Black-Throated Diver at Scotney GPs

Brian has a day off & we get a call to meet in 15 minutes to head off to Kent,no particular reason just to see what we can find but Hen Harrier would be nice & looking for Barn Owl at Capel Fleet is always a nice way to spend a few hours.
Looking out from the mound we spot at least 15 Marsh Harrier flying or sitting in the field but no Hen Harrier seen.
The place is alive with hundreds of Starlings feeding on the ground & all along the wires & the bushes looked like Starling trees, flocks of Corn Bunting fly about as well.
We head off to Scotney GPs in the hope that the Black-Throated Diver was still about, it only took about 5 minutes to answer that when Jimmy picks it out & it dives & comes up not to far away from us. A year tick for both Jimmy & I so pleased about that.
Of course we pop into Dunge & get another look at the Ring-Necked Duck we had seen last week.
Looking for the Tree Sparrows by the entrance it seemed that none were about, then we spot them round the left side of the house where another feeder had been put up & it was shielded from the wind so a lot of the Sparrow were sitting in the bushes round that side.
A drive down to the visitor centre to buy an easy clean bird feeder & we have to have a quick look at the Long-eared Owl just outside the centre.
Now it's off up to the beach to get blown about for no real return as it is very quite bird wise.
Before we head home it's back to Capel Fleet to watch the Harriers come into roost.
Once again we see loads of Marsh Harrier & get lucky when a Hen Harrier flies into roost but still no Barn Owl, we drive up & down the track & get to see our only Barn Owl of the day, we sit & watch it fly about until the light starts to fade.

Black-Throated Diver

Dipper at Bassingbourn Cambs.

Checking the weather, today was going to be the best day to head to the Cambridge Herts border in the hope of picking up the Dipper that has been around since April.
It's an hour trip of about 40 miles on the A10 & we reach Bassingbourn around 7.30.
Jimmy had got some info from a couple of people on twitter & that made it easy for us to find the stream & we get parked just across the road from the bridge on Brook Rd then it's only a few yards to find the stream & we get lucky when after just a few minutes the Dipper is spotted sitting on a low branch & then dropping into the water to give a great view.
With no Scotland or Wales trips this year this is a bonus for us to find one this close to home.

                                                                     

The Dipper

Dungeness in the wind.

The boys & I had been lucky enough to see the Forester's Tern yesterday afternoon so with not to much about we head off to the old favourite of ours despite the that fact we knew it was going to be a nasty sort of day with storm Angus hitting the Kent coast. Dungeness really was blowing a fierce gale, we took a lot longer to get there & never arrived  till 8 am.
First port of call was the pool by Boulderwall Farm just past the entrance to the reserve, a Ring-necked Duck was reported & Brian still needed one for a year tick.
The car was being buffeted about & to open the car doors was really hard to do with the wind really gusting, so we pulled the car closer to the pool & picked out the Duck without to much trouble & we also managed to spot the Cattle Egret following the cows around the field, not needed by any of us for a tick but a photo had to be taken & with the wind blowing the cameras about it was never going to be great.The Ring-necked Duck was being bounced about in the strong waves but it was showing well.
Next up we make a silly decision to head up to the boats by the beach & we are blown about all over the place, holding onto the scopes really tightly we scan the sea but apart from many flocks of C Scoter & the same amount of Cormorants a few Gannets, G C Grebes, Kittiwakes, a couple of Divers, nothing much was happening, so it's off to look at the Gulls to see if there is anything special about, but not today despite giving it a lot of time looking.
Heading home now & on the way we spot a few Bewick Swans amongst some Mute Swans I always like to see them. Later we spot a Buzzard feeding on the ground & that means trying to get a photo of it.

