Owls about

After having done a bit of yearlisting deciding to spent a few evening after work at my local Short-eared Owl site was a great helpe that had some sunlight on one of the evenings so got a few images of owls that iam quite happy with.

Perched Short-Eared Owl

Top of the tree

Watching Owl

 

 

 

 

 

 

B&W Owl

Hunting Owl

Hunting by Trainlight

Sunsetting

Water' End

At first no sign of water pipit to start with so walked along the pools such a
nice area think i be back and saw good numbers of Gadwall and Grey Wagtails
though may have been the same one, 3 Red Kites, 1 Buzzard. Then walking back to
the bridge manged to find the Water Pipit feeding in the side stream by the
bridge before it flow up into tree before flying down river.

Also stopped at east hyde only bird of note was a Green Sandpiper but i think
this was due to a walker actually walking along the river and at one point
actually in the river which was surprising as i though this section was private
land.

Fishers Green

Had a nice day with my Local RSPB Group first started at the bittern hide where there no bitterns but a Little Grebe, none showed all day according to the notice board by the time we actuallt left. Walked round the section to the Grebe Hide and saw Goldeneye, Wigeon, Teal, Great Crested Grebe, Common Gull, Grey Heron, Song Thrush, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Greenfinch Blue, Great and Long tailed Tit felt like thereless about that on previously years. Then in the afternoon walked along the river where we had cracking views of a pair of Goosanders and a Redshank, Pheasent, Fieldfare from the secondary hide.

Then Stayed in the Bittern Hide for a while were no sign of any bittern despite the sunlight and cold wibnd but did have a nice view of  a Water Rail.

Female Goosander

Grebe on the main lake

Reeds from the bittern hide

Out in essex

Had a day out at my dads so spent a few hours at Fingringhoe Wick mainly just in the hide overlooking the beach and the tide coming in which brought lots of waders feeding along the shore with many Grey Plovers, Knots, Redshanks, a few dunlin feeding and 1 Turnstone. Further out were Shelduck, Teal, Wigeon, Curlew, Lots of Avocets and a group of Red-breasted Merganser swimming and hunting. On the Marsh had 1 Spoonbill though trying its best to Hide along with a few Little Egret and then just at the end at a great view of a hunting Barn Owl over the marsh before sadly being mobbed by a gull.

Then on the way back stopped at the Layer Bretton causeway on the Abberton Reservoir where the was  a Lovely Pair of Pintails along with lots of Teal and Wigeon.

Redshank on the estuary

Bits and bobs

Spent the morning at the Watercress beds with a bit of snow and ice washoping for the Waterrail but no joy partly i suspect due to noisy mallards!! Had plenty of garden type birds with Finches and Tits busy around the feeders and Sparrowhawk trying and failing to catch a easy meal. Also in lots of Siskins feeding up in the alder and occasional around the feeders along with Robin, Bullfinch, Dunnock and lot of thrush around with high numbers ofRedwing and Fieldare around as well as a few Song Thrush.

Mallard in the waterail pool

Female Siskin

Tame robins

Redwing

In the afternoon went to east Hyde where had nice of a pair of goosanders along with Wigeon and a distance Jack Snipe along with 2 Common Snipes, 2 Grey Wagtails, Pied Wagtail and a few Meadow Pipits feeding on the edge of the river Lea. Overhead had Buzzard and Kestrel and about 6 Brown Hares in the field across the road.

Day out in London

Had a hospital appoinment in the morning so for the afternoon on a cold but bright day headed to the WWT Centre at Barnes after leaving the train station walked acrossed barnes Common where i had good views of Green Sotted Woodpeckers along with Tit flocks and lots of Redwing and Fieldfares flying over and Jay and Green Woodpecker calling.

Long-tailed tit on the common

When i got to the centre was surprised to see from the main observation 1 Scaup in with the flock of Tufted ducks. Did the walk around the edge the Wildside area first and had good views of Wigeon, Gadwall, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Egyptian Goose, Coot, Moorhen Teal, Pochard and Flyover Sparrowhawk.

Then from the waterlife area overlooking the main Lagoon had distance view of 1 Jack Snipe and quite a few Common Snipes along with Black-headed, Herring, Common , Lesser Black-backed Gulls along with a small flock of Canada Geese. Though the main highlight of the day was to come from the Wader Scrape hide where i had a Pair of Stonechats along with Lapwings and Common Snipe feeding on the Main Bank before finishing the day with a hunting Sparrowhawk trying to grab a parkeet and failing at the feeders.

Wigeon in the winter sun

Pair of Egyptian Geese

Zooming Little grebe

Teal Pair

Moorhen

Common Snipe

Common Snipe close up

Common Snipe feeding