Snow pt 2

With the snow around for quite manged to have another day out in mainly to photograph some of the landscape around Therfield not ideal with fog as well but great to be out in the snow all to myself and lots of wildlife around with a herd of at least 20 Fallow deer not sure who was more surprised, then later round had 6 Hares boxing well really one female fending off 5 males and a field of at least 60 Grey Patridges a great sight with the way they been strugging recently in the countryside and to finish the walk off a top Goldcrest.

Following the stream near Therfield

Snowly fields

Fog coming in

Frozen thistle

Fallow deer

Boxing hares

Red-legged Patridge in the snow

Grey Patridges in the snow

Hanging goldcrest

Then headed to Amwell where i ended the day where i spend a bit of time in the white hide which has recently had some work done which has paided off with good sighting of Marsh Tit, Bittern on the ice briefly and quite a few Reed Buntings.

Marsh Tit in the tree tops

Female Reed Bunting

Bittern on ice

Grand Union Canal at Amwell in the snow

Out in the snow

In the last few days had a few walks around locally though the waterlife was keeing their heads mainly in the wider countryside apart from the thrushes when i was out which was a snowly walk around Pegsdon Hills and a visit to Heartwood Forest with just 2 Short-eared Owls appearing when it got dark in the snow. Though when i was at the Watercress beds in St. Albans had some nice views of the Kingfisher with it perching it on the bridge and some Redwings while walking home.

Pegsdon Hills in the snow

View from Pegsdon Hills in the snow

Heartwood Forest in the snow at dusk

The Mere at the Watercress Beds in the snow

Kingfisher at the Watercress Beds

Redwing

Walk around the lodge

Had a nice RSPB walk at the lodge last sunday on a bitter cold morning with just a few specks of snow not like today. First stop was the feeders by the shop the highlight being a pair of Nuthatches feeding together. Then started to walk down to the hide when we though we had Wrens but realised we had a flock of 6 goldcrest. Then got to the hide where the water was frozen over but the birds were feeding happily with 4 Redpolls, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Fieldfares over and at least 3 Red-legged Partridge in the field, Quite a few Coal Tits and another Nuthatch.

Then carried doing the loop back to the house lots of bird firting high up in the tree mainly Goldcrest with at least 22 maybe more. Also around were Treecreeper though not seen by me and a few flocks of Long-tailed tits, lots of Blackbirds and 2 Green Woodpecker.

Lesser Redpoll

Posing blackbird

Chaffinch

Red-legged Partridge

Day by the sea

Last week headed out to Southend first bird of note was a couple of Waxwings while driving through on the main road sadly a very busy spot so could't stop but headed to Gunners Park to catch up with the long staying Long-tailed Duck and Common Scoter. At first showing out in the middle but still quite close for sea ducks so walked round and saw the tide was in so had a walk along the shoreline where had close view of a few Sanderling and Turnstones, by now the ducks had moved in shore which allowed me to get a few images of this delightful birds. Then ended the day along southend beach where i had a couple of Brent Geese and a big flock of waders mainly Sanderlings and Dunlins with a few ringed Plovers.

Common Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Sanderling

The mixed flock

Dunlins and Sanderlings

Turnstone

Day in East Herts

Started the day in Bramfield where had some cracking views of a Hawfinch feeding in the tree opposite the churchyard also around heard Goldcrest, a raven fly by which is quite unusal and a few Redwings and Fieldfare overhead.

Next stop was a visit to amwell started at the gull view point where missed a Mediterranean Gull by minutes but did get my first Lesser-backed Gull of the year. Around on the water were quite a few Teal, Tufted Ducks, Gadwall and Mallard. Then walked down to the pits where the common scaup was showing at a distance so walked down were it was feeding with some Tufted Ducks but it headed back up to the view points giving some nice views the walked back down to have a look for the Smew redhead which was showing well happy washing itself on the far bank. Walked back round where had quite a few Goldfinch and Long-tailed Tits in the trees where there was the first signs of spring with catkins in the trees.

Scaup with Tufted duck

Catkins

There headed to Therfield to have a look for the owls no sign not even the Barn Owl but did have a nice flock of Corn Buntings and Grey Partridges calling very loudly around dusk.

A new year and some sun

After an enjoyable new years eve got up midmorning to some sun for a change so first headed down to Stocker's Lake with the first few birds of the year apart from the crows on the journey being waterfowl with Gadwall, Coot, Moorhen, Pochard and Shoveler to start the year off. Further round had Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Wrens singing everywhere before out on the lake had 12 Goldeneye with Mallard and Canada Geese. Then walked round to the Little Owl field which was quite flooded and was the feeding spot for at least 7 Pied Wagtail and some Gull Species with Common, Black-headed and Herring Gulls hanging around along with a distance of the Little Owl hiding in a hedge. Walking back caught a view of the escaped Snow Goose along the Grand Union feeding with the Canada Geese. Then while walking back had a flyover Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Redpoll in the woods and on Inns Lake a hiding Goosander.

Horses drinking in the little owl field

Pied Wagtail in the flooded field

Snow goose in the sun

Singing robin

 

Next headed to Heartwood Forest which was very muddy and the hill section very busy but lucky the hunting area of the local Short-eared owls was much more quite with only a few birds over with Skylark, Redwing and Goldfinch before the Owls came out but when they did had nice views of at least 3 Owls hunting around the fields before a nice sunset.

Sun through the trees