White Spotted Bluethroat Welney 23 April

White Spotted Bluethroat Welney. Another lifer for the year and an absolute stunner of a bird that put on a superb display after a wait of an hour and a half. Once a much more regular migrant on the Norfolkl Coast, so not an easy bird to connect with.

Corn Bunting Welney. At least 6 in the trees around the Car Park. Part of the supporting cast with the Tree Sparrows below.

Tree Sparrow Welney

Yellow Wagtails Willington.20 April

At least 39 Yellow Wagtails counted in one field - a delightful gathering, with Swallows and Sand and House Martins overhead. A singing Nightingale nearby the following day was a bonus and something of a Bedfordshire rarity

19 April Grey Wagtails Bedford

As well as the singing Robin the supporting cast for the 2 Grey Wagtails by the weir included Blackcap Song thrush Long Tailed Tit and Blackbird. The biggest surprise was a Common Sandpiper that shot past before looping round back towards the main river channel. A male Reed Bunting was on the edge of the Boating Lake.

Grey Heron Putnoe 19 April

While fly-past Grey Herons are pretty regular over the garden they aren't usually quite this obliging.This one perched up on next doors fence and then went past within 15 feet of the window.

Common Crane 17 April

This Crane was a very pleasant surprise and was obliging enough to circle overhead long enough to snatch a couple of pictures. A Dartford warbler had shown well earlier, in the company of Stonechats. Sitting on Muckleborough Hill had produced spectaculour views, but nothing in the way of visible migrants or Raptors.The Jay below was taken in the Sanderingham area.

15 April return to pecker Country

After a brief flight view of a lesser spot on a previous visit, this female gave excellent views on an exposed trunk - with crossbills in the sourrounding trees and Treecreepers and Nuthatches all vieing for attention. Superb.

Nuthatch 15 April

13 April A Brambling in the hand - but no kentish plover

Brambling ringed at Holme. A good bird to see in the hand and a consolation prize for spending several hours on the beach, but with no sign of the Kentish plover reported earlier in the day. Not photographed, but putting on a spectacular display were 3 RED KITES at Snettisham - at 1 stage all circling in the same telecsope view.

Sanderling Holme Beach 13 April

Pink Footed Geese Snettisham 13 April.Both Brents and Pink Feet Still present in some numbers at both Holme and Snettisham

Egyptian Geese Snettisham 13 April with a brood of 8 young.Note the hybrid goose in the background

Barnacle Geese Snettisham 13 April. Present all year -Though a count of 19 Barnacles on Ken Hill Marsh in the winter was unusual and coincided with a flock of white fronted Geese that was well into dopuble figures

Stonechat 2 Snettisham coastal park

Stonechat Snettisham coastal park

Little Gull Redwell.mpg

LITTLE GULL REDWELL MARSH HOLME 11 APRIL

This Little Gull was a nice find and spent hours dip-feeding and walking on the water at Redwell

Stonechat Snettisham Coastal Park 9 April

Mornings spent in the Coastal Park failed to produce any Ring Ouzels but did produce the first reeling Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroats and Sedge and Willow warblers as well as this female Stonechat busy collecting nesting material.The downside tp lookinmg for migrants in the Coastal Park was that I was not at Holme when the Great grey Shrike was ringed. It hung around for the day to allow reasonable views -but not quite as good as it would have been 'in the hand'

Spring at last

With Spring finally arriving, the camera has failed to do justice to the birding - with some excellent birds and not a lot in the way of photos. The ALPINE SWIFT at Hunstanton provided outstanding views on 26 March and broke the Norfolk jinx. my only other alpine Swift at Minsmere had provided decent scope views, but other more recent NORFOLK birds at Holme and Hunstanton hjad all eluded me. News of a 2 Barred Crossbill at the lodge in sandy the same week-end had all the hallmarks of Beds Leaches petrel and red Rumped Swallow found while I lurked in norfolk - and gone by my return to the county. fortunately the 2 Barred stayed and provided excellent views on the Monday 29th. A lifer that made up for teh bird i missed at Sanderingham. Other highlights have included a brief Lesser spotted woodpecker, Hawfinch Goshawk and Stone Curlews. A singing firecrest was a delight and a Red kite circled over the A10 on our return journey to Bedford on 5 April




Comma butterfly Bedford 6 April

Water rail ringed Holme 4 April

Hare Snettisham 3 Apr

Barn owl 28 March Snettisham

Tree Sparrows Norfolk 27 March

Toad in our garden Pond Bedford