Waking to torrential rain and the forecast of heavy rain and snow, I binned my plan for boar and headed south to Cheddar reservoir. It was raining and windy and the scope moved about a bit but a few birds were present, two other birders (one a wildlife TV presenter) doing a bird race pointed out a couple of black necked grebes. They left but I called them back for goosander which they needed. They had gone when I located the ring necked duck and black throated diver. I headed through Cheddar gorge to look for feral goats one of the few places in the south of England they can be found. I located one high up on the gorge and a youngster much lower down. With one glaring omission to my mammal list this year I headed to Arne. I easily found several hundred sika deer in the fields and woods on the reserve which I had pretty much to myself apart from some prat letting his dog run all over the place, I did remonstrate with him to little effect. I headed for home through the blizzard.
28th December
I headed for South Wales and the Forest of Dean, loads of buzzards about on the way. I visited the Newport Wetlands which forgetting it was a bank holiday was crammed with noisy families, in fact more people than birds on the reserve, an avocet the highlight. One of the wardens gave me a map to another part of the reserve not frequented by joe public. But this part was also devoid of birds. I headed back to the Forest of Dean for my wild boar stake out. Seven hours later and nothing, I was frozen still so headed to Coleford for some hot food encountering wild boar on the road. I had a fox and two dark fallow deer. After some food I drove round a bit more but nothing apart from a tawny owl sat in the road but it flew off as I got out of the car so it was OK. I bedded down for the night.
24th December
The weather and travel conditions altered my plans, and I ended up going to Norfolk birding for the day, first stop was Holkham to look for the Shore larks, I had the place to myself except the odd dog walker, but despite a long search I could not find any. Plenty of skylarks, meadow pipits and twite and a few waders were present. I gave up after a couple of hours and after pushing a few cars out of the car park I went in search of the black brant at Wells. But no brent geese to be seen at all anywhere in the area, but there were loads of grey seals. I cut my losses on the North coast and headed for the Broads. First stop near Cantley was a large flock of pink footed geese that contained one white front. Cantley Marshes did deliver the taiga bean geese though distant as usual. There is usually a Chinese water deer here and today was no exception with four individuals a little distant for anything but record shots but a bit closer than the geese! A snipe circled Last stop was Barton Broad where I encountered the first birders of the day and miserable ones at that and they did not offer up the fudge duck, there was a whisper that it had disappeared which I overheard. I located it shortly after and watched it for a few minutes before leaving the miserable gits to it. A couple of grey squirrels and a woodcock on the drive home rounded off a rather mixed day.
23rd December
With work finishing early I popped into to Stanwick Lakes unsuitably dressed, but thick freezing fog had descended and I could not even see the lakes. I took a look at the feeding station which was still visible and spent all the time till dusk here. Nothing out of the ordinary apart from mallard on the bird table and a rather tame rabbit. By this time I was frozen solid so headed for home.
21st December
The mornings commute to work started well with a fox runing through the snow covered fields on the edge of the village. Work was quiet in the wind down to Christmas, so I blasted down to Grafham water for lunch, however I picked Plummer car park where Marlow was the prime spot never mind. Anyway I picked up the red necked grebe distantly off the north end of the dam and a short while later the velvet scoter put in an appearance but both too far for pics. With little else I headed back to work stopping off for a few flocks of winter thrushes within reach of the camera.
19th December
I somehow managed to get my car to the early morning meet with the Cambridge Bat Group despite the hazardous conditions, two others did not make it so it was three to do the bat hibernacula counts. Our vehicle for the day was much more suited to the road conditions and we headed off for the first of our 10 stops which varied from lime kilns, ice houses, caves, churches and tunnels. Most bats counted were daubentons but some good numbers of natterer's a couple of soprano pipistrelles were found at one site. A few sites held brown long eared bats which tuck their ears in under their wings. One site only a couple of miles from my house had a barbastelle amongst others amazing. We also found lots of peacocks and herald moths and many unidentified bee's or hoverflys. It took the whole day to visit all the sites in bitterly cold weather but it was well worth it.
