Another 13 year ticks at Dungeness and Oare.

With Brian's car back on the road, the three of us head off to Kent. Arriving around 8 am we start off at Walland Marsh where we find the two Bean Geese along with about twenty Bewick's Swans to give the day a great start, we knew where to look for them but nice to get there and they are still there.  We drive around the Marsh and find a very large flock of Treesparrows feeding on the seed crop for another tick, this is the most Treesparrows any of us have seen maybe two hundred or so. Many Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings were also seen but not needed for a tick.   As we drive on we spot a Merlin and a Mistle Thrush both needed for a tick.  Off now to Dungeness where we head up to the beach hide, Hundreds of divers pass through then three ticks for us as we see Gannets, Razorbills, and Guillemot.   As we head off a Cattle Egret is spotted in the sheep field just past the reserve entrance, not needed but always have to stop to get a photo. Jimmy and I also pick out some Barnacle Geese for a tick.    Off now to round the day off at Oare Marsh. A Spoonbill is asleep on the far bank but is soon joined by another to give a good display to us. A Water rail was close in feeding on a dead fish, and we got our first Avocet of the year, We got another tick when a Kingfisher flies up and down the gully. A Stock Dove gives Jimmy and I another tick. A really nice day birding with the boys that gave me another 13-year ticks.

Just after the Spoonbill had flown in.

 

 

Lynford Arboretum gets me 10 year ticks.

We got off to a bad start when Brian's car had a flat tyre from another trip down a pothole.

So I had to take my car, the upside being it gave Brian a day without driving for once.

It is 83 miles to Lynford from home and we arrive around 8.30 and park up.

Within minutes my first tick when we spot a Treecreeper well before the gate, don't know why but I love to watch Treecreepers.

At the gate, Marsh tit shows for the second tick, then Siskin, plenty of Chaffinch is not needed for a tick but always nice to watch.

Down at the bridge, 11 Crossbill were showing well in one of the big trees overlooking the brook. 

While at the bridge we tick Nuthatch and Goldcrest for another two ticks. Coal Tit and Marsh Tit along with a large flock of Siskin.

As we look for Hawfinch we hear a Raven kronking and then it flies overhead for a good view of the bird.

With no sign-off Hawfinch, it's back up to the gate and we see Yellowhammer I was the only one of us who needed it for a year tick, and then we all get our first Brambling of the year. Also seen while here we tick Lesser Redpoll.

We all agree to give it a try for a Goshawk as it's not far away.

As we pull into the lay-by one of the birders already here tells us he has a Goshawk in the scope and all three of us get to see a nice Goshawk perched up in one of the pines how lucky is that. So another nice day out with the boys and now the drive home.

Some of the Crossbills

Brambling

A lovely Treecreeper

 

 

KGV Reservoir for local ticks

With very little time to spare the three of us head over to our local reservoir.

After a three-hour walk around the water, we add to the year ticks.

Little Grebe is the first tick when we see at least ten of them, loads of birds out there such as Pochard, Wigeon, Gadwall, Coot, and a few Goldeneye.

Walking around the far side of the reservoir we pick out Redwing, Fieldfare, and Siskin, a very large flock of Goldfinch flies in, and Brian and Jimmy spot a single Greenfinch that we all need for a tick but somehow I manage to miss it enough said there.

Another scan over the water gets us a couple of ticks when we pick out a Greater Scaup and after a long scan, we find a Slavonian Grebe always a good tick.

Before leaving two Peregrines land on a pylon for another tick before just popping up the road to get a view over the William Girling and get lucky when we pick out three Great Northern divers. This is a private reservoir but if the birds are in the right place you can sometimes pick them out from a road.

Off to a good start 2024 110 year ticks plus a lifer.

We had a really nice day in Norfolk to start our new year of birding. We headed to Hunstanton

first where we get a nice tick as Fulmars fly along the cliff face.

As we get near Titchwell RSPB, we spot a nice Barn Owl posing on a fence post, and as we go on we spot 3 more. At Titchwell we get a lot of usual stuff plus a Spotted Redshank, a pair of 

Mergansers on the tidal pool.

We had a tip-off that some Cattle Egrets had been seen in Burnham Market, so we went looking and found them without too much trouble for a good year tick.

Off now to Holkham stopping at the layby gate to tick the White-fronted Geese. Lady Ann's

drive was packed and overflowing so we gave that a miss and headed off to the Red Lion pub in Stiffkey and found the reported Glossy Ibis.

Off now to Cley where we soon tick the Red-breasted Goose and Brent Geese.

Our last stop was Eldernell before the light faded.