Cattle Egret

The Buzzard after it flew into the trees

Being bounced around Ring-necked Duck

Forster's Tern at Mistley for a lifer

Just watching the end of the Man utd Arsenal match when Jimmy comes down stairs with a text from Brian, do we want to try for the first winter Forster's Tern at Mistley  in Essex, 10 minutes later we are in the car heading up the A12.
It's coming up to 2. 30 so we hope the light holds for us as it's 60 miles away & it's not the brightest of days.
When we arrive on the Quay there are only two other birders present & we are told that the bird was still about but had just flown further out over the Bay & was lost to sight, not looking good for us.
By now birders were arriving in numbers & we all got rewarded when Jimmy calls that the bird is in his scope & heading straight towards us, it flies right in then turns right to give us a good side view.
We hang about until the light goes but it's the only sighting we get, so not a long view but a good one.
I am told this is only the 2nd Essex tick & the first Suffolk tick which pleased a few people around us.This is a lifer for all three of us & a right unexpected one at that.
And some how Arsenal got a very undeserved equaliser to earn a draw so a very good afternoon for us all.

Another Lifer in Norfolk.

A bonus trip to Norfolk with Brian having a couple of days off work to celebrate his 53rd birthday & that is also a great bonus that at times we never thought he would see, so every one of his birthdays is special to us all.
We arrive at Cley beach at 7 45 am & scan the sea for two hours & we see loads of Common Scoter passing through along with Red-throated Diver, the odd Gannet & some Long-Tailed Ducks swim close in to the beach,5 Eider Ducks fly past both Jimmy & myself needed them for a year tick, then a real bonus for me when a Little Auk flies close in for a great view, just the one as it turns out but that is another Lifer for me so a good start to the day for us.
Now we head off in search off some Waxwings that are being reported all over the place & we will be a bit miffed if we go home without seeing any.
We want to find some ourselves so the first port of call is Burnham Norton & we are rewarded as soon as we arrive when we see over twenty Waxwing sitting on the wires & in a large tree.
They sit out so we can get the camera on them but the light is really bad not that really makes a lot of difference with the way I take photos but still I try my best.
After we have our fill of the Waxwings it's off to Titchwell to get a coffee & a sausage roll, we never intended to walk the reserve but change our mind & walk up to the beach & that turns out to be a good move when 3 Velvet Scoter are picked out floating on the sea to give Jimmy & myself another year tick & we meet a couple of nice fellows to talk birding with while on the beach.
So a great day birding with the boys but it's getting dark now so it's off home.

Some of the Waxwings

                                                                           
                                                                                 

Set out for one lifer ended up with two in Norfolk.

Jimmy & I set off just after 5 am & head  up to Burnham Overy in the hope of getting a lifer in the Isabelline Wheatear that Brian got yesterday & had been around for a couple of days.
We hope the bird has hung around for another day, when we arrive we just about get the car parked off the road & as we start the long walk the pager tells us that the bird had been seen,so only 20 minutes away from another lifer.
We join a small group & they had seen the bird but it had just flown over the back & out of sight, so it's a case of just waiting & after 20 minutes the Isabelline Wheatear returns & we get some great views of this little beauty.It walks about feeding & it doesn't seem to bothered with the group watching it.
 So a lifer for both of us & as we scan the bushes I get a real bonus when a Radde's Warbler shows well sitting out on the side of the bush, Jimmy had already got one this year on a trip that I never went on so another lifer for me. Now we walk to the Western end of gun hill to look for the Desert Wheatear that had also been here for a few days. When we arrive a large group  already had the Desert Wheatear in they scopes, it was over the other side of the water running about on the sand along with the Isabelline  that had flown down  from where we had first seen it.
They are a long way over but we get great scope views as they run up & down the sand & some times the Desert Wheatear sits up on a log but to far away for my camera to capture any thing.
We hear that a couple of Waxwings had been seen at Burnham Norton, so we head off & find the place & meet the fellow that put it out & he tells us where to head to see them.
We walk a short way to the sluice gate & scan all the bushes but after an hour we give up & leave without any sign of them. Also seen 2 White fronted geese amongst a large flock of Brent, several Egyptian geese also seen walking about with them, a large flock of Pink foot are over the back of the same field. Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, loads of Oyster catcher along with loads of waders while watching the Wheatears.
So off home with 3 ticks 2 of them lifers so a good trip.