18th December
Being snowed in all day, I watched the world go by in my garden, all the usual suspects were present which the sparrowhawk took great delight in terrorising. At least one rat was still visiting the nuts. Nothing out of the ordinary really but much better than day time TV.
17th December
Another visit to Grafham mid morning started at Marlow car park, dodgy geese present along with a flock of grazing widgeon . A small number of goldeneye from the dam along with the still distant red necked grebe and a great northern diver near the sailing club. I walked a bit further to get a better view of the grebe but the sun came out and scuppered that, but a rock pipit appeared on the waters edge moving towards the tower.There were plenty of redwing and fieldfare in the car park surrounds. Next to Mander car park where in the strengthening wind all the duck were moving into the bays on the west side of the reservoir. I headed to the first hide, a bit quiet here but a mallard had managed to work out how to bypass the mesh designed to only let small birds in on the peanut feeder and was helping himself. Next was valley creek hide where two great northern divers were present and I eventually located two goosanders. It was now time for work so I headed back to the car bumping into a small flock of bullfinch on the way. The drive to work was quite eventful with loads of redwings and fieldfares and some flocks of lapwing/golden plover the highlight was the raptors with 12 Kestrels, a buzzard and a red kite not bad in a 20 min run.
15th December
A quick lunchtime trip took me to Grafham Water. I started at the Plummer carpark, dodging the dodgy geese present and headed to the dam where I quickly located the red necked grebe but it was distant. A real poor view, so I took a quick drive to Marlow car park which was full of police motorbikes, and after a short walk I was again watching the red necked grebe equally as distant as from the Plummer, amazing how big Grafham is. I located a great northern diver from here which was a good deal closer than the grebe, now frozen to the bone I headed back to work.
13th December
Back in bitterly cold blighty and it was time to get out with the Stortford Crew, with little about we stayed in our Manor. Hitting Connaught Water before Joe public were out, there were confiding mandarins or more probably preoccupied with courtship. We eventually found the smew which showed quite nicely. Two ducks had us perplexed we narrowed it down to an exotic teal species (confirmed as Australian Grey Teal after consulting a field guide). A local birder alerted us to black necked grebes at William Girling Reservoir so we had to go and take a look after finding our vantage point we quickly picked up 6 black necked grebes but little else. We had a quick look at Bedfords park for the reported Firecrests but nothing doing but a good selection of woodland species nuthatch the pick and loads of grey squirrels. Rainham barges faithfully produced a water pipit and a brown rat but it was bitterly cold so we headed for the warmth of the car on the short trip to the reserve. With News of the serins continued presence we headed down to Serin mound. We had a short wait until one of the serins flew in but the rain kept it from sitting up and putting on a show. Not a bad little jaunt considering it is a quiet period at the moment.
29th November
I dropped into Rutland Water a little prepared for the weather, the car was still full of summer clothing! I headed off anyway, and arrived at the long eared owl roost, I was all alone bar the two owls who were making photography particularly difficult by hiding in bushes screened by another set of bushes and so on. I carried on noting lots of fieldfares and a bullfinch near the fieldfare hide, a robin from the robin hide, gadwall from the gadwall hide, mallard from the mallard hide and from the goldeneye hide you guessed it goldeneye. I suggested a siberian rubythroat hide should be built to the staff in the visitor centre but it was lost on them. Anyway from the goldeneye hide I found a slavonian grebe and just as I was about to give up a group of six black necked grebes. The owls were still unmoved on my return and I found a hare in one of the fields. I made it back to my car frozen to the bone - winter is finally here.
28th November
Time for bird atlas, but there was nothing really of note, infact the absence of some species was more noteworthy than any present. No skylark, yellowhammer, starling and only a couple of house sparrows and no mammals. Plenty of winter thrushes and long tailed tits but not much else. A grey squirrel in the garden the highlight of afternoon garden watching.
