Thornham Harbour, Norfolk, 21/12/2008

Weather: sunny & windy. From 2pm.

A visit to check the fields for anything different, but initially the usuals: Meadow Pipit, Black-Headed Gull, Redshank on the harbour mud, a group of about a dozen Brent Goose on the field, Curlew towards the beach as well as Bar-Tailed Godwit.

A nice group of about a dozen Linnet whizzed past the wall around the field & a Little Egret flew up from a nearby dyke. Then I noticed a few passerines foraging in the field, which is what I had hoped to see, & although the view was not great with the wind & lengthening shadows, I was able to spot Skylark (3). Next to them I spotted a couple of different-looking birds, smaller & feeding lower to the ground, again the view was not great but I could just about pick up the strong facial markings of Lapland Bunting (2). I decided to change the angle of my view & as they were nearer one side of the field I headed along the wall, however by the time I got round to a nearer section I could no longer see them unfortunately, nevertheless a new species despite the limited view. Hopefully with regular visits I will see them again, although the wind seems ever present at this site.

Heading back a few more species: Pheasant, Starling & Marsh Harrier towards the Holme hides.

13 species, 1 new.

RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk, 21/12/2008

Weather: murkier than earlier, increasing breeze. From 12pm.

From the car-park & visitors centre: Robin, Pheasant, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Long-Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Collared Dove.

I didn't stop in any of the hides as I was intent upon sea-watching, but all along either side of the path, on the marshes, water or flying over: Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Coot, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Little Egret, Redshank, Shoveler, Marsh Harrier (I apparently missed a female hen harrier next to the marsh harrier which was spotted by a couple of other birders who told me when they passed), Herring Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, Mallard, Lapwing, Teal, Meadow Pipit, Black-Tailed Godwit (2), Pintail, Shelduck, Ruff, Reed Bunting (heard), Black-Headed Gull, Curlew, Starling, Avocet, Snipe (~20) a large flock flying to & fro over the water, easily the largest group I have seen together, Greylag Goose, Crow, Brent Goose (2), Little Grebe (2), Oystercatcher, Cormorant.

On the beach: Turnstone groups very close to the viewpoint; Snow Bunting group further up the beach; Bar-Tailed Godwit, on the shoreline; a lone Sanderling came very close & squabbled with the turnstones for food, there were also a couple on the shoreline; Pied Wagtail also on the beach; Goldeneye (~6), Great-Crested Grebe, Common Scoter (ones & twos fairly close to the shore then a large 'string' much, much further out) all on the sea.

On the way back: Common Gull, Blue Tit, House Sparrow, Moorhen, Goldfinch.

53 species, none new.

A quick visit to Choseley barns yielded next to nothing though I did see 3 Corn Bunting on the hedgerow on the way back plus a couple of Kestrel & a Weasel which scampered across the road.

Abbey Farm, Flitcham, Norfolk, 21/12/2008

Weather: cool, cloudy, some sunshine, slight breeze. From 10am.

A visit with the nephews to a local farm, I had hoped to see little owl, which is often present, & flocks of pink-feet at close quarters as I assumed that the hide looked out onto agricultural fields but I was wrong. The hide actually looks out onto a small pond & creek with some pasture which is bordered on both sides by woodlands.

On the short walk to the hide, amongst the trees: Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Robin.
On the various bits of water or on the pasture: Mallard, Teal, Coot, Moorhen, Jackdaw, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Pink-Footed Goose were over the more distant fields, Lapwing, Common Gull, Little Grebe, Red-Legged Partridge, a Buzzard flapped over the trees, Black-Headed Gull, Egyptian Goose (2), Lapwing, Great Tit.

On the way back home we passed fields packed with hundreds of Pink-Footed Goose & also saw a Sparrowhawk hunting along the hedgerow.

26 species.

RSPB Lakenheath, Suffolk, 20/12/2008

Weather: cool, overcast, still. From 12:25pm.

A winter trip to Breckland on the chance of seeing my number one target bird that was reported as being present from the RSPB recent sightings blog.

On arrival a few species were noticed on the way to the car-park, where the road passes by a large area of trees & shrubs, so & as well as Kestrel (1), Jay (1), Starling (>10) there were large numbers of Goldfinch (~50) & Long-Tailed Tit (~6).

