A beautiful morning with yellowhammers and linnets amongst other singing their hearts out. Grey partridges running for cover and several hares enjoying the sunshine. A wood mouse for my troubles, and I eventually had to drag myself to work. A moth on my door in the evening giving more hints at springs arrival.
Sunday 29th March
With a longworth trap almost 1 foot from where it was left it was obvious that it would contain a yellow necked mouse and it was a monster, and a biter, hence was quickly released! Returning to the garden a treecreeper was patrolling the tree trunks, a garden tick excellent.
Saturday 28th March
A mega early start to meet the Stortford Crew at Abberton at 7.30. On arrival at the Layer de Haye both slavonian and black necked grebes were showing well. Plenty of wildfowl, a red crested pochard, lots of goldeneye still present and a few ruddy ducks. Very few migrants all day but a group of sand martins were complimented by a lone swallow all braving the strong and bitter wind. We had braved it enough so on to Minsmere. The confiding rabbits the first mammals of the day were present in the car park. We made it to the North hide before the first downpour, and hide hopped between the rain. A good selection of birds was present on the scrape, the pick several med gulls, summer plumaged black tailed godwits and lots of ruff. No sign of the Garganey or bitterns but several marsh harriers acrobatically manouvering in the wind. A muntjac was startled and dashed off, but a group of red deer showed really well. Common frogs mating noisly from the Bittern hide but not much else. Enough of Minsmere and off to Westleton Heath with a couple of hares on the way. The foray onto the heath was almost aborted due to bad weather but in a brief interlude we finally pinned down two dartford warblers and a stonechat alnog with a few other commoner species. A barn owl on the way home made up for missing dusk at my local one. Nothing at all im my mammal trapping am or pm maybe tomorrow.
Friday 27th March
yellow necked mouse in one of the traps, a green woodpecker and a flock of linnets first thing. An evening check brought a few fallow deer and a return of the barn owl which gave an excellent display for 10 mins behind my house really great.
Thursday 26th March
Nothing small mammal wise, but a cracking barn owl behind the house and a muntjac bolted from a hedge in front of me.
Wednesday 25th March
More sucess with the small mammal trapping, this time a wood mouse, much easier to handle than the yellow necks. A fox on the way home was of note.
Monday 23rd March
A good mammal day, common shrew and yellow necked mouse in traps, both escaped before photo's. Then a muntjac on the way to work and hares and rabbits on the way home.
Saturday 21st March
The trap had been sprung again, this time by a pygmy shrew and yes I do have a shrew capture licence. I let him go getting a few pics. Amphibians are in full mating mode found these common toads by my pond.
Thursday 19th March
Finally I managed to get that mouse, he escaped but but landed on the damp lawn near enough for me to grab and get a few pics before I let him go with a nice free feed.
Tuesday 17th March
A presumed esaped male golden pheasant on the way home was a surprise.
Sunday 15th March
We paid a visit to Nosterfield quarry not far from where we were staying, we quickly found the long tailed duck and a brief view of a stoat, but the red necked grebe was a little walk away which I did not want to try so we had to miss out on that one. But the sun brough out my first butterflies of the year a brimstone and a peacock. A nice finish to a mixed weekend.
Saturday 14th March
Despite aching limbs I joined my friends in a long walk across the moors to Masham. Waders were displaying mostly lapwings and curlew but a few greylag geese and loads of red grouse near the end of the walk I aggrivated the knee injurys and hobbled into Masham where two breweries were waiting for us with large amounts of beer to ease the pain.
Friday 13th March
With early morning sun we headed to the Peak District arriving a midday. But being in the vicinity of Manchester the weather turned and a light drizzle started as I headed up the Pennine way up to the mountain Bleaklow in search of Mountain Hares. I have seen hundreds in Scotland but never any in England and this was my third attempt this year. The first the hill was covered in snow making them invisible, the second a blizzard prevented getting to the site. Despite the rain I made good progress up the hill, a peregrine made an impressive flyby as I quickly picked up a white dot in the distance, my first hare? No! getting closer and wiping the rain from my bins, I now had a plastic bag. I removed it from the hillside and carried on. It was not to long before I found one, a mountain hare bright white against the dark heather. It was too far for photo's having opted not to bring the scope and digiscoping rig so I would have to find a closer one. After about a dozen distant ones I headed straightline to Long gutter edge, it was hard going in now pouring rain and every few mins I flushed a few red grouse. But decending the steep face I was quickly onto a hare close in and got some photo's despite the shocking weather. My descent to the car park was dodgy and I had several slips twistiny both my dodgy knees, but I made it back soaking wet through to the car with food and dry clothes. We drove up a bit higher up towards Holmfirth parking up where we could see some curlew and a buzzard the highlight was a whizz through merlin. Off to our destination in the Yorkshire Dales.
Tuesday 10th March
Finally my Longworth trap had been sprung first time for a fortnight, I had my yellow necked mouse but he escaped as I tried to get a photo. Next time!
Thursday 5th March
Finally a brown rat the first of the year while watching hares this morning.
