Ferruginous Duck B N Grebe Bedfordshire

Jimmy's birthday today & he has to go to work,but mid morning the phone goes it's Jimmy & he has just worked himself half a day off, he Say's do I fancy going to Bedford for the Fudge Duck.
The answer is yes, so at noon we set off for the 61miles to Priory country park in Bedfordshire.
We turn into Barkers lane & park up, the lake is right in front of us, we scope the lake & find the target over the over side of the water in with a lot of Pochard.
As we walk round to get a better view the Black-necked Grebe comes into view, another 2 year ticks that's 136) up to now.
A nice walk round the lake to the hide where we scan for the Duck, but we think it has gone over to where we had come from,as a birder had his camera out & Jimmy thinks he's seen it again, so we walk back to the other side, & there it is showing very close in.
Photo's taken in very bad light, but really great view's for us.

Ferruginous Duck

A good trip with the target bird seen, so off home hopefully we will miss the traffic on the M25 car park as it's getting near to rush time.We do miss most of the heavy traffic & get home just after 5 o'clock, so well worth the trip, happy birthday Jim.                              
No Brian today as work gets in the way, but he managed to see them yesterday, so that's nice.

Out of focus but a record  anyway

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A bit of fun

waxwing in Chingford.plus trip to Therfield

My Sunday starts with a nice Goldcrest sitting on my patio,also 4 Redpoll on the feeder.
It gets to 10 o'clock when Jimmy calls out that Waxwings are in Chingford only a couple of miles from my house.
So off we go & find them straight away, 5 birds spotted in the treetop & dropping down to feed on some Berries in a garden, we take photos, then head home job done another year tick.
It is now 11 o'clock when Brian phones to say do we want to go to Therfield for the Great Grey Shrike.
Not knowing  where this is I ask how long to get there, I am told it's only about an hour away.
So dinner has to wait & off we go up the A10 it is only an hour to get there, but it takes a good hour to locate the right place to see the bird.It is called Icknield way.
We walk a very long way down a muddy trail & scan all the bushes, with the wind blowing a gale the bird is not going to come out today.
As we walk back we see over 50 Yellow Hammers.
Off home with no sighting of the target bird, nobody said it was easy, on the way down the A10 Jimmy spots 3 Grey Partridge in a field, Brian spins the car round to go back to make sure, they are indeed what Jimmy thought he saw, that's another year tick so great.Also seen 2 Red Kites, & 3 Buzzards spotted on the drive home.

This mornings birds

Waxwings

Littlestone, Snowbunting. Hooded Crow Harty Ferry

Off early to Dungeness on Saturday, when we arrive we are the only people about.
So up onto the beach & take shelter from the wind at the side of the locked hide,the sea is rough with waves getting a long way up the beach.
The first thing we spot is over a hundred Cormorant flying past, then Razorbills show, needed them for a year tick so nice.
Plenty of G C Grebe all over the water, A Red-breasted Merganser also shows, Brian spots a Little Gull for us, another tick for me. Plenty of Gannets diving. A dead Seal had been washed up onto the beach, not nice to see.

A bit sleepy

Off to find the Glaucous Gull that we dipped on a couple of weeks ago, we scan about by the boats, but it's not here so we walk over the stones to go further up the beach, then it's spotted in with a flock of Gulls,another tick for the year.

In flight

Off now to Littlestone just round the coast from here, the target bird is Snow Bunting.
We find the lifeboat station & park up, we are right on the beach, so with any luck not to much walking to do.
Down on the edge of the water a few Knot, also Oystercatcher, loads of Sandlings, Turnstone, a Grey  Plover also, Redshanks all very close to us which was nice to see.
We get talking to the plodding birder, it's he's local patch, & it's him who finds the Snowbunting a few yards away from us, they are hard to spot even when you know where they are.
There are 2 birds here & they are very happy to sit where they are, so cameras out.