From the car-park towards the visitors' centre were Stonechat (2), on fences around the feeders though not feeding from them, & Carrion Crow (1s & 2s).

Instead of heading towards the main reserve area & the poplar plantations & reedbeds we decided to head out past the washland (lake/pond) & onto the river-wall, along the way: Greenfinch (3), Dunnock (2), Cormorant (2), Mute Swan (~12), Shoveler (>12), Black-Headed Gull (>20), Herring Gull (1, first winter), Redshank (3), Wren (~6) amongst the reeds & Fieldfare (6) flying along the far river-bank.

Heading back along the same way towards the washland a Grey Heron flapped over the reeds & Common Gull (2) were seen amongst the black-heads on the lake as well as a Canada Goose (1).

Instead of taking the path from the wall back to the car-park we decided to act on the tip-off received when we arrived, & elected to continue along the wall towards the more agricultural land outside the reserve, although to be honest I had given up on seeing the target bird.
No sooner had I finished the thought than I heard a "what's that?" & there it was, perched on a bush about 20 yards away, a Great Grey Shrike (1), which also explained the numerous chaffinch & blackbird alarm calls I was hearing from the nearby poplars! As mentioned before I have always wanted to see one of these enigmatic & charismatic birds & I was delighted to get a good look at one especially in Norfolk, as I had thought that with their non-breeding scarcity in the UK, I would most likely see one abroad. So there it was in front of me & there it perched in its neat grey & bandit black mask for a few minutes, before unfortunately it flew off towards the farmland building, disturbed by a couple of dog-walkers, what else?

No sooner had it gone that I spotted a distant Green Woodpecker (1) & alarmed birds also showed themselves as Blackbird (4) & Chaffinch (~10).

Unfortunately the shrike didn't come back despite a good few minutes spent on refreshments in the car-park, but on the way out there seemed to be even more activity amongst the scrub between the car-park & the main road, as well as the goldfinches, Redwing (2) , Great-Spotted Woodpecker (1) & Goldcrest (1) were also seen.

27 species, 1 new.

Abney Park Cemetary & East India Dock Basin, London, 06/12/2008

Weather: bright & sunny, bitterly cold. From 12pm.

For a blog with 'urban' in the title I haven't actually done much urban birding, I mostly head out of the city. However after reading of various excellent sightings at londonbirders wiki & group, I decided to leave the car & explore a couple of sites in the city.

First up was Abney Park Cemetery which I got to after riding the Piccadilly underground line up to Manor House, I then jumped on the 141 bus for a few stops then walked along the south-side of Clissold Park into Stoke Newington. On the walk: Crow, Great Tit, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Starling.

After thinking I'd missed the cemetery, just as I pulled out the map there it was in front of me; once I entered it I found a wonderfully overgrown & ramshackle place just off Stoke Newington high street. There were understandably a few people about, it was Saturday afternoon, but apart from the 3 non-threatening bums enjoying some beers, it was a calm & peaceful place, even more so when I'd grown accustomed to the regular 'plane noise.

I had come mainly in the hope of seeing the reported firecrests. Initially though more common or garden Magpie, Blackbird, Dunnock, & Woodpigeon were seen & a couple of Blue Tit passed close by through the trees, the first of several I saw. Throughout my initial sightings I could hear loud calls of Great Spotted Woodpecker, even some drumming, & as I continued around three soon flew into view chasing each other & drumming enthusiastically - presumably a family party. As I took in the excitable 'peckers my attention was caught by a small bird picking through the trees above the path. I quickly focused, but it was a Goldcrest not its scarcer cousin. I carried on for Wren & Robin flitting amongst the headstones, then Long-Tailed Tit, a few Chaffinch, a couple of Great Tit, a Crow, & a lone Jay above the Isaac Watts statue. I then turned off the main path to a quieter side path & again saw a goldcrest flitting about, but then as I lingered another small bird edged through the foliage, this time noticeably & surprisingly brighter, with a distinctive & stand-out eyestripe: a Firecrest, the new species I had hoped to see. It passed directly over my head down another tree & across the path into the thick ivy behind the Watts statue, & it seemed to be joined by another though I didn't ID the second one - a brief encounter with a charismatic & enigmatic species. After that I wandered for a few minutes longer towards where the firecrests had gone but after no further sightings I decided to move on.

