Fowlmere

A very quick walk around. Barn Owls in nest box. Lots of anoying Greylag Geese. Five Chiffchaffs.

Fowlmere
23 March 2015 08:00 - 09:06
Sunny 8C 9W
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Pheasant, Blue Tit, Bearded Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Rabbit

 

Ring-necked Duck

Took Sam to a football match at Littleport. After the game I arranged for him to get a lift back so I could do the Ouse washes from Pymoor for a couple of hours. Didn’t actually know a drake Ring-necked Duck was present, so a nice surprise! Also a couple of Cranes, 250 Whooper Swan, and thousands of ducks.

Ouse Washes
22 March 2015 12:34 - 14:41
Patchy cloud 8C 7E
Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Tufted Duck, Crane, Pochard, Pheasant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Rook, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Fieldfare, Redwing, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Starling, Cormorant, Stock Dove, Wren

Fowlmere

Beautiful day by lunchtime on the first day of Spring (Tom’s 18th birthday). Huge shame it wasn’t like it earlier in the day, as it may have given a chance to view the partial eclipse. Cloud was seen instead, and a slight darkening. Fowlmere still quiet, though four Chiffchaffs were heard.

Fowlmere
20 March 2015 13:00 - 14:06
Clear 12C 3NW
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Kestrel, Buzzard, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Rabbit, Muntjac

Fowlmere

Quiet. Again. A single Chiffchaff calling. North-easterly winds not helping.

Fowlmere
19 March 2015 07:50 - 09:04
Overcast 8C 14NE
Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Snipe, Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Rabbit

Pintail at Fowlmere

A female Pintail was a surprise find at an otherwise quiet Fowlmere later afternoon.

Fowlmere
14 March 2015 15:54 - 17:44
Patchy cloud 8C 11NE
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Buzzard, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Snipe, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Robin, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Bank Vole

Barton and Fen Drayton

A free afternoon. Did a circuit of Barton first off, in the sun. A bit disappointing. So continued north to Fen Drayton. It rained (again) but birding was pretty good, though, apart from a pair of Egyption Geese, all the sightings were in the first 30 minutes or so. These included an early Sand Martin, a pair of Smew, a pair of Goosander, and a wing-tagged Red-Kite.

I also found these Butterfly or Moth eggs. I’ll have to work out what they are…

Barton
08 March 2015 11:57 - 13:13
Patchy cloud 14C 18SW
Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Buzzard, Kestrel, Golden Plover, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Collared Dove, Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Wren, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Robin, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Yellowhammer, Brown Hare, Small Tortoiseshell

Fen Drayton
08 March 2015 13:34 - 17:30
Overcast with occasional heavy rain 14C 18SW 
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red Kite, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Grey Squirrel, Rabbit

Spring

A Brimstone in the garden (saw a further three during the course of the day) on a bright, spring-like day. Had a spare hour or so, so went to Shepreth L-Moor. Very good. Found a Stonechat, a new bird for the site. A Peacock butterfly was also sunning itself, and a decent sized (20+) flock of Yellowhammers with a few Reed Buntings in amongst them.

Shepreth L-Moor
07 March 2015 12:19 - 13:47
Sunny 13C 16SW
Mallard, Moorhen, Woodpigeon, Kestrel, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Stonechat, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Brimstone, Peacock

 

Fen Drayton

A lovely afternoon so took the opportunity to try again for the Glossy Ibis at Fen Drayton. This time I was successful, though it wasn’t on the pit it was reported on (though did fly back there later). Also, a couple of Oystercatchers, and hundreds (thousands, I’ve no idea?) of Wigeon.

Fen Drayton
01 March 2015 13:00 - 16:00
Sunny with patchy cloud to begin, but with heavy rain last thing 9C 21SW
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Greater Canada Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Pheasant, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Oystercatcher, Great Crested Grebe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Grey Squirrel