Fowlmere

Spent most of my time sheltering under a tree during the last April shower on what had been until then, a dry day. The Cetti’s Warbler and a Turtle Dove were heard and a Snipe was seen from the main hide.

Sparrowhawks

As suspected, a pair of Sparrowhawks are nesting in the Botanical Gardens, Cambridge. I watched at the presumed nestsite at lunchtime as the female called in the male who obligingly flew in and mated with her.

Mixed singing Willow Warbler

Another message to Marcus Kohler (originally about the possible Firecrests)…

“…but I ran out of time as I spent over an hour grilling a mixed-singing Willow Warbler I stumbled upon. I’d always thought the mixed singers were Chiffchaffs, but this was definitely WW. It responded to CC playback by giving a CC song before transposing to WW, and responded to WW with an almost pure WW. It also went crazy when I played Iberian CC!

I also saw the Cetti’s at last and had the first Swifts (two.)”

Cetti’s Warbler (somewhere!)
 

Foxes and Badgers

Sent this message to Marcus Kohler and Doug Radford after a great night at Fowlmere…

“Took Michelle and the boys to see the Foxes just before 8pm. Five young play-fighting around the den. Kids (and Michelle) loved it and watched for nearly an hour. Walking back to the car along the boardwalk when it was nearly dark (lots of bats), we heard what we first thought were two dogs fighting on the path that runs parallel. As they whizzed past us (heading the opposite way), we realised that they were Badgers! Fortunately we were at the part half way along the walk where it is easy to get to the track. We then watched a very noise but brief fight, before one of the badgers continued on its way. The other turned around and came running back along the path in our direction. Just before reaching us it froze as we were blocking its route. It watched us watching it for a few seconds before scampering off into the undergrowth by the fields. Great night! A Barn Owl just outside Foxton on the way home topped it off.”

Added the following to my window list:

Collared Dove
Blackbird
Feral Pigeon
Jackdaw
Goldcrest

Cambridge (a small part of), Fowlmere and Shepreth L-moor

A change of seating position at the office in Cambridge has given me a window view. Not too exciting, a view over a small concrete carpark to some huge Leylandii trees, but I decided to do a window list to ease the boredom. By lunchtime I had the following:

Woodpigeon
Chaffinch
Carrion Crow

Bored with that I went to Fowlmere and where the following was recorded:

Grasshopper Warbler
Snipe x 2
Turtle Dove – heard.
Cetti’s Warbler – heard.
Spotted Flycatcher

I also recorded the year’s first Speckled Woods and Orange Tips, and the first local Holly Blues (several were seen in Norfolk over the weekend.)

A record shot (if it is even a record – could be anything!) of the Grasshopper Warbler was taken.

Later I went for a quick walk with Tom around Shepreth L-moor where a Lesser Whitethroat was found.

Fox Cubs

Late afternoon: Started well when the Grasshopper Warbler was eventually seen, and got better when I stumbled upon a Fox set with a female and three young cubs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After watching for a while and taking a few photographs, I went back to collect the family. Unfortunately they had gone back into the den by the time we arrived and then a huge rain shower descended. Sheltering in the Reedbed hide we saw three Pochards (two male) and then retried for the foxes once it had blown over. Whilst waiting I went to investigate a reported Firecrest and although almost certainly hearing it, could not find it. A couple of Buzzards were also noted.

I also snapped a few pictures of a Robin, whilst Tom took some of a young Song Thrush…

 

Norfolk

Family day in Norfolk in the sun. Started mid-morning with breakfast at Holt before me and Tom went looking for a Ring Ouzel at nearby Kelling Heath. We decided to then go to Cley, where a nice few hours were spent seeing the following…

Whimbrel x 4
Black-tailed Godwit x 50
Marsh Harrier x pair
Cetti's Warbler – several heard.
Lesser Whitethroat – heard.
Bearded Tit – several, showing well including a couple of nice males.
Bar-tailed Godwit x 3
Sandwich Tern x 50 either on the sea or roosting on the pools.
Fulmar – two at sea.

We then managed to leave just at the very moment the three Cranes that had headed east along the coast apparently circled above Cley. If we’d have looked up before getting in the car, we would surely have seen them. Tom’s bogey bird remains just that!

We then joined Michelle and Sam for fish and chips at Wells and a drink in the Victoria at Holkham before driving along Lady Anne’s Drive and taking a walk around the Pines. The usual Meadow Pipits were on the saltmarsh in high numbers, as well as a flock of over twenty Wheatears. The usual assortment of birds (Marsh Harrier, Little Egret etc.) with good numbers of Goldcrests seen or heard. The best find however was a smart male Redstart flycatching by the Washington hide.

