Fowlmere, Dead Man’s Hill, Barley area

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.

Fowlmere and a long walk

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.

Fowlmere

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.

Cornwall (Day 4)

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.

Cornwall (Day 3)

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!

Cornwall (Day 2)

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.

Cornwall (Day 1)

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.

Local Birding

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.

Fowlmere

A quick walk to the hide at dusk. Male Gadwall there amongst the Mallards. A Tawny Owl heard whilst walking back.

Fieldfares

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.

Fowlmere

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.

Suffolk: Dormice and Birds

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.

Fowlmere

Apart from several large flocks of Woodpigeon (300+), very quiet. Snipe and a Red Admiral.

Fowlmere

Late afternoon: Fieldfare, Snipe, and Cetti’s Warbler (heard.)

Fowlmere

Very quiet first thing (as was Shepreth at dusk.) About thirty Skylarks and a Buzzard. At midnight a Muntjac was calling loudly in Foxton.

Fowlmere

A couple of hours at first light. Quite a lot of movement, but difficult to tell whether actually moving through or just around the reserve:

Skylark x 50+
Buzzard
Song Thrush x c.30
Redwing x c.300
Wader – frustrating views of reasonably sized Tringa sp. north.

Also:

Teal x 3
Snipe x 2
Cetti’s Warbler (heard)

Amwell, Fowlmere, and Therfield Heath

An incredibly warm and sunny day after a cloudy start. Lots of migration going on at Amwell, though not much actually on the pit. Most of the birds were moving before the sun came out at about 11am.

Redwing x 1000+ mostly south-east.
Song Thrush x c.100? mostly south (sometimes distant so difficult to tell from Redwing flocks.)
Skylark x 30+ mostly south/south-east.
Hobby – south-east.
Linnet x 20+

Also seen:

Little Egret x 2
Buzzard x 3
Cetti’s Warbler – heard.

Fowlmere late afternoon remained quiet as usual. A couple of Snipe and a Cetti’s Warbler heard.

With loads of good birds nationally and a few good local goodies I decided to try Therfield Heath in the hope of a Wheatear or Ring Ouzel. No such luck with thirteen Red-legged Partridges being the only notable bird sighting. Clustered Bellflowers were still in bloom, and at dusk I had this very large bat which I am sure is Noctule Bat, even though it is has not apparently been recorded here according to “Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles of Hertfordshire” by Michael Clark.

Redwings were also going over the garden as night fell.

Shepreth L-moor and Fowlmere

17 Lapwings at the former. About 50 Starlings being harassed by a couple of Sparrowhawks at the latter. That’s all folks.

Botanic Gardens

A walk around at lunchtime in Cambridge. Not much. Just a Goldcrest and a Treecreeper, but the gardens looked pretty…

Shepreth L-moor

Nothing unusual in a half hour look at first light. The first Redwings are in.

Fowlmere

A good flock of Linnets around the reserve (over forty I’d guess.) Several Warblers but nothing more exciting that Chiffchaff, Blackcap, and Reed Warbler. A few Redwings and the Snipe again. Best sighting was a rather late and diminutive Common Lizard.

Fowlmere

Tufted Duck was the highlight this evening! Also a large (200+?) mixed group of (mainly) Swallows and House Martins, as well as a single Snipe and a Cetti’s Warbler heard.

Fowlmere, Shepreth L-moor, and around

Drizzle all day. Lesser Whitethroat and Cetti’s Warbler at Fowlmere first thing. About 100 Starlings at Shepreth late on. A couple of Pipistrelle sp. bats near Newton.

Fowlmere

A break in the rain late afternoon, so took a stroll around Fowlmere. Siskins and Linnets but not a lot else until a Grey Wagtail went over. An unusual bird for Fowlmere in my experience.