Three Garganey (two drakes and a duck) |
Three Garganey and a Greylag |
Three Garganey to illustrate how difficult it can be to see them |
Two Garganey |
Great White |
Stonechat |
"If you get out there you might just see something"
Three Garganey (two drakes and a duck) |
Three Garganey and a Greylag |
Three Garganey to illustrate how difficult it can be to see them |
Two Garganey |
Great White |
Stonechat |
Jack Snipe (left) Common Snipe (right) |
Jack Snipe (centre) showing how well the camo works |
Common Snipe (front) Jack Snipe (behind the Common) |
Cattle Egret |
Drake Smew with a pair of Goldeneye |
I've walked the foreshore at Rainham twice this week as I was collecting my grandson from school close by and on the second walk located a single Water Pipit for my trouble.
Following on from these short walks I visited Frampton today with Jim in the hope of adding another year tick or two in the limited time I now find for my hobby.
We arrived at 7.30 and found the Lesser Yellowlegs on the pool by the car park before it flew to the far corner of the marsh. Ruff and Redshank were present along with Pintail and Wigeon. A large herd of Whooper Swan flew over calling before we moved on down the track where we found the Green-winged Teal with surprising ease. Dunlin, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Oystercatchers, Ringed Plover, Avocet, Balckwit etc made up the bulk of the birds on the marsh but we did also find a few Med Gulls whilst searching in vain for Little Gulls to bring about a healthy day list total of 76 species.
Golden Plover |
Goldeneye |
Lapwing |
Lesser Yellowlegs |
Lesser Yellowlegs |
Lesser Yellowlegs |
Ruff |
Ruff |
Ruff |
Whooper Swans |
Whoopers |
Year list now 169 as we await the spring arrivals to nudge the list along further.
I returned to the Loughton Waxwings this morning, being only half a mile from home I just had to do it and enjoyed a couple of hours watching these cracking winter visitors and bumped into a few local birders to which is always good.