Quick trip to Lemsford Springs.

 With very little time to spare, Jimmy and I decide to head up the A1(m ) to the small reserve in Hertfordshire, Lemsford Springs.    

A reported Jacksnipe was the aim. It took us 40 minutes to reach the springs in Welwyn Garden City. 

We really were on the clock and were pleased to find the entrance gate open for us.

It's only a few minutes' walk to the first hide; it had a few birders in there, but they were very accommodating and made room on the bench for an old boy, much appreciated.

One Jacksnipe was in the middle of the water, right in front of the hide, to give us great views of it.

We only spent 15 minutes watching it before we headed back to the car, probably the shortest time we have ever spent on a birding trip. 

We were told that two more Jacksnipes were seen at the second hide, but not as good a view as we got from the first hide. On the way home, it's reported that there are now five Jacksnipe being seen. A very quick year tick, but well worth the effort. 

Also seen while there were some Green Sandpipers, Grey Wagtails, and Common Snipe.

    

                                                        

                                                                 

                                                                            

                                                                           

                                                              

New year list off and running.

With Brian under the weather on New Year's Day, we had to wait until January 2nd, when we set off for Abberton, which is only an hour away from home, just in case Brian was still feeling a bit under the weather and it's not too far to drive home.

On arrival, just after 8am, we spot the 3 Bean Geese in a field with the Greylags just before the causeway. At the causeway, 2 Little Stints are seen, Green Sandpiper, Goosander, Black-necked & Salvonian Grebe, and a Marsh Harrier flies overhead.

A look over the road reveals a Rock Pipit and a perched Kingfisher, always a nice sight to see.

White-fronted Geese are seen opposite Billet's farm.

A drive round to Lodge Lane, where Jimmy soon picks out the Lesser Scaup, and we see Greenfinch, Song Thrush, Mistle, Redwing, and Fieldfare. Some of the birds were in a large garden down the Lane, and as we were looking, a fellow who lives there invited us to look round the back of the house, where he had fantastic views over the area and the reservoirs. 

Although we never added to the tick list, it was greatly appreciated.

Back to the causeway, we pick up a few more ticks and then pop into Ardleigh reservoir and tick the Red-necked Grebe so easily, as it was the only bird on there.

On the 3rd Jan, we head off to St Albans, a nice, easy trip as it is only 30-odd minutes to get there.

A Yellow-browed Warbler was the aim, and we found it within 10 minutes in Verulamium Park, just by the Cathedral. We spent over an hour watching the Warbler feeding on the leaves and not troubled by us at all. Nuthatch, Goldcrest, and Grey Wagtail are seen.

Not far away is the lovely little Watercress reserve. Here we get Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch & Siskin. So, a nice start to our birding year. So, without going too far from home, and with 13 ticks seen in my own garden, my year total is not too bad at 87. 

                                                        

 

Grey Phalarope over KGV Reservoir.

A 9am call from Brian to say he was heading over to the KGV Res as a Phalarope had been reported there, we all needed one for a year tick, so we arranged to meet him over there.  

It's local to us and only takes 15 minutes despite the 20-mile-an-hour traffic through Chingford. As we park up, Harry is on the way back from seeing the bird. He tells us the Phalarope had moved down to the southeast corner of the south basin.

Brian was already down there watching the bird; this is only a short walk from the car park along the top end of the reservoir. The walk got even shorter when Brian was heading back towards us, as the bird had flown up to meet us and landed not far away near the edge of the water.

We get a really good view of what turned out to be a Grey Phalarope, not as reported a Red Phalarope.

Always nice to see Harry and other local birders when we visit here, and meet a new birder in Richard, who was the one to find the bird. 

                                                                  

The Grey Phalarope.

Brown Shrike in Suffolk gives me another lifer.

After missing out on the trip to Spurn on Wednesday for the Black-faced Bunting that Brian & Jimmy went for. I was glad when this Brown Shrike popped up on Birdguides around  9am this morning. A phone call to Brian to see if he could make the trip gets a thumbs-up reply, and to meet up at 10 o'clock. 

We arrive at Heath Rd, Upper Hollesley, Common in Suffolk, around noon, and we find a fair number of cars parked up, but we manage to get parked just off the main Road by Gobblecock Cottage and see a small crowd of birders lined up on the other side of the Road. 

