Went to Dingle Marshes (Walberswick/Dunwich) with Tom late afternoon, specifically to look for Twite, before going to my parent’s house for the new year. We had an excellent time and found nine amongst a flock of Snow Buntings (we saw about fifty of these.)
Also seen:
Shore Lark x 2
Marsh Harrier – ringtail.
Hen Harrier – female type.
Knot x 3
Spotted Redshank
The sea was remarkable for its stillness. Resembling a huge lake with hardly a ripple…
Last couple of hours of daylight spent at Amwell – morning sledging at Therfield Heath where a Red Kite was seen. Amwell mostly frozen with the gulls out on the ice. Unfortunately they were just slightly too distant to read the rings:
Great Black-backed Gull – first winter with dark blue or black ring on left leg and BTO on right. Apparently of Norwegian origin.
Lesser Black-backed Gulls – adult and second winter with red rings on left leg and BTO ring on right.
Herring Gull – adult with blue and yellow ring on left leg and BTO ring on right.
Two Bitterns seen in flight, a female Pintail, and a Little Egret.
Still very quiet but excellent count of Grey Partridges (twenty-eight) as well as four Red-legged Partridges. Took a walk to the airfield, but nothing doing there. Walked around Foxton and Foxton Wood late afternoon but no Waxwings. Thirty-two Fallow Deer at Fowlmere at dusk.
Eventually caught up with some Waxwings. Seven whilst driving through Trumington. Good views, so I rushed home to get Sam who was keen to see them. By the time we got back, they’d eaten nearly all the cotoneaster berries they were feeding on and departed (though it was getting late, so perhaps they roosted early.)
I went to Fowlmere with Sam, where we did a very quick circuit whilst it was getting dark. We flushed the usual and rather desperate Grey Heron from the only unfrozen stream along the Shep, saw nine cold looking Grey Partridges, and had excellent views of an in-flight Woodcock.
A quick walk around in the snow at dusk hoping for Waxwing (lots about locally.) None seen but ten Grey Partridges.
Didn’t go birding, but hardly any birds in the garden, despite all the food put out. Perhaps they’ve gone elsewhere in these harsh conditions (-11°C.) There were a few Blackbirds feeding on the apples I put out (leftover windfalls stored for such an occasion) and a Linnet popped in briefly, but none of the regular Tit flocks for example.
Feeling very hung over from a party, did no birding. Built a snowman with Sam and went to Fowlmere with a couple of friends (Shaun and James) who were keen to do some photography. They were impressed with the Crow roost even though it had barely started by the time we left (too cold, too dark for photography, and too hung over – so went to the White Horse instead!)
Shaun took this photo…
Thornham, Norfolk for the Northern Harrier. Seen well after about an hours wait. Often with a Marsh Harrier (a male mobbed it when it caught a prey item) which gave a nice size comparison. A Peregrine was also seen.
Then went to Titchwell where the I took several pictures of common birds: Robin, Duncock, Wood Pigeon, and Blackbird.
Highlights at Titchwell were:
Jack Snipe – excellent views in flight.
Merlin – female.
Bewick’s Swan x 2 in flight.
Bar-tailed Godwit x 8
Sanderling x c. 20
Brent Goose x c. 300
Pink-footed Goose x c. 500
Common Scoter x c.50
Bearded Tit – heard.
On the journey to Norfolk, two bevys of Grey Partridges were seen: Twelve just outside Foxton, and fourteen just north of Cambridge. Despite being told by Michelle that I should return due to heavy snow, I encountered none until about five miles north of Cambridge. The last few miles however took about an hour to drive due to the amount of snow.
Cold, foggy, icy, gloomy. Lots of Redwings and quite a few Jays. Also a poor Grey Heron that I seemed to flush from every ditch I passed and this even poorer Pygmy Shrew…
Got a message to say there were four Waxwings at Fowlmere. Went with Sam who is keen to see some. No sign, and nobody looking. Lots of berries though, hence lots of Redwings…
Not a bad few hours (a couple in the morning and then another at dusk.) Mere still frozen but looked pretty…
Lots of small birds moving (Meadow Pipits, Corn Buntings, Reed Buntings) followed by a sighting of several raptors. First was a couple of Buzzards from the hide. Then, whilst watching a Kestrel I noticed a very large female Sparrowhawk, followed immediately by a swooping Peregrine at top speed (lost to view so don’t know what it was after.)
