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| willow warbler |
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| willow warbler |
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| distant green sandpiper |
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| green sandpiper |
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| female or 1st year pied flycatcher. |
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| yellowhammer |
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| cormorant |
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| teal |
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Incredible morning birding
After the heavy and continuous rain of yesterday I thought it maybe worthwhile checking several places around the parish for migrants. Little did I know what was going to be found. I thought maybe a wheatear at Ash Valley Golf Course, or even a ring ouzel. All I got here was a calling willow warbler. However, a first for the parish this year. I checked all likely trees etc for skulking migrants but only unearthed a few chiffchaffs and goldfinches. So, off to Hadham Hall and the ponds and lagoons. Here there is good willow cover and usually turns up some willow warblers and chiffchaffs. As I arrived I heard a green sandpiper call. A new bird for the parish. After trying to improve on distant photos I watched as it flew high in a southerly direction. Anyway, a few record shots. Within 20 minutes I was wandering past a willow and out popped a female redstart. Another parish record. I spent an hour with this bird, waiting for it to show for a photo, but to no avail. 3 trees along I heard another call: a pied flycatcher! My 3rd parish record for the morning. Incredible, considering I have seen one new bird this year and none for the previous three and a half years!
Other noteworthy birds came and went. 2 teal were only my 3rd parish record. a flyover cormorant is not an everyday sight in Little Hadham. Plenty of chiffchaffs and 3 more willow warblers. 4 little grebes on the water and plenty of yellowhammers and goldfinches knocking about. 2 green woodpeckers and the resident barn owl also went on to the list.
With 3 new birds for the parish, my list now extends to 103 species. I had expected to get green sandpiper and, with luck, redstart but had never imagined a pied flycatcher turning up. Shall be back out at Hadham Hall first light tomorrow to see if anything else has arrived or if these 3 are still about.
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This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009
Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08
A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper
About Me
- Jono Forgham
- A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.
Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08
Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08
Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.
common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08
Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash
azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08
marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08
ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08
honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane
cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08
Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08
male yellowhammer
08.06.08
common blue butterfly
06.06.08
River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford
Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08
Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08
Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08
common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash
Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto
April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08
Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08
Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)
sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood
snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood
Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching
Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)
Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)
No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course
Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)
Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)
Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08
Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March
Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood
January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham
Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08
Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street
Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky
South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk
South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended
North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended
North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander
2 comments:
congratulations Jono - great records! I bashed round south Sawbo and got a Spotted Flycatcher and Whinchat but nothing to compare with your sightings.
Hi John, indeed good records, especially pied fly. Not one I had anticipated getting on to the Little Hadham list. Shall try again tomorrow morning, first light but suspect most will have moved on as a calm night at present.
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