Isabelline Wheatear

Jimmy in the line watching the Desert Wheatear

Ring-necked Duck Wilstone Reservoir

Jimmy & I decide to head to Tring to look for a reported Ring-necked Duck seen late last night, so we set off around 6 am & arrive just before 7 am, we had to wait for the light to come up so sat in the car for 20 minutes or so & then walked up the steps & headed round to cemetery corner scanning the water as we go.
Loads & loads of stuff on the reservoir we see a few Grey Wagtails on the edge also 1 Rock Pipit, a couple of Water Rail are seen over the back in the reeds, a Jack Snipe was also seen by a fellow that had joined us but we never saw it.
After 2 hours of scanning we are about to give up & look round the other side, I give one last look in the corner & bingo I pick the Duck out & get Jimmy to get the scope on it to confirm it & yes we have another year tick. So a nice little trip not to windy & near to home.
                                                                 

Ring-necked Duck

Long way but what a beauty in Yorkshire S Accentor

Met up with Brian at 4am for the long drive to East Yorkshire, on the way we encounter some fog patches but we make good progress & after 3, 1/2 hours we are only 8 miles away from Easinton when the pager comes into life & the first bird to show is our target bird.
Feeling that we are only about 10 minutes away from another lifer we arrive in Easinton to be met by some local volunteers who point us in the right direction, round the corner & down the road to be meet by more volunteers who see us into the car park, it's just a short walk back up the road to Vicars Lane that has been shut off to traffic by the police, at the top of the road more volunteers who I must say all did a fantastic job a very big thank you to them all.
We do not have to wait in line & head to the fence where we see the Siberian Accentor feeding on insects & walking about showing very well down by the yellow skip.So a long way but what a lifer to get.We have our feel of the bird before it flies off over the road & is a lot harder to see now so it's time to head off.
We head up to the car park at Kilnsea & just a few yards onto the beach we get good views of a Shore lark, not needed for a tick but always nice to see one.
 The weather is not looking good & rain is on the way, the pager tells us a Pallas's Warbler is up the road in the pub car park, so off we head & find loads off birders gathered looking for it.
The rain is getting a bit heavy now & it's not looking good for us to find the bird, but find it we did & I tick another year tick.

Add caption

Off home now as the weather is now rotten but on the way we find a flock of Tundra Bean Geese I am the only one needing these for a year tick so pleased about that as I am well down on numbers this year.

Kilnsea Shore lark

The Siberian Accentor

Again Accentor

Hard to take

I had been down with a nasty bit of flu this week, I phone Brian to let him know I am still not fit enough to go out on Sunday & he tells me he will be going up the east coast as this is the day to be in that area & sure to get some more year ticks.
I sit about in doors watching all the birds coming on bird guides feeling sorry for myself & cursing my luck.
When Jimmy gets home he has picked up 3 year ticks one being a lifer, it's the same for Brian so well pleased for them. They find a lifer at Holkham in a Radde's Warbler & a couple of year ticks with a few Yellow-browed Warbler's & then they round it off with a Dusky Warbler at Cromer plus a few others that they didn't need for a tick.
He then tells me that they had to walk some long paths for a couple of miles some of them in the wrong direction & also they got an absolute soaking for their troubles, so it would have been a really bad decision if I had been silly & gone with them.
The year started so well with loads of ticks & some lifers & then it is put on hold for weeks when I have my  knee replacement, I just get back into the swing of things & hope to put a few more ticks on the list when Mr flu bug pays a visit. I must of been in my twenties the last time I had real flu so I really should count my blessings but we never look at life like that & I hate the fact that I have just missed another lifer, Well roll on next week & hope that the last legs of this flu bug goes away & I can get out & do some ticking again.

Long trip to Alkborough pays off with Swamphen.

