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