Nice day watching Goshawks.

We have been waiting for the weather to get a bit warmer to head off to the Brecks in the hope of seeing Goshawks. 

Setting off at 6 am we have the added bonus of Robert coming with us as he really wants to watch these birds again.

The first port of call is Santon Downham, with the car parked we walk down to the tunnel and hear several Woodlark in full song and get to watch some flying about. A good start to the day. It's a bit frosty underfoot but getting warmer as we head off to head down alongside the river to look for the reported Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers.

We didn't have to wait too long before a single bird flew onto a bare tree and works its way up to the top of the tree to give us all some great views before flying off only to return with a male bird. we get several views & hear them drumming when out of sight.

There is no sign of the Otters but the river was very high I don't know if that makes any difference to them.

Now off to watch for Goshawk, on arrival at the spot we need to be another 5 cars already there. We see plenty of Buzzards and 3 Sparrowhawks before after 20 minutes the first Goshawk shows and soon followed by another and that one lands at the top of a pine tree and stays for a while and as the sunlight shines on it we get fantastic views of the yellow legs and body colour.

The bird hangs about for a while then it's off but we get a few more birds flying over the top of the pines, what a day such great birds to watch, a few hours spent here before we jump in the car to head off, but before we go a fellow birder starts calling us so we jump out off the car to be told a White-tailed Eagle was over the pines, we all got onto it for a great view.

The bird had the number G463. when we got home Brian did some homework on the number and found out that it was the first Isle of White bird to fly over the sea to France & Denmark before we see it flying over the becks today.

On the way home, we pop into Lynford for a visit. as we park the car we see a small group watching a Hollybush, so we think they maybe they are watching a Firecrest.

That was the right and we are soon ticking a lovely-looking Firecrest.,

Down by the gate, the place is full of birds. Only one Hawfinch but a dozen Brambling, some Yellowhammer, Siskin,Nuthatch, Coal Tit, and a single Marsh Tit to round off one of the really good days birding.

One of the Lesser Peckers

Marsh Tit

American Robin at Eastbourne ( Lifer ) + Hooded Crow.

A call from Brian on Tuesday late afternoon, to tell me he is going to Eastbourne for a bird that he has wanted to see for such a long time. Before he could ask if we were up for the trip I had said Jimmy and I would be. It's an American Robin, so Up early to leave at 5.15 and we arrive at Hill Rd and park away from the cul-de-sac in respect for the people living there. A short walk up the hill where we meet up with around 40  birders, we are told the Robin had been seen in a bush behind a block of garages. It was only around  7.45 and we didn't have to wait long before the Robin walked out of the bush and headed down the slope, before flying up behind the garages and staying out of view for a short time. Then it flew up onto a small bare tree to give really great views of another lifer for all of us. A cracking looking bird that flys away over the houses but only to open grassland with a few bushes and some small trees. Over the next couple of hours, we get plenty of views of the bird.   A really nice twitch with us meeting up with a lot of familiar faces and meeting some new ones. I must say the residents of the road were really nice to us and it was great of them to accept such a large group into their road, let's hope if the bird hangs around that continues to be the case. 

After a tip from Geoff K, we head off to find a Macdonald's which is about 4 miles away to look for a Hooded Crow that had been around there for some time. The Crow was spotted as soon as we arrived in the car park, so a nice year tick.   One more place to visit while here when we are told some Bean Geese are 20 miles away but as it is heading towards home we have to go for it. It means we only have to go 10 miles out of our way so not too bad. It turns out we go to the wrong church but we do get distant views of the Bean Geese for another year tick.   

American Robin ( Lifer )

The Hooded Crow

Staying in Essex. Abberton & KGV RES.

 A flying visit to KGV reservoir in Chingford on Friday gets me 2-year ticks.

We walk the south basin as all the birds are in in the southwest corner, A Black-neck Grebe is spotted for the first tick, we all needed that. The Red-necked Grebe is still here but not needed for a tick.

A walk along to the North basin gets me a tick when we scope a drake Scaup, the boys had already seen it on another visit without me. The wind was blowing at quite a force so not a long visit.

On Saturday we leave home fairly late as it's only just over an hour to another Essex reservoir Abberton.

Before we get to the causeway we see six Cattle Egret in a farm field, so a quick stop for a photo or two.

Down on the causeway, it's a bit cold but not too bad. One side is full of large flocks of Tufted & Pochard.

Over the road, only a few birds were seen. Two Snipe are seen close to the edge for a photo.

So back over the road for a good scan. Jimmy soon picks out a single Red-crested Pochard, the Longtail Duck is not seen and that was why we came here today. as we need it for a tick.

A ride round to the Church where we see 8 Bewick's and a nice tick Slavonian Grebe. a fellow birder tells us he has just had the Longtail round at Layer Breton causeway so off to find it.

