Yearly Review. Part 1. January - March

An overview of the main interest for 2013.

January:
A brief respite from the snowy conditions, whilst remaining cold gave me the opportunity to get around the village on several occasions, ticking off regular patch birds for the new year list. Nothing particularly noteworthy until, bang. On the 17th I headed out in icy conditions to the irrigation lake near Hadham Hall. It was partially iced and I immediately clocked my 100th bird species for the parish: a pair of wigeon.

The drake shown here. This was a big moment as I had been stranded on 99 species for 34 months, the previous bird being a gaggle of greylags over. I spent a while trying to improve on the photos but the birds were flighty. A record shot, as shown here, sufficed.
On the 11th I headed off to Kent for a day at Dungeness before heading to Sandwich Bay bird obs where I was booked to give a presentation on my local patch. At Dunge, I ticked great white egret and great northern diver, along with regular auks and seabirds. After staying the night at the bird obs, I birded the beach with Ian the warden, ticking snow bunting and dartford warbler.

On the 26th a flying visit to Therfield Heath near Royston gave brief flyover views of the overwintering great grey shrike, which I returned to in February for a few distant photos.
Moth wise: pale brindled beauty, winter moth and this spring usher were the only trapees at my Skinner trap in the garden.

On one of my snow walks I came across these two foxes and managed a few village shots. The one here showing Brick Kiln Hill opposite our local hostelry and the Lane where we live.

February:
The weather remained frequently snowy as February began. On the 8th I came across my first grey wagtail of the year just 200 yards from home, on the banks of the River Ash. Also, a check on the irrigation lagoon some 2 miles away gave views of both the barn owls that remained at this roost throughout the winter.

Another visit to Therfield, with birding mate Gary, gave better views, if still distant of the long staying Great grey shrike. Good selection of finches with 100's of linnets as well as a fine array of birds of prey.

My first Norfolk visit of the year was on the 18th, recording a pleasing 87 species for the day which boosted my year list to 120 by the end of the month. At Titchwell beach there had been a particularly high tide and consequently 10,000's of razorfish had been washed up. This offered a great opportunity for some decent wader shots. Here, knot and sanderling, with, also, a particularly fine little egret.

Village wise, I kept wandering along the 65 miles of footpaths within the parish, These 3 common buzzards were a great sight. In the garden moth trap, the new addition to the year list was this Early moth.

 

 A bird I have yet to see within the parish is a brambling. I have heard reports of them but when I have visited the site I have missed them, or just seen chaffinches. I'm sure I'll get one soon, but as yet, they remain elusive.
This photo taken at Titchwell on the 18th Feb.

March:
A month where we continued to have light smatterings of snow, but plenty of warmer days and nights. I spent the whole month checking the parish for first signs of spring and was rewarded with a few good birds, although nothing new for the village list. I completed over 9 survey days, covering the whole parish.
On the 15th I got only my 2nd record of lapwing, with a solitary bird over, heading to Amwell perhaps. Also, these 2 yellowhammers got onto the village year list.

The moth trap was slowly becoming a little busier, with both hebrew character (top) and March moth being trapped on the 16th.

On the 18th a check through local woods to the west of the parish gave me my 3rd record of lesser redpoll, whilst the 19th gave up my first new moth species for the garden, a grey shoulder knot. This took my garden total to 254 species. I began recording in June 2011.

 

On the 30th of the month I was driving home as the light faded only to watch a barn owl fly out in front of the car some 200 yards from home. I popped back with the camera to find this bird had returned to a roost used for the previous 2 years. I had checked this place several times without success, so particularly pleased to find it still present.

Finally, on the 31st I undertook a long walk covering some 18 miles. I recorded 38 species of bird including first red kite for the year as well as two flyby mandarins, again 1st for the year and finally my first spring migrant; this splendid chiffchaff. Also, a reasonably confiding treecreeper was noted, shown here, busily hunting the crevices of the bark.

April - June to follow.