27th November
After the demise of my feeding station I have decided to set up weekly moving stations around my village for mammals only. So this week I started baiting an area of long grass by a hedgerow and with yellow necked mouse arriving within seconds yesterday evening I was hoping for a good evening. Bait out and I quickly had movement and noises all around in the grass. But before any sightings all was disturbed by a tawny owl. Eventually it all calmed down and a mouse whizzed across but then all was disturbed by a badger but it quickly moved away. I looked up for a moment and saw the longest meteor trail I have ever seen. Back to the small mammals and just as action started they were disturbed again, this time by a fox. No small mammals but not a bad evening.
22nd November
Although a little windy I headed off to my feeding station about 3pm to find it destroyed. I thought it was the weather but it was clear a few bits and pieces had been removed so it was not the weather someone had deliberatly destroyed it. I cleared up and salvaged what I could and headed home a bit dejected after placing plenty of food out.
21st November
A leisurely start saw me in the Horsey / Waxham area searching for the cranes, despite a good search there was no sign although a flock of lapwing / golden plover I saw in flight in fact turned out to be lapwing / turnstone rather a strange sight in a recently tilled field. I headed for Horsey Gap to beat the crowds, I had the place to myself for a short while before the warden arrived, about 40 pups were present but it is only the start of the season so it will increase in the next couple of weeks. Having my fill I walked back to the car, with plenty of skylarks and meadow pipits on the way. Back to the Waxham area looking for the cranes, as I reached the farm a birder was watching them . I parked and had a fantastic sight of 17 common cranes feeding and interacting in a stubble field. After having my fill I grabbed a bite to eat and the found myself at Hickling broad reserve. I had a little wander, as you could imagine it was quiet but a few redpolls livened things up. I sat in the hide and was startled by a hen harrier incredibly close, but the camera battery was dead and after a replacement the harrier was quite far away, still a great sight. With little else happening I made an early start at the Stubbs mill raptor roost. More redpolls about and the marsh harriers numbers started to build up, a sparrowhawk shot through and a kestrel was present. One crane came in roost then a group of 5 and then the main flock of 24. A merlin whizzed through and a Chinese water deer was spotted feeding a little way out. A woodcock flying around the car park rounded off a good day.
20th November
With the slow tawny owl induced demise of my rats, I thought I had better take to opportunity to get a few more photos so spent an hour or so this evening. Two large rats were present and they obviously had been breeding as two more smaller rats joined them, so tawny owl induced extinction is not yet imminent for my rat family.
15th November
After a rather relaxing weekend I headed to my feeding station for a hour or so before dusk. A few of the common species came in to the feeders with a couple of bullfinch and a great spotted woodpecker the pick. A roost of woodpigeons gathered in the trees around me but something spooked them and they moved to another stand of trees. fieldfares and redwings were flying over and there seemed to be a plague of blackbirds. As darkness fell I placed some food out for the small mammals but despite a couple of hours only a wood mouse visited the food. So with little action I headed for home to try my luck with the rats. I set up the camera and waited 30 mins but nothing doing so I had some tea and while watching some TV I kept an eye out with the night vision from the comfort of my front room. Eventually I saw the tell tale eyeshine moving about and eventually one visited the feeder but they were not settled so I waited inside watching them and waiting until they were settled and feeding they I would be able to approach and get some photos. One started feeding and two others were coming down to the feeder and as I watched a tawny owl swooped and plucked one from the feeder and landed in a tree. I went outside to get the camera for some photos but it flew off with its prize, no photos but an awesome sight. The rats were shaken and there was no further sign, I will have another go in the week.
8th November
As I headed off at dawn in torrential rain I thought this mornings event would be a wash out. But as I arrived it eased and stopped as the rest of the group gathered. I had organised a small mammal trapping event, note I had only organised the event, I did not do the hard work, Peter one of the reserves wardens had done that. He entertained us and passed on his vast knowledge about the reserve and what they had learnt about its management for small mammals. The main event was to take a look into the 57 traps set around the reserve and see if our main target was in one of them.