Wednesday 4th March
Finishing early from a training course, I headed to Mare Fen but workers in flourescent jackets were on site so nothing there at all. Onto Fen Drayton which hardly anything was accessible due to the bus route construction right through the middle. So no go there and the disabled car park was unacessible due to a digger digging the road up. I had a quick look at the first lake, but only goldeneyes of note. The entrance track held a good flock of golden plover the subject to test my new digiscope adaptor on.
The result - a modification would be required to get the best results.
Saturday 28th February
An early start to meet the Stordford Crew in the Brecks, The Santon Downham lesser woodpeckers gave us the run around but eventually allowed good views and combined with nuthatch, treecreeper, grey wagtail and great spotted woodpecker not a bad stop. On to Ollys Farm where yellowhammers entertained before the main event. Which was started by a sparrowhawk and finished with two goshawks. Both wood and skylarks were enjoying the sunshine and we had short views of crossbills, grey squirrels the only mammals present. Onto Lyndford, where the lake quickly gave up the fudge duck, but the surronding trees had a nice flock of crossbills, a white pheasant was of note. The paddocks had marsh tits, redwings and eventually 4 hawfinches and another white pheasant. The group left me, and I headed to Brancaster alone. The black necked grebe was quickly found and showed very well. The light was excellent and I spent quite a while on the marsh, several marsh harriers came in to roost. The highlight was a hen harrier flying close in, tops! A muntjac and loads of rabbits finally upped the mammal count on the trip home.
Friday 27th February
Another polecat this one on the A14 and already dead, could not stop to check its credentials. Locally two grey partridges first one this year locally.
Wednesday 25th February
Not been up to much apart from my toad crossing which is just starting to get going, mainly frogs, smooth newts and great crested newts. But this morning checking my longworth trap (which has been set since the weather improved at the weekend) its contents gone and the hay thrown out and the two parts separate with the door shut closed, I suspect yellow necked mouse, and with the trap now reinforced we shall see in the next few days who it was. The day had a few surprises as I took an alternative route to work due to an accident. A corn bunting on wires as a lorry was manouvering on a country road. But the prize came all be it to a sorry end in the shape of a polecat. I saw an animal hit by a car coming the other way not far from work, I initially thought it ws a cat, but I could not stop and check and spent the whole day thinking about its movement in the moments before it was hit did not really seem like a cat. On my way home I went back and with the aid of some crows having an easy meal found the animal which was a polecat.
Saturday 21st February
With some detailed directions I headed to Hatfield forest, where after some further details by phone I located one of the tawny owls that have been roosting. The other one could not be located despite an extensive search. Nothing much of note in the forest so I headed to Connaught Water. The ever present red crested pochard was particularly tame, but the mandarin's were a lot harder to find, probably due to the dogs, kids etc. One one of the islands three red eared Terrapins were taking advantage of the spring like weather. A muntjac on the way home was the only other thing of note. However in my garden was a male reed bunting a bird I had seen quite a lot locally but not in the garden.
Thursday 19th February
After a visit to the pub for a few beers, the journey home (I had a lift don't worry) produced two foxes at the edge of the village, they both showed very well, but not being in my car no camera was on hand, ah well next time.
Saturday 14th February
I took a drive to Weeting to do a bit of mammal watching, rabbits were prety easy but my target would prove more diifcult or so I thought. After 30 mins a stoat made its way through the rabbits but a bit distant. A roe deer was fding at the back of the field and a couple of muntjac were also spotted. Several hares were just starting to get a bit lively. The stoat re appeared briefly but not long enough for any better pics. I headed off home via Lakenheath for a bit of a wander. The Great grey Shrike had re appeared and it showed reasonably well. A flock of lesser redpolls by the visitor centre finished the visit. An evening visit to the Chinese Takeaway - well it was Valentines Day so I should spoil the wife, produced a fox and a mouse sp.
Friday 13th February
Another lunchtime trip to Stanwick Lakes, which was very flooded, donning wellies I took a wander quickly finding the green winged teal which had eluded me earlier in the week. I could not refind the Baikal teal, but a snipe was located distantly on the island. I took a walk to the feeding station where on one of the floods a jack snipe was present but I flushed it and lost it. Not much on the feeders, a group of long tailed tits and a pair of bullfinches vying for my attention
Wednesday 11th February
I went up north for the day, first stop was to Point of Ayr, here I found the lesser white fronted goose which is probably an escape. Don't worry this was an aside not my main purpose of the trip but the most successful. I headed to Parkgate for the spring tide which coupled with strong winds could hopefully bring the tide in. However the wind dropped and the only thing coming in was heavy rain. A few birds of note peregrine, hen harrier, short eared owl but very disappointing. I headed for home via the peak district which was covered in thick snow making my last subject very difficult. Mountain hares white at this time of year eluded me, I had a couple of hours tough going in the snow on the hills but could only come up with tracks, droppings and lairs. The red grouse were more visible but kept out of photo range. So a bit of a poor day really.