A Woodcock was seen in the evening.
Spent most of the day inside working. This Grey Squirrel was very bold, pinching bird seed right next to me.
A very quick walk around Fowlmere shortly before dark produced a flyover Merlin. Probably a female (on size) but silhouetted in the fog.
Bugger all. A few Goldcrests at both sites and eight Wrens going to roost in a nestbox below the Mere hide. Interesting patterns in the ice though…
Cobh, Cork, with Cris Freddi for the long staying House Crow. Took an hour or so to find but good views in the end. Then spent the next several hours trying to get to Tacumshin for the Northern Harrier. We were told not to attempt it, and should have taken the advice as the snow drove us back when we had completed most of the journey. Several hours later we were back in Cork dipping a Ring-necked Duck before downing a couple of Guinness and heading home. An expensive probable non-tick, particularly as O2 charged me £20 for accessing 7mb of data and Ryan Air charged me €40 for replacing a lost boarding pass!
A total of twenty-one Grey Partridges seen whilst driving around. Eight near to Fowlmere RSPB, and thirteen along the Foxton-Fowlmere Road.
Went for a walk to look at tracks in the snow and skate on the ice with Sam and dusk. Usual good number of Redwings and Fieldfares.
A male Merlin was the highlight. Lots of Thrushes, particularly Redwings. This Long-tailed Tit isn’t a Waxwing either.
Snow on the ground. Eight Red-legged Partridges and four flyover Golden Plovers at Fowlmere.
An afternoon winter bike ride with the boys. Very cold! Noticed a few Marsh Tits amongst a Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, and Coal Tit flock, whilst Sam found his own Green Woodpecker and Treecreeper. Also a couple of Roe Deer.
A light sprinkling of snow. Seven Blackbirds feeding together in the garden on the apples i left out for them. Fowlmere in the morning was very quiet and cold.
Shame this Blue Tit there wasn’t a Waxwing feeding on the berries, but there you go…
Just outside Loftus Road (after watching Rangers beat Cardiff to stay top of the league), some Ring-necked Parakeets were heard but it was too dark to see at this point. Best wildlife sighting of the day was in the car-park of the King’s Arms in Barnet, where a Fox was wandering around.
A very quick walk around at dusk. Nothing apart from a Grey Heron which gave up and flew away when it realised that the frozen water was not much use.
A cold and crisp morning, with the mere partly frozen. Not a lot to see, though a good record of three fly-over Little Egrets. Managed this record-shot with an Apache helicopter (the blob above the right-most Egret) also in the frame.
Mid-afternoon the weather clouded over and snow looked imminent. I took a walk around Shepreth L-moor shortly before dusk where I saw the usual Redwings and bugger-all.
Very quiet first thing. A large number of Gulls on adjacent field, nearly all Black-headed Gulls, but also a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Common Gulls, and two Herring Gulls. Whilst scanning through, I also noticed a bevy of twenty Red-legged Partridges at the back of the field.
The partially leucistic Blackbird was also seen in flight. As well as a white head it also has a white rump/upper-tail coverts.
Shepreth at dusk was virtually birdless apart from a few flyover Redwings.
Bird-ringing at Amanda’s with the children as part of a Fowlmere Bulfinches event. Caught Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, and Dunnock. The children also dissected several Barn Owl pellets, finding various Shrews, Mice, and Vole bones, most of which could be identified under microscope to specific level. Three Tree Sparrows were also seen and during a quiet moment I went for a walk and found a three figure count flock of Corn Buntings.
After taking Sam to football in Bishop’s Stortford I called in at Amwell for the Gull roost, but unfortunately nothing of note was found apart from a Little Egret.
Warmer than of late (cloud cover.) Very little at Folwmere itself (c. 150 Starlings), but a four figure count of Gulls on the field being ploughed between the reserve and Manor Farm. Mostly Black-headed Gulls, but a few Common Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
A Little Grebe in the Botanic Gardens, Cambridge. The first I’ve seen there and presumably a cold weather movement. Crappy camera shot below…
A lovely crisp morning with no wind. Usual array of birds: Tits, Goldcrests, Thrushes (including a partially leucistic Blackbird with a blotchy white head, and a good number of Redwings), Finches etc.. Also a Cetti’s Warbler heard.