Snow bunting

Redshank

 Now we head to Harty Ferry for the Hooded Crow,  the first fellow we talk to happens to be the person who had found the Crow, he tells us where to go.
So we head down to a church, & park. there is a big gap in front of us that looks right over the area where the bird has been spotted, we was told we would have to walk a long way down the valley to the hide to see it, but we scan the field anyway, & Brian picks the bird up with his scope, great another tick,I think this is the first Hooded crow I have seen in England.

Not the one we saw today, this is one I saw in Scotland

Back up to the Raptor watch point, from here there are 7 Cranes walking about showing well, Hen Harrier, Buzzard, a Merlin is seen sitting in the field.
On the way down to the Point we had seen over 50 Corn Buntings on a bush.
The watch point was packed with birders & they all wanted to know where we had seen the Crow, we were very happy to point them in the right direction. Off home now after a very good day birding, meeting some more nice people, & seeing the target birds,& another new place seen.

My Garden today

Blackcap

Fieldfare

One of the family

Pied Wagtail

Waiting for the birds to come in to my garden

Just sitting with a cuppa looking out the garden, it took a little time for the birds to come in this morning as it's misty with a really white sky.
The first thing I see is a Song Thrush walking across the snow, then a Wren is sitting on the tree, also a Dunnock by the feeders, plenty of Blue tits,& Great Tits, 3 Long-tailed Tits fly on & off the feeders at regular intervals.
Next in is 2 Fieldfare, then a Male Blackcap pays a very quick visit, it's replaced by a female one which has been around for a few days now,. they have been feeding on the apples I stuck on the branches this week.
Only a couple of Goldfinch today. Redpoll are in daily at the moment & in beautiful colour to.
I seem to have a family of Robins that wait for me to put out food & water daily.
Blackbirds & Starlings are all over the garden, also collared dove come & go,the bushes are also full of house Sparrows,
Sitting in the big tree over the side of my garden are 2 Ring-neck Parakeet, they are there most days or just across the fields from my house.
Yesterday a Coal tit came onto the bird bath, but not today so far.
Also a few Pied Wagtails are seen daily now.
It's so easy to just sit watching the birds all morning, a perk for being retired with all the time in the world.

Bittern in the snow Lea Valley

The snow is falling quite heavy,it is going to snow all day, so rather than stay in doors a visit to Fishers green to look for the Bittern,. this is Jimmy's  local patch near us, so easy to get home if it gets to bad.
I follow Jimmy over there, he is in the hide when I arrive, inside 5 minutes the Bittern walks right out in front of the hide, it is a really good view of it, another year tick.

Bittern with catch

It is eating a big fish, we also see 2 Water rail, 1 walks in front of us, then has a little flight across the water, a really nice thing to see so close.
Also we see 2 Deer come really close to the hide.
A Song Thrush shows itself by the feeders another first for the year 125 so far.
Jimmy & I then decide to walk to Friday Lake to look for the Smew, it's a long old walk in the snow.
It turns out to be in vain as the Smew is not seen.
We do see Male Goldeneye + Goosander.
Also a nice Black Swan swims across in front of us.

Water rail

Looking for food

Black Swan

A winter's day

 Now for the long walk back to the cars, we walk by the river in the hope of seeing a Kingfisher flying by, but not to be today.
A nice few unexpected hours walking about in the snow, & seeing the target bird, off for a cuppa now.

Goosanders at Lee Valley

A trip over to Fishers Green to try for the Bittern & to get some year ticks as well.
The first bird to be seen just by the car park is a single Goldcrest. 

Goldcrest

It stays about for a good time so a good start to my visit.
Into the Bittern hide now, there has been no sign of it so far today, but I do see 2 Water Rail walking across the reeds in front of the hide.
About an hour later still no sign, so off on a walk to see whats about.
I have to walk all the way down to the Grebe hide before anything shows.
As I get near to the hide I bump into Harry, he tells me that he had just seen 5 Goosanders from the hide, as we stand talking we see about 50 Siskin mixed in with some Redpoll filling the tree.I say goodbye to Harry, & go in the hide, I see the Goosanders straight away, but only 3 females are showing, they are a long way out so no photo. 
A single Pintail also seen. I am told a male Smew is on Friday Lake, but I give it a miss today.
Back to the Bittern hide for one more look, but before I go in I see a couple of Treecreepers in the picnic area. 
A time spent in the hide is to no avail so I shoot down to the farm for the Egyptian geese, I see 10 in the field, so a few ticks today.
A really nice morning walking round, it's cold but still pleasant. I have had a good talk to some new people I met in in the hide, so off home for some lunch.