Fowlmere

A morning and late afternoon visit:

Grasshopper Warbler – heard.
Lesser Whitethroat – singing male.
Moorhen – chick.
Reed Warbler
Cetti’s Warbler – heard.
Cuckoo – heard.
House Martin

Grasshopper Warbler

A Grasshopper Warbler was singing at Fowlmere this evening. A first for me here (though I didn’t see it.) Five Sand Martins were overhead.

Small White

A Small White in the Botanic Gardens, Cambridge, was the first positively identified small white butterfly of several seen in the last few days. Still no birding time, but Swallows and House Martins around Foxton now.

Fowlmere

Two Willow Warbers, four Tufted Ducks (three male), and a Buzzard (heard) during a very brief visit before work. A Garden Warbler may be calling by the Spring hide but I did not have time to confirm it.

Fowlmere

Cetti' Warbler and Buzzard herad this evening, but not a lot else happening in cold north-westerly.

Shepreth L-moor

A good look around, but not too much of note. Five Pied Wagtails on the field at the back (all males.) The Tufted Duck pair are still on Shepreth Pits.

Minsmere

A visit for a few hours with Tom and my father. A cold easterly. Not many migrants in. Spoonbill – summer plumage. Mediterranean Gull x 6 Bearded Tit x 2 seen. Bittern – seen in flight. Cetti’s Warbler – several heard.

These ones by Tom…

Fowlmere (heard only!)

A glorious early morning. A Weasel was seen, but all the more interesting birds were heard onlys:

Sedge Warbler
Tawny Owl
Cetti's Warbler

Shepreth L-moor

An afternoon visit just produced the usual array of birds in or around the reserve: Linnets, Yellowhammers, Skylarks etc. as well as a couple of Blackcaps (including the year's first female) and a small flock of late Fieldfares. A few Butterflies also: Comma, Peacock, and a probable Small Tortoiseshell.

Two Red-legged Partridges were seen in Foxton on the way home.

Long-tailed Tit

This evening, Michelle reported a dying Long-tailed Tit just outside the house on the path to the station. She was in a rush to get the train so couldn’t stop, but by the time I got there it was dead and being aggressively pecked in the back of a neck by another bird that was on top of it. I assume this was a result of a territorial display, though could not completely work out whether the bird was actually trying to mate with it.

It was in good condition (still warm when I picked it up) and ringed, so will be interesting to find out where it came from.

A Blackcap was singing in the garden. Shepreth L-moor was quiet apart from a few Linnets and a couple of late Fieldfares.

Edit (16/04/2010): The Long-tailed Tit (number CNA973) was ringed as an adult in Marcus Kohler's garden on 07/09/2009. Long-tailed Tits can't be aged after their post-juvenile moult, and cannot be sexed at that time of year.

Amwell, The Lodge, and Fowlmere

Started at Amwell at midday. Not a great deal:

Sand Martin x c. 40
House Martin
Redshank x 6
Buzzard x 2+
Snipe

Myself and Tom also took a few photos. The excellent Robin being Tom’s:

Then went for the usual Two-barred Crossbill dip at the Lodge. Just the usual forty or so Common Crossbills and a couple of Buzzards.

Finally went to Fowlmere just before dark to try for the Cetti’s Warbler. It was calling, but refused to show. The first Blackcap was also singing nearby. An interesting falcon was seen on the way, which I initially thought to be a Kestrel. However, I’m convinced it was an adult Hobby due to the head pattern, underside streaking, and I’m sure I even saw red UTCs! Very early date for one if it was. Unfortunately it was a split second view, so I won’t claim it, but will be interesting to see if an early one is reported.

World’s quietest Cetti’s Warbler!

 Spent over four hours in the Drewer Hide at Fowlmere. The Cetti’s Warbler had apparently been claimed there. It called about once every half an hour (though more frequently at dusk) but from deep within the reed-bed. It was never seen.

A couple of Swallows and a Buzzard were the only notable birds seen whilst waiting, though I took a few snaps to ease the boredom.

Earlier in the day, a Goldcrest was in the garden. The first I’ve seen all year!

Fowlmere

A Cetti’s Warbler was apparently singing first thing. I may have heard it last thing, but couldn’t be sure (Jackdaws and Rooks were making their usual racket.) Certainly wasn’t singing at lunchtime, when all I could find was the year’s first Swallow.

Took a couple of quick snaps of a singing Linnet and a Greylag goose from the hide:

Yet more Crossbills

Again at the Lodge for a few hours from midday. More Crossbills, a Brambling (heard only), a possible Tree Pipit, and two Buzzards (one extremely pale bird with white UTCs.)

Fowlmere last thing was so so quiet, though earlier there were still about fifty Golden Plovers at Trumpington.