rayrochesbirdng diary

4 - 8 November Dungeness and Holme - with a certain shrike in the Middle

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:13:00 +0000

A brief visit to Dungeness proved to be something of a Heron and Egret extraveganza - with the Great White Egret pereforming exceptionally well, with a supporting cast of a Cattle Egret, 2 Glossy Ibis, 2 Bitterns and the expected views of Little Egret and Grey Heron.

4 November Great White Egret Dungeness

4 November. The Great White Egret in flight

4 November little Owl Dungeness. 1 of 2 picked out while enjoying excelent views of the Egret

5 November Bewick Swan Dungeness RSPB. 3 of 4 present

5 November Cattle Egret Dungeness RSPB

6 November A rather impressive individual lurking at the Observatory

6 November. Brown Shrike Staines. A convenient detour on route back to Bedford from Dungeness. Also presernt several pairs 0f very noisy Parakeets flying overhead and a Kingfisher doing circuits along the river.

8 November. Holme. The rather special sight of 3 Cettis Warblers together in the hand - processed together in 1 net round, and bringing the total to an unprecedented 26 new birds ringed at the observatory this year.

and then they were gone ....... the moment of release.

The Day had started with a Peregrine at Hunstanton and by the end of the day the Holme area had produced 95 Species, including Black Throated Diver, Velvet Scoter and Red Necked Grebe on the sea, Short Eared Owl Hunting over the Marsh, a Firecrest neasr the Observatory and 3 Lapland Buntings in flight at Thornham Harbour

Shorelarks Holme Beach 30 0ctober

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:46:00 +0000

Difficult birds to see in recent years, but 3 present and showing well

Shorelarks on the Beach and a Beardie out of the net

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:31:00 +0000

Shorelark Holme 30 October.

Nice to catch up with the 3 birds present after several failed attempts to see the birds at Titchwell. Followed up the next day with a spectacular arrival of thousands of Starlings, and lesser numbers of Blackbirds and thrushes - as well as 3 Bewick Swans and 2 Short Eared Owls coming in off the sea

Bearded Tit Holme 30 October the first ringed at the Observatory since 2004

Redwing Holme 30 0ctober

Easern Crowned Warbler County Durham 24 October - or you don't actually have to be mad but sometimes it helps ..

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Courtesy of the Daily Mail Saturday 24 October - which managed to provide a reasonable summary of the story and get the right picture to illustarate it - something beyond the ability of other tabloids !!

24 October. Behaving as a typical Leaf Warbler does, patience was the order of the day, as the Eastern Crowned warbler - britain's first record - moved among the Sycamores, Elders etc. Excelent views followed - with the Yellow Browed Warbler that was also present allowing a good comparison of size and plumage. No pictures of the bird but a couple of a part of the crowd. and the grey choppy sea in the background. Well worth the 2.30 A.M. start from Snettisham in the hope the bird would still be present, producing a thoroughly enjoyable day, without being drowned in the pouring rain that the forecast had threatened. Showing well all Saturday, many dissappointed birders arrived on the Sunday only to find that the bird had departed overnight.

Harbour Porpoise snettisham Beach 26 October.

Unfortunately found dead washed up on the beach as well as a single Guillemot. Otherwise little to be seen except a handfull of skulking Redwings. After saturday's excursion Sunday was spent at Holme, where a Juivenile Spoonbill provided the excitrement by coming in off the sea and flying almost over our heads !!! We watched it fly over the Pines and virtually over the Observatory before it apparantly carried on flying west

Redpoll in the hand, Water Voles in the water and a phalarope and sandpiper at Titchwell

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Black Headed Gull 19 October

Purple Sandpiper Titchwell - initially feeding with Turnstones on the beach before retreating to the ruin shown above. Sadly no sign of the Shorelarks in the time available to me.

The same Black Headed Gull shown above - convinced there was food on offer if it stayed long enough and close enough!! If it had been a Dog it would have had its paw in the air and its tongue hanging out as it stood begging .....

