Year list 29.02.12

A list of 112 bird species seen in this calendar year. The list, which I shall update each last day of the month.
Red throated diver, little grebe, great crested grebe, gannet, cormorant, bittern, grey heron, little egret, great egret, mute swan, greylag goose, canada goose, barnacle goose, brent goose, shelduck, mallard, gadwall, pintail, shoveler, wigeon, teal, pochard, tufted duck, long tailed duck, goldeneye, smew, marsh harrier, common buzzard, sparrow hawk, kestrel, merlin, red legged partridge, grey partridge, pheasant, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, golden plover, lapwing, turnstone, dunlin, redshank, curlew, snipe, black headed gull, herring gull, caspian gull, common gull, lbbg, gbbg, kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill, stock dove, wood pigeon, collared dove, tawny owl, little owl, barn owl, green woodpecker, gsw, skylark, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, stonechat, mistle thrush, redwing, songthrush,fieldfare,blackbird,goldcrest, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, bearded reedling, nuthatch, treecreeper, magpie, jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, tree sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, reed bunting, yellowhammer, bewicks swan, whooper swan, red kite, pink footed goose, ringed plover, grey plover, black tailed godwit, bar tailed godwit, snow bunting, cettis warbler, siskin, lesser redpoll, kingfisher, coal tit, water rail, green sandpiper
Photo; North Norfolk: Sept. 2009 walk that gave up 99 species in 3 days: Hunstanton to Cromer.

Moths and new bird for 2012

A selection of moths at the trap this morning. Mostly, micros including 3 tortricodes alternella, a single of either Amblyptilia punctidactyla or Ambilyptilia acanthadactyla ( the plume moth with rolled wings in the photos) plus a acleris notana on the wooden trap. Also, a pale brindled beauty and a single spring usher.
Also; a pair of grey partridges were seen along the Hadham road; species number 111 for the year. List to follow.

Monday 27th; start the week with a wander

A quick check around Hadham Hall this morning. No barn owl but evidence of roosting in the form of over 20 pellets. Several skylarks and reed bunting were singing, along with green, gold and chaffinch from the Hadham Hall area. A solitary coot was on the now full lagoon. Maybe this will attract migratory waders over the ensuing spring weeks? A common buzzard was recorded over Albury and a kestrel at Westland Green. Photos show the moorhens at Hadham Hall, primulas at Millenium Wood and the only moth from last night; a micro called agonopterix alstromeriana.

New moth

Two examples of the dotted border moth shown here; a common February to March moth. Also 2 items of interest from neighbouring parishes. Firstly, on 23.02.12 I recorded my first brimstone butterfly of the year. This record was sent to the county recorder and constituted the first record of the year for Hert. Secondly, a peregrine falcon has spent several days hunting over Green Tye, Allens Green and Matthams Wood. I saw it yesterday afternoon heading over the wood. As it did, over 500 wood pigeons and 100's of corvids shot out from the trees.

Amwell visit 24.02.12

A pleasant wander around Amwell N.R. this morning with over 40 species recorded, although nothing new on the year list. Good birds everywhere, including large numbers of shoveler, cormorant, grey heron and lapwing. A pair of bullfinches showed well ( 2 photos of the male) and a total of 6 goldeneye. Photos, from the top:
Robin, bullfinch (x2) robin, shoveler in flight, cormorant in flight, a pair of mute swans and a hybrid goose (maybe greylag x canada goose)

Moth update: 9pm 23.02.12

As anticipated, moths now appearing due to increased temperature. Another pale brindled beauty along with March moth and 1st hebrew character of the year. Also; 2 micros. The one on the concrete post probably an agonpterix sp, the other yet to be id'd.
From top; hebrew character, March moth, p.b. Beauty, agonpterix sp (number 688 or 689) and unknown

Moth finds; 23.02.12

2 moths in the trap this morning, on what is undoubtedly going to turn into the hottest day of the year, so should be a good haul tonight. Upon first inspection they both appear to be pale brindled beauties, species number 158 for the garden. One definitely is whuilst the other, a more faded example may need a little more study later.

22.02.12

Early start with little to trouble the notebook. Highlight was a solitary reed bunting heard as it flew high over the golf course. Large numbers of redwing, fieldfare and starlings on the par 3 course; and 2 yellowhammers calling in New Road hedgerow; rest as normal. Photos, in poor early morning light show the dry river bed of the River Ash. Only 3-4 years ago I was recording mallard, moorhen, marsh tit and kingfisher on this stretch: now bone dry and these birds have gone.

Rye Meads 20.02.12

A quick visit to Rye Meads around midday to see if the elusive Great Grey Shrike was still on site. It wasn't, but plenty of birds about including year listers green sandpiper and water rail. Good views of most of the wildfowl on offer; shoveler, gadwall, teal,sahelduck, mallard, little grebe, coot etc. Few reed buntings and a snipe also made the list. Photos here of the green sandpiper, teal, little grebe, gadwall and coot.

Ash Valley GC. 20.02.12

Setting off at 7.15 from Much Hadham, I wandered along the valley and over the dry river bed before crossing the road and heading up to the woods and the golf course. A cold morning meant only the regulars on show. A few fieldfare, their numbers greatly diminished, a buzzard and 9 drumming great spotted woodpeckers were noted. Little else of note apart from a squealing little owl, a treecreeper and 3 nuthatches. Photos show sun rise and a coppice of frosty trees adjacent to the golf course.

Macro moths 18.02.12

A check on the contents of the moth trap was successful this morning. These were discovered, 2 spring ushers. This is a common moth during the months of February and March, so I anticipate trapping many more. As can be seen in these 2 photos, they can be variable in marking and colour.

1st garden moths of 2012

The 1st moths in the garden were recorded last night, both common and expected. Firstly a micro moth Tortricodes alternella and then the unimaginatively named March moth. Both at the trap around 8.30pm. Also, an ichneumon wasp, but more work to gain a positive ID. Good to be back identifying moths, the March moth being the 156th species for the garden. Photos from the top: the tortrix, March moth and wasp.

Ash Valley 17.02.12

An early morning wander for an hour today, beginning at Winding Hill, Much Hadham at 7.15. Usual fare observed, but with the milder temperatures, many more birds were singing. Particularly vociferous were great and blue tit, chaffinch, greenfinch, robin an dunnock. Also heard: green woodpecker and 3 great spotted woodpeckers drumming. Kestrel and common buzzard gave flyby views. Lovely start to a Friday. Photos show a silhouetted dunnock, the dry River Ash and sunrise.

Warm walk: good birds 15.02.12

This morning gave an increase in temperature; no gloves required. From Tescos to home via Hadham Hall gave excellent, albeit brief views of a flyby kingfisher (1st since 2010) and a barn owl roosting in a tree hole. The owl, having seen me, quickly disappeared further into the tree so just 1 disappointing photo taken. However, judging by pellets (20+) it is at a favourite roost spot so I shall return to improve on the photo. Also seen, coal, great, blue and long tailed tits, common buzzard, kestrel, gold, green and chaffinch along with yellowhammer, skylark, stock dove and black headed gull. A great spotted woodpecker was heard drumming at Hadham Hall. In all 30 species, with the kingfisher and coal tit being new for me in 2012, taking my year list of British birds to 108 species