Fishers Green Bittern

I've watched Bittern at Fishers Green for many years now and seen numerous birds use the site as a wintering ground over the years. Some show well and others are extremely elusive and this years bird is very cautious, it hides in the reeds and makes a very slow movement into the open to fish but quickly retreats back into the safety of the reeds as the first movement or noise. Today it was visible on my visit but only came out into the open for a couple of minutes during my stay. A local group arrived and the noise level lifted which didn't help their chances of good views but I managed to get a scope set up for them to at least see the bird hiding in the reeds.

I never tire of watching Bittern at this close range and watching their behaviours. Also on this visit was some Cormorants posing on the old logs under the bridge so I had to point the camera in their direction too on the way back to the car park. Whilst there news came in of a Kildeer in Hampshire but I didn't fancy the drive there and back in the rain so I'll watch it with interest and see if I can find the time and motivation to go see it if it hangs around.

Update: Bramfield, Dungeness a London tick and Fishers Green

The 16th saw me take the Jims to Bramfield in the hope of ticking Hawfinch which we dipped but we did add Green Woodpecker and Yellowhammer to the year list. Other birds of note were a pair of Sparrowhawk, Red Kites, Nuthatch, Goldcrest and lots of Fieldfare/Redwing.

Yellowhammer

On the 18th I headed down to Dungeness for first light on my own. At the hide I quickly year ticked Gannet, Razorbill, Guillemot, Kittiwake and Red-throated Diver before Owen popped out of the hide to out me onto a Red-breasted Merganser for another year tick. A Peregrine was on the pilons and I found three Great White Egrets around Burrows and Boulderwell. Two Whoopers were with the Mute Swans near Cockles bridge. At Midley I found a herd of c40 Bewick's Swan and lots more thrushes. At the railway crossing I found a large flock of seed eaters which contained c50 House Sparrow, 8 Tree Sparrow, 6 Yellowhammer, 2 Corn Bunting and 2 Reed Bunting. I drove back down to Lydd looking for White-fronted Geese and stumbled on 15 Cattle Egrets at Whitehall Farm.

Whooper Swans amongst the Mute herd

The journey home took me close to the Red-flanked Bluetail site so I opted to give that a go and ended up giving it more time than I wanted for what would turn out to be four fleeting flight views although I did add Blackcap too as a bonus. Crockham hill in Kent just about fits in the London recording area so the Bluetail makes it onto the Kent list and the London list although I've seen them better in Norfolk.

With news that a Bittern has been seen over the last few days at Fishers Green I took Jim over this morning whilst Dad went for a blood test. We quickly found the Bittern and Dad arrived in time for the year tick too. They picked up two more on me with Water Rail and Rook and we found 32 White-fronted Geese down by Holyfield farm.

Bittern

Bittern

Bittern

Bittern

Bittern

Goosander

Goosander

White fronted Geese

White-fronted Geese behind the Egyptian Geese 

Year list now 134

Kent list now 272

London list now 241

couple of hours local birding

I'm still busy with family commitments, running around trying to keep on top of things for everybody but in between I'm stealing a little time for the hobby. An hour at KGV with the Dad and Jim on 11th saw us add a few year ticks. Two Common Scoter were easily picked up in the middle of south basin followed by a distant Black Redstart scoped along the fenceline on the west bank. I picked up a 2cy Caspian Gull close in as we got about half way to the causeway, a smart bird that pleased the Jims as it saved them a trip to Snaresbrook to twitch the wintering bird there. Jim picked up a distant Black-necked Grebe and from the causeway I found the juvenile Great northern Diver to conclude the visit. On the way home we stopped to tick Mandarin at Connaught Waters and also found three Ringed Teal which of course are escapees which are not uncommon at this site. 

On the 14th I did the school run and then had an hour on the river wall at Rainham where I added Pintail and Skylark to the year list. I found a couple of Rock Pipits and three Meadow Pipits too and had a large movement of Fieldfare and the smaller numbers of Redwing passing through. The river was full of Teal and Wigeon and a good number of Lapwing and Redshank were present. A single Red Kite over and double figures of Snipe was the best of the rest.