We soon get talking to a local birder, who tells us the Shrike has been seen on & off over the last hour.  We didn't have to wait long before Jimmy and I had another lifer. It was really nice for Jimmy, as he had dipped this species on two other occasions.  I was with him on one of those trips, so a big high five on getting this tick.

Over the next couple of hours, we had great views of the Brown Shrike, although it never came close enough to get great photos.

A nice little twitch not too far from home, and nice to see John P and Howard. along with some other known faces.  It's been a while since we have been out birding together, so this was great to do this trip and to get to see this cracking 1st winter Brown Shrike. I was told the first for Suffolk.                      

                                               

Brown Shrike

                                                                                

Black Stork, Zitting Cisticola, in Suffolk. one lifer.

Brian couldn't make the trip yesterday when the news came on Bird News that a Zitting Cisticola had been seen in Suffolk.  

So we decided to go today, we meet up at 3am, Jimmy and I needed the Black Stork that has been seen at Boyton Marshes RSPB over the last few days, so we headed there so that if news came out on the Cisticola, we are near enough to shoot there, it being only 24 miles away.

Brian had already seen it a few days ago, so it was nice of him to walk the really long walk down to the dyke by the river path where he had seen the bird. It is 5am now.

This walk went on and on for about 2 miles, not nice, but we got a great reward when the Stork was spotted and gave us wonderful close views. It is only the second one I've seen; the first was seen at Frampton a few years ago. 

Just before 7am, news comes out that we were waiting for, which sees us rushing off to Warberswick in the hope of seeing another lifer.  

We arrive and face another longish walk along a pebble beach, on its own, not too bad, but after the first long hike, it was a leg ache for sure. 

Again, we got our reward when we met a small group of fellow birders and heard the first call of Zit Zit Zit. Then, over the next hour, we get quick flight views of the Zitting Cisticola as it flew up and down in front of us, not the greatest, but we get the bins on the bird and we have another lifer.

Black Stork

  

Dipped Song Sparrow so had a great day at Bempton Cliffs

Brian phoned late Tuesday morning. Do we want to head up to Thornwick for a lifer Song Sparrow? Jimmy and I are in two minds, and Brian is unsure, so we decided to wait until the next morning.  

We set out at 4am and arrive at Bempton around 8am There is no report of the Sparrow,  we 

Decided to visit the cliffs in the hope that the Song Sparrow would be refound, and we are only minutes away if that happens.

As soon as we are parked up, we spot many Tree sparrows, and as we walk down to the sea, a Barn Owl gives a good display.

Once we overlook the cliffs, hundreds of seabirds are flying around and nesting on the cliffs: Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, and the wonderful Gannets.

We spend a few hours watching the fantastic spectacle this place offers, all the time watching for news of the lifer up the road, sad to say, looks like the bird had flown over night, so a bad dip, and next time, drop everything if possible and go there and then. 

We leave Bempton around lunchtime and head back down the A1 and stop off at Welbeck.

A few birders were already there, and we spent 2 hours looking for a Honey Buzzard without any showing. One of the fellows had been here since 9am and was still there when we left at 4 PM without seeing one. While here we do get to tick a Quail in the field opposite.

A little detour to Rutland gets us Osprey at Manton Bay, 2 adults with 2 chicks in the nest.

                                                                     

                                                                        

                                                                  

Puffin

   

                                                                      

Razobill

                                                                       

                                                                           

Treesparrow

                                                                      

Fulmar

                                                                

Gannet

White winged black Tern. Fen Drayton.

We hear of a White winged black Tern at Fen Drayton in Cambridge, Brian is free, and I have a few hours before picking up two of my grandchildren, 

So we meet up and head up to Cambridge on the M11; it's an hour's drive, so not a long trip.

We park and meet up with a local birder, who walks with us to Drayton Lake, where the bird had been spotted. 

As we arrive, we are told the bird had flown to the other lake, so off we go to find it, but as we head over there, we get about halfway when we are told it had flown back to the first lake.

Back at the lake, we get to see the Tern within minutes. It flies up and down the lake, and we get great views, but it never comes close to the bank.

We spent some time watching the  Tern before heading off to look for the reported Turtle Dove

But it never showed, and I don't think it was found on the day. Only one tick for the day, but a nice little trip with the time we had.

                                                                  

                                                       

 The White winged Black Tern, as near as it got to us.