It's 4 0'clock & I am tucked up in bed when a text from Brian wakes both Jimmy & I to tell us to meet him in half an hour if we want to finally go an look for the Western Swamphen at Alkborough flats in Lincolnshire, of course we don't turn that offer down & we meet up just a little bit later than planned & head off on the near 200 mile journey.
We are the only car in the car park when we arrive at around 7.30, we have parked in the top park & that gives us a long walk to the first hide where the bird had been seen on Friday.
After more then 5 hours spent in the hide we have no sign of the Swamphen & we decide to head up to the gate above the horse paddocks but we stop at some steps just before we reach the gate & after 30 minutes Jimmy spots the target on the square pool as it heads round the triangle on the left side of the pool.
He gets Brian onto the bird but I miss out so I head up higher & get a very quick view as the bird comes into view once more, this turns out to be lucky as that is the last view that we get before we leave after a couple of hours. So I would of liked a better view of the bird but have to put up with the one I got & a tick's a tick after all.
While in the hide we are lucky enough to have 5 Spoonbill land on the pool in front of us & they stay awake on & off the whole time we are here.
Loads of stuff on the water to keep us amused while looking for Swampy,we see loads of Avocet &  ,Blackwit,  Greenshank,a fair few Spotted Redshank Ruff, &loads of other birds on a pretty full pool,Bearded Tits are in good numbers flying past the hide at regular intervals,a few Marsh Harriers are showing well over the back reeds. A  nice Hobby shows well over our heads with a catch after we leave the hide to round off a long day but well worth the long trip.

                                                                           

Three of the Spoonbill

Snipe in front of hide

Just some of the birds on the pool

Osprey in Herts for another year tick.

Just the two of us again today with Brian stuck at work & not needing an Osprey.
Setting off around 7 am it's just a little trip of 21 miles to Panshanger Park in Hertfordshire & once again we find the park without to much trouble, we park in a small car park that's free & we can see the lake as we start to walk over the field to look for the small hut with the Ash Tree near it, talking to a lady dog walker she tells us that the field at the right side of the lake is a no go area as some dogs had been getting to the sheep, so we take the left route & do a walk that turns out we really didn't have to do & it was a fair way for nothing as we find our self at the wrong lake.
On meeting a nice fellow birder who himself had found himself also at the same wrong lake as us.
The lady that told us the way to go had now caught up with us & tells us that Osprey Lake was the other lake & we need to head round the other side up a small hill & we can then look over the target lake as we walk round, as we head back down the hill we can see a small viewing platform & soon the little hut comes into view, as we look to the top we can see our car & we could of just walked straight down to the lake, so a real bum steer from the lady but she did stand & talk with us & was a very nice lady so no hard feelings.
We hang around with our new buddy named Jeff for the rest of the morning & by now a small group had arrived to look for the Osprey.
The first sighting we get of the bird is a distant one over the trees & high up but it looks like it's heading our way, it does come a bit closer but then we lose it behind the trees.
About an hour later our patience is rewarded when the Osprey flies around in front of us & heads right over our heads to give fantastic views to us all.
So three year ticks in the last week & two of them very near home that's not bad to keep the list moving.

                                                                       

Jimmy's photo of the Osprey

Pectoral Sandpiper S Woodham Ferrers

Just Jimmy & myself decide to try for a Pectoral Sandpiper  at Blue House Farm in Essex, it's only 34 miles away & for once we find the place with ease.
We park in the free car park & head off to find the first hide, it's a fairly long walk but not to bad & a birder on the way back tells us the bird is still around & points us in the right direction.
We enter the small hide to find 5 others already in there & we are put onto the bird straight away so a nice & easy tick. We get a great view of the bird probably our best view of a Pec.
Not to much else about just Ring Plover, a couple of Ruff, some Lapwing,1 Green Sandpiper, plenty of Pied Wagtails & 1 Yellow Wagtail dropped down in front of the hide. We have never been here before & find it a nice place to visit, the people in the hide were very friendly & we spend a good hour watching the Pec & having a good laugh.
So a year tick not to far from home on a nice warm day, well pleased we decided to go for the bird.
There are 2 other hides to visit but one of the birders tells us there is not much around & it will be a long walk for not much reward tick wise, so we head back to the car & off for home.