18 October Water Vole Hun River Holme. Close in views of Pom Skua, Lonmg Tail Duck and Great Northern Diver at Holme in the morning were followed with Grey Phalarope, Purple Sandpiper and Snow Buntings during an afternoon visit to Titchwell

17 October Mealy Redpoll Holme. A nice bird to see in the hand. Seawatching had been productive in the morning - but meant missing the Little Auk that circled the NWT carpark before flying west !!

Jack Snipe Titchwell 11 October

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:17:00 +0000

An evening finale after good but brief views of the rose Coloured Starling at Chosely

Jack Snipe 2 Titchwell RSPB 11 October

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:14:00 +0000

Feeding in front of Fen hide.Performjng well in the fading light

AUTUMN AT HOLME - A SELECTION OF POSERS FOR THE CAMERA

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:26:00 +0000

Yellow Browed Warbler 14 October - The 3rd to be ringed in 5 days. Also present a Black Redstart on the roof of the Firs and sitting close offshore were both a Summer Plumaged Great Northern Diver and the first Goldeneye of the Autumn. 3 velvet Scoter flew west with a group of 22 Eider on the morning of the13th and an afternoon check of the Dunes produced a great Grey Shrike that was still present at Dusk. Not the first Great Grey I have seen at Holme, but the first 'self-found' one ! A shame it wouldn't pose for the camera. A leaches Petrel picked upp passing the dunes on the 12th was never going to make it onto film, but did stay in view in the scope long enough to enjoy good views as it went through.

Juvenile Rose Coloured Starling Chosely Barns 11 October - the pale blob to the left of the aeriel Dish ! A nice follow on to 2 Short Eared Owls in off the sea and circling over Holme Marsh and another group of 3 velvet Scoter over the Sea

Yellow Browed warbler Holme 10 October. The first of the Autumn, with 2 present on 10th and 12th, and a second bird ringed on the 12th

Common Darter Dragonfly Holme 1o October

Hummingbird Hawkmoth Holme 10 October 1 of 2 present and the only one I have seen this year

Red Admiral Butterfly 10 October

Pink Footed Geese over Redwell Marsh 9 October

Grey partridge Holme 9 October the first to be ringed at the Observatory since 1974

Firecrest Holme 9 October

Great Skua 2 October

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:11:00 +0000

After several circuits over the beach the skua flew strongly north
in the direction of the RSPB Reserve

Great Skua Snettisham

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Great Skua 2 October

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:09:00 +0000

With sea passage continuing offshore at Holme, a late afternoon visit to Snettisham produced this Great Skua feeding on a gull on the tide-line. Nice to get one on the deck at close quarters. The only drawback was the howling wind buffeting the camera and telescope ! Seawatching at Holme the next day was dissappointing, but the 4th managed to again produce goood views of Great Skuas from the Dunes, with a single more distant Arctic Sua followed by an impressive group of 7 Pomerine Skuas, which included 4 birds with tail Spoons.

Peregrine Falcon Snettisham 26 September

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Peregrine Falcon Snettisham 26 September

A pleasant early morning surprise, as the bird flew over Ken Hill Marsh, crossed Beach road, and landed in a ploughed field - where it then sat for over an hour and a half. Later in the day 6 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk circling Holme Marsh together were impressive, in a rather quiet weekend on land and sea. Seawatching at Holme still managed to produce incoming Pink Footed Geese,Gannets, Guillemots, Great Skuas, Divers and single Manx Shearwater on apparantly flat seas. Ironically while I spent the week-end in Norfolk, a Leaches Petrel showed well throughout much of the 25th at Stewartby Lake in Bedfordshire - a site where I have also managed to miss Storm Petrel and Red Rumped Swallow !!

Seabirds Galore, The first Pink Feet arrive, Flyvatchers in the Hand and 6 Glossy Ibis in a Cmabridgeshire field !

