Fowlmere

A fine morning, full of expectation but little promise. Just the first butterfly of the year for Fowlmere: A Peacock.

Therfield Heath, Thriplow, and Fowlmere

Sunny but cold. Covered a good part of Therfield Heath looking for migrant Wheatears and Ring Ouzels, but found little apart from a Peacock butterfly and three Willow Warblers.

At dusk, a distant falcon was seen whilst driving between Newton and Foxton; probably a female-type Merlin.

More luck than earlier in the day at Fowlmere where there were superb views of Barn Owl followed by Long-eared Owl and then a heard-only Tawny Owl. A Pipistrelle bat was also seen.

Fowlmere

A sunny but cold evening (light snow during the day) at Fowlmere. Two Grey Partridges were the only birds of note, with the cold northerlies continuing to keep the migrants away.

Redwing and Fieldfare were noticeable by their absence.

Fowlmere

A light sprinkling of snow and cold northerlies meant nothing new at Fowlmere apart from a few extra Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps.

Fowlmere and Garden

A very quick afternoon stroll around a cloudy Fowlmere where the year's first Swallow was seen. Meanwhile in the garden, it seems we have nesting Great Tits, House Sparrows, Starlings, and Robins, with Blue Tits checking out a nestbox as well as Blackbirds and Chaffinches close by (if not somewhere in the garden.)

Fowlmere

A late afternoon stroll produced six fly-over Golden Plovers and two Blackcaps.

Fowlmere

Went to Fowlmere with Tom in the afternoon where he did some photography with very pleasing results:


Greylag Goose by Tom


Little Grebe by Tom