                                                                       

Pectoral Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper at Reculver plus nice day at Dungeness.

The three of us meet up at 5am &set of for Reculver, we park up at 6.30 & start the long walk down to the Lagoon where the Baird's had been seen on Saturday.
This is a good test for the new knee being the first really long walk since being back on the scene & despite dragging a bit behind the boys it's no problem.
We have our fingers crossed that the bird had stayed over night & with nobody coming back as we walk down we are not to sure, when we arrive a few birders were on the scene & the bird is there we are pleased to be told.
The Baird's was happy to walk about on the other side of the bank with a couple of Dunlin & a Little Stint.
We watch it for a couple hours & despite many more birders arriving & loads of bikers & dog walkers going past the bird is not disturbed.
So after having had our feel of the Baird's we head back on the long walk to the car, on the beach we find many many Ringed Plover, some Sandling, the odd Turnstone,one Wheatear also seen, then 3 Whimbel fly up to give Brian & Jimmy a year tick.
It's still early so we have to make a decision to either go to Oare or Dungeness & as always Dunge wins.
The plan is to drive down Galloways to look for Whinchat & Wheatear & maybe a Pied Flycatcher.
The first two we see many off but not a single Flycatcher despite at least six trips up & down the road.
A trip down to the lighthouse area is a waste of time as the place is swarming with day trippers
& I don't think we saw any birds but we never got out of the car so we never really deserved to see much.
Before we head home it's a quick drive down to the track to the Visitor centre but not much doing so it's off home.

As we leave just like last week a friendly Kestrel poses for some camera work.

And one last bird on the way home when we see a Buzzard sitting on a post for another chance to use the camera.

Baird's Sandpiper

Buzzard

Lesser Yellowlegs at Vange

A text to Brian at 5 pm to see if he wanted to head to Vange for the Yellowlegs,back comes the reply if you are driving it's on so 15 minutes later I pull up at Brian's & we are on the way.
Only 30 miles away but at that time the roads are busy & a broken down car in the middle lane the M 25 slows us down & we don't arrive till about 6 30.
As we pull into Chestnut rd we are lucky enough to see Dave B just as he was leaving & he confirms the bird is still there & gives us a tip to head round to the side as the bird is tucked in the reeds & we will get a better view from there, that turns out to be a good tip as we pass some birders & they didn't have the bird.
We soon pick out the target bird & it comes out from time to time to give great scope views for the whole hour that we stayed.
Also seen Ruff, Redshank, Green Sandpipers, Black-Tailed Godwits, some Little Egrets.
So a good little trip to take me up to 230 ticks for the year, this is well down on last year but with me being out of action due to the new knee & no Scotland & Wales trips this year not to bad a total & I also missed out on the Palled Harrier that the boys got as I decided to stay at home that day, I had been six times for that bird & the one day I can't go they get it, sometimes life is not fair.