Year list now 118

Caspian Gull is a new bird for my modest KGV (133) list and indeed the Lee Valley (169) list too. 

Fieldfare

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit and Goldfinch

Rock Pipit and Goldfinch

Rock Pipit

Snow Goose in Lincolnshire

I've been watching news of the Snow Goose in Lincolnshire which has travelled south with Whooper Swans so has decent credentials for a wild bird. I've seen Snow Geese before but still fancied seeing this one so set off on my own this morning as the Jims had other plans and this was the only day I had for a while where I could set off early. I arrived before the sun came up over Deeping lakes and scanned the Whoopers finding no fewer than three Bewick's Swans amongst them. It would appear the Snow Goose has now found a new roost area as it wasn't present. I walked out to the hide and found two Long-eared Owls roosting in the ivy a few feet from the hide but they were obviously tucked in well. A guy came with a thermal and said there was actually four birds roosting in the tree.

The walk back gave me my first Chiffchaff of the year and I noted a well over a hundred Fieldfare and a few Redwings too. I drove around Crowland checking the Whooper flocks but couldn't find the Goose until I got to Gull farm where I managed to pick it up in a distant herd. On the drive out I found six Red Kites, Two Marsh Harrier and a pair of Raven feeding on what looked like a dead pheasant or goose.

I had nine Cranes fly over head as I drove out through Thorney and broke the journey home with a first time stop at Doddington Pits in Cambs where a couple of locals put me on the drake Ring-necked Duck for another year tick which took the modest list to 111.

Snow Goose with the Whoopers

Jack Snipe at Lemsford Springs

I've added a year ticks since the last update, a walk around Rainham gave me the chance to see my first Water Pipit of the year on the foreshore along with both Rock Pipit and Meadow Pipit. Avocet was another year tick as did a pair of Stonechat close to the car park.

The 8th saw me take a run down to Wallasea island either side of the school run. I added Reed Bunting as I walked out to search the fields for the wintering Red-breasted Goose. Scanning the geese I added Brent Goose and Barnacle Goose but didn't find the target although there was a Black Brant or at least a Black Brant/DB Brent hybrid. A male Hen Harrier quartered the far corner as I approached the bank of the river. Being careful not to stick my head above the wall and spook anything on the other side I scoped throught the grass to find about 300 more Brents but again didn't find the RB goose. On the mud were Curlew, Oysterctcher and Grey Plover to give more year ticks. Also present but not first for years were Dunlin, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits.

This morning between family commitments I took a short drive up the A1 to Lemsford springs hoping to see a Jack Snipe and I wasn't dissapointed as one showed well in front of the first hide. 7 Snipe, 5 Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail made up the other highlights along with several Redwing and a first for year Jay.

year list now 103

new year list

The excitement for starting a new year list was building as we moved towards January 1st but I was feeling a little under the weather on New years eve so called the Jims to postpone things and instead ticked a few birds in the garden. On the 2nd I called and asked if they would like to do a short local trip with me as I still didn't feel up for a longer drive to Norfolk for the big start. They agreed and we made our way to Abberton where we found three Bean Geese in the fields before finding three drake Smew either side of the causeway.  Next we found the White-fronted Geese from the gate opposite Billet's farm and then two Little Stint, Goosander, Rock Pipit, Marsh Harrier, Green Sandpiper, Black-necked and Slavonian Grebe from the main causeway. We failed to find the reported Bewick's Swans but at Lodge lane Jim found the Lesser Scaup amongst the Greater Scaups for our best tick of the day. A Kingfisher was a nice addition before we left too. On the way home we stopped at Ardleigh and quickly ticked the Red-necked Grebe.

Today I called and asked if they'd like an hour or so at St.Albans which is only half an hour from home and again the Jims fancied the trip so we arrived just after sunrise and saw a couple of Kingfishers before the main target of Yellow-browed Warbler was found and enjoyed for the best part of an hour. We also added Nuthatch, Goldcrest and Grey Wagtail but didn't see the Med Gull that others reported. A quick stop at the Watercress LNR in St Albans bagged us Lesser Redpoll, Siskin and Bullfinch to take my three day list to 90 and we also enjoyed another Kingfisher show.

I do love the energy that the new year brings to the hobby.