Buff-bellied Pipit again + Slavonian Grebe

Nothing planned for today until Jimmy calls out that Brian is going to the Queen Mother Reservoir in Berkshire to get another look at the Buff-bellied Pipit for a year tick.
We stop at Staines Reservoir on the way, as it turns out we should not of bothered as all we got was cold, a few Tuffed Ducks, Goldeneye, Great crested Grebe, but no year tick, so we move off to try for the target bird at the other reservoir.
We pay for a permit & park the car, then up the steps for a view over the water.
The bird has been reported by one fellow, but nobody else had seen it.
After a couple of hours still no sign of the bird, so we go for a warming cuppa in the nice cafe on site, the place is now full of birders all round the Reservoir.
Still no sign of the target, but a pair of Peregrines are on a structure in the middle of the water, a Long-tailed Duck is spotted with the Tuffed.
We have been here for a few hours now & we think it is time to go home, but a fellow birder tells us a Slavonian Grebe is right down the far end of the reservoir,so Jimmy & myself make the decision to go looking for it, Brian stays behind as he has already had a sight of it.
It's a long, long walk, in the end it's worth the walk as Jimmy gets it in the scope, I only get quick views of the Duck as it keeps diving, but it's a view.
Walking back now as it's been a long time to keep Brian waiting, as we go a couple of birds drop down on the side of the water in front of us, at first we think it's only Pied Wagtail as we had been seeing them all along the edge, but no it's 2 Buff- belled Pipits.
As we get on to them we hear Brian's voice behind us , he had followed them down from the top end of the Reservoir.
That is good as we all get a really good view of the 2 birds before they fly off over the fields.
Time to walk back now, as we go maybe a couple of hundred birders are heading down to try for a view,  I don't think they will see them at the moment, I hope the birds come back for every body to see them today as they all put in a long shift on a really cold day.
On the way home we see 3 Red Kites, Jimmy was the only one of us who needed them for a year tick so good for him.      

   

Hawfinch at Bramfield.Mandarin & Firecrest at strawberry pond

A phone call from Robert sends me to Bramfield to meet him to try for the Hawfinch at the church.
I arrive first & see the bird within a minute.
It flies off over the road & out of sight.
Robert is here now & we scan the garden opposite the church, a few more birders have arrived by now.
A single Hawfinch soon shows in the trees, it is a really good view.

Hawfinch

Robert says it's the best view he's ever had of one, so well worth the trip, as we stand here a couple of Nuthatch show well. Its nice to see Robert out & doing some birding at last, hope this wets the appetite for him, shame he hasn't more time to join myself & the boys more often.

I was here with the boys just before xmas, there was at least 7 here then, only the one this time but a great view of it.
As I stand by the church wall next to the house a single Black Redstart pops on to a wall a scuffy looking one, it stays only  a brief while, which is a shame as I tried to get a photo, but it was to quick for me.

Nuthatch

It's not a very nice day,& Monday morning, but still people have turned up to do some birding.
It's nice to have people to have a good old talk to.
As we stand about talking I see a Redkite flying around above our head,
we see a lot of these now days which is really good to know.

We pop round to the shop for Rob to get a coffee to keep him going as he's been up all night for his work.

  Time to head home saying Goodbye to Rob, I head to Epping Forest to see the Mandarin ducks that are there every year at Strawberry Pond at High Beech.
I know they are peasant as the boys saw them yesterday.
I park just off the road by the first pond, I walk 50 yds or so into the forest down the path & on the right hand side is the pond with the ducks on .
As soon as I get there they are very visible up to 10 or more, always a nice colourful sight to see.