The first box held our first harvest mouse and eventually we had double figures of them and everyone had great views and photos, some of us got to hold one as well, I even added it to my bitten by list and it even drew blood. Other traps held common shrews, including the white eared variety pygmy shrews and the most amazing of all 4 traps, each with two wood mice in. Peter gave us great photo opportunities in the hand and during release and with the weather holding for us a top morning was had by all, particularly those who had never seen a harvest mouse before. I then headed to a place in London to check out reports of another colony of monk parakeets. On arrival at the site I could hear them and quickly pinned them down building a communal nest, I counted 12 individuals in 30 mins I was there but there may be a few more. My last stop before a visit to my parents was atAppleford where I struggled to locate the gull but found a adult and 1st winter Caspian gull. I tried another field with more gulls and bumped into two birders returning and the Azorean yellow legged gull was still there but before photographic equipment was deployed the gulls were flushed, but still a top day.
7th November
A cracking morning to be out so I paid a visit to the feeding station which was quite productive and I was getting some good photos of the commoner species until the camera battery ran out just as the bullfinch came into range. Good numbers of fieldfares and redwings about but not a single mammal. A buzzard soared overhead and skylarks were singing. In the aftrenoon I popped over to Baldock to see some black squirrels and had just located one when some kids on motorbikes on the footpath ruined it all so I gave up and headed for home.
31st October
Fan-tastic- With the fan tailed warbler being reported regularly all week, I took the opportunity to visit Pegwell for the third time - third time lucky! I was the first birder on the marsh and being observant I walked past the fan tailed warbler (well it was early!) and it flushed towards the hide or so I thought, being really observant as I am it had actually gone the other way and was picked up by another birder in the reeds by the car park. It showed well in this area for a couple of hours, a few birds were about a water pipit and brambling and redpoll flyovers as well as loads of parakeets. The rain started and I moved on hoping to find some good stuff. But I had finally broke my recent Kent curse and hopefully my bad luck as it was another birder who got bitten by one of the local dogs. I should have stayed longer as a pallas warbler was found nearby shortly after. The rest of my day was poor nothing at as all despite a good look round a few sites. I finished the day off looking for wild boar, it was quite halloweenish with the foxes screaming, tawny owls screech, and a lady walking through the woods screaming as I startled her, a few bats were flying around adding to the evening. ambiance A roe deer was the highlight and a few boar grunts but nothing else.
30th October
Being mega observant (see above post) or have I been working too hard and late! I have only just noticed a pied wagtail pre roost on my office building, so this evening I investigated further about 75 birds gathered on the roof but only 74 roosted. A sparrowhawk came in low past me up the front of the building onto the roof and scattered the roost causing enough chaos to nail one and it flew past me with its catch. The wagtails reformed and roosted in the bushes infront of the office.
28th October
I was passing Grafham water mid morning so dropped in for a quick look at the great northern diver which was showing well between the dam and Plummer car park, I managed to locate one of the scaup present before heading down to the Mander carpark to find the slav grebe, but there was no sign of it during a brief search, the common tern was present on the boom, not much else of note apart from a fisherman landing a very large fish.
27th October
While out a few nights ago in Rushden I spotted a possible pied wagtail roost, so this evening I popped back to investigate further and a roost of about 60 birds was indeed present, the pre roosted on the roof of a building before slowly dropping into some bushes over about 15 mins or so, a nice sight and quite a noisy one as well.
25th October
What a day! All the countries tossers were out to get me.