A great decision as we saw a Long-eared Owl, a Tawny Owl, a Short-eared Owl, and a Barn Owl,

A lso spotted 3 Cranes and as the light was going we ticked a few Great-white Egrets as they flew to roost. To round a great day off we witnessed the spectacular sight of thousands of Starlings flying overhead to join up with a murmuration, the sound and the sight of thousands of birds were just fantastic. seen it before but never tire of seeing it. So the first day of the year gets me off with 90-year ticks.

Over the next few days, we get out a couple of times and head off to Abberton reservoir and pick up a few year ticks with Goldeneye, Goosander, and Rock Pipit to keep the total going up. We are only a few miles away from a flock of Waxwings in Colchester, so of course we are after year ticks so off we go and soon have another tick when 20 birds fly in to feed on the berries. The next day off for the big tick when a lifer turns up at Heybridge in Essex.

When we arrived at daybreak over a hundred birders were already searching for the bird.

After 2 hours we had no sign of the Northern Waterthrush so I decided to head off to Abberton where I ticked a couple of Velvet Scoter but no sign of the Canvasback.

I talk Brian into giving the Twitch for the Waterthrush another go and as we are getting out of the car I see the large crowd all move along the bank I know they have the bird, so as fast as I can manage these days I join them and get a good view for another lifer for me.

The Northern Waterthrush

Again

Goosander seen

Red-breasted Goose at Cley

One of twenty seen.

One of four seen

Grey Phalarope at KGV reservoir.

An early morning call from Brian sees the three of us heading off to the King George V reservoir in Chingford to try to get another year tick.

A Grey Phalarope had just been reported as being seen here, so we had to come as it is only 20 minutes from home.

It has been reported on the east side of the north basin so a bit of a walk. When we reach the causeway we scope the basin and find the Phalarope at the south end of the north basin,  which saves us a long walk to the far end.

As we watch the bird it comes closer & closer till it is just below us for really great views.

Such a tiny bird that is fascinating to watch as it bobs about in the waves. 

Really nice to catch up with Harry and a few locals.

The  Grey Phalarope

Waxwings before we head home.

 After we had ticked the Purple Sandpipers at Ness Point Lowestoft, we heard that 40 Waxwings had been seen only two miles away from us, so, of course, we had to go to find them.  As we arrive a large flock of birds passes overhead and as they all land on a couple of trees we have the Waxwings in sight. Brian is out of the car with his camera as the birds feed and drop down onto a wall for a drink. We spend a fair amount of time watching and counting 47 but think there might be more in another tree. 

So a good end to the day after dipping the Pallid Swift at the start.

A few of the 47 birds seen

Canvasback (lifer ) plus a Swift dip.

The boys and I take a trip to Abberton Reservoir in Essex, hoping to see a lifer for us in the Canvasback that had been reported.

It is only an hour's drive for us and we arrive nice and early. first stop Layer-Breton causeway but no sign of the bird, so a quick look in at Wigborough Bay hide but nothing doing with it being very quiet bird-wise. So the next stop is the hide in the farm yard.

Two fellows are already in there and one of them finds the Canvasback and gets us onto it as it swims along with a large flock of Pochard it is easy to pick out among the flock so another lifer for us all. It was nice to see a lot of birders that we know that came to see the bird as the morning went on.

The Canvasback

A couple of days later Brian wanted to head to Walasea Island also in Essex only a short trip for us, Short-eared Owls had been seen and Brian wanted to get some photos, and Jimmy and I needed to tick one for the year. 

It doesn't take long before we see our first shortie and in the two hours spent here, we spot at least 8 Short-eared Owls a Ringtail Hen Harrier a few Marsh Harriers to make it a great trip.

One of the Short-eared Owls

One of the 

Another

And again 

We have been trying to get all three of us free to go for the Pallid Swift in Winterton Village.

The bird has been around for a few days now but as I say we have not been able to go until now. 

We arrive at the church in the village at seven o'clock and spend over three hours looking 

for the Swift but it turns out that we have left it too late as the bird seems to have flown off.

We do get good views of a Woodcock as it flies up and over our heads.

So we give up and head off to Filby Broad as a Fudge duck had been seen and we need it for a year tick and it is very close by.

It was not easy to find but after an hour or so we got on it and found out there were two Fudge ducks there we also spotted a Scaup for good measure.

The ducks were too far away for any photos but we got good scope views.

To finish the trip off we head to Ness Point in Lowestoft to look for another year tick.

The target bird is the Purple Sandpiper, we find the road to the beach blocked so have to park further away from where we wanted to be to look for the target.

We scan the rocks along the beach and are hopeful as the tide is coming in fast and they like to be on the rocks as the water splashes over them. 

We walk up the beach where we find six Purple Sandpipers for our year tick.

One of the six seen

Another purple Sandpiper seen