Next, I arrived at East India at 2:30pm after riding the underground to Bank followed by the DLR. The East India Dock Basin reserve is part of the Lee Valley & is a small park & reservoir next to the Thames & I found it to be a little a gem of a place.
After getting off the DLR & heading for the river I immediately noticed a good size group on the shore underneath the Millenium Dome from which I picked out 12 Grey Heron, 11 Cormorant, 6 Great Black-Backed Gull, 6 Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Black-Headed Gull & Herring Gull plus a few Carrion Crow. There might have been a couple of waders but without the 'scope at the distance I was, it was impossible to pick them out.

A few yards along & I entered the reserve & immediately spotted foraging Blackbird, Greenfinch, Long-Tailed Tit, Goldfinch. Then at the far side of the park was the enclosed run-off/reservoir from the river which exposed a good stretch of mud before a reedbed. On the mud were fantastic numbers of really close Teal all squeaking enthusiastically as they dabbled; on the open water were Tufted Duck, Mallard, Moorhen & Coot. After observing the mini-estuary for as long as the cold allowed I made my way back round the park for Woodpigeon, Blue Tit & Dunnock & by the time I had walked to the other side of the basin a couple of Little Grebe had popped up. Then just as I was about to leave a small brown bird lurking at the reeds' edge caught my attention, an unexpected Water Rail, with a curiously grey bill. Luckily I hadn't disturbed it, so it crept out of the reeds & entered the water where it began to wash itself, eventually revealing its red bill that had been covered by the dull mud from a day's foraging. It moved back to the reeds' edge to preen before it inevitably skulked back into the reedbed after about 5 minutes. I then made my way back towards the train but not before spotting a couple of Pied Wagtail on the riverside railings.

Finally as the light was fading I arrived at Island Gardens & headed to the river for a reported wintering ring-billed gull at the end of Glenaffric Avenue but the tide was in so there was no mud. However in the nearby water, far from the bank, was a rather tubby-looking gull with a ring on its bill amongst the black-headed gulls, but without it being closer for a better look, before a boat caused it to take wing, it'll have to remain a common gull.

32 species, 1 new.

NWT Holme Reserve, Norfolk, 01/12/2008

From Thornham over to Holme for some sea-watching, after reading NOA reports. From about 1pm; similar weather though with a strengthening breeze.

On the approach road: Magpie, Chaffinch; Canada Goose & Wigeon on the marshes adjacent to the road; Robin & Wren in the bushes around the car-park.

Lots of birds on the shore: Great Black-Backed Gull, Common Gull, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Herring Gull, Turnstone, Sanderling, Oystercatcher, Golden Plover & Redshank. There didn't seem to be too much happening out to sea but maybe that was my poor vantage point however I did see a few Eider.

Heading back to the hides on the other side of the reserve, a quiet view: a hunting Marsh Harrier (maybe the one visible from Thornham, it was hunting in the same place), Teal, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Coot.

Leaving the reserve, up the road in the car: Blackbird, Long-Tailed Tit & to make the visit worthwhile, a group of about 8 Fieldfare flew onto the bushes & then off again along the sea defences.

Holme just never seems to do it for me, this time it was deathly quiet, even the visitors' centre was closed - I always seem to time my visits there at just the wrong time!

24 species.

Thornham Harbour, Norfolk, 01/12/2008

Weather: bright & sunny, cold breeze. From 11:15am.

A return trip to the fields & small estuary of Thornham to see what winter visitors have arrived; the fields are actually part of the Holme reserve & it's possible to walk from the harbour to the Holme visitors' centre, though it's easier to drive to both locations separately!

On the mud around the estuary & visible across the marshes towards the shoreline: Redshank, Curlew, Shelduck, Little Egret; flying onto the bushes, 3 Reed Bunting.

Good numbers of birds on the fields: many Golden Plover, mingled with Lapwing, a lone Snipe, a couple of Brent Goose, a few Skylark quietly feeding & occasionally disturbed into flight, overflying Starling, a couple of Pheasant lurking on the field's edge, a couple of Mallard, a Marsh Harrier in the distance along the fence-line on the Holme reserve, finally a Great Black-Backed Gull on the shoreline.

15 species.

Aylesbury - Wilstone - Marsworth, Bucks & Herts, 23/11/2008

Weather: cold, wintry showers. From 3:15pm.