Late morning I headed to Staines Moor to take a look at the brown shrike that had been there for a few weeks, I assumed a few people would be there and I would be able to take my time but the place was packed with muppets all jostling infront of each other as the view was restricted. There was one real dick there who I have had words with before and he was true to form pushing in front of everyone and being a total tosser, I kept well away from him but when I had the bird nicely in sight he popped up infront of me - tosser. I did not stay long well longer than needed as people were blocking the bridge and were reluctant to move to let people past, plenty of ring necked parakeets nosily flying over. I headed for home via Chelmsford, where after finding the central park lake the red throated diver was performing magnificently. A real cracker and I got some nice pics, while answering plenty of questions from the locals. Que my next tosser encounter, several youths decided to buzz the diver with their remote controlled speedboats. I intervened and got a load of verbal but they stopped as I picked up the phone to the police (I only threatened picked up the phone and started dialling soon stopped them) and the rain shower also helped. I finally headed for home but answering a call of nature stopped at KFC at freeport village. I joined the que for some food and when it was my turn some idiot pushed and when challenged I got more verbal I insisted and called the manager who remonstrated with him and I got my food and left. The idiot followed me throwing punches, but due to his state of intoxication I was able to avoid them, the KFC staff can out to assist (my faith in human nature restored and thanks to them). This time I did call the police who arrived and calmed the pikey (or it should probably be traveller if I am being PC) down and he was given a verbal warning - he was a well know drunk troublemaker, many thank to the Police officers they were excellent. I finally made it home avoiding any further incident - what a day probably should have stayed at home!
24th October
It had to be done and despite being under the weather I teamed up with Stephen to dash up the A1 to south shields. On arrival at Trow quarry - not much of a quarry. Within a few minutes we had some nice views of the UK's first eastern crowned warbler it reminded me of a worm eating warbler probably the striking head plumage. It was showing for a good deal of the time and I had some great views over the next couple of hours. A yellow browed warbler was also present, my first of the year. I thought I would have seen one this year before an Eastern Crowned Warbler! We headed down to the pier
for a few rock pipits and purple sandpipers and were accosted by the locals in between saying "champion" asking had we seen the bird mentioned on teletext - obviously the next big thing in the bird news services armoury! A top day.
19th October
Back up to the mammal feeding station for a couple of hours a couple of wood mice were very co-operative and a pygmy shrew popped in a couple of times.
17th October
Away for the weekend in South Wales near Brecon, I had some free time so popped to LL on a lovely afternoon for some red kite feeding. Over 50 kites were in the air as I arrived along with 4 buzzards. It was a strange event not like Gigrin farm, the kites swooped down as the meat was spread out picking a few bits up, they then dispersed a little and returned 20 mins later for some more swooping only picking up a few bits before dispersing again having only eaten a small amount of the food present most strange. But it was good for photography and I rattled off a few shots some at close range, but they moved very quickly. The local pub was closed when I headed back to the car so I headed out onto the moors looking for dippers on the streams without any luck. I then drove over Myndd Llangatwg where I managed to find some of the 'wild ponies' (as wild as the Dartmoor ones anyway), before heading to the pub for an evening on the local ales.
15th October
Late afternoon at the mammal feeding site and my first piece of the redwing action and dozens passed low over calling, I lost count after a while. Some activity at the station but I forgot my tripod and with a few camera issues I did not get any photos.
13th October
Popped up to my feeding station, but despite loads of movement only a few glimpses of wood mouse and common shrew, none coming to food, might have been due to several tawny owls present in the area. Again some deer presence close by, sounded small so probably roe or muntjac, but still no visual of them, a bit disappointing, but I will have another go in a couple of days.
12th October
The journey home was quite disappointing, first stop was Mount Edgecombe for Stick insects but none during and extensive search, then popped into Bowling green marsh where a green sandpiper and a few black tailed godwits were present.
11th October
After dropping the wife off horse riding - well it was her birthday! I headed to Coverack to chase up some firecrests, on arrival at the car park it was the meeting point for a granny coach trip, loads of OAP's none of who indicated when turning into the car park were meeting and they made more noise than a coach load of school kids. After 15 mins they had departed and I could continue my search. It took a while but I located one of the firecrests moving with a small tit flock but it was very mobile, then it started to rain heavily, I took shelter while the shower passed and continued my search but to no avail. I headed along the coast but noting really about. Picking up the missus we took a look around helston boating lake a good gull site but it was really quiet, 3 grey wagtails the only things worth mentioning. It was then off to the Hayle estuary for a little look but that we equally as quiet 3 med gulls present but not much else.
