Little Hadham Wander

My regular route from town back to the village this morning. Not much on offer in blustery conditions. A green woodpecker near Green Street, yellowhammers in hedgerows and treecreeper, GSW, common buzzard and nuthatch in Muggins Wood along with blue, great and long tailed tit.
A coal tit showed well in Chapel Lane and a few chiffchaffs calling were all the birds worth noting.
In Great Plantings Wood near Tescos, the annual show of superb wood anemones has begun, but no other new spring flowers noted this morning.

wood anemone

green woodpecker

yellowhammer

coal tit

treecreeper

Quick Amwell Visit 28.03.15

Lunchtime visit to Amwell in grey and blustery conditions. At least 7 chiffchaffs calling as I wandered to the viewpoint, from where shoveler, great crested grebes, gadwall, teal, mallard, lapwing, tufted duck, grey heron, pochard, cormorant and assorted gulls (mostly BHG)  were all noted. However, on the island, 2 oystercatchers whilst a little closer, a redshank. Both good birds for land locked Hertfordshire.
Several common buzzards overhead and 3 red kites. A cetti's warbler was heard from the James Hide where also, long tailed, blue, great and marsh tit were on the feeders, with a reed bunting nearby.
A quick check for water voles was unsuccessful but a single snipe was seen from the walkway to the White Hide.

colourful pheasant near the James Hide

Oystercatchers on the island with lapwing and female pochard

black headed gulls, lapwing, pochards and the oystercatchers

redshank

great crested grebe pair.......

...............looking like some juvenile GCG maybe about later in the summer.

ever present confiding robin at the watchpoint

marsh tit at the James Hide feeders

Local buzzards

Yesterday, I managed to pop out to check on the sallows around Hadham Hall as this is a good area for early migrants. Just 2 chiffchaffs calling from the goat and grey willows that border the irrigation lagoon on local farmland near New Spring Wood.
Nothing else of note and no birds on the water. The crow scaring gas gun is still in an adjacent field, firing every half hour for over 3 weeks now, so no wonder little is to be seen. I have yet to make contact with the resident barn owl pair that have been at this site for 6 years. Hope they, too,have not been forced to move away!
Upon driving down the road from Hadham Hall, I checked a local dead tree where common buzzards regularly roost. A pair were to be seen, albeit somewhat distantly. Judging by size, the male at the top and the larger female further down on the right.
Lesser celandine were new for the year, flowering near the pools and old moat around the Tudor Hall. Also, flowering on the bank of the lagoon, coltsfoot, a typical late March plant.

suspected male buzzard

suspected female buzzard

common buzzard pair

coltsfoot

Signs of Spring 23.03.15

Leaving town at Tescos after a start up coffee, I headed back along lanes and footpaths to home. A chiffchaff called near East Wood (TL462215) whilst a second was heard and photographed at Bluebell Wood (TL 438219)

shy chiffchaff

 Great spotted woodpeckers were heard and seen as flyovers but not anything else of real note. Good numbers of skylarks, singing high over hay fields, 1 green woodpecker, 2 common buzzards. A check of Muggins Wood (TL442220,  a private wood which I have permission to enter) gave brief views of nuthatch, long tailed, great and blue tit whilst a tree creeper was heard only.
In all, 5 male yellowhammers were heard and seen, mostly along the hedgrow near to East Wood and the footpath leading from here to Cradle End. Always a good breeding bird to see in East Herts.
Plant wise, much to see, with common ground ivy, common dog violet, a single cowslip, dog mercury, marsh marigold and lesser celandine all being noted in flower. Jack in the hedge and lords and ladies were both found by the profusion of leaves, but yet to flower.
Goat willow was in full flower near East Wood, too.
After last night's heavy frost, it was no surprise when I failed to encounter any insects at all.