4 Year ticks at Dungeness & Oare.

Up & out by 5 am & arrive at Dungeness with Brian & Jimmy at 6.30 am, really nice to find the hide on the beach open & only one person inside, there's a fairly strong wind blowing so nice to to get inside & even better to get to sit down & scope the sea for a couple of hours.
We pick out 3 year ticks here when 2 Balearics pass by followed by a couple of Manx Shearwater & some Arctic Skua.
Also seen plenty of Gannet, a few Scoter the odd Fulmar, Black,Common,& Sandwich Tern all help to make it a very pleasant couple of hours.
We decide to head off to Oare to look for a Curlew Sandpiper that would be a  year tick for all of us.As we leave we think we see a Honey Buzzard but had nowhere to pull over to confirm it, but later one comes out on the pager, so we can't add to our year list but it seems likely that it was the bird that we had seen.
The water level is really good today & the east flood is full of birds & the place is really busy with many people enjoying what was now a very warm sunny day.
Our target bird is picked out after only being here a few minutes & we see at least five more Curlew Sandpipers.
Three Little Stint, a Spotted Redshank,many Golden Plover, Black-Tailed Godwit everywhere you looked, Avocet,Redshank,Dunlin,Ruff, Knot,Turnstone, 1 Greenshank, 1 Yellow Wagtail,1 Kingfisher,1 Water Rail,& before we leave over 20 Ringed Plover drop in.Before we leave the Bonaparte's Gull is picked out, with hardly any black left to see on the hood it's a good effort to pick it out with the amount of Gulls on show today.
So a good morning that we hope to round off with a visit to Elmley but on arrival we find it all as dry as a bone with not a single bird to see.
Great to get out & see the year list moving again.

Kestrel at Dunge photo from inside the car

Thank God for Brian's camera

Nice morning at Minsmere.

I spent a nice morning with the boys walking around Minsmere. The aim was to try to see the Honey Buzzard that had been seen a few times over the last few days in the area.
We start off  walking anti clockwise & stop to look form the hide just in case the Western Swamphen had shown up after not having been seen on Saturday, sad to say we see no sign of it but that was what we expected so not to much of a disappointment & worth a look as you never know.
On the scrape we see Common & Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover,Dunlin, Godwits, Avocets,many Sand Martins speeding about all making it a nice pleasant morning with the sun starting to really warm up.
A walk round to the sluice area gets us a single Wheatear that stayed about for some time for some photo opportunities.the Swallows were entertaining us & a Kingfisher showed up to add some nice colour.
A walk round to the next hide gets Jimmy & I a year tick when about 10 Little Gulls are seen on the back of the scrape along with over 20 Spotted Redshank also a Greenshank seen.
With no news of the Swampy we set off in search of the Honey Buzzard.
We head down a long winding narrow road until we reach a clearing & find a few cars already parked up & looking for the Buzzard, it had been seen very early on but we spend over two hours scanning the sky & it never showed for us, it was now a fairly breezy morning & that didn't help.
While here I do pick out a Spotted Fly & a tree Pipit to help with the year ticks.
While here we meet up with a couple that we have not seen for a couple of years so a good old catch up, memo to self really must ask people for a their name.
So no Honey Buzzard & no Swampy but over all a really nice morning birding.


                                                             

Wheatear

                                                                                 

                                                                       

Back on the move with White Stork ( Lifer )

Nice to get out early 4 30 am for the short trip to Hackbridge it's only 30 miles from home but we don't arrive till around 6 am. The White Stork has been around all week, so not being able to go earlier we hope it has stayed around for us today.
Jimmy had got some info from Alex as to where to park & it worked well as we found the tile shop on London Rd,then walked down a narrow public footpath on Mile Rd for about 5 minutes that opens up looking over the main lake.
Now do we go left or right, I see a couple of Herons looking to our left so we scope that way & bingo the Stork is right there, so another lifer for both of us & we have only been here for a minute that's good going. It's a long way off for my camera & looking through a wire fence but not a bad record shot for me.
A text to Brian to tell him we had our bird & on he's text back he tells me not to head back home at that time of day as we will just sit in traffic & to head to Oare marsh instead for the Bonaparte's Gull.
It sounds silly as it's 60 miles away but we decide to go & we make good time.
Once there we scan the East flood that is full of Black headed Gulls & a large group of Golden Plovers we also see Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Dunlin,Godwits,but no sign of the target bird.

So we head down to the boat ramp for a quick scan before heading off & manage to pick out the Bonaparte's on the creek, so a good bonus year tick for us & silly I know but we got a year tick with the Ruff as well.

White Stork 

Dipped but nice to be out birding again.

Up early to meet up with Brian at 5 am to head to St Osyth for last nights reported Woodchat Shrike.

