Blagdon Lake Birds
Summary of Year 2020
The covid-19 pandemic that led to the lake being closed from the end of March until June was the undoubted story of the year. As a consequence, birding was limited at that key time for Spring migrants. Nevertheless, the year turned up a reasonable variety of species, thanks in no small part to the low water level from late summer through to December. There is no doubt that Blagdon was the poor relation in terms of local rarities, compared with Chew Valley Lake and Cheddar Reservoir, but there were a few welcome sightings. The overwhelming disappointment of 2020 was the behaviour of (trespassing) visitors who descended on the site during and after the first lockdown, and then, to a lesser extent, for the remainder of the year. / to be continued
Site bird list year to 31st Dec. 2020:
Categories A, B and C
- Red-legged Partridge*
- Pheasant
- Canada Goose
- Greylag Goose
- Mute Swan
- Bewick's Swan
- Egyptian Goose
- Shelduck
- Garganey
- Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Wigeon
- Mallard
- Pintail
- Teal
- Red-crested Pochard*
- Pochard
- Tufted Duck
- Scaup
- Common Scoter
- Goldeneye
- Goosander
- Ruddy Duck
- Nightjar [Subject to acceptance by AOG Rarities Committee]
- Swift
- Cuckoo
- Feral Pigeon
- Stock Dove
- Woodpigeon
- Collared Dove
- Water Rail
- Moorhen
- Coot
- Little Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
- Slavonian Grebe
- Oystercatcher
- Avocet
- Lapwing
- Golden Plover*
- Ringed Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Turnstone
- Ruff
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Little Stint
- Snipe
- Common Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Redshank
- Wood Sandpiper
- Greenshank
- Black-headed Gull
- Little Gull
- Mediterranean Gull
- Common Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Yellow-legged Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Common Tern
- Arctic Tern
- Great Northern Diver
- Cormorant
- Little Bittern [Subject to acceptance by BBRC]
- Cattle egret
- Grey Heron
- Great White Egret
- Little Egret
- Osprey*
- Sparrowhawk
- Marsh Harrier
- Red Kite
- Buzzard
- Barn Owl
- Tawny Owl
- Kingfisher
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Green Woodpecker
- Kestrel
- Hobby
- Peregrine
- Jay
- Magpie
- Jackdaw
- Rook
- Carrion Crow
- Raven
- Coal Tit
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Skylark
- Sand Martin
- Swallow
- House Martin
- Cetti's Warbler
- Long-tailed tit
- Willow Warbler
- Chiffchaff
- Sedge Warbler
- Reed Warbler
- Blackcap
- Garden Warbler
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Whitethroat
- Goldcrest
- Wren
- Nuthatch
- Treecreeper
- Starling
- Blackbird
- Fieldfare
- Redwing
- Song Thrush
- Mistle Thrush
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Robin
- Whinchat
- Stonechat
- Wheatear
- House Sparrow
- Dunnock
- Grey Wagtail
- Pied Wagtail
- Meadow Pipit
- Rock Pipit
- Chaffinch
- Bullfinch
- Greenfinch
- Linnet
- Lesser Redpoll
- Goldfinch
- Siskin
- Reed Bunting
Categories D and E
- Bar-headed Goose
* species reported to me