Tuesday 10th February
Stanwick Lakes is just down the road from my new work so the report of a green winged teal tempted me out in the ice and snow. I could not find it in the hour I was there, but about halfway through my search I spotted a group of teal swimming to an island a bird followed and I gave it a look, a Baikal Teal, the view was brief as it went out of view onto the island. I waited but it did not reappear, a quick look in the fieldguide and the white stripes on the breast and rump did not stand out, it may have been just the view I had but I cautiously reported it as a probably hybrid considering the recent dodgy reports I did not want to get any hopes up. If it is pure it will be difficult to prove as genuine.
Saturday 7th February
A stag do beckoned all weekend but I managed a quick visit to Hoddesdon to see the Red-faced Liocichla which had been present for a short while. It was a very confiding bird adding to its escaped credentials. But well worth the short trip.
Friday 6th February
The cold weather has brought in the local yellowhammer flock into the garden along with a few fieldfares. The bad weather forced me into finally putting some really old and dodgy videos together.
Saturday 31st January
Bird Atlas day, but the weather made it hard work. I was doing three squares and the first was slow going, the pick of the birds a green woodpecker. The second square was equally as poor until a woodcock and a small flock of golden plover rescued it.The third and final square also started slow until a bird feeder started the revival. Two Marsh tits were regularly coming to a peanut feeder. I was pleased with a bullfinch and a grey partridge but a peregrine really made the day, and the local buzzard put in an appearance. Mammal wise several hares, a rabbit and 3 grey squirrels, so not a bad day.
Friday 30th January
A later than usual start as I had to go to Saffron Walden to throw money away (visit the dentist) but on the edge of the village a few fallow deer crossed in front of me and were feeding in the field, I was saying in earlier posts that I should have seen some local deer. I was treated with a lone roe deer at the edge of Saffron Walden, not much else apart from the local buzzard which I has been seen a few times this week and a fox one evening.
Saturday 24th January
A major decorating weekend so not much birding, apart from the little egret again in Haverhill and the garden birdwatch which was pretty uneventful in terrible weather, a sparrowhawk the highlight.
Thursday 22nd January
Finally a couple of local hares on the way to work, strangely no local deer as yet. A cracking tawny owl on the edge of the village and a yellow necked mouse rescued from the cats did not survive the night.
Wednesday 21st January
Spending the day working in Ely proved to be a good move, a quick drive to Pymoor and the great white egret was easily found along with good numbers of whooper and Bewicks swans. On to Coveney where the rough legged buzzard was showing on arrival. A few fieldfares over before heading into Ely for the muscovy ducks and home.
Monday 19th January
Not been up to much recently, but caught up with a badger in the week and today a visit to London for work produced a house mouse at Wimbledon tube/railway station. Now its light my daily commute to work regularly produces red kites, and a brief respite in the cold weather allowed a couple of frogs to emerge from hibernation in my pond.
Saturday 3rd January
A day out in Norfolk with the Stortford Crew saw us start off with a seawatch at Hunstanton, two barn owls on the way up. The usual bits and pieces the pick was a velvet scoter. Tichwell was very quiet, lesser redpoll, a couple of bramblings and two water rails on the reserve. The beach again quiet but a really confiding couple of sanderlings running around out feet. Sculthorpe Moor the final destination, another barn owl and loads of brambling from the hide. Several marsh tits and eventually a willow tit graced us with its presence although briefly. I had a bank vole under a feeder before heading to find a golden pheasant but no joy.
Friday 2nd January
A very early start with red fox and rabbit the first mammals of the year locally. It was up the A1 to an area of industrial wasteland in Cleveland. Lots of fellow birders were present on my arrival but no sign of out target. I moved on to Seal Sands and despite the high tide I took a walk through the reserve. A few common waders and a few common seals bobbing in the bay, a common shrew crossed the path on the return trip. Back to the gulls and after a few mins the Glacous winged gull was easily found in the ploughed field. It showed well for a short while before being scared by the bird scarer. The heavens opened and I retreated to the car and some hot drinks. A look at Salthome RSPB produced nothing special before a low tide visit to Seal Sands with a dozen common seals hauled out. Anther look through the gulls produced a glacous Gull and a caspian gull. Nothing else doing locally I headed south to Hemlington lake where the whitefronted goose was easily found on the lake. Light fading I headed home, a barn owl crossing the A1 was nice.
2008 Summary
Well an interesting year in which contrasted with 2007 in the number of holidays I took, 7 trips two of which were fortnights, Goa and Colorado. In 2007 I took 3 a week and a couple of short breaks. My UK birding suffered a little with all the time away and I managed only 280 bird species in the UK the Steppe Grey Shrike and the Snowy Owl being the highlights. Also I managed to get a lot of butterflys (41 species) and had an exceptional dragonflies year with 30 species and now only need one butterfly and two dragons or the UK residents, so a very productive year. The real highlight was the mammals I had a great year in which I saw 57 species the highlight being Wildcat in Scotland. And finally herp wise it was 11 species finally catching up with Midwife toad.
