Fowlmere

Lots of movement this morning, but nothing overly exciting. Stonechat seemed to have moved on. Skylarks seemed to be constantly going over. A flock of around 50 House Martins. Large numbers (well, 20+) Chiffchaffs. Also, the Barn Owls seem to have two chicks!

Got a late call from the warden Doug, who was reporting a seen and heard Yellow-browed Warbler. Had just settled down to my usual Friday night drink but left it to dash down. No joy. Maybe tomorrow?

Fowlmere
30 September 2016 07:48 - 09:05
Sunny 11C 4SSE
Teal, Mallard, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Swallow, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap (heard), Treecreeper (heard), Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush (heard), Robin, Dunnock (heard), Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Grey Squirrel, Muntjac, Red Admiral

Fowlmere

A male Stonechat at dusk was the highlight on a quick walk around last thing. Earlier in the day a Grey Wagtail was on the pond in the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge and one flew over (not seen) whilst I was walking to the train station in the evening. Maybe the same bird?

Cambridge Botanic Gardens
29 September 2016 13:27 - 14:05
Patchy cloud 18C 13W
Mallard, Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Wren (heard), Blackbird, Robin (heard), Dunnock (heard), Grey Wagtail, Chaffinch (heard), Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Common Darter

Fowlmere
29 September 2016 18:03 - 19:00
Patchy cloud 15C 9W
Teal, Mallard, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Tawny Owl (heard), Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit (heard), Swallow, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Blackcap (heard), Wren (heard), Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Stonechat, Dunnock (heard), Chaffinch (heard), Reed Bunting

Fowlmere

Not a lot to see. Highlight was a late juvenile Reed Warbler and good numbers of Hirrundines including House Martins. Lovely evening light and autumnal colours though.

The Botanic Gardens in Cambridge didn’t produce a lot though a Chiffchaff was heard.

Cambridge Botanic Gardens
26 September 2016 14:10 - 14:37
Light rain 18C 11SSW
Mallard, Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Magpie (heard), Blue Tit (heard), Great Tit (heard), Chiffchaff (heard), Grey Squirrel

Fowlmere
26 September 2016 17:35 - 18:55
Patchy cloud 14C 8S
Teal, Mallard, Pheasant, Buzzard (heard), Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Kingfisher, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock (heard), Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Fallow Deer, Muntjac, Migrant Hawker

Fowlmere

Lovely light on the first evening of Autumn. No birds. A Chiffchaff in full song was a bit of an oddity.

Fowlmere
22 September 2016 17:25 - 18:40
Patchy cloud 16C 8SW
Teal, Mallard, Pheasant, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit (heard), Swallow, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit (heard), Chiffchaff (heard), Treecreeper (heard), Wren, Blackbird (heard), Robin (heard), Dunnock (heard), Meadow Pipit (heard), Chaffinch (heard), Linnet (heard), Grey Squirrel, Fallow Deer, Muntjac, Emperor Dragonfly

Botanic Gardens

A juvenile Grey Heron on the main pool. Awful phone shot below.

Only the second one I’ve ever seen here. Also a couple of Migrant Hawkers.

Cambridge Botanic Gardens
15 September 2016 13:40 - 14:10
Sunny 24C 7E
Mallard, Grey Heron, Moorhen (heard), Woodpigeon, Blue Tit (heard), Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blackbird (heard), Robin (heard), Dunnock (heard), Chaffinch (heard), Large White, Meadow Brown, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter

Fowlmere

Finished work early to go to Fowlmere on the hottest September day on record to try for the (three) Willow Emerald Damselflies that had been reported last week. Directions were vague: “Near the Spring Hide” and I was up against it time-wise as I needed to go out for the evening at 5:45 having arrived shortly after 4:00.

Until about 5:15 I’d had no luck, so decided, before going home, to have a 30 second scan over the Mere hide to make sure there weren’t any good birds on the mud. I had a very quick scan, just time enough to count 93 Lapwings and glance over the Teal. I was out again in two minutes and bumped into Ade Cooper, telling him I hadn’t seen anything special but hadn’t really looked properly.

I had about another five minutes before needing to go so decided to have a last look from the Spring Hide. A fairly distant Southern Migrant Hawker was buzzing around and it chased a Damselfly. The Damselfly then flew and rested on reed… With it’s wings spread open. This was good news as I’d never actually seen any Lestes species at Fowlmere before! It was fairly distant but I could just make out all the relevant features: Pale pterostigma, lack of blue on last segments.

I sent a text to Ade to tell him of the sighting and he immediately called to say I’d overlooked two Garganey in the Mere Hide! Not good, but it was a very quick glance. I dashed back for a few photos before racing home.

Fowlmere
13 September 2016 16:10 - 17:40
Sunny 30C 8S
Teal, Mallard, Garganey, Kestrel, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Lapwing, Woodpigeon, Kingfisher (heard), Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap (heard), Wren (heard), Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock (heard), Chaffinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Willow Emerald Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Migrant Hawker, Southern Hawker, Common Darter, Ruddy Darter

Yellow-legged Gull

Not quite a garden tick but almost. In the fields between the house and the station.

Apart from a roost of c. 20 Yellow Wagtails Fowlmere only had a nice sunset.

Cambridge Botanic Gardens
12 September 2016 12:53 - 13:24
Overcast with very light rain 23C 11S
Mallard, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit (heard), Chiffchaff (heard), Blackcap, Blackbird (heard), Robin (heard), Dunnock (heard), Large White, Green-veined White, Gatekeeper, Southern Hawker, Common Darter

Fowlmere
12 September 2016 18:24 - 18:26
Sunny 18C 11SE
Teal, Mallard, Grey Partridge, Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Moorhen, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit (heard), Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Cetti’s Warbler (heard), Chiffchaff (heard), Blackcap (heard), Wren, Starling, Blackbird (heard), Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock (heard), Yellow Wagtail, Chaffinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Southern Hawker, Emperor Dragonfly

Foxton Swifts

A couple of late Swifts with House Martins and Swallows around the church on a lovely September afternoon. Not much walking around the fields earlier in the day apart from a single adult Hobby and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Also a good number of Red Admirals…

Foxton
11 September 2016 12:05 - 14:14
sunny 20C 6S
Pheasant, Buzzard, Kestrel, Hobby, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Blackcap (heard), Starling, Blackbird, Robin (heard), Dunnock, House Sparrow, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Linnet, Grey Squirrel (heard), Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Migrant Hawker

Foxton Gulls

Similar number again tonight, but nowhere near the variation. Nearly all Lesser-black Backed Gulls. Just a single Yellow-legged Gull. Sent this to the newly formed Foxton Birders “WhatsApp” group…

Just 1 ad YLG. May be able to find out where it's come from. Red ring on L tarsus. Probably find it was ringed as a HG!

Foxton Gulls

Got a call from Michelle shortly after 5pm to say there were lots of Gulls in the fields south of the woods so I went to take a look. The farmers were just finishing off ploughing the fields and most of the gulls were loafing around in them. A very good session. Totals:

1 x 1W Greater Black-backed Gull
1 x ad. Caspian Gull
2 x ad. Yellow-legged Gull
1 x 1W Yellow-legged Gull
c.20 Herring Gulls
c.200 graellsii Lesser Black-backed Gull
c.200 intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull
c.10 Black-headed Gull