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:48:00 +0000

With a change in the wind direction coinciding with an escape to the Norfolk Coast Seawatching produced amazing sights,with huge numbers of Gannets passing Holme, as well as impressive numers of Skuas and Kittiwakes.The large Shearwaters escaped me, but having missed one passing Leaches Petrel, the second had the decency to fly past my scope ! The sight of a Marsh Harrier, heading west over the Sea, and under sustained attack from both a Greast and Arctic Skua was completely unexpected - and would have made wonderful footage ! Manx Shearwater records tumbled in the day I watched 329 go past Holme, and the arrival of the first Pink Footed Geese was a welcome bonus.

Glossy Ibis Sutton Gault Camebridgeshire 17 September. 6 out of a flock of 7 birds. Amazingly, the birds were found in almost exactly the same location as the lone Ibis that appeared in Camebridgeshire in 2008. 2 Little Stints, 1 Dunlin at least 2 Hobbies and 1 Kingfisher also present

Spotted Flycatcher Holme 16 September - My first of the year !

Pied Flycatcher Holme 10 september. 2 ringed on the 10th and 1 on the 11th

Kingfisher Holme 10 September

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Anything a Wryneck can do I can do too !! Quite content to sit in the hand, and displaying the twisting, snake like movement often performed by wrynecks

Stop Press : Pallid harrier in Cambs ..... and some waders at Holme ...

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:51:00 +0000

7 september. Breaking news of a male Pallid Harrier in Camebridgeshire meant a very sudden change of plans. A slightly nervous few hours,and the ineviteable standing in the wrong place, looking the wrong way etc eventually came good as a distant Grey blob on the ground.lifted into the air, turning into a stunning, near adult, male Pallid Harrier, gracefully quartering the fields in front of us !!! Not a lifer, as I had enjoyed close views of the juvenile Pallid Harrier in Norfolk at Winterton - but a very nice surprise to turn up on the doorstep.

Little stint Holme Beach 6 September - a nice addition to the Seawatching tally for the day

Curlew Sandpiper Thornham Harbour 6 September

Ortolan Bunting Cley Wryneck Holme and a supporting cast ....

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:08:00 +0000

Ortolan Bunting Cley 4 september.

A lifer,and a rare bird these days the Ortolan followed on nicely from the Wryneck below. Another unexpected detour to Cley in wet and cloudy weather, remienicent of the Great Spotted Cuckoo - Except that the Ortolan was much more obliging !
A smattering of other migrants at Holme,such as the Pied Flycatchers, Wheatears, Winchats and stonechats have combined with some excellent seawatching days to keep the anticipation going.The daily and goup record for Shearwaters tumbled again, with at least 21 past in 1 group, and 22 Black Terns in a day was an impressive total malongside over 50 Great Skuas as well as lesser Numbers of Arctics.

Wryneck Holme 27 August The first ringed since 2002

Mediterranean Gull Hunstanton 24 August

Wheatear Holme Dunes 24 August

Pied Flycatcher Holme 23 August. At least 6 present - but no sign of any thye following day

Common Seal Holme Beach 26 August

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:04:00 +0000

A young common Seal Loafing on the beach looking cute !

Holme Wryneck 27 August

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:47:00 +0000

A classic Autumn migrant but 7 years since the last 1 was ringed at Holme. In true classic style not seen before being trapped or after release !

Mediterranean Gull Hunstanton

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:42:00 +0000

1 of at least 2 birds on a school playing field in the town

Young Common Seal Holme Beach 26 August

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Lazing at high tide and providing alternative viewing during a quiet seawatch

Common Seal 2 Holme Beach

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:38:00 +0000

Loafing on the Beach and looking cute

Common Sandpiper Redwell Marsh

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Bobbing and feeding in classic fashion in front of the hide

Common Sandpiper 2 Redwell

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Performing in front of the hide at Redwell

Weatear at Snettisham and Birds in the Hand at Holme

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:38:00 +0000

Lone Weatear Snetisham CP. 10 August. The first of the Autumn

Juvenile Treecreeper Holme 9 August

Juvenile Cettis warbler 9 August

Juvenile Green Woodpecker 9 August

Little Gull Holme 7 August

noreply@blogger.com (ray roche) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:37:00 +0000

present with 2 Black Terns among large numbers of Common and sandwich Terns