Photo taken I start back to the car when I see a Firecrest in the bush in front of me, the light is really bad, but I try for a photo anyway.  
Off home for lunch a nice few hours 
spent birding, sorry boys it beats work anyday.                    

Firecrest

                                                                                       

Mandarin Duck

Crane & Bewick + male Hen Harrier at Walland Marsh

Off to the old favourite Dungeness today. We meet at 6 o'clock & the drive is 90 miles.
We stop off at Walland  marsh a new place for us to visit, a common Crane is reported there.
Brian gets us to the right place & we park by the pub the Woolpack, we walk a round a large field across a style up onto a mound, after about 1/2 hour Brian spots the Crane standing out in the open giving great views in the scope. We have heard Bearded Tits, also Cetti's Warbler already.
A nice place this with good views all over the fields, we see a few Marsh Harriers, also female Hen Harriers.
We get talking to a fellow birder, he tells us where to go for some Bewick Swans, so we bid goodbye & set off up towards Lydd, about a mile away a couple of scopes are looking over the field already on the Bewick, 60 or more on show.
After spending a long time scanning for any Whooper Swans without luck we are about to go when Brian stops to have a word with a birder who was scoping the Swans,he tells us a male Hen Harrier is often seen here,just as he says it a bird comes into view( HALLELUJAH ) my first Male Hen Harrier, Jimmy & Brian are also very happy as they haven't seen one for ages. It flies up & down in full view for a long time, what a great sight to see, at the same time a Merlin drops down from a fence post it gives a quick sighting only.

Back in the car & off to look for the Great White Egret, it is  picked out as soon as we get  there, a couple more are  seen near by.
Tree Sparrow are on the feeders by the house as usual.
Off to the beach now looking for the Glaucous gull, a lot of people are here for it, but it never shows today for us.
A scan of the sea reveals 6 common Scoters passing through, many many Great crested Grebe sitting on the water + 1 Leucistic one.
Gannets are following a boat along, a few Guillemot also spotted, Kittiwake are on the beach, Red throated divers are plenty. It's cold & windy so We head for the cafe for a cuppa & toast to warm us up.
Next off down to the reserve visitor centre, we see Smew are here & can be seen from Dennis hide, a quick scan & we see 3 female & 1 male Smew
We make a decision to drive the 20 miles to Dover, in the harbour a couple of Shags are sitting on a wall, in the water a nice Red-breasted Merganser swims  about.
A walk along the pier shows a Razorbill, but not much else, but on the way back on the rocks some Purple Sandpipers are seen.
108 birds seen already so up & running for 2013,   Happy new year to all fellow birders.  

Great white Egret

Tree Sparrow

Dover Castle

Kittiwake

                            

           

First day 89 counted in Norfolk 1st jan 2013

Up early for the 2 hour drive to Titchwell, it's the first day of a new year, so every bird seen counts as a tick.
The first bird seen was the same as last year, a Barn Owl sitting on a fence post, we go on to see 4 more during the rest of the day.
We stop off at Wolferton Triangle to try for the Golden Pheasant, but after going round the triangle 5 times, we give up without seeing them, we don't want to waste to much time as Titchwell is waiting.
we pick up all the usual stuff, to really get the ticks going.
The Red-crested Pochard shows well, also Pintail.
We move down to the beach & see a nice Eider, Longtail Duck also seen, plenty of Sanderling & Turnstone walking about on the beach. A Fulmar spotted a long way out is nice.
On the feeders are Greenfinch, Chafffinch, Goldfinch, & a favourite of mine a few Brambling.

Off to Cley now we spot the Lesser canada Goose that we got last week, so we ticked it for this year. The Scared Ibis is standing not to far away from the road.
On to Stiffkey, Marsh Harrier, then female Hen Harriers fly by,  




Brambling, Greenfinch, Chaffinch.

    Before we head home a stop off at Buckenham Marsh to watch the thousands of Rooks coming in to roost, the noise is something to behold.
A great start to the year 89 birds seen, a little down on last year, but still a nice total.