That is a change of plan as we were going to Oare marsh for the Bonaparte's for a year tick but the St Osyth bird will be a lifer for both Jimmy & myself so that's where we head.

Just a single birder standing on the corner of the bend half way along Wigborowick Lane when we arrive at around 6 am, parking up he tells us that he has not seen the bird but had only been here for a short while.

So full of hope we start to scan all the way along the lane, plenty of Whitethroat, Linnet,Corn Bunting, plus a Yellow Wagtail on the wires above us, later we get to see a Sparrowhawk buzzing around a Buzzard but no sign of the target bird.

By now more birders were arriving & a lot of people that we know so that helped not only to help looking but always nice to catch up with them for a good old talk. The time was getting on now & after about 4 hours & with Brian needing to get home to finish his D I Y we all start to drift off without any sign of the bird.

So how nice to get out with the boys once again I know we dipped but  you don't know how much you miss birding when you have to sit indoors with your leg up for over 7 weeks & it was a nice warm morning & not to long to get home. Even Brian never got the camera out this morning so no hope of a photo of anything from me.

Back birding at last with Common Rosefinch.

Seven long weeks of inactivity on the birding front after having a total Knee replacement on May 19th. Still not ready to go on long trips with long walks but with the Rosefinch only a few miles from home I am glad to give it a go.
Jimmy & I pull into the ice centre car park just after 9 o,clock & walk down the main track & we are now on Walthamstow marsh NR & keep walking down the path till we find the Anchor & Hope Public house, we see a gate opposite & see a birder who looked as if he might have the bird in sight.
On talking to him he tells us that the bird was around but he had lost it for a while, we do not have to wait to long before Jimmy picks the Rosefinch out at the top of a tree behind us, it is sitting out in the open & we get some cracking views in the scope.
I have only seen one Rosefinch before that was a few years ago in Tottenham & the view was only a flight view & was a female, this one being a male it is a nicer bird to see.
By now we have about 20 birders here & some were getting some good photos but I never got close enough to get my camera on the bird but it is just nice to get out birding again, I am still a few weeks away from being able to get out on long walks  but it,s a start.
No bird photos to show so I thought I would show what has keep me away from many new ticks over the last seven weeks.


                                                               

My new knee, hope it takes me to many more bird ticks.

Great Reed Warbler for another lifer.

Brian phones to meet up at 3.30 for a trip to bag a lifer in Cambridgeshire at Paxton pits NR.
It's about 60 miles away & we have a small hold up but not to bad, on arrival we meet a couple of fellows who guide us down to the right place to start searching for the Great Reed Warbler.It's a bit of a walk down to the Heronry Trail but it soon pays off for us.
It is heard as soon as we get there & calls the whole time we are here.
After a short while the bird shows but is deep in the reeds so we have to wait for it to climb up to the top of the reeds & we then have some fantastic views over the next hour of a cracking little bird.
On the way out we pick up a tick when we see a Turtle Dove fly by. We see & hear a few Nightingales as we watch the Warbler.
So a nice little bonus trip for two ticks one a good lifer.

                                                                           

Brian's photo

Franklin's Gull for another lifer.

Abberton Reservoir is our destination after Brian finished work at 12 o'clock on Saturday it's only an hour away , a small crowd were already lined up when we arrive & most had seen the Franklin's so looking good for us. We only have to wait 10 minutes or so before we get some great flight views of the bird as it circled around half way across the water to give Jimmy & I another lifer. It was easy to pick it out amongst the other Gulls once you got onto it.

So the lifers have started to roll for us at last this year after a slow start, also seen while here Arctic Tern plus Black Tern.

On now to Vange Marsh where a Red-footed Falcon was flying around & we pick it up as soon as we got there, we get some really great flight views & also get to see the bird sitting on top of some small trees to give us the best views we have ever had of a Red-footed Falcon.

Over the other side of the scrape a pair of Black-winged Stilt were showing well, so 2 year ticks for us here.
We spend a good couple of hours watching the Falcon before it was lost to sight, nice to see some local faces while here in particular Harry & friend as it seems a long time since we had seen them.

