Bird Atlas work again today, with a few things of note cormorant and nuthatch new for me locally and a flock of 70 skylarks was very noteworthy. I popped over to Sudbury and then Long Melford to see the waxwings at both sites.
26th December
The afternoon was spent feeding the red kites in my dad's back garden and a selection of crows enjpyed the feast as well. A couple of roe deer on the way home.
24th December
An early start to Cantley and after a cup of tea I braved the icy wind and headed into the reserve. 4 Taiga bean geese were close in but noting else. A flock of European whitefronts flew in but not what I was after but a few heads a long way away were more promising, so another birder joined me in the long walk, but a barn owl or possibly two broke the journey. Arriving at a good vantage point for the flock of geese we quickly found the lesser whitefronted goose which was notably smaller than the bean and whitefronts it was with.
A bittern was flushed on the walk back and more tea before heading to Westleton Heath. Walking round the heath I eventually found my target which was Dartford warbler a nice male and my 300th bird of the year. My last stop was at North Warren to check out the feral red breasted geese and they were duly found amongst the feral barnacle geese. At least two tundra bean geese were also present with the whitefronts. Job done I headed home early for some brownie points.
23rd December
Popped into Eyebrooke Reservoir on the wat to dropping presents at my brothers in Leicester. The roads around the reservoir were well dodgy and a 4x4 is really needed but with a little skill my car made it. Most of the water was frozen, but about 4 patches of water still remained and on one of them was the long staying green winged teal amongst the teal.
19th December
A day out surveying Bat Hibernacular with the Cambs Bat Group in bitterly cold weather and challenging snow conditions. But what a great day. Mostly Natterer's bats which was unexpected as daubenton's bats are usually the most common. But they were seen as well along with several brown long eared bats and one site also had common pipistrelles but the prize and my 59th mammal species of the year (and probably the last) was a Barbastelle bat in the site less than two miles from my house, a great day and again thanks to the organisers for letting me join in once again.
12th December
Time once again for Bird Atlas, but with the weather and ploughed footpaths to contend with I was not looking forward to it but what a morning. The highlight was a bittern feeding in a small stream but got spooked by me and flew off. A few lesser redpolls were new to me in the area. Mammals were out as well with the usual rabbits but three roe deer and four fallow deer were worth the walk.
10th December
A pre work visit to a very icy Rutland Water where I quickly located the drake american wigeon well there was not a great deal of ice free water so all the waterfowl were concentrated into a small area. A few tree sparrows on the feeders worth a mention as well.
6th December
A big day out to try and catch up with a few species that have eluded me so far this year and a reason to get out of the house, so I started at Lodmoor RSPB. Here the long staying and showy long billed dowitcher was neither and I eventually got some distant views, but a kingfisher and jack snipe were more helpful. I wandered round the reserve for better views but the dowitcher was always miles away. An interesting chiff chaff of which I was reasonably sure it was siberian but it would not call so I could not be 100% certain. After some running car repairs I got to a very misty Chew Valley Lake where a drake smew was the best bird around Herriots bridge. The rarer ducks were present from the hide a fudge duck and a ring necked duck but both distant in terrible light and mist. Last stop was the Forest of Dean for a few hours searching for the wild boar and I was eventually rewarded with a small individual crossing the road.
4th December
A jaunt up to Norfolk but the best stuff was on the way up, a small herd of fallow deer and a red kite. At Wells wood nothing was doing apart from the mealy redpoll flock and a good view of the male Northern bullfinch. I popped into a very quiet Titchwell, a merlin, water pipit, lapland bunting and twite the best I could muster but my heart was not in it and I headed for home mid afternoon.
30th November
I saw some waxwings but got some terrible news and cancelled the trip abroad due the next day.
29th November
That mink sighting a few days ago was starting to trouble me as we caught a polecat on the 27th, but today my sighting was confirmed with a mink trapped right by my sighting site. An amazing close encounter, particularly the piercing scream during its photo session something I never knew about them.
27th November
Mike Richardson was down the frozen North for another go at the wild boar, but first thing I had to check the Mink traps in the almost as frozen South, one was tripped but the occupant was not who was expected. A black and white face of a polecat was looking back at me, but on closer inspection it was clearly not pure so a polecat ferret or feral ferret (depending on your nomenclature) it was. After a brief photo shoot it was released back into the wild, hopefully avoiding the traps in the future. We headed down to the Forest of Dean and tried several sites for wild boar and with plenty of recent signs we were optimistic. But it was not to be, but we did have double figure numbers of foxes and that did exclude the multiple sightings of some individuals. The fallow deer were also very numerous including several stags in there finery were a real treat.
