Sandy revisited.

A few pictures from my recent trip to Sandy in Bedfordshire at the RSPB head quarters.
Birds seen at the feeders in the car park include: Mealy and Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Brambling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Blackbird. A Green Woodpecker was heard but not seen.

Long-tailed Tit

Mealy Redpoll

Mealy Redpoll

Mealy

Siskin

Brambling

Second time lucky

I managed a stop at Goldhanger this week and was lucky on this visit to connect with the Velvet Scoter there. (166) Also found a Black necked Grebe and a pair of Merganser. Lot's of Dunlin about too.
I parked outside the church in the village and walked down the lane to find the public footpath to the sea wall. On the way I couldn't help but take a picture of the street sign below.

It's a shocker but gave me a giggle and I think that says a lot about me.

Bonny Gull and Firecrest fest!

I pulled into Princes park Eastbourne as it got light and scanned the gathered gulls to find plenty of Black Headed Birds in various plumage from first winter to adult, all being dismissed by the bill shades from orange through reddish black to red.. A few Herring Gull were easily dismissed on size and a peregrine flew over as Swans begged for food along the edge of the pond.

After half an hour of searching through the gulls I finally found the smaller black billed bird and had another tick for 2013 with this little cracker...the Bonaparte's Gull.(164) I grabbed a picture as it floated around in the middle of the pond but I had to dash back to work so couldn't wait for it to come in closer.
(It did occasionally stick it's head up to reveal that slim black bill)

A sleeping Bonaparte's Gull

A quick fly back up the A21 and into London for a days work where I stopped in at Middlesex Filter Beds as it was only two minutes from my place of work today.....It's literally in the back yard so a rare half hour lunch break was in order. From the entrance I walked across the small bridge and twenty yards to the river only to find three Firecrest (165) feeding in an Elderberry bush with one coming out as I grabbed a couple of pictures which wasn't easy as they were constantly flicking about in the bushes.
Great little birds and a real pleasure to spend a few moments with them before returning to work.
Right enough blog work as I have a big presentation to put together for work tomorrow.

Firecrest

Firecrest

Firecrest

Black Headed Gull

Mute Swan

Coot splash landing

Great Northern Diver Staines

I added Great Northern Diver to the year list with a stop at Staines Reservoir. The bird was tucked up in the eastern corner of south Basin when I arrived but took no more 5 minutes to locate as I scanned the other birds getting past Gadwall, Goldeneye, Tufted, Coot, Cormorant and Great Crested Grebe before landing on the diver to give me tick 163 for 2013.

A couple more pictures as I get a little practice in with the new kit.

Cow at Lea Valley

Tufted Duck

Canada Goose

Great Crested Grebe

Little Grebe

Mealy Redpoll at RSPB Sandy

I popped up to the RSPB head quarters in Sandy Bedfordshire today after hearing news of some Mealy Redpolls visiting the feeders there this week.

Siskin

A grey, wet day had been forecast so this was a perfect plan. A short drive up the A1, stand in the shelter just off the car park and watch the birds visit the feeders until I find the Common Redpoll.

Lesser Redpoll

Sounded simple until I arrived to find over a hundred Siskin on and around the feeders to cloud the issue. Lesser Redpolls were feeding in smaller numbers. Coal Tits joined the Blue and Great Tits, Bramblings visited with the other finches and Greater Spotted Woodpecker & Nuthatch also came in to feed. It was proving more difficult than I'd imagined to find the Mealy birds with only a couple being possibles showing good variation from the Lessers until a handsome male Mealy dropped in and the debate was over.
This was without doubt my bird and tick 162 for the year.

I took a few more photos with the new kit but the weather was awful so it didn't get much use today despite a very brief stop at Priory Country Park on the way home.

Norfolk Birding

I caught up with the Great Grey Shrike this week up in Hertford to get my 156th tick of the year and decided to head up to North Norfolk this morning chasing a couple of year ticks.
On the drive up the A10 I spotted a group of Swans north of Welney and after pulling over to scan the flock we ID'd them as Whoopers (157) Further up the way I spotted a Barn Owl sat on a roadside post which I never get tired of seeing. We parked up at Wolferton around 8.30am and were quickly looking at two male Golden Pheasant (158) After watching the birds feed for a while we moved on to Holme. We walked the beach looking for Shore Lark but drew a blank despite many Skylarks feeding and singing. We did find five Twite (159) feeding by a pool and a Short Eared Owl came into view although I couldn't get Jimmy on it to his despair. A large Peregrine flashed along the shore while we waited for the Twite to return.

Mute Swan

After this we took a Coffee break at Titchwell before walking to the beach. Along the way we connected with at least 10 Brambling, a Water Rail, a  Bittern, a Spotted Redshank amongst other birds.
At the beach we found Long Tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Eider, a distant unidentified Grebe and a single Black Throated Diver (160).

Greylag Goose

A short drive from Titchwell and we're at Burnham Overy. We parked in the lay by and scanned the distant dunes etc before I locked on to a Rough Legged Buzzard (161) soaring high in the clouds to the west. We watched the bird for around fifteen minutes before it dropped from view. 3 Red Kites and a common Buzzard flew over along with a couple of Marsh Harriers. A small crowd of birders were pleased with my find although not all managed to connect with it despite directions.

Finally we took another coffee break at Salthouse car park and enjoyed the 12 Snow Buntings feeding on the mound to the east end of the car park. I also had a brief view of Male Hen Harrier from here.
Heading home and time for another Barn Owl, a Kestrel and a Merlin...a real raptor day in Norfolk.

Mallard

Pied Wagtail

Snow Buntings

Turnstone

Coot

Black Headed Gull

Apologies for the photos of these common birds ......trying out the new camera and I have to say I'm quite pleased with the first outing with it.

FIFTY SHADES OF BROWN

Having given up yesterday for work chasing a big finish to the January campaign I decided to take a walk along the Roding today as I have made a limp attempt to call it a patch this year. The river was high and brown, the fields were wet and brown and the trees were leafless and brown, all pretty ugly I have to say. I waded along the river bank through sloppy wet footpaths gathering mud on my boots as I walked.

The River Roding

The bird count for this first trip is.......
MAGPIE, JAY, CARRION CROW, BLACK HEADED GULL, COMMON GULL, LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, HERRING GULL, MUTE SWAN, CANADA GOOSE, GREYLAG GOOSE, CORMORANT, MOORHEN, COOT, MALLARD, GADWALL, TUFTED DUCK, ROBIN, DUNNOCK, GREENFINCH, GOLDFINCH, CHAFFINCH, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, WOOD PIGEON, RING NECKED PARAKEET, BLACKBIRD, FERAL PIGEON, SONG THRUSH, REDWING, FIELDFARE, STARLING, HOUSE SPARROW, LESSER REDPOLL. GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, LITTLE EGRET AND BARN OWL. (36)

The Footpath

So I'm on my way with this patch listing lark....Am I inspired? motivated? interested? I'm not sure it's going to do it for me but I'll give it a couple of goes and let's see if I can get going with it. The benefit is it's a walk from home so doesn't involve more time in the car.

I'll keep you posted! (That's assuming anybody else is in the slightest bit interested too)

OH...AND WAXWING IN THE GARDEN TODAY!!!!