Cassiobury Park - 4.1.12

A Fieldfare and a Little Egret were the only birds of note today. The egret being a year tick. A Black-Headed Gull was seen complete with a white plastic leg ring but I couldnt quite make out what was on it.

Wicken Fen NT - 2.1.12

With my back feeling better I chose to have a day out but didn't want to go too far just incase! So with a report of 7 Hen Harriers roosting at Wicken Fen NT in Cambs that was where I headed too. A 5 species were added on the way up but 16 more were added during the visit. The highlights were some good views of Bullfinches, a hovering Kingfisher but from the old tower hide during the last 30 minutes of light we were treated to not 1 but 2 Barn Owls and 5 Hen Harriers (1 male). So 2 days in and 65 species seen.

New Years Day - 1.1.12

The plan was to go to Norfolk or Kent but as luck would have it as I was about to get up I had a stretch in bed and bang. A pulled muscle in my back and my plans went down the pan! So instead I stood in the back garden and managed to clock up 14 species in 30 minutes. By lunch time I could move a bit more freely so decided to pop to Hilfield Reservoir where an hours viewing before the rain came saw the list rise to 43 species. 2 Jays on the way home meant the list ended on 44 species for the day.

2011 Round Up

The year ended with me having seen a total of 217 species of which 10 were new for my UK list.

Welney WWT - 29.12.11

The Peregrine and the Greenland Goose.

As i'm not back at work untill the 3rd Jan I decided to make the most of my free time and head of to Welney in the hope of adding another species to my UK list (sub-species anyway). On arrival it was clear to see it was going to be a windy day! I had a look from the hides and one of the first birds I came across was a Peregrine sat on the grass. Eventually I managed to pick out the flock of geese which included Canada, Greylag, 4 Barnacle, 1 Pink-Footed and 7 Eurasian White-Fronted Geese and there in with them was my first ever GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. As you can see from my photo it was annoyingly distant and with the wind blowing it wasn't exactly perfect for a good pic!

Catch Up

Well its been 16 days since my last update for which I apologise. The only birds of note before I broke up from work were a Lesser Redpoll and 3 Skylarks that were forced down by a snow shower.

Xmas Comes Early - 13.12.11

The cracking little Snow Bunting.

I've not updated this blog for a while as the park was only throwing up the same old stuff with 2 Little Egrets, Kingfisher and Siskins being of any note. Though the first 3 days of last week did produce large numbers of Woodpigeons in the mornings all flying North with a couple of groups number around 100 birds.

But yesterday news came onto my pager of a potential Herts tick up at Tring. With this news I luckily got a half day and left work! I arrived at Startops End Reservoir and it started to rain. I climbed the steps from the lay by and met Steve Blake and his dog. He told me the bird was just down infront of us but could we find it? No! Had I missed it by 2 minutes? No! hankfully I found the bird again and thee feeding amongst the rocky shoreline was my first Herts Snow Bunting. A lovely 1st winter male ignored the strong cold wind and rain and at times showed down to 20-30 feet. I managed the 3 shots above but then my camera battery died! I was soaking wet by this stage so left happily around 12.15pm. Also present were a pair of Red-Crested Pochard and a Red Kite.

Cassiobury Park - 5.12.11

A very cold and windy day only produced 7 Fieldfare, a few Siskin and at least 1 Lesser Redpoll.

Rainham Marshes - 3.12.11

A few hours spent walking around the reserve produced lots of Wigeon and Teal, at least 1 Little Egret and 2 Peregrines over the car park as we arrived. It was a tad too windy for the Bearded Tits to show but it was a good day all round.

Cassiobury Park - 1.12.11

Well December is here at last and it produced some white stuff already. Not snow but 2 Little Egrets over the meadow at 8.45am! A Kingfisher was on the river by the Gade Avenue entrance just before 11am. A Meadow Pipit was a surprise as it flew over the toilet block.