Trip reports

Coach trip to Gibraltar Point NNR

Sunday, 18 November 2007

Two or three times a year the RSPB Hitchin and Letchworth and RSPB Stevenage local groups combine to enjoy a day out to a (reasonably) local reserve. The weather forecast was poor, but fifty intrepid souls took a chance and were rewarded with a dry, albeit cloudy day out at Gibraltar Point (although we did run into sleet and snow on the way back!). Birdwatching highlights started with a Brambling using the birdfeeders at the visitor centre as we arrived and continued with views of Pomarine Skua chasing gulls on the sea and later two "ringtail" Hen Harriers coming in to roost nearby. In all, 85 species of bird were seen on the trip and these are listed below.

Avocet, blackbird, brambling, reed bunting, chaffinch, coot, cormorant, crow, curlew, red-throated diver, collared dove, ruddy duck, tufted duck, dunlin, dunnock, little egret, fieldfare, gadwall, gannet, black-tailed godwit, goldcrest, goldfinch, brent goose, canada goose, greylag goose, great crested grebe, little grebe, greenfinch, guillemot, black-headed gull, common gull, greter black-backed gull, herring gull, lesser black-backed gull, hen harrier, heron, jackdaw, jay, kestrel, kingfisher, knot, lapwing, linnet, magpie, mallard, merlin, red-breasted merganser, moorhen, oystercatcher, red-legged partridge, pheasant, feral pigeon, wood pigeon, pintail, meadow pipit, golden plover, grey plover, ringed plover, pochard, redshank, redwing, robin, rook, sanderling, common scoter, shelduck, shoveller, pomarine skua, snipe, house sparrow, sparrowhawk, starling, stonechat, mute swan, teal, mistle thrush, blue tit, great tit, turnstone, pied wagtail, water rail, wigeon, greater spotted woodpecker, wren, yellowhammer.