ground ivy

dog mercury

flowers of goat willow

male yellowhammer

another yellowhammer

lesser celandine

Jack in the Hedge leaves. Larval foodplant of the orange tip butterfly, so don't pick too much to make a really good pesto

common dog violet

another shade of common dog violet

cowslip

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust Reserves at Thorley Wash and Amwell: 16.03.15

Double time today, with a morning session around Thorley Wash. A set of 3 treecreepers was a highlight in Wallbury swamp and on or adjacent to the reserve, whilst a calling reed bunting on teasels at the south end of the reserve was good to see and hear. Overhead, the resident male kestrel and numerous wood pigeons and a few stock doves.
Other birds of note were 2 great spotted woodpeckers, several wrens and a pair of bullfinches by the railway footbridge to the west of the reserve.
A grey heron was also observed, flying south but nothing of note on the scrape/pond area in the north west corner. Looks excellent for snipe, but these are masters of hiding, so may be present, just remain unseen.
At the weir near Spellbrook Locks, my first grey wagtail of the year and first spring calling chiffchaff of 2015. A pied wagtail called from nearby television aerials.

grey heron in grey light

record shot of a year lister: grey wagtail

pied wagtail

After popping home, I headed south, to Amwell some 8 miles away. A visit to the viewing point gave views of many gulls, mostly common and black headed, 4 goldeneye, tufted duck, gadwall, shoveler, teal and a pair of snipe. Further across Great Hardmead Lake several little egrets could be seen and a few male pochard. 3 common buzzards and a red kite overhead, but, all in all, rather quiet.
A few coots were being territorial and involved in showing off but a trip into the James Hide just gave more views of long tailed tits, reed buntings and a cetti's warbler calling. Brief glimpses of the bird were made, but too fast for a photo.
Altogether, a rather grey day so disappointing photos, but still good to be able to visit 2 reserves in one day.

coots can walk on water!

tufted duck

snipe

common gulls

pair of teal....................

....................joined by a drake shoveler

pheasant portrait

New moth for the year.

This morning just 3 moths in the garden trap: common Quaker, small quaker and this grey shoulder knot. Good moth to find at this time of year.

Updated year list updated 09.04.15

Archive photo: coordinated flight of 6 snow buntings. Cley 2008

1. red throated diver
2. little grebe
3. great crested grebe
4. cormorant
5. little egret
6. grey heron
7. mute swan
8. pink footed goose
9. greylag goose
10. canada goose
11. brent goose
12. shelduck
13. egyptian goose
14. mallard
15. gadwall
16. shoveler
17. wigeon
18. teal
19. pochard
20. tufted duck
21. goldeneye
22. smew
23. goosander
24. red breasted merganser
25. red kite
26. marsh harrier
27. hen harrier
28. common buzzard
29. kestrel
30. red legged partridge
31. grey partridge
32. pheasant
33. moorhen
34. coot
35. oystercatcher
36. avocet
37. ringed plover
38. golden plover
39. lapwing
40. sanderling
41. turnstone
42. dunlin
43. redshank
44. black tailed godwit
45. curlew
46. snipe
47. ruff
48. black headed gull
49. common gull
50. herring gull
51. lesser black backed gull
52. greater black backed gull
53. wood pigeon
54. collared dove
55. tawny owl
56. little owl
57. great spotted woodpecker
58. skylark
59. meadow pipit
60. pied wagtail
61. wren
62. dunnock
63. robin
64. stonechat
65. redwing
66. mistle thrush
67. blackbird
68. great tit
69. blue tit
70. coal tit
71. long tailed tit
72. bearded reedling
73. magpie
74. jay
75. jackdaw
76. rook
77. carrion crow
78. starling
79. house sparrow
80. chaffinch
81. linnet
82. twite
83. goldfinch
84. bullfinch
85. greenfinch
86. reed bunting
87. yellowhammer
88. song thrush
89. Jay

