Barn Owl 29.01.12

On my way to the Queens Head for a couple of Adnams last night and got superb views of a female barn owl. It was roosting on a low overhanging branch over the road just after AVGC. Turned car around and watched for a full 2 minutes before it flew off. Typical: I had only just taken me camera out of the car for safety! Later on, near Allens Green, we came across a badger waddling along the lane: more close cameraless views!
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Amwell visit 29.01.12

An afternoon wander around Amwell Reserve. Not too much on offer, with a cetti's warbler heard from the vantage point. From here all the usual suspects were observed; lapwing, regular gulls (bhg, herring, common and lbbg) wigeon, teal, shoveler, coot etc. A few siskins heard in alders and beech and a solitary little egret were the pick of the wander around to Tumbling Bay. Phone photo attached of view from vantage point. Light not good

More photos

Photo round up

Selection of recent photos from Dungeness (22.1.12) and Ridge walk (27.1.12)
Wigeon/teal, tufted duck, 2 of distant great egret, hybrid geese and barnacle geese all from Dungeness.
Pre sunrise, sunrise, 3 of the two distant foxes and a humble wood pigeon from Much Hadham to Little Hadham.

Another early start 27.01.12

Another walk started at 7a.m. from Winding Hill, Much Hadham. This time I took the ridge footpath and observed a good range of wildlife. Early morning buzzards called along with rooks, carrion crows, jackdaws, robins and blackbirds. A fly over herring gull was followed by a solitary black headed gull as I watched 2 foxes sitting in the middle of a winter wheat field. Other wildlife interest was watching several hares, plenty of rabbits and a single muntjac. Other birds noted were great spotted woodpecker, kestrel, green woodpecker, fieldfare and redwing.
Photos to follow

Early morning 26.01.12

Dropped off at Winding Hill, Much Hadham at 7a.m. and then walked along the Ash Valley, over the golf course and home by 8.30a.m. A total of 4 tawny owls were heard and 1 little owl. The hoped for barn owl didn't show, unfortunately. Other noteworthy birds were green woodpecker, 125+ fieldfares, 60 jackdaws heading north and a pair of bullfinches in the small coppice adjacent to the 18th fairway. Very poor light meant I couldn't get a photo of a singing song thrush. Other songsters were dunnock, robin, skylark and blackbird. A phone camera shot here, showing the general greyness in light drizzle

Dungeness photos: 22.01.12

All photos here by Graeme Smith. See his website: www.britainsbirder.co.uk

Dungeness 22.01.12

A full day of birding with local birder Graeme plus Therese and Stuart from Berdmonsey. Weather was kind although blowing a gale as we approached the sea watch hide at 7.45a.m. Reasonable movement offshore, with auks, gannets and gulls although nothing of quality. Off to The Patch to check gulls but just the regular lesser, great black backed, herring and black headed. A search for possible glaucous, little, med and caspian proved fruitless
A visit to the fishing boats gave us the first winter caspian gull along with great views of guillemots close to the shore and several kittiwakes. From here we headed to the RSPB reserve. Coffee and the hides; plenty of wildfowl: wigeon, teal, shoveler etc but a highlight bird was a flyby merlin as we exited the Firth Hide. Onwards we picked up Marsh Harrier, stonechat, plenty of robins and the great white egret at Denge Marsh Hide. Good views that Grame missed as he had stayed behind to photo the male stonechat. A wander further round didn't realise much more than dunnock and wren although a suspected bearded reedling was seen shooting into a reed bed, plus our first mallards. A few oystercatchers and shelduck and little egret were added before we headed over to the ARC pit, picking up another great egret and tree sparrow. Long tailed duck, pintail, bittern, grey heron and another diistant merlin were recorded before we dropped Graeme off to get snaps of the caspian whilst us three visited The Pilot for a fish and chip lunch.
Reconnecting with GJS we then went to Scotney Pits for barnacle geese, golden plover, dunlin and numerous lapwings. A group of 4 strange geese had us thinking blue phase snow goose, but turned out they were hybrid efforts, probably barnacle x greylag. From here we paid a flying visit to Rye Harbour where mistle thrush, turnstone, common gull, curlew and redshank were added.
In all a super day out and trust Stuart and Therese found it fun.
Species list:
red throated diver; great crested grebe; gannet; cormorant; bittern; little egret; great white egret; grey heron; mute swan; greylag goose (10 sp); canada goose; barnacle goose; brent goose; shelduck; mallard; gadwall; pintail; shoveler; wigeon; teal;( 20 sp) pochard; tufted duck; long tailed duck; goldeneye; marsh harrier; common buzzard; kestrel (en route): merlin; moorhen; coot;( 30 sp) oystercatcher; golden plover; lapwing; turnstone; dunlin; redshank; curlew; snipe; black headed gull; common gull; herring gull;(40) caspian gull; lesser black backed gull; greater black backed gull; kittiwake; guillemot; razorbill; wood pigeon; collared dove; pied wagtail; wren; (50) dunnock; robin; stonechat; mistle thrush; blackbird; great tit; blue tit; long tailed tit; magpie; jackdaw (60); rook; carrion crow; starling; house sparrow; tree sparrow; chaffinch; (66 species)
Be back at Dungeness on Wednesday 28th March: should be a big change in the bird life by then
Photos to follow

1st walk of the year 02.01.12

A long wander, in wonderful conditions, led to seeing over 24 species of bird. Nothing too noteworthy but a common buzzard in trees near Hadham Hall was a new bird for this site. A 2nd buzzard was seen near Ford Hill as I returned from the hall, Bury Green via Millfield Lane and Hoecroft Lane. Plenty of starlings (200+) and fieldfare (250+)in horse fields around Millfield Lane, along with both green and great spotted woodpeckers. A good find was a roost where a barn owl had been, with 5 large pellets found which I can use for my school science shows. Will need to return to see if the owl itself is present. Photos of the buzzard at the hall and, an as yet unidentified, fungus found in hedgerow by thge village school.