Another trip to the Aylesbury layby to hopefully see the short-eared owls again, this time a bit earlier. However a day that started off with snow followed by a torrential downfall (at least in London) had me thinking that the owls would stay at hidden away out of it, but by mid-afternoon some sunshine convinced me it was worth a visit.

I arrived & joined a couple of others, the sun still shining but unfortunately after 15 minutes or so, & after admiting a bright rainbow, the black clouds on the horizon, heavy with precipitation, moved closer bringing their rainfall with them which sent me scurrying back to the car. I had only managed to see a couple of Kestrel & a lone Buzzard in the far trees, & nothing but Crows & Woodpigeon in the fields.

The first heavy shower passed by & from the car still nothing could be seen in the fields as dusk came on quickly. Another shower soon followed & it was enough to convince me that the owls would not be appearing this evening, however because I was nearby I thought I'd pop in on Wilstone & see if could pick out anything from the wall in the gloom, or even maybe see a little owl, a few of which are occasionally reported.

At Wilstone, from the reservoir's wall, I was struck by the large number of Black-Headed Gulls roosting on the water, hundreds at least. Also in the gathering gloom I picked out Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Great-Crested Grebe, Pochard & Coot.

Finally I decided to call in on Marsworth to see if I could catch the big starling roost which I'd also read about, though I suspected that I would be too late. And so it proved to be, though I could hear them chattering away in the reeds I had missed any spectacular aerial acrobatics, however a Sparrowhawk zipping low through the trees over the reeds meant it wasn't a complete loss, & there were also a few Shoveler on the water.

12 species.

A41 Lay-by, Berryfields, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, 15/11/2008

Weather: overcast, damp & mild. From 4pm.

After reading great reports of exciting & nearby birds on "birding tring reservoirs" blog I decided to check out the lay-by on the A41, adjacent to some rough grassland, at dusk in the hope of seeing the short-eared owls, a species I haven't seen in many years & which Kim had not seen before.

Sure enough after arriving & joining the half dozen or so other birders it wasn't long before the first Short-Eared Owl was seen perched in the far distance. No sooner did I have that one through the 'scope than another was spotted to the right & as I tracked it with the binoculars another couple appeared in the background with it, these then proceeded to quarter the grassland to the right on the far side of the Quainton road. I have only ever seen two before so to see more together in such an accessible area was fantastic. One then continued to quarter the grassland from right to left coming ever closer before it finally pounced down a few hundred yards away & unfortunately it didn't re-appear.

The light faded quite quickly after that & apart from a Kestrel which zipped over, the show was over. Unfortunately we arrived too late to see the hen harrier seen by the other birders & also dipped on tawny owl, but now I know the site I hope to return earlier in the day.

RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex, 02/11/2008

Weather: Mixed clouds & sunshine, cool, still. From 12:30pm.

A trip out for the reported serins on a lovely autumnal day.

From the car-park the usual Collared Dove, Blue Tit, & then something less usual, a lone Grey Wagtail flew over from the reserve to the riverside, then back to normal Crow, Magpie & Woodpigeon.
I headed out along the seawall after getting more information on the serins from the visitor's centre & after spotting Greenfinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrow around the feeders.
In the scrub either side of the path or visible on the scrapes on the reserve: Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, Wigeon, Shoveler, Starling, Meadow Pipit, Greylag Goose, Black-Headed Gull, Skylark, Grey Heron, Wren, Kestrel.

I reached the section of the path which curves to the right at the base of the mound of the tip & looked downhill into the scrubby area, on the adjacent dyke were Moorhen & Coot. On the way up a few people had mentioned that the serins had not been seen that afternoon but that the Dartford Warbler had been seen in the locality, nevertheless I had to stay put for a good 15 minutes before I finally saw it low & nearby but only briefly in some scrub apparently accompanied by a 'ticking' wren. Happy with the dartford but dipping on the serin I headed back past a Robin & alerted to some crashing in the bushes I saw a fox hastily diving away through the undergrowth towards the reserve.

The tide was up which meant the muddy bay was submerged but on the water & on small patches of mud: Shelduck, Teal, Cormorant, Curlew, Great Black-Backed Gull, Herring Gull.

Back near the visitors' centre for Lapwing, a large group of chattering Linnet & a final Chaffinch.

As mentioned no sign of the serins, the theory being that they were amongst goldfinches feeding on the nearby rubbish tip which was closed allowing them to feed there undisturbed, & not on the reserve.

