Kent 4-6.9.09

1 of loads of Grey Plovers, 2 Oystercatchers, Red Admiral Butterfly and a Cormorant.

Headed back down to the future in-laws on friday afternoon with the hope of making a visit to Dungeness at some point. But unfortunately I never made it due to the fact I couldn't be arsed to get out of bed early enough!! I had to make do with a few hours at nearby Riverside CP which in the end didn't really produce anything of note, the highlight being a Hobby putting up the waders on the Medway.

Worse was still to come as I checked my pager once I was back at the future mother-in-laws house and saw that an Alpine Swift was at Aldenham Reservoir which is less than 10 minutes from home! I recieved a frantic call from Joan Thompson telling me to get down there but I replied i'm in Kent!

Thankfully it's already on my Herts list with a flyover bird I self-found at my old local patch of the Mundens Estate on 7th May 1992, which is probably around a mile from Aldenham Res as the crow flies. Unfortunately it wasn't accepted by the rarity panel but I know what I saw!!

Terntastic!! - 3.9.09

White-Winged Black Tern + Black Tern

American Black Tern

American Black Tern

Black Tern

White-Winged Black Tern

White-Winged Black Tern in flight

The day before my Norfolk break a juvenile Black Tern appeared at Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire, nothing amazing there I hear you say but it was then reported as possibly being a bird of the American race. A short while later it was confirmed that it was indeed an AMERICAN BLACK TERN only the 3rd for GB. What was more amazing was that it was present with a juv White-Winged Black Tern and a juv Black Tern! Unfortunately I had no time to get there before dark and was off to Norfolk in the morning. The chances of it staying were remote so I resigned myself to dipping them.

Some how though they were all still present on Thursday morning and so I decided to go for them.

On arrival it was clear that it was a tad windy (near gale force!) and as usual they were at the far end of the causeway and the far side of the reservoir! However I walked up and sat on the slope of the reservoir and was rewarded with amazing once in a lifetime views of 3 species of black tern in 1 scope view! I somehow managed to get some photos of the birds though with the wind and distance they aren't exactly amazing!

Also present with them was a juv Arctic Tern and when walking back to the car I looked overhead for a migrating Osprey but to no avail. That flew over about 2 hours after i'd left! And the journey there and back was enlightened by numerous Red Kites.

News this morning is that all 3 terns have finally left so I was very jammy indeed.

This was my 4th lifer in 4 visits to Farmoor the others being Franklin's Gull, Sabine's Gull and Buff-Bellied Pipit. Any of those in Herts would be nice!

Norfolk Break - 29.8 - 1.9.09

Gulls on Yarmouth beach, Woodpigeon and Linnet at Winterton, storm clouds over Hemsby and a Herring Gull at Caister.

An early morning start was brightened up with a garden tick in the form of a Ring-Necked Parakeet (heard) at 7am. Then c.3 hours later we'd arrived in Norfolk and immediately over the caravan we were staying in in Hemsby were 10+ Swallows and half a dozen Swifts.

Sunday arrived and being my birthday I decided to relax and do a bit of birding. While sitting on the steps of the caravan my first Tree Pipit of the year flew South then West inland calling as it went. This was followed later by a Sparrowhawk hunting the local Starlings.

An early evening visit to Winterton Dunes provided 2 more year ticks. 4 dark morph Arctic Skuas offshore harrassing the terns and 1+ Crossbill that flew South along the dunes and then evaded me in the dunes themselves. Also noted were 1 Swift, an adult Great Black-Backed Gull on the beach, a manky looking Yellowhammer, 2 Wheatears , a few Gannets at sea and a Grey Seal a few feet offshore.

On Monday a beach cricket game at Caister-on-Sea with my son saw 2 Ringed Plovers interrupt the game briefly as they flew South! While later in the day a wander around Horsey Gap saw 1+ Stonechat, 3 Kestrels and 4 Whitethroats.

Tuesday morning and another visit to Winterton Dunes unfortunately didn't produce any hoped for Spotted/Pied Flycatchers or Whinchats but a Lesser Whitethroat did show very well in the brambles until a dog walker flushed it just as I was trying to photograph it with my new digital camera. A birthday present to myself!

Finally 7 adult winter Mediterranean Gulls were on the beach in Great Yarmouth, again nearly photographed until 2 kids flushed them! Another Ringed Plover over the swimming pool and a Swift over.

West Watford and HPR - 27.8.09

3 Photos of the Wheatear at Hilfield Reservoir.

3 RN Parakeets over KGV Playing Fields along with 16 Pied Wagtails a calling Chiffchaff and 2 Swallows. At Cassiobury Park 5 RN Parakeets flew over.

At Hilfield Reservoir a fem/juv Wheatear was on the dam with a Common Sandpiper and 4 Sand Martins flew South.

Cassiobury Park - 26.8.09

The day started off with a singing Goldcrest around the bowling green followed by 5 Mistle Thrushes on the footy pitches. 2 Ring-Necked Parakeets flew over and so did a Sparrowhawk.

Cassiobury Park - 25.8.09

Well only 4 months to Christmas or 121 shopping days!! Not that i'm counting! Anyway back to the birds. Todays highlights if you can call them that were 2 Ring-Necked Parakeets, 5 Stock Doves and a flock of 13 Greenfinches that flew over the Bowls Club.

Bah Humbug!

Cassiobury Park - 24.8.09

Highlights today were a Ring-Necked Parakeet, around a dozen House Martins and a fly-over Grey Wagtail. Just before I finished work I found a freshly dead Nuthatch at the base of a tree. The first time i've found this species dead. I'll hopefully be able to get it stuffed and mounted soon!

Raptor fest (well nearly) - 23.8.09

A Buzzard over the M25 junction 20 being mobbed by a Carrion Crow around 11.15am was followed later in the day by a Sparrowhawk soaring over the A41 in Watford. Not quite as good as Sandon at the moment!!

Tyttenhanger - 22.8.09

Speckled Wood and a Turkey in Willows Farm!

An afternoon stroll with my mum and son didn't really produce much apart from a Dunlin on the main pit viewed from the hide and a Chiffchaff. Unless you can tick a moaning bored child?!!

Curlew County Tick - 19.8.09

The juv Curlew. Now thankfully on my county list!

After a morning of having new windows fitted I checked my pager around 3.50pm and was stunned to read of a Curlew at Wilstone Reservoir. I left right away and just before 5pm connected with the juvenile bird showing very well from the hide as it bathed and called.

Also present were 6 Little Egrets, 1 Greenshank and a fly by Kingfisher. The Egrets took my UK total of the species past the 900 mark! Sad ain't I?!!