Western Bonelli's Warbler at Gibraltar point.

We set off at 4 am intending to go to Choseley for the Dotterell but  we change our minds & drive the 140 miles to Gibraltar point Lincolnshire in the hope that the Alpine Accentor had hung about over night.
About 40 or so birders were already here at 6 30, but it's not looking good with people already giving up the search down by the bird feeders & heading off, so not a good start to the day, after an hour or so the general opinion is the bird had gone, so it's back to the car to head off to Choseley when we see people running up the road in front of us, on asking what was going on we are told that a Bonelli's Warbler had been seen just up the road.
With the car parked up again we join a large group to search a Sycamore tree & get to hear it calling but with a lot of people saying that they had got it we are not sure it's our bird & some good birders around us feel the same. So feeling a bit down as two dips in a day is not good.
The warden then calls out that the bird was round the back of the car park, so we all shoot round & it's not long before we get some good views of another lifer for us, not the lifer we set out to get but really happy for this bird to save the day for us.
On arrival at Choseley drying barns we pull in just off the road by the bend & get to see over 20 Dotterell not to far into the field, the most I have ever seen in one go so well pleased to get a nice year tick here.
On now to Titchwell & pick out 2 Wood Sandpiper on the first scrape for another year tick, Geoff B tells us where to find the Temminck's Stint down by the first hide & we have no trouble in finding 2 along with Little Stint for two more ticks.On the way back a Whinchat sits up on a fence for another tick.
So five year ticks & a lifer gave us a long but happy day & we also picked out a Green Hairstreak for good measure.

                                                                 

Just a few of the Dotterell from distance

Hairstreak

3 ticks over the valley on a nice morning

On a nice warm morning Jimmy & I head off to Fishers Green & spend a nice 3 hours watching loads of small birds flitting about in the bramble.
We start off in the Bittern hide & soon see many Reed Warbler popping from reed to reed in front of the hide. We scan the trees in the hope of seeing a Hobby or two but not today.
Off to walk round to the brambles & soon find lots of Garden Warbler along with Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, a pair of Bullfinch show well.
A walk down to the weir gets us our first Swifts of the year when we see many flying over the water.
Three more ticks for the year gets me up to 201.

At last Lady Amherst's then another lifer Rufous Turtle Dove

With Brian still in Scotland Jimmy & I think it is about time that we had a go for the last Lady Amherst's Pheasant left in the the country.
We did try once last year but didn't like it much & found it hard to go back to spend hours looking at a small patch of grass in case the bird showed for a second or two. but off we go for one last try & arrive at Lidlington Beds at 6 o'clock & spend six hours just looking at said patch of grass with out any sign of the target.
We do hear it call at least three times but we can't leave it at that & come back the next day for what will really be our last try.
This time we roll up an hour earlier & hear the bird calling many times from the wooded area, it seems to be close but we can't see any sign of it.
Three hours later with a few more people looking we get a quick sighting at the bottom of the ridge, then it walks up the hill to give us a better view of it as it walks across the grass patch that we were all focusing on. So worth the effort after all. Nice to meet up with Geoff Busby again & also nice to meet some new faces while here.
So with one lifer in the bag we are up very early this morning to try for another as we head off to Otford in Kent for the Rufous Turtle Dove.
It's six o'clock when we arrive to be meet by at least 30 other birders & the first fellow we reach has the bird in his scope & lets us both get a look at it.
Jimmy gets his scope set up & we get a great view as it sits out in the open before dropping down into the garden & it stays out of sight for the next couple of hours.
More people arrive & then the bird is seen again but this time a lot deeper in the leaves making it a lot harder to find.Most people had trouble finding the bird & the couple of scopes that had found the right angle to see it were busy letting all those that hadn't seen it the chance to get a view, a really nice friendly crowd here today.
So only 2 ticks for the 3 days but both lifers make it a good weekend.