Fowlmere

Shelduck pair still present. Got a photo in terrible light. Also the male Merlin was seen along the Guilden Brook, despite all the activity with the solar farm construction.

Fowlmere
27 February 2015 07:52 - 09:04
Sunny 6C 10W
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Pheasant, Kestrel, Merlin, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Grey Squirrel

Fowlmere

First visit at dusk for quite a while and not too bad. A pair of Shelduck were on the mere, a very rare site record. Also on the mere were pairs of both Little Grebes and Coots. Mallards and Teals also seemed to have pair up as well. A Barn Owl was hunting constantly too.

Fowlmere
25 February 2015 17:10 - 18:25
Patchy cloud 6C 6S
Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Snipe, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Robin, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting

Fowlmere

A beautiful spring like day so took a lunchtime stroll around Fowlmere. A Chiffchaff was calling though couldn’t be seen.

Fowlmere
17 February 2015 12:31 - 13:59
Sunny 6C 2W
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Teal, Mallard, Pheasant, Grey Heron, Kestrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Grey Squirrel, Fallow Deer

Great Grey Shrike

Had a few hours to spare at the end of the weekend so took myself off to Wicken Fen. Drove through Burwell Fen (actually, it’s proper name is Swaffham Prior Fen, but I’ve always called it Burwell), to see if I could see any of the Short-eared Owl that are regular there. Didn’t see any, but whilst slowly driving along, at the usual good spot for them, I found a Great Grey Shrike! I seem to keep finding these for some reason.

 

Watched it for about ten minutes or so before carrying on to Wicken were I stayed until dusk. Not anything too exciting, just the usual stuff including a couple of Barn Owls (and one at Burwell on the drive back) and a decent display from the Starling* flock.

 

Burwell
15 February 2015 15:05 - 15:42
Patchy cloud 6C 5S
Mute Swan, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Pheasant, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Chaffinch, Barn Owl, Great Grey Shrike, Bullfinch

Wicken Fen
15 February 2015 15:54 - 17:56
Patchy cloud 6C 4S
Mute Swan, Greater Canada Goose, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Pheasant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Barn Owl, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Bearded Tit, Cetti's Warbler, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Muntjac, Fallow Deer

*Starlings have started nest building and/or inspecting – rather noisily – in the loft this last week.

Bramfield and Amwell

Attempted to see the long staying (but sometimes difficult to see) Hawfinches in Bramfield Churchyard. No sign after a couple of hours. Quite a birdy place though. Around 300 Golden Plover over, a showy Nuthatch, and a Red Kite.

Went to Amwell afterwards to try and connect with the Smew. Found a drake and a redhead. The roost has pretty much finished now, but a first winter Yellow-legged Gull showed well.

Bramfield
14 February 2015 14:16 - 16:36
Cloudy 8C 8E
Mallard, Pheasant, Red Kite, Golden Plover, Black-headed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Wren, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Grey Squirrel

Amwell
14 February 2015 17:00 - 18:02
Cloudy 7C 5E
Mute Swan, Greater Canada Goose, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Smew, Pheasant, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Water Rail, Moorhen, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Cetti's Warbler, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting

Fowlmere

Haven’t seen this old girl for a while…

…but she was back today. Female Blackbird at her usual place along the entrance to the Mere Hide. Not a lot else in a very brief mid-afternoon circuit.

Fowlmere
06 February 2015 14:17 - 15:13
Sunny 4C 12NE
Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Brown Hare, Muntjac