04 - nil of note reported
16/04/04 - Ring Ouzel, male, Kingsbury Slope by rusty bench
16/04/04 - Common Whitethroat S end of site (1st of year)
17/04/04 - Northern Wheatear, 4
17/04/04 - Fieldfare, 4
17/04/04 - Swallow, 6 flew through
18/04/04 - Nil to report
19/04/04 - Northern Wheatear, 1 on hedge at the end of the plateau
20/04/04 - Black Redstart, briefly seen on Griffin Golfcourse
20/04/04 - Northern Wheatear, 13 around Griffin Golfcourse
21/04/04 - Northern Wheatear, 3 on Paddocks Slopes
22/04/04 - Ring Ouzel, Griffin Golf Course driving range
22/04/04 - Common Redstart, 1 male in Paddocks, 1 male on the slope just west of the chalk pit
22/04/04 - Black Redstart, imm on Griffin Golf Course
22/04/04 - Northern Wheatear, 40+ around the site
22/04/04 - Turtle Dove, 1st report of one back on site
23/04/04 - Common Redstart, Male near the first pylon south of Half Moon Lane, female still around the golf course hedges - very elusive
23/04/04 - Ring Ouzel, male still on Golf course driving range with several Northern Wheatear
23/04/04 - Lesser Whitethroat, One singing from the belt of scrub 100yds up the paddocks slope from the green lane
24/04/04 - Ring Ouzel, male still on Golf course driving range with 8 Northern Wheatear
25/04/04 - Ring Ouzel, 2 males in Chalk Pit at 08:00, also 1 on slope.
25/04/04 - Northern Wheatear, 7 still on site
25/04/04 - Whinchat, male on Griffin Golf Course driving range
26/04/04 - Northern Wheatear, 2 on Griffin Golf course driving range
27/04/04 - nil of note reported
28/04/04 - nil of note reported
29/04/04 - nil of note reported
30/04/04 - nil of note reported
01/05/04 - nil of note reported
02/05/04 - Whinchat - 3 on Paddocks
02/05/04 - Northern Wheatear - 1 female on Paddocks, 7 on Model Aircraft Field
02/05/04 - Sedge Warbler - at least 2 singing on site (migrants)
02/05/04 - Hobby - 1 through
02/05/04 - Common Buzzard - 3 sightings of probably the same bird
02/05/04 - Swallow - a steady northerly movement
03/05/04 - WRYNECK - 1 seen early evening by railway track just W of Jean's Way alley.

In light of the fact that many of this year's sightings have come from the area of the Griffin golf course, please remember than this is a private area and we are not entitled to wander there. As it happens there are public footpaths from which most of the site can be seen and, to date, the golfers are more interested in our activities than irritated by them. We want this to continue and would ask all birders to behave accordingly.

It should be obvious to all that to stray into areas where you render yourself liable to be hit with a golf ball (pretty much anywhere on a golf course) will do no good to either your physical well-being or golfer's tolerance of birdwatchers.

PLEASE IF YOU VISIT THE SITE DO NOT GO INTO THE PADDOCKS EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THE FENCES HAVE BEEN BROKEN DOWN. IT DISTURBS THE BIRDS AND WILL RUIN YOUR CHANCES OF SEEING THEM. THERE ARE PATHS ROUND THE PADDOCKS AND ONE THAT PASSES THROUGH, PLEASE KEEP TO THEM.

Bird Log for spring 2004 on Blow's Downs