Spring?

Again no birding, but another butterfly in the garden: Tortoiseshell.

Spring?

No birding as too busy in the garden, but a fine sunny day produced the first butterfly since February 10th, a Brimstone again.

Firecrest

Arriving at a sunny but breezy Fowlmere early morning, I was informed of a Firecrest singing by the east gate. A superb male was soon located, afterwhich I quickly went home to fetch the children so they could see before Sam's football match. The children managed to get good views, despite a singing Goldcrest causing some slight confusion.


Firecrest by Tom

Fowlmere

A late afternoon walk around Fowlmere. The morning's continuous light rain had changed to dry periods with heavy downpours. A probable, non-calling, flyover, Redpoll didn't quite make the year-list, but three singing Redwing and two Brambling were seen.

Fowlmere and Shepreth L-moor

Awoke early and, as the overnight rain had stopped, was at Fowlmere before seven. Not a lot of change from yesterday apart from six Teal and the arrival of several more Chiffchaffs.

An evening stroll in the sun around a waterlogged Shepreth produced little apart from a few singing Yellowhammers.

Fowlmere

The rain eventually stopped for a few hours in the afternoon so I took a stroll around Fowlmere where a Peregrine went over the carpark, and the year's first Chiffchaff was seen.

Fowlmere

An afternoon walk around Fowlmere produced a Redwing in full song, large flocks of Fieldfare, a distant Buzzard, and eighty-seven Golden Plover.

Fowlmere

The male Long-eared Owl was displaying nicely to the calling (but not seen) female on a calm, but cold, evening.

Golden Plovers

Heavy snow in the morning led to snowball fights and a snowman being built in the garden, where five Golden Plover flew over. A larger flock were the only birds of note later at Fowlmere.

Minsmere

With heavy showers and strong swirling winds, I returned to Minsmere (primarily as it has hides to shelter from the weather.) Pretty much the same as yesterday, but without the Spotted Redshank, although four adult Mediterranean Gulls and a male Wheatear were seen.

Minsmere

At the parents for a couple of days, so with father and the two boys, visited Minsmere for a couple of hours in the afternoon. We parked at Dunwich cliffs and walked to the reserve in gale-force winds and just before arriving at the west hide got soaked in a torrential downpour. Cold and wet, we didn't see a great deal: A Spotted Redshank, a couple of Ruff, and three Marsh Harriers.


Black-headed Gulls and Avocet by Tom

Spring?

Having spent two very long days, as well as the morning in front of computer screens, I needed to get out. However, despite being the first day of spring, the weather was awful, with continuous rain and strong swirling winds. Nothing of note was seen at Fowlmere in a one hour walk.

Shepreth L-moor and Goldcrest

A quick walk around Shepreth produced a single Snipe. Later, a flyover Goldcrest was a new bird for the garden list.

Therfield Heath and Fowlmere

After eighteen hours of solid rain I ventured to a very blustery Therefield Heath in search of early Wheaters. The strong winds and drizzle made it very difficult, and hardly a bird was seen apart from a couple of pairs of territorial Lapwings. About twenty early Pasque Flowers were out.

Fowlmere in the wind produced nothing of note.

Shepreth L-moor and Fowlmere

A short walk around Shepreth produced a single Snipe.

An late afternoon walk around Fowlmere just before the rain started produced a fly-over flock of around two-hundred Golden Plover, but rather annoyingly, a non-calling fly-over lark that may well have been Woodlark: Very short-tailed, and seemingly lacking a white trailing edge, but unfortunately the brief views were not conclusive.

Fowlmere

A calm, sunny day, but a morning visit to Fowlmere produced much the same (not very much!) as yesterday. A return visit just before dark yielded good views of the Long-eared Owl pair as they performed their wing-clapping display.

Three Pipistrelle Bats were the first of the year.

Fowlmere

With the wind subsided, a morning visit was made to Fowlmere. Not a lot seen: Teal pair, Gadwall pair, and a Yellowhammer.

Fowlmere

After the second wave of battering winds (tiles of the shed roof and temporary greenhouse blown down), I took an evening stroll around Fowlmere. The winds had rescinded slightly, but unsurprisingly, not a lot was seen. Two Barn Owls were the highlight, one hunting around a paddock and one by the churchyard, both before I reached the reserve.

Fowlmere

Decided to brave the gales and rain for a short evening stroll around Fowlmere. Worth it: One Long-eared Owl left its roost at about 6:10 and a Woodcock was seen shortly after.

Fowlemere

A pair of Long-eared Owls plus a possible additional male were the obvious highlight at Fowlmere this evening. Tipped off about them at lunchtime, one male was seen very closely from the Spring hide at dusk. Much calling and some flight views of it or possibly another male (there seemed to be two calling) were seen over the next half an hour before it got too dark to see. A female was heard as we left the hide.

Tom also had a good claim of an Otter (although Mink are also present.) In addition a White Hart was seen amongst the Fallow Deer!

Fowlmere

A cold walk around Fowlmere at dusk. Little seen, just a Snipe heard. The Barn Owl didn't show, but, whilst on the way home, presumably the bird was seen sitting on a hedge by the edge of Shepreth Road.

Fen Drayton

Working nearby for a couple of days, I decided to visit Fen Drayton after work. The day had been sunny, although with a very cold northerly wind. Approaching the pits however, the skies rapidly darkened and soon afterwards I was walking in sleety rain. Viewing was difficult, and little was seen apart from a couple of flyover Little Egrets.

Ring-necked Parakeet

Working in Richmond today (very near Kew Gardens), and heard Ring-necked Parakeets go over. No surprise really I guess.

Sand Martin

Went to Amwell with Tom and Sam where a very early Sand Martin was spending its second day. Also seen were two Shelducks and four Buzzards (a further seven were seen on the journey home just north of Ware.)

A Barn Owl was seen on a short dusk visit to Fowlmere.