All the birds from across the road seem to be on here now, so we start to scan the large flocks & after a short while we have another year tick when the Longtail Duck shows well but at a distance.

A red-head Smew is seen and over on the Island we see at least 7 Great Egrets.

The Hybrid Baikal Teal is still here along with a funny-looking upright farmyard Duck.

Very close in on the water there are 31 White-fronted Geese along with one single Pink-footed Goose.

A very nice morning indeed and only a short distance from home.

Black-necked Grebe

Baikal/Teal Hybrid

Cattle Egret

White-fronted and Pink-footed Geese

Snipe

Smew

 

Long-eared Owl & Short-eared Owl in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire

Jimmy's Birthday so a day's birding is on the cards to celebrate with him. We decide on Frampton as it is one of our favorite reserves.

As we drive into Lincolnshire a quick call in at Deeping Lakes in the hope of seeing the Long-eared Owl that has been seen here.

A short walk round to the hide overlooking the main lake, where we start scanning the bushes to the right of the hide, it takes a long time before the Owl is spotted fairly deep in the bush but we kept the scopes on the bird and got rewarded when it moved a little bit and turned it's head to show the ear's and eyes.

Off now for a very windy Frampton Marsh, not to be the best day we have had here the wind was hard to fight against on the walk around the reserve, we do pick up a year tick when a few Ruff are seen mingling with a large flock of Golden plover.

The only other highlight was a nice female Peregrine on the floor by a fence post and a few Whooper Swans at a distance, a Kestrel rounded off the visit as it showed well as it finished off a nice mouse dinner.

In the car heading back towards home, we pop into Eldernell hoping to round the day off with more Owls.

We do just that when we see 3 Short-eared Owls within minutes of arrival only yards from the car park.

A Glossy Ibis has been seen further down the track so, of course, we set off to find it and get lucky when a birder was already on the Ibis, so a good year tick for us.

Before setting off for home we wait in the hope the Cranes will come in to roost.

It's about 40 minutes before the first 4 Cranes fly in along the tree line followed by another group to round off a good day. Happy birthday Jim and lovely to have Robert with us today.

                                                                                                                   

Short-eared Owl

Long-eared Owl

Glossy Ibis

Red-breasted Goose at South Woodham Ferrers .

A short trip of around 40 miles gets the 3 of us a good year tick at South Woodham Ferrers.

The target was a Red-breasted Goose, we had missed the bird when we were at Wallasea Island some days ago.

Once parked up it is only a short walk of about 400 yards along the bank of the River Crouch.

We meet up with a small group of birders who were all looking over a field that had hundreds of Brent Geese. they were only 60 yards away and looked well settled.

The Red-breasted was found easy as it was at the front of the group.

This is the third Red-breasted that we have seen now but we spend a couple of hours watching the bird and scanning the flock to find  2 Black Brant among them.

While here I pick up a couple of year ticks when I see a Rock Pipit on the banks of the River Crouch and watch a Sparrow Hawk as it flew along the field on the way to see the Goose.

                                                

Red-breasted Goose

Black Brant

Back over Lee Valley pair of Smew.

After searching for a few hours for the Smew over Lee Valley yesterday, not to be defeated we try again today.  

I had to go to Harlow Hospital early for my brother-in-law to have a blood test and while there Brian heads back over the Valley to search for the Smew.

I'm back around 10 o'clock and pick Jimmy up and head over to join him, on route Brian phones to tell us he has found the Smews.

We join him within 10 minutes and get great views of the Redhead Smew and the male is spotted not far away for a cracking-looking bird.

That makes up for yesterday's disappointment. On the way back we get a nice bonus when a Kingfisher flies up the river and lands on a branch a few yards away from us and hangs about for a while, you never get tired of watching these lovely colourful birds.

Walking back to the car we spot a Jay at last for a tick. So a nice little walk on a lovely bright morning and 3-year ticks.

                                                                       

The friendly Kingfisher.

                                                                             

                                                                                    

Male Smew

                                                                                  

Hawfinch at Bramfield Church.

We get an early call to see if we fancied a short trip to Bramfield for the Hawfinch. It's only 20  odd miles from home so 20 minutes later we are on the way.

Once at the church, we find only one other fellow looking for the Hawfinch and he had not seen any yet, we don't have to wait long before the birds start to arrive just the one along with Redwing. Fieldfare, Greenfinch, Nuthatch, and the odd Mistle Thrush.

Later on, a few more Hawfinch come to the trees and we see at least six maybe seven that give us some really good views.

Only a short quick visit but gets 3 more year ticks for Jimmy and me and 2 for Brian as we spot a few Goldcrest that he needed before we leave.

One of the Hawfinch

                                                                

A year tick Mistle Thrush