Snapped this Grey Heron feeding on the mere…
Took a break from my niece’s birthday party in Beccles to pop down to Lowestoft with Tom. It had held a few good birds, including three Northern Long-tailed Tits and a Pallas’s Warbler in recent days. Unfortunately, in heavy rain, there was no sign of these birds today but we did have a reasonable attempt for an hour or so, finding a few large flocks of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests.
Five Purple Sandpipers on the rocks at Ness Point were new birds for Tom.
Between Foxton and Fowlmere, a Barn Owl was seen.
Top day in Cornwall with Tom, Cris, and John. Listened to Queens Park Rangers beat Reading (Cris’s team) on the way home and back in time for Cambridge Utd live on TV.
American Bittern at Walmsey (lifer!)
Green Heron at the beautiful Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Also a Whooper Swan, three Greenshanks, and several Bar-tailed Godwits at Walmsey and a few Goldcrests and a Blackcap at the gardens.
A few quick phone snaps and hand-held digiscope’s…
A Nuthatch heard in the Botanic Gardens at lunchtime (with Great Tits and Blue Tits) was a surprise.
Extremely quiet today first thing. Only spent an hour there but saw hardly anything (six Siskins.) Was going to walk the Guilden Brook hedge but a male Sparrowhawk (one of three Sparrowhawks seen) saved me the bother when it flew the whole length of it. Only one bird (a Reed Bunting?) came out.
A quick hour walk at dawn: Seven Goldcrests (there has been a big increase lately) was about it. Also a flock of distant waders that didn’t look like Golden Plover (but may have been.)
Started at Fowlmere in the morning. One hour. Not a lot seen apart from a Buzzard and the Cetti's Warbler calling. Later went to Dead Man’s Hill. Weather not great and not a lot flying; again just a Buzzard.
Late afternoon did another farmland walk. This time south of Barley: Smiths End, Barley south. North-west to Newsells Stud. North-east along the road to Barley (the most promising part as it turned out.)
Corn Bunting x 3
Marsh Tit x 3. A surprising find. One in a small wood west of Wigney Wood, and the others in Walk Wood.
Yellowhammer x 3
Merlin – along the road back to Barley.
Looking towards Great Chishill from Barley
En-route to Barley I had 21 Red-legged Partridges along Fowlmere Road. I also called in to Fowlmere at dusk where there was an impressive four figure Rook and Jackdaw flock flying around before roosting.
Though spending less than an hour there, Fowlmere at midday was quite good. Excellent views of two Bearded Tits, a Brambling, and this confiding Red Admiral…
Then, possessed by madness*, I undertook an eight mile walk through farmland in a desperate attempt to find a Lapland Bunting for Herts. The route was: Start in Royston. Walked south along the Hertfordshire Way to Reed. West to Reed End. North along the Icknield Way. North-east along the east edge of Therfield Heath to Royston. No Lapland Buntings (as expected), but four species of raptor (Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, five Buzzards, and two Red Kites.) Also twelve Red-legged Partridges, seven Yellowhammers, three Corn Buntings, and a Red Admiral.
Looking north towards Cambridge at the start of the Icknield Way
*Probably induced by hearing the delayed news of an American Bittern been present on the Land’s End peninsula the whole time I had been in Cornwall and then changing my mind at the last minute the previous night and not driving down as it hadn’t appeared to go to roost, only for it to fly from its roost this morning.
Despite finding not a lot on the last day in Cornwall, it’s still better than Fowlmere. Two hundred Starlings at dusk was the highlight of a brief visit.
Pretty much a full day again ignoring the late start and an hour of surfing…
Porthgwara (all four of us.)
Surfing at Seenen
St Leven (with Tom, dropped Michelle and Sam at Land’s End.)
Nanquidno (all four of us, though Michelle read her book in the car.)
Nothing all day! Slogged around for hours and not even a Firecrest. A few Goldcrests at Nanquidno, and Red Admirals and this Peregrine (of two seen) at Porthgwara…
A quick pint of “Doom Bar” in the “First and Last Inn” before the long drive home.
A full day’s birding at last (well sort of: Breakfast isn’t until 9am and I had to drop the other three off at St. Ives for the day.) Rain hampered birding in the morning at the first site, but it brightened later.