North Norfolk, Ouse washes, Welney and local patch

Plenty to catch up on as been involved in Christamssy stuff etc.

North Norfolk 6th - 8th December
A two day stay at the White Horse at Blakeney was nearly cancelled due to the storm surge the previous morning. However, as far as the hotel was concerned, all was fine. Damage was considerable and it looks like it will be a fair while before all is back to normal along the whole of the North Norfolk coast.
This was not a birding trip so on the Monday morning we visited Cley HQ but no access to the beach or reserve, nor Salthouse beach car park, so we had a lovely walk from Kelling to Sheringham and back. The sea was its regular self but plenty of evidence all along the coastline of the high water previously. The amount of plastic bottles was amazing, literally 1000's. A disgrace really and I can't even begin to estimate how many 100,000's are floating around the North Sea.

black headed gull

What was the footbridge over the ditch on to Cley Marshes. Misty Tuesday morning.

Salthouse beach road some 100 yards short of the original car park

Shingle ridge now in fields west of Salthouse car park

Shelduck on the road opposite Manor Hotel, Blakeney

Weybourne cliffs

wigeon, Blakeney harbour

Welney and Ouse Marshes
A day visit around the fens seemed to be a good idea in mild conditions. Normally, in winter, these 2 reserves can be bitterly cold, especially if there is a northerly wind. However, upon entry to Welney I bagged bird species 212 for the year, a bewicks swan. Most of the swans were away in fields, but quite a few whoppers and some distant bewicks remained. Huge numbers of pochard and in the distance, massive numbers of golden plover, lapwings and black tailed godwits. However, as usual, Welney doesn't hold my attention for too long and so off to Ouse Marshes.

whoopers in flight

feeding whooper from the hide

Just a minority of the lapwings present at Welney

whooper

whoopers

A quick drive round to Ouse Marshes, where the pumping station at Welches dam was pouring water onto the marsh. tens of thousands of wildfowl, mainly wigeon and teal but good numbers of gadwall, mallard, pintail and several shoveler. A marsh harrier put up the plovers and a few bewicks and whoppers were knocking about in the middle distance. At the final hide a stonechat popped up whilst a large party of mixed siskin and lesser redpoll called overhead.

plovers and teal, Ouse Marshes

Ouse Marshes as the light fades

flight of lapwings

stonechat

view from Stockdale hide

teal and a few wigeon

North Norfolk; Titchwell, Holkham and Kelling Quags
Saturday before Christmas (21st) and Gary and I were off to North Norfolk. Our original destination had been North Kent, but with forecasted poor weather, plus the joy of shoppers at Lakeside and Bluewater, we changed our plans.
First stop, Titchwell in very poor light. A sea watch gave up little, few divers and a pair of red breasted mergansers, so off to the Parrinder Hide. From here, it was obvious many birds have not returned after the storm surge a fortnight previously. However, good numbers of teal and golden plover along with incoming brents made for a pleasant time. A greenshank with black tailed godwits was also good to see. A check around the dry lake near the HQ gave up plenty of pied wagtails but little else. A cettis called as we checked the feeders. Siskins were heard, but on the whole, not much to keep us. We headed for Kelling Hard where a Richard's pipit had been reported. Stopping off to check the geese at Lady Anne's Drive, we scored with.... geese! Wigeon also but no owls. A coffee at Cley to note the damage reported earlier before a soggy wander down to Kelling water meadows. Here there was very little to see. A red legged partridge called and a flock of 6+ bullfinches was all we noted as we walked down the track. The rain started with an increase in the breeze and my hat was soon weaving its way across the meadow. Once retrieved we, along with several others, continued our pipit search. This is a large area to cover for one bird and eventually the rain helped us decide that the car was a more sensible option. Off to Edgefield for some crossbill action. Nope, nothing doing with the parrots. They were present, apparently, but without knowing where, all we could do was stop and listen. Nothing, so off for some pastry based food and a stop off in the gathering gloom at Lyndford for common and 2 barred crossers. Nope, a coal tit, a mistle thrush defending a berry tree and a few siskins heard.
Whilst not our most successful Norfolk day, good to get one more trip in before the end of the year.
The light remained poor throughout the day, so just a couple of snaps from the parrinder hide and footpath.

