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.