Kenidjack
Grey Wagtail
Goldcrest x 5
Chiffchaff x 7
Yellow-browed Warbler? – one possibly two birds. The first 99% sure of Id, but just couldn’t clinch it. The second was a probable.
Sparrowhawk – despite some good self finds of semi-rarities, this was the bird of the day. I was scanning through a few Chaffinches perched on top of some bramble when I noticed the Sparrowhawk flying in at the height of the bushes. Most of the Chaffinches took off. The one I had my bins on with the Sparrowhawk in the background didn’t. Bang! Amazing power, and great to see.
Firecrest
Cot Valley
Yellow-browed Warbler – a good self find though unfortunately it had already been found by some other birders who were watching from around the other side of the tree!
Nanquidno
Firecrest
Porthgwara...
Large Pipit sp.? – flew over at dusk. Didn’t call. Seemed much larger than Meadow Pipits and wasn’t a Redwing!
More family stuff (St. Michael's mount) but eventually got out birding mid-afternoon with Tom. Porthgwarra, but nothing seen. Only birds of note being a couple of Choughs, a Willow Warbler, a Blackcap, and a Swallow. Also about fifteen Red Admirals.
Left home at 7:30 for three nights near Land's End, Cornwall. Ten buzzards en-route and an awful coffee at Starbucks near Bristol. First stop was Hayle for a pastie, but with the tide out, little was seen on the estuary. Next stop Sennen to take the kids surfing. I had a bash around the cove but saw little. We then went lookinng for the Buff-breasted Sandpiper in fields "south of Sennen". Couldn't find it or any birders but did manage a couple of Chough. Then I realised that south was actually north and whilst looking up the grid reference on my OS map, got a flyover Lapland Bunting! When we'd worked out where to go it was easy! Surprised by how small it was with accompanying two hundred or so Golden Plover (never seen them in a flock with other species before.) Several flight views too as flock got spooked on occasion.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper by Tom
After a quick look around Porthgwara (which had apparently had lots of goodies - we arrived late and saw nothing apart from a few Red Admirals), we headed to our pub-hotel , the Ship, at Mousehole.
Chores around the house until midday, then out until dusk.
Started at Fowlmere, but the Jack Snipe hadn’t been seen for over an hour so I decided to leave with the plan to return at dusk. A male Gadwall, two Teals, and a Snipe were seen as well as a Migrant Hawker.
I then meandered slowly south through Barley, Nuthampstead, Meesden, looking but without seeing anything too special. Large flocks (well into the hundreds) of Wood Pigeon being seen feeding in fields.
Then on to Amwell where I managed to just miss two Ravens. A Peregrine was some compensation, as were five Red-crested Pochards. Three Buzzards and a Marsh Tit were also seen and at least one Cetti’s Warbler heard.
Shepreth held little apart from a nice rainbow!
So on to Fowlmere at dusk where the Jack Snipe was seen and a Tawny Owl heard.
A quick walk to the hide at dusk. Male Gadwall there amongst the Mallards. A Tawny Owl heard whilst walking back.
Autumn is over at Fowlmere! Nothing of note at all found. No Wheatears, Ring Ouzels, Redstarts or anything. This morning the heard only Cetti’'s Warbler was the only Warbler, and all the hirrundines seem to have gone.
But the northerly winds that finished it did at least produce an excellent movement of Fieldfare to rival last week’s Redwing and Song Thrush movement. At least four hundred went west in one hour first thing, with a couple of flocks of over one hundred.
More were seen later at Shepreth L-moor along with a good number of Redwings.
Excellent views of a female Sparrowhawk perched just outside the Mere hide. But apart from a male Teal and heard only Cetti’s Warbler and Tawny Owl (two), that was about it.
Dawn when we left Foxton on our drive to Preistly Wood presented us with 15 Grey Partridges at Thriplow. The Dormouse checking in the wood gave us an excellent total of 28 Dormouse.
Also seen were a couple of Marsh Tit and Buzzards and some interesting fungi.
Photo by Tom
Leaving early afternoon we then went on to the Minsmere area. First stop was at Sizewell as the Yellow-browed Warbler had turned into a Pallas's Warbler!
Pallas’s Warbler by Tom
On to Dunwich Cliffs were we tried for the long staying immature drake King Eider. After much searching, it was found, but only as a distant speck way down south of the sluice. A long walk was therefore undertaken giving us good views in the end. Other birds of note included a nice male Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine.