teal

shovelers

Local Patch wander: 29.12.13
This morning dawned crisp and frozen so off for a good walk around the west of the parish. Several gulls had caught my eye on Boxing Day so, firstly, off to check the flock of 40+ Strangely, for Little Hadham 32 were common gulls, whilst the rest were black headed. This is the largest number of commons I have recorded in the parish, so a great start. Off to check pines for crests, but little apart from usual, coal, great and blue tits. A kestrel flew overhead and plenty of red legged partridge called from the meadows. They have done well as there have been a few shoots around recently. A chat with the gamekeeper revealed no woodcock so far this winter.
I then back tracked, getting some finches overhead along with a flock of thrushes. 55+ fieldfare and 20+ redwing. A good number for here this year, where they have been in very low numbers. A green woodpecker made its presence known. A check for the owls showed a distant little owl at its usual oak tree roost and, whilst new evidence of the barn owl, it remained hidden in the hollow trunk of the roost it has used for 3 years.
On to the golf course for more gulls, lesser black backed this time and a flyover great spotted woodpecker before I headed home over ground still frozen. More thrushes overhead along with corvids, robins and a fly past sparrow hawk.
Wonderful wander.

goldfinch on teasel

2 common gulls and black headed

kestrel

River Stort Walk 05.12.13

A wander along my old patch this morning, in windy and cold conditions, with poor light for most of the walk. This was from Rushy Mead Reserve, Bishop's Stortford to Spellbrook Locks and back.
In all 26 species recorded, with good numbers of mallard present along the river (33) whilst 9 little grebe equals my highest ever count.

little grebe

some of the mallard flock

duck and drake mallard

In trees, I first heard and then saw in excess of 20 siskins with several bright yellow and black males amongst them, feeding in the alder.
A common buzzard circled overhead and a solitary cormorant was at their usual roost. Small flocks of redwing and fieldfare flew over, stopping in the poplars by Thorley Wash. Here, also 2 mute swans swam past.

fieldfare

cormorant

mute swans

 

A few shots taken along the river, looking North from the Bridge near the newly created Reserve.

as well as a photo of one of the 4 coots found near Twyford Locks. All in all, a pleasant wander down memory lane. It was interesting to note how many birds were found close to where they used to be when I carried out a detailed survey of this patch between 2004 and 2007.

looking south east

Stort Navigation looking north

coot





Amwell: 2.12.13

A two hour wander around the splendid Amwell Reserve this morning.Birding was somewhat hindered by the fact that a reed cutter boat was out and about, flushing most of the birds down to the Gladwin Hide end of the lake. From this hide a redhead, 1st year male smew was watched along with several goldeneye, pochards, great crested grebe, gadwall, wigeon and good numbers of tufted duck and shoveler.
However, my interest was taken by a very pale white headed gull that was on the water. As I was studying it and reckoning 1st year caspian, the reed cutter started up and both the smew and gull flew off. Later, a picture was posted of this gull and, indeed, a caspian.
A wander around to the feeders at Hollycross Lake didn't give views of the recently recorded marsh tit or brambling. A sparrowhawk has been patrolling this area and maybe the birds have moved on. Plenty of chaffinch, goldfinch, great, blue and long tailed tits and a few magpies.
In the woods over the River Lea was a small flock of siskins. Several shots of the smew here, plus  a few others. This bird, whilst basically resembling an adult female is showing black around the eyes and on a couple of photos, white can be seen coming through the redhead crown, indicating that it'll moult into adult male plumage.

Finally, I ran the garden moth trap last night and managed just one moth, but a new one for the year, a mottled umber, shown here.