90. sparrowhawk
91. kingfisher
92. Fieldfare
93: raven
94. scaup
95. black redstart
96. barnacle goose
97. cattle egret
98 great white egret
99 chiffchaff
100 gannet.
101 snow bunting
102 lapland bunting
103 iceland gull
104 kittiwake
105 water rail
106 brambling
107. wheatear
108. marsh tit
109. water pipit
110. grey wagtail
111. yellow legged gull
112. swallow
113. caspian gull
114. sandwich tern
115. barn owl
116. blackcap
117. little ringed plover

Norfolk Day 13.05.15

A very early 4.45a.m. start for a day birding in Norfolk. First stop was Lynford Arboretum near Mundford. The hawfinches were not to be found but siskins, chaffinches, nuthatches, brambling all kick started the day list. Poor light before 7 meant disappointing shots taken of the brambling. The temperature was pleasant and it was great just listening to the chorus of great tits, blue tits, goldcrests, treecreeper, nuthatch, blackbird, wren and song thrush all competing.

Half Moon at Lynford

wood pigeon in sunrise

early morning wren

Brambling at the feeders

nuthatch

From here, I headed off to Cley East Bank and the beach where I came across a single water pipit commuting between Arnold's Marsh and the reserve. Bearded tits called and flocks of brent and greylag geese overhead. At one point, 4 marsh harriers were in the air, with one seeing off a carrion crow. Lapwings, dunlin, ringed plover and godwits made it on to the day list, before I headed off to Weybourne beach.

greylag goose

roosting herons at Cley

brent goose flyover

distant marsh harrier sees off a carrion crow

 Here, I walked east, stopping to watch a few kittiwake fly past to a field that held a sizable flock of gulls. An inceland gull had been recently reported from this area and it looked like a job of going through several thousand gulls to find it. I joined a fellow birder, Nick but my concern was not warranted as the gull was sitting alone, on a ploughed field and was easy to spot. Both of then carried on towards Sheringham to find, firstly, a wheatear when we were joined by Lee. A scan of the ploughed field gave up 6 snow buntings and then, in the distance, 2 lapland buntings. The latter, too far way for a photo and barely visible with binoculars, definitely a scope job.

Iceland gull

off to join the flock

Find the snow bunting

one hard to find snow bunting

From here, Nick and I headed towards Kelling Heath but after a rather quiet half hour wander, with no dartford warblers or woodlark, we returned to the car. Goldcrests and tits in good numbers along with a green woodpecker. I returned to Cley carparkand the regular confiding black headed gull. The sea was exceptionally quiet so I then thought a quick view at ceratin vantage points along the A149. Stops at Holkham, Burnham Overy Staithe were made before I finished off at Titchwell. By now it was 4.30pm and the light was dreadful so no chance of anymore photos. As it happened, I didn't miss anything, with avocet, water rail, sanderling added to a reasonable daylist. Wonderful day out.

meadow pipit display flight

male reed bunting

female reed bunting

The ever present Cley beach car park black headed gull

Stonechat

Species list;
little grebe, great crested grebe, cormorant, little egret, grey heron, mute swan, pink footed goose, greylag goose, canada goose, brent goose, (10 sp) egyptian goose, mallard, gadwall,  teal, shoveler, pochard,tufted duck, marsh harrier, kestrel, common buzzard (20 sp) red legged partridge, pheasant,
water rail, coot, moorhen, oystercatcher, avocet, ringed plover, golden plover, lapwing (30) sanderling, dunlin, turnstone, redshank, black tailed godwit, curlew, black headed gull, common gull, herring gull, lesser black backed gull (40)kittiwake, iceland gull, wood pigeon, collared dove, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, skylark, water pipit, meadow pipit, pied wagtail (50) wren, dunnock, robin, wheatear, stonechat, song thrush, mistle thrush, blackbird, cettis warbler, chiffchaff, (60)goldcrest, great tit, coal tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, nuthatch, treecreeper, magpie, jay, jackdaw, (70) carrion crow, rook, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, brambling, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin (80)reed bunting