Amwell

In the drizzle, but from the new hides:

Ringed Plover x 3.
Redshank
Cetti's Warbler x 3 (heard.)
Lapwing - 3 pairs of adults with young.

Chaffinch

Had to rescue a male Chaffinch that had flown in to a window inside the main hide at Fowlmere. It was stunned for about ten minutes before it eventually flew off.

Little else of note, just a single Sand Martin amongst the House Martins, Swallows, and Swifts.

Lake District (Day 3)

Not much birding today but finished at Haweswater. No Golden Eagles, just Ravens and spectacular views.

Lake District (Day 2)

A morning family walk (again in good weather), around Latterbarrow, Witherslack. Several Buzzards were seen as well as Northern Marsh Orchid and Early Purple Orchid.

In the afternoon we drove north to Thirlmere looking for Red Squirrels. None were found (indeed not much was) apart from a Spotted Flycatcher and a probable Merlin.

Tawny Owls were calling in our Hawkshead garden at dusk, but couldn't be seen.

Lake District (Day 1)

Annual family visit to lake district, started in the morning sun at Brother's Water where Tom found a male Pied Flycatcher (a tick for him!) Shortly afterwards he had another (again self-found) tick with several short views of Dipper. We then did well for raptors on the drive to our accommodation in Hawkshead, seeing several Buzzards, a Merlin (Tom missed it as usual) and a Peregrine.

In the afternoon we went for a walk around Claife Heights and Latterbarrow, where we managed to see a Spotted Flycatcher and three Ravens.

Fowlmere

Warm but with patchy cloud in a quick afternoon visit produced two Hobbies and a few Blue-tailed Damselflies.

Fowlmere

A sunny afternoon visit:

Hobby x 3.
Little Grebe - pair plus three young.
Turtle Dove (heard)
Gadwall - pair (male in eclipse.)
Buzzard
Banded Demoiselle
Four-spotted Chaser
Azure Damselfly

Fowlmere and Garden

Yesterday's "Wood Mouse" actually turned out to be a Yellow-necked Mouse. Not much at Fowlmere: Kingfisher (first for some time; breeding?), Hobby, and Turtle Dove (heard).

Great Reed Warbler

Great Reed Warbler! An Amwell mega. Singing and showing surprisingly well.

Also two Hobbies and a Little Ringed Plover. Later found a mouse (probably Wood Mouse) in the garden, but it escaped before it proper identification.

New Forest (Day 3)

Crockford Bridge:
Buzzard - many.
Smooth Newt - several.
Dartford Warbler - pair.
Curlew
Heath Spotted Orchid

Beaulieu Road Railway Station:
Slow Worm
Buzzard - many.
Hobby
Raven

Then to Wembley to watch Cambridge loose to Exeter in the play-off final!

New Forest (Day 2)

Bolderwood:
Redstart x 2 male.
Garden Warbler x 4
Firecrest - male.
Nuthatch
Crossbill x 2 female type.
Sika, Fallow, Roe, and Red Deer.



Acres Down:
Goshawk x 2
Buzzard - several.
Tree Pipit - several.
Woodlark x 4
Stonechat - several.
Redstart - male.

Thorns Beach:
Green-winged Orchid - several hundred



Beaulieu:
Black-tailed Godwit x c.20

Then back to Brockenhurst and Hollands Wood to watch the cup final, play football and cricket, and have a barbeque!

One Common Pipistrelle confirmed using a bat detector.

New Forest (Day 1)

Drove to our camp site at Hollands Wood, seeing a few Buzzards on the way. Met up with the other Fowlmere Bullfinches and set up the camp. Tawny and Little Owls were calling overnight.

Red-footed Falcon

A wet Fowlmere first thing produced nothing of note at all. Much better later in the day however with a first year female Red-footed Falcon at Fisher's Green. Unfortunately in the three and a half hours that I watched it, it failed to venture the few yards needed to make it on the Hertfordshire list, but a good time all the same as it flew around with at least seven Hobbies. A Black Tern was an additional bonus.

Fowlmere

Despite the drop in temperature, and quite a breeze, the first Hairy Dragonfly of the year was seen at Fowlmere.

Little Paxton

Went to Little Paxton with Sam after he played in a football tournament at nearby St. Neotts. Three Nightingales were heard and one bird was extremely showy, singing in the open. The other highlight was a Red Kite circling in a hot midday thermal. A Hobby and three Buzzards were also seen.

Fowlmere

An hour in the sun at Fowlmere produced three year ticks: Hobby, Shoveler, and Turtle Dove.

Shepreth L-moor

Two Turtle Doves in a quick walk around Shepreth L-moor, followed by a Hobby over the garden (apparently chasing Swifts a few moments earlier.)

Fowlmere

Another very hot day:

Lesser Whitethroat
Gadwall - two male already in eclipse.
Large Red Damselfly
Green-veined White

Yellow Wagtails

Four Yellow Wagtails noted near Grantchester whilst on bike-ride from Cambridge to home.

Dotterels

Starting off early at Fowlmere where I had very frustrating views of what I was sure seemed to be a streaked locustella Warbler. It walked off in to the undergrowth, and after fifteen minutes, I knew I wouldn't see it again.

Then drove around north Herts. and southern Cambridgeshire in a fruitless search for Dotterel, only managing to find a Yellow Wagtail and a Buzzard, plus a few Whitethroats.

We gave up near Ashwell as just over the border in Beds. a dark morph Montagu's Harrier that had been there all morning was confirmed as such. Our frustration increased when we missed it by a few minutes by not being able to find Broom gravel pits in time.

Giving up birding for the day we headed to Peterborough for some family 'stuff', but did manage to see a female Marsh Harrier on Flag Fen. Indeed, all was not lost as a male and female Dotterel had been found near Therfield Heath, so after dropping off Michelle and Sam, we saw what was to be a new bird for Tom.

Fowlmere and Shepreth L-moor

Only noteworthy sightings were a Buzzard at Fowlmere and the year's first Large White at Shepreth.

Marsh Harrier

Nothing much at Fowlmere, but on returning home, a Marsh Harrier flew over the garden. Light was poor but I think it was a male, though possibly not the Fowlmere bird (though this is the most likely) as it appeared generally more 'tatty'.