Little Owl Woburn Beds 4th March

Little Owl - spotted in the shadows of his hole but eventually coming out to survey the Deer Park from his tree. An accepteable alternative to the Waxwings I had failed to find.

Goosander - up to 8 present as well as at least 1 drake Mandarin. 2 on the lake by the Abbey, 4 more in flight,and another pair on the smaller lake towards the stables.

Black Swan - very elegant but also very tame !

Dungeness 27 February - 2 March

Returning David to Dungeness for his second season as Assistant warden at the Observatory gave me the chance for another visit to the Kent Coast. Though photographically not particularly productive, the birdwatching did not dissappoint. Black Redstarts were around the Power station. The Iceland Gull performed on a daily basis, and after such a quiet winter on the sea in Norfolk the numbers of Guillemots, Divers, Kittiwakes and Gannets among the Guills and Grebes offshore was very welcome. A passage of Brents on the 1st March also produced at least 10 Velvets among the Scoters. Smew, Goosanders, and both Slavonian and Black Necked Grebe were present on the RSPB Reserve, as well as 2 Firecrests, and a delightful Water Vole - posing in front of 1 of the hides until spooked by a low flying Magpie !!! The biggest surprise of the trip was a flock of 25 Snow Geese and 1 Empereor Goose on the 1st. These had been reported in Sussex earlier in the day but had sneaked through to dungeness unnoticed!! A flock of this size was an impressive sight in flight, and enough to cause a bit of local excitement - at least until a walker on the footpath passed within feet of them, failing to flush them in the process and excitement levels plumetted !! Still an impressive flock whatever its origins.

Above and Below Iceland Gull - showed well on all 4 days, but a difficult bird to photograph as the sun was never in the right place ! Aptly likened to a Barn Owl in its flight and pale colouration as it wheeled over the patch among the mass of Gulls.

Above and Below Kittwake. Good numbers of both Adult and juvenile birds present.



Red Crested Pochard - popping up everywhere these days !





Snow Geese - of unknown origin. 20 white birds and 5 blue form in the flock of 25. A particularly impressive sight in flight.

A welcome return to Norfolk and a few local extras ..

Kingfisher and Gey Wagtail Breckland Norfolk 21 February.From a riverside walk that also produced an overhead Buzzard to add to the Raptor list, having already enjoyed good views of male Goshawk and a soaring Red Kite at a nearby site.

Glaucous Gull Cley 19th February Close views of the gull on the Beach, with short flights to sit out on the sea when flushed by beachwalkers. Damage to the wing evident in photos below.
The day had started with a failed attempt to catch a second view of the Black Bellied Dipper - with a diversion to seee the nearby Cattle Egret. decent views in the Scope but too far off even for a 'record shot'

Black Necked Grebe 17 February. Gypsy Lane Titchwell. Showing well but in extremely poor light

Great Grey Shrike 17 February Dersingham Bog. Same day same light and a bird that was never really close enough. Singing woodlarks and good numbers of Crossbills also present - with 1 flock of 23 feeding in the Pines later in the week.

Pink Footed Geese Holme Marsh 15 February. Still good numbers of Pink Feet in the Snettisham area too.This mixed flock of several hundred Brent and Pink Footed Geese at Holme containined 2 collar ringed birds -LBI in the Photo, as well as TUB. 2 more collar ringed Geeese located at Abbey Farm later in the week -TAH and TAK - with a large flock of Brambling, several Tree Sparrows and the resident Little Owl also on show



Fox Priory CP Bedford 13 February. 1 OF 2 Lying up around the finger lakes - but not wanting to be photographed! Good numbers of corn Buntings coming in to roost were an added bonus

Fieldfare 13 February. Not the first Fieldfare to appear in the Garden, but the first I have managed to get any pictures of. Both redwings and Fieldfares have been brought in by the harsh weather, with both male and female Blackcap in the garden since the middle of December

Grey Heron 7 February. Very approachable in the snow - photos taken without using the telescope

Sparrowhawk at Priory and some dodgy ducks ...

Male Sparrowhawk perched up at priory 30 January

Juvenile Grey Heron Bedford Riverside

'Red Crested Pochards' Bedfors Park lake, 31 January. A group of 5 present for over a month with2 hybrid Mallard Males and 3 female types - the female in the photos being the most convincing for a pure Pochard

24 January Long Eared Owls in Yorkshire - a rather belated Christmas present !!

After a fairly dismal December that involved writing off the car on black ice and being largely reduced to seeing what birds were turning up in the garden, a rather belated January trip north to Yorkshire brought its own reward in the form of a superb group of 5 roosting Long eared Owls -with photos of 4 different birds above.Only 1 of the 5 was so obscured by the inevitable branches/twigs etc that photos were never going to be available.For the other 4 there were superb views in the scope - which I hope the photos give some flavour of.

11th December Sparrowhawks and other Garden Birds .......

11 December. A well posed Sparrowhawk that sat in our Ivy clad apple tree for least an hour and a half. Yesterday's Sparrowhawk was a flyover bird, but today this bird was in no hurry to go anywhere.Sparrowhawks are regular visitors to the Garden,but don't usually sit so close or for so long.Pictues taken through glass. An interesting few days in the garden recently.A female Blackcap yedterday and a male today.2 jays and perched Redwings yesterday, with flyover redwings and Grey Heron today. A single Jay in the Garden last week was the first I remember seeing in all the years we have lived here.With at least 1 Goldcrest flitting around today and yesterday I shall keep looking out for that bold white eyestripe !!!!

Waxwings at Holme but no white Gulls at Blackborough End Tip ...

Waxwing Holme 6th December

Saturday morning seawatching had produced a Great Northern Diver among the Mergansers Fulmars etc but the bnest views of the day were the afternoons Waxwing on the wires. I had seen the ones at The Lodge in Sandy, and another individual in the Dunes at Holme - but all briefly and in poor light. This individual didn't stay long before flying off with another but at least the sun was shining. Sundays attempts to find a White winged Gull flopped but a Green Sand and 3 Bewick's Swans on a nearby lake were some consolation