Bonaparte's Gull

Had a nice day out with the Bonaparte's Gull in eastbourne showing very well down at one of the local parks and with a the sun out felt almost spring like and the joy of a nice walk back along the seafront to the station definetly an added bonus.

Otters and Dippers

On friday when up to Thetford for the wintering Black-bellied Dipper but what I did not see expect to see was my first wild European Otter  which was giving some good views in the shady areas of the river happy feeding at wondering experience.

After the otter had moved upstream decided to look for the dipper in the side pools which was where I found it again giving great views often down to 10 feet or less often just watching the water before having a hunt every so often never had this much luck with our usual dippers.

Day out in norfolk

Had a trip arranged with the northeast herts group for a trip out to norfolk so had been watching the weather forcast all last week luckly snow was not forget till last afternoon so headed at first to Cley first sighting of the day were the flocks of Brent Geese with up to 600 feeding together a sight when one of the four Marsh Harriers brought them up. On the main pool had Wigeon numbering over 1000 though not many waders with just Knot and Dunlin on the Lagoons with Shelduck, Avocet and a odd Shoveler. Then headed along the east wall where only birds of note was a Wren and Reed Bunting calling. Then at the Lagoon at the top had close encounters with a adult Little Egret and on the pool found the waders with Redshank, Curlew, Lapwings, Oystercatcher and Grey Plover feeding. Then with a bit of seawatch from the top with up to 6 Red-throated Divers, Grey Seal and a Harbour Porpoise out a sea. Then headed back to the centre where I had Chaffinch, Greenfinch on the feeder and a few Hares in the field.

Next we headed to Hockham where we had lots more Wigeon a few thousand feeding with a few curlwes and redshanks with them. In the distance field had Brent Geese and Pink-footed Geese i suspect over 10 Thousand combined a impressive view. Then headed down to the beach to hunt for the smaller bird though only found Meadow Pipit and Skylark but had great views on the beach of Dunlin, Sanderling and a mixed gull flock of over 5 thousand mainly of Black-headed and Herring Gulls before heading back with the day ending with a view of a male Sparrowhawk trying to hunt a flock of Linnets

Hyde park

After the snow and for a change a sunny day on a day off headed to Hyde to ctach up with the wintering pair of Beared Tits in Hyde Park showing very close though not quite in macro range happy feeding in the windy conditions which for a bird well know for hiding down when it windy was intresting to see.

Then after a few hours with the beauties had a hunt for the owls though no luck headed down to the round pond where the Common Gulls were showing really well along with the Starlings and a pair of Shovelers along with the other waterfowl.

Greylag Goose in flight

Tufted Duck

Pochard

Common Gull

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Starling

 

 

Shoveler

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