10th October
After a leisurely start we headed to Penzance, but our quest for stick insects was fruitless, the park was generally quiet, a red admiral and a speckled wood nectering on the last of the autumns blooms. Our regular site for stick insects produced 3 large unarmed stick insects and a couple of parasitic wasps. A brown form of unarmed was located, not one I have seen before. Next we popped into Marazion Marsh, first off was a kingfisher in the sanctuary area, but the crowd was assembled at the other end of the reserve. Not long after our arrival the spoonbill that was hidden in the reeds was flushed by a grey heron and flew to the sanctuary area. We followed and watched it feeding for a while. Time for a Cornish pasty but at 4pm it was a cold vegetable one or nothing, I opted for the latter! At the head of the Nanquidno valley we located the snow bunting as it was flushed by another birder. We saw out last light looking for mammals, a grey seal obliged before we located a couple of Greater horseshoe bats.
9th October
The poor weather on the journey to cornwall changed our plans so it became a touristy day, we stopped at padstow. I had to inform some joe public that the baby oystercatchers they were watching were in fact turnstones. They were quite approachable and weaved in and out of the chip eating gulls, which was our next stop at Rick Steins chippy. The chips were rubbish but the battered fish was superb and recommended. With more rain we headed off to our destination Perranporth and I staked out the cliffs for a while photographing the commoner species present.
6th October
After work I popped to Diddington, some green pheasants in the village but I could not find the buff brested sandpiper. The glossy ibis was present but an extensive search did not produce the sandpiper.
5th October
A brief lunchtime visit to Stanwick Lakes, to see the Baikal teal. This bird I saw earlier in the year briefly at this site and again a few weeks ago in eclipse, but now in full plumage it is truly a stunning bird but not as stunning as a real Baikal teal and it appears to be some sort of hybrid duck, I thought it might have been a hybrid when I saw it earlier in the year but the recent reports suggested it might be pukka, however it is not, still a cracking bird anyway, it started to rain so I headed back to work.
4th October
AFter some serious modifications to my mammal feeding station during the day, with only a buzzard and a selection of tits for company it was quite peaceful apart from the farmers shooting pigeons nearby. I returned later in the evening, the hares still in residence on the way, and settled down for some action, most of the mods were great but a mod to my camera rig made it impossible to use with the tripod - fool I should have checked it, so stills were hard to take, got it sorted now, my next visit should be good. This one was not bad, a small herd of deer passed just the otherside of the hedge, I did not see them so it could be the local fallow of roe deer. A fox paid a visit but realised I was there and left in a flash. The small mammals arrived, several common shrews and I managed to locate a wood mouse hiding in the understory and managed a record shot before heading home for tea.
2nd October
Tonight was the first opportuniny to visit my mammal feeding station, two hares on the way and a herring gull fly over. Although a mammal feeding site there are some bird feeders which I refilled. Immediatly a great tit and marsh tit appeared and fed for a short while until the ligh faded. The mammals obliged and a vole sp put in a brief appearance but it was the shrews one pygmy shrew (probable) and loads of common shrews visiting the food dumps regularly and very vocaly who were the stars. They came and went for the two hours I was there but no further sign of the vole. I used the session to perfect my IR photography and got a few acceptable shots
1st October
A quick after work jaunt to Sculthorpe Moor in search of mammals, the Fen hide produced several bank voles and bird wise a good selection of tits, willow the highlight. I opted not to spend any time in the scrape hide as it was rammed with photographers waiting for kingfishers, I opted for the woodland hide which had both bank and field Vole and a male golden pheasant not a bad little jaunt.
