Monday 31 December 2007

Apponagansett Bay, South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA, 31/12/2007

Weather: cold, blustery & cloudy with occasional sunny spell. From 1pm.

Walking across the bridge: Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Eider, Mallard.

Apponagansett beach: Ring-Billed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, Dark-Eyed Junco, Red-Breasted Merganser (female only), American Crow.

Back woods, Smith Neck Road: White-Breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Mourning Dove.

14 species, 5 new.

Sunday 23 December 2007

Welney Washes Reserve, Norfolk, 23/12/2007

Weather: Foggy, cold & frosty. From 2:30pm.

Very difficult conditions to see anything but from the first hide, to the left of the main observatory hide:

Coot, Whooper Swan, Mute Swan, very many Pochard, Mallard, Tufted Duck, a single Smew (red-headed female) enthusiastically diving.

From the main observatory hide, more of the birds seen above, in particular Pochard & Whooper Swan were the most numerous & enthusiastic when the warden fed them at 3pm. Also seen were:

Scaup, a single female with a white patch at the base of the bill, but without the yellow eye so it may have been a hybrid Pochard.

Bar-tailed Godwit flew over the main stretch of water.

On the walk up to the further hide (as well as an abundance of rats):

Moorhen, Greylag Goose, Robin, Woodpigeon, Widgeon (white panel in mist), Gadwall (white panel in mist).

15 species.

I can't remember much of my first visit to Welney in 1987 except that the weather was bad & I didn't see much, so this return was very similar! It was nice to see the place doing so well, the observatory was spectacular as were the shop & cafe, however after paying the entry fee for 3 I knew where the money had been made for the facilities. Next time I venture out along the A10 I'll visit the RSPB's Ouse Washes reserve.

Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk, 23/12/2007

Weather: Foggy, very cold - difficult & gloomy conditions. From 1030pm.

In & around the woods before the lake:
Coal Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Marsh/Willow Tit but impossible to tell through the gloom, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Siskin. The tits & siskins all part of a typical winter feeding party.

On the lake:
Mute Swan, Mallard, Moorhen, a large flock of Canada Goose feeding on the nearby grass.

Disappointingly because of the foggy conditions it was impossible to see the hawfinches in the paddock's trees, but on the way back picked up Mistle Thrush, a group of Great Tit feeding in a low bush, then Carrion Crow.

15 species.