25th November
I have been doing some mink raft monotoring with a local project over the last few weeks, but this morning I had my first actual sighting of a mink in the area, it was hunting rabbits near the brook. The rafts had its tell tale prints as well. A couple of hares were keeping out of the wind.
23rd November
With Automotive and social engagements blocking the weekend I was keen to get out and see some wildlife so I spent a few hours with nocturnal wildlife. Rabbits were easy to find and after about an hour a fox came by perhaps hunting the rabbits, but a short while later I assume it put up a small group of canada geese. A wood mouse finished off the evening.
13th November
It was time for some birding so I headed up to Norfolk for a day out but it proved to be a mammal that was the highlight of the day. A brief stop for some grey partridges before arriving at Cley where the golden ploverflock could be seen from the beach car park and after a short while I found the American golden plover that had been present for a week or so. I headed to Burnham Overy dunes but popped into Wells for a cursory look at the black brants which at least two were present but a cracking common seal was hauled out and posed well for all comers. I eventually dragged myself to Burnham Overy Dunes for a raptor fest, two rough legged buzzards a common buzzard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, marsh harrier and the hen harrier possible northern harrier which was a very interesting indeed and well worth a look. It was rounded off with a barn owl and some barnacle geese. Titchwell had very few birds but those it did have were actually quite reasonable. A merlin to continue the raptor theme but also a redhead smew, a twite and water pipit, a few snow buntings and a few redpoll.
I headed for home via the Welney area and several large flocks of whooper swans, were easily located and one held two bewick's swans, the light had gone so I did not try for the cattle egret but it was still a productive day.
ad gone so I did not try for the cattle egret but it was still a productive day.
11th November
Finishing work early to visit Hollingworth Lake, where after a short walk the pied billed grebe was resting in some reeds showing quite well, but shortly it came close in feeding showing well but the poor light and strong winds made photos difficult but I got a few reasonable shots.
10th November
A cracking barn owl showing well locally allowed for some photos.
A brief visit to Rutland water where at the end of the dam the grey phalarope was showing exceptionally well, a cracking bird always worth seeing them.
30th October
An early start saw me back at Arne, the weather was much better but most of the deer had vanished, several sika stags remained and were bellowing loudly but were all distant. One stag eventually came close for some photos.
There were plent of idiots about, dog walkers with dogs off their leads and a couple of photographers entering the field with the sika stags in - why? A couple of stags did clash but far from the cameras. Our day of deer rutting came to a premature end as tempted by a mega we headed off to Cornwall. Parking in Zennor we walked up the hill to the site, encountering two birders on my walk and we had a quick chat, they were unsure of the correct area, I mentioned the bird had gone into the bracken. They scanned behind me and the American Bittern was flying past, we watched as it flew further away before I grabbed the camera for a very distant record shot before it was lost to view. A good search did not produce any further sightings but a male hen harrier and some flyover fieldfares were seen on our search. And yes chips were the choice of food on the trip home.
29th October
Leaving work early I popped in to see the lesser yellowlegs in Oxford which was showing well, we made good progress and made it to Arne RSPB along with a mega rainstorm which cleared out all the tourists leaving the whole reserve for us. The sika deer were out in force 7 stags and 100 or so hinds. There was plenty of bellowing going on and the dominant stag had centre stag in the field and it major rival in the heath behind us. It was raining lightly and quite dull so not ideal for photography but a few individuals came close and did not move much allowing us to get some shots. The action was limited to chasing and bellowing no antler locking but it was an excellent atmosphere.
24th October
A pleasant start to the day with warm sunshine as I arrived at Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve Woods Hill. After a quick call to Simon West I was in the right spot and 15 mins later I was watching a water shrew busily feeding in the stream. It was incredibly quick and difficult to photograph but I got a few shots. It fed on and off for an hour or so but disappeared when several noisy families kept walking by. That was my cue to leave and head off to Newhaven to see the rose coloured starling but it had not been seen for 30 mins or so and did not return and my search did not locate it. That was enough for me so I headed to East Sussex to check out the wild boar woods. A quick walk down the track was promising with some recent boar signs and also plenty of deer signs. I put some bait out and waited, dusk came and a couple of pipistrelle bat sp were flying round, then they arrived, about 10-15 of them, pesky rabbits eating my bait. There was plenty of tawny owl activity and a couple of good sightings. Then it started lots of fallow deer bellowing and a small stag crossed the track heading off to join the action. With the rabbits getting stuck in to my bait and no sign or sound of boar I headed further into the forest towards the deer. I got fairly close despite the condition of the tracks (Forestry operations - need I saw more!), it was amazing three stags roaring away in close proximity. My route back was now cut off by the deer so I carried on taking the long way back to the car, a wild boar crossed the track infront of me but going for my camera I slipped over. Back at the car I decided for a bit of a drive round and got a nice badger and a roe deer buck to finish off the evening.
