Fowlmere

Very quiet in the lunchtime sun: Just a Buzzard.

Geese, Swans, and Owls

A Tundra Bean Goose at Tyttenhanger mid-morning had me travelling into Herts. Not present when I first arrived but I managed to relocate it with two White-fronted Geese and five Greylags.

This photo of the Bean Goose and the White-fronted Geese was taken by Alan Reynolds as I was standing next to him…

A Red Kite was seen on the way around Welwyn.

I then made my way to a very quiet Amwell, where three Snipe and a Buzzard was about the long and short of it before heading for home to collect the kids and head towards Burwell Fen for where Short-eared Owls had been seen in good numbers recently. We drove around for a couple of hours but didn’t locate any until I found one at dusk, which in the end showed very nicely. Whilst searching though, we did manage to find seven Whooper Swans, a Peregrine, and a flock of about twenty White-fronted Geese. There were also a few Sika Deer seen.

All in all, a very good day!

Fowlmere

A quick walk first thing on a the first frosty morning for some time. A Cetti's was heard, and three drake Teal, three Siskins, and a Redpoll was seen.

Fowlmere and Fen Drayton

A very brief visit to Fowlmere late morning produced very little in the way of birds. A Common Darter enjoyed the winter sunshine, often perching on my jumper, and a Buzzard was seen.

In the Fen Drayton area at dusk, so despite the now thick fog, decided to visit the reserve. A Skeen of about thirty geese flew over which I’m certain were White-fronted, but in the fog I couldn’t be sure. So just heard only records of Tawny Owl and Cetti’s Warbler before I left in a pea soup at nightfall.

Greater Yellowlegs

Dawn with Daryl, James, and Tony for the Greater Yellowlegs at Hauxley Nature Reserve in Northumberland, where it had roosted last night. It  was heard and seen by a few lucky observers but we missed it, seeing only four Bar-tailed Godwits, and a number of Curlews and Redshanks.
We were about to check other sites where it had been seen when we heard news that it had been relocated at one of them, Druridge Bay, anyway.
A five minutes drive down the road and there it was, a juvenile Greater Yellowlegs. Standing on my own, away from the crowd, the bird decided to fly along the bank to within about five meters from where I was standing! It was way to close to photograph (I only had digiscoping equipment to hand), so I just enjoyed it on my own and then took a brief video...

Greater Yellowlegs

Also seen were three Scaup (one male), four Red-breasted Merganser (one male), and about two-hundred White-fronted Geese.
We then checked near by East Chevington for a recent Green-winged Teal, seeing only about one-hundred Teal before the long journey home. Although we did not see it, the Yellowlegs turned up on site whilst we were there.

Fowlmere

Beautiful day. Very quiet. Six Teal, Cetti’s Warbler heard, a Red Admiral, and three Common Darters.

Wembley Peregrines

Three Peregrines seen at dusk at Wembley stadium just before the England – Spain game. Obviously captive birds used to scare the Pigeons.

Mandarin at Fowlmere

Fowlmere at dawn in an as expected futile attempt to connect with yesterday’s Smew. Seven Teal were the highlight until a drake Mandarin flew in with Mallards. A Fowlmere tick, though not the one I was expecting.

Minsmere

A few hours from lunchtime until about an hour before dusk on my own whilst visiting my parents:

Marsh Harrier x 4
Pink-footed Goose
Brent Goose x 2 over the sea
Little Egret x 4
Goldcrest – probably a migrant in the sluice bushes
Fieldfare – best sighting of the day. In-off the sea whilst I was sea-watching and landed right by me. A Greater Black-backed Gull then briefly attacked it and but being so close to me soon gave up and after a few minutes rest the Fieldfare headed into cover.
Snow Bunting x 8
Bearded Tit x 3 (heard)
Cetti’s Warbler x 3 (heard)

Great Grey Shrike

A Great Grey Shrike at Kelshall mid afternoon. Also 29 Grey Partridges (two coveys of 12 and 17) and 7 Red-legged Partridges. Fowlmere later held little.

Weasel

One ran across the A505 south of Fowlmere, dodging the morning rush hour traffic to successfully make it to the other side!

Grey Wagtails & Skylarks

Two Grey Wagtails on the Cam at Great Chesterford. Best birds I've seen since I began working here! At dusk five Skylarks flew over the house.