Buzzard

One Buzzard on the way to Cambridge early morning.

Partridges

From the train into Cambridge: Four Red-legged Partridges on the way to, and a bevy of around ten Grey Partridges on the return from.

Davey Crocket Lodge

A dawn walk around the Davey Crocket Lodge near Disney produced several Marsh Tits calling, several Nuthatches, and a Short-toed Treecreeper.

Paris

Amazingly, the second Goshawk in as many days flew over the River Seine near Notre Dame.

Disney

A female Goshawk flew over Disney Studios being mobbed by Black-headed Gulls.

Dover to Calais

Gale force eight, but not a lot to see on the delayed early morning ferry crossing, just a couple of Gannets. Four Buzzards were seen on the drive to Paris.

Fowlmere

An hour and a half in the sun produced an unseen flyover Redpoll and a couple of Teal. There were also about a thousand Black-headed Gulls (with several Common Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and Herring Gulls) in the field between the reserve and the airfield.

Local stuff

On the train in the morning, eleven Red-legged Partridges were seen on the way to Cambridge, and on the way back, another six. Whilst leaving Cambridge late afternoon, sixteen Golden Plovers flew over the station southwards; a small flock of about fifty Starlings were also gathering in a pre-roost flight. About the same number were also seen at Fowlmere in a ten minute look, whilst six Grey Partridges were in the fields.

This Feathered Thorn was on the front door (one was also in my parent’s house in Suffolk last weekend.)

Fowlmere

A foggy day with high pressure. Little wind; few birds. Did see or hear good numbers of Skylarks, Redwings (with a few Fieldfare) and Yellowhammer, and on the field opposite the reserve there were ten Grey Partridge, around three-hundred Golden Plover, and about fifty Lapwing.

Small Mammal Trapping

With Tom, I went first thing to a small mammal trapping event at Commons Wood, organised by Mark Hows and led by Peter Oakenfull. Our target was Harvest Mouse and was very successful, seeing about ten individuals. Also seen were a large number of Wood Mouse (20+), three each of Common Shrew and Pygmy Shrew, and eight Golden Plover flew over.

Late afternoon I went to a quiet Fowlmere were four Redpolls went over.

Minsmere

Visiting parents, so spent a sunny afternoon at Minsmere. Turned up a fair amount:

Cetti’s Warbler – many heard, but none seen.
Water Pipit – found one on the scrape.
Bewick’s Swan – seven including two juveniles; mobile and seen at several places in the reserve.
Moorhen – a leucistic individual; lower parts white, upper a fawn colour.
Bearded Tit – several heard, but a single male seen extremely well (too close to focus bin’s on!)
Redpoll x 14
Red Deer

Botanic Gardens

Exactly two weeks since my last visit and things have changed dramatically. The red-leaved trees are bare, and the dragonflies are finished. Mistletoe now obvious in the taller trees, in one of which a Mistle Thrush was perched. About thirty Redwings went over as well as a female Sparrowhawk.

From the train, a pale Buzzard was seen perched on a fencepost near Hauxton.

Fowlmere

As expected, very little in a short walk with Tom before dusk. A couple of Fieldfare and a Teal, though three Sparrowhawks livened things up a touch.

Dublin to Holyhead

Rough weather was predicted (a westerly with heavy rain.) In the end it wasn’t that bumpy. From the ferry we had the following:

Red-throated Diver – one in the harbour mouth at Dublin.
Guillemot x 200+
Razorbill x 4 (plus many possibles.)
Puffin?
Cory’s Shearwater – very good views of a bird close to the boat. New for Tom.
Bonxie – good views but missed by Tom as he went inside!
Fulmar x 3
Gannet, Kittiwate and other Gulls – constant except when in the middle of the crossing.

We popped in to South Stack but the wind had really picked up and it was difficult to stand still at times. A brief visit to the Conwy river mouth was also made, seeing the usual stuff but the wind made it impossible.