23rd October
In less than ideal weather I started my day at Lowestoft and after finding the site had a bit of a damp wait before I got a brief sighting of the red flanked bluetail but torrential rain again arrived so I headed back to the car for some food. I ventured out as the storm passed and this time had much better views but in very poor light. I popped into Southwold on my way south but the long tailed tits had departed so it was onto Holland haven where the baird's sandpiper was the only wader present. There was nothing else about so I headed off home, but diverted to Rainham where I quickly connected with the penduline tits that were present, they showed very well but proved to be tricky to photograph due to the very high winds. Quite a reasonable day despite the weather.
17th October
On the journey home from up north we stopped in at Formby, the news was not good the squirrels have been badly hit by squirrel pox with numbers very low but we had a walk round anyway. There must be some high incidence of deafness in the local population as they needed to shout at each other from 2 feet for most conversations and coupled with lots of screaming children I was surprised we saw any squirrels at all. They were elusive but we had two red squirrels for a few mins but at a distance, there had been only one other sighting that day. With numbers this low I am not sure if the population will make it or not, we shall see I suppose.
16th October
A weekend away with friends in Sedbergh but I did manage some time in Kirkby Stephen, where I staked out the parrots during my vigil I had a red squirrel and about 30-40 brambling feeding and a large passage of redwings flying over a sign winter is on its way. The parrots did come two African greys and green parrot sp and several macaws of differing colours all giving views and some even photos.
12th October
Our last day was mostly touristy we did visit a recently rescued young otter who's mother was killed by a car and then we headed off to Radipole RSPB to see the Hooded Merganser which was very elusive but we did eventually locate it at the far end of the reserve. Here we had a weasel run down the path successfully evading the camera. Which ended our trip.
11th October
We were moving up to Devon today for our last night which was very convenient for the solitary sandpiper but we had to forgo the green heron which was the original plan for today. The solitary sandpiper was waiting for us at Black Hole Marsh near Seaton. This will be an excellent reserve which apart from lack of parking will have some good hides and hopefully some more good birds and we enjoyed our walk round. We had limited viewing of the sandpiper for most of the time as it was tucked in too close under the bank, but it did venture out and I managed some pics despite the gale force wind. The rest of the day was very touristy apart from locating a couple of noctules feeding at dusk.
10th October
A lazy day down in the Penzance area was relatively quiet and touristy, but we did have a curlew sandpiper both godwits and 5 little stints amongst the commoner species at the Hayle estuary. We finished off the evening with a look at St Mary's church from quite a distance but the rose coloured starling could clearly be seen amongst the starlings, but no sign of the snow bunting at Newlyn after a quick look.
9th October
After a very lazy start we arrived at Davidstow airport but could not locate the buff breasted sandpiper, but the place was full of wheatears obviously an ideal stopping off point. so we headed to Davidstow for some lunch hopefully cheese based given its fame. This proved to be a bit of a disappointment as Davidstow is a collection of a few houses and a large dairy so we headed north to explore the coast and get some lunch. We stopped at Port Issac where the TV programme Doc Martin is filmed and after some lunch had a look at some likely looking bramble which did contain some unarmed stick insects. We headed for home via the airfield again and this time located the buff breasted sandpiper which was very confiding.
8th October
Our annual trip to Cornwall saw us arrive at Budleigh Salterton before breakfast, it was a cracking morning and what a beautiful place and we enjoyed the walk round as well as the three glossy ibis feeding in a field. After some breakfast we tried Exmouth for the Red breasted goose but it was off somewhere else (Dawlish as it later transpired). So it was on to Exminster Marshes RSPB for a walk round and end up at the Turf hotel where the spotted sandpiper was showing very well. The rest of the day was touristy before heading down to Looe where we were staying.
6th October
A trip to London resulted in two house mice being seen on the Victoria line I did get some photos with my phone but after the amount of beer consumed they were not award winners!
1st October
A call late evening while I was at work had me heading to Hertford, I arrived and met up with some friends from Stortford and we went to see a leisler's bat that had been taken into care. We were allowed to watch it being fed and even take a couple of photos. It was the first time I have seen one close up and it is a cracking bat and now my favorite species. A big thanks to all for allowing me to see this bat.