35 species, none new.

Update, 16/11/2008: the serins are still present, seen today (Sunday) so hopefully, if they stay around I'll have another try.

South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA, 24-27/10/2008

A Stateside non-birding trip but with the occasional diversion & walk along the lovely beaches around South Dartmouth as always yielding a few interesting sightings.

Smith Neck Road & Apponagansett Bay (24/10/2008).
Great White Egret on the roadside marsh; a few waders on the small bay next to the main bay were eventually identified as Greater Yellowlegs with a longer bill than their head being the diagnostic attribute; also Double-Crested Cormorant & Great Black-Backed Gull.

Apponagansett Beach (26/10/2008).
Weather: bright & sunny, from 1:30pm.
Main flocks of Ring-Billed Gull, but a much smaller, drak-legged & dark-billed bird I eventually identified a (probable) Bonaparte's Gull before it was disturbed & flew away; distant Mute Swan & overflying then nearby, wing-drying Double-Crested Cormorant; a group of distant raptors built up to seven individuals which drifted over the bay area & as they came closer identified Turkey Vulture; sitting on the bench a curious voice alerted us to a Tufted Titmouse in a nearby pine tree; watching the bay another gull different from the others I eventually identified as a Laughing Gull apparently a late-staying one as they migrate south for the winter; a lone Red-Tailed Hawk soared over & a Herring Gull around the bay.
West Smith Neck Road: Great Blue Heron across the creek.
Smith Neck Road: Greater Yellowlegs on the other side of the road to where it was previously seen.

Smith Neck Road & around (27/10/2008).
Weather: bright & sunny, crisp & still, from 7am.
Backwoods: large numbers of Canada Goose amongst the reeds before moving onto the agricultural field to feed for the rest of the morning; Double-Crested Cormorant, American Crow, Mourning Dove, Black-Capped Chickadee all in the woods or on the extensive creek.
Smith Neck Road & Bay: walking around the suburban area, good numbers of American Robin, Starling, House Sparrow, Bluejay on feeders, a couple of Dark-Eyed Junco on a doorstep, mystery bird (longish bill, upright stance, loud two-toned song); Tufted Titmouse, White-Breasted Nuthatch on feeders & a Common Grackle atop a tree buzzing & whirring to itself.

3 (confirmed) new species.

RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex, 19/10/2008

Weather: Cool & cloudy. From 10:20am.

From the car-park & around the reserve with Kim: Long-Tailed Tit, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Wren, Collared Dove, Pied Wagtail, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Shoveler, Greylag Goose, Wigeon, Teal, Starling, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Chaffinch, Little Egret, Carrion Crow, Stonechat, Common Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Kestrel, Lapwing, Herring Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Grey Heron, Cetti's Warbler (heard) in the reeds near to the pylons, lone Pintail male amongst the other ducks, Gadwall, Meadow Pipit, Linnet. Most notable were three female pintail in a dyke adjacent to the main scrape, seen just after the male; attractive ducks now back in full post-eclipse plumage.

Heading out along the seawall: Cormorant, Great Black-Backed Gull, Shelduck, Rock Pipit on the river-side. Further along the seawall in some mixed scrub a bird perched high with its head into the wind looked much paler & with a stronger eye-stripe than the usual female or first winter stonechats which for me identified a Whinchat. However it flew off before I could a record shot as I had to fumble to change the camera's batteries. I wandered up a little further then headed back & again saw a perching 'chat-like bird in the same spot as before, & assumed it was the earlier bird however it was soon joined by a couple of others which were quickly identified as stonechats. Was one these birds the bird I had seen earlier & I mis-identified? This time I got a record shot, a record shot of a stonechat! I'm fairly certain the first bird was a Whinchat it was immediately striking in its difference but the later sightings did cast some doubt..I guess I'll have to see another one sometime to be sure of the tick.

37 species, 1 (possibly) new.

Gore Point - Thornham Harbour - RSPB Titchwell - Holkham Nature Reserve, 06/10/2008

A full day out with Andy Brown, Chief Bird Specialist of Natural England who very kindly accompanied myself, Kim, Claire & Rob around some birding hotspots in North West Norfolk.

Gore Point - bright & sunny, crisp with a slight southern breeze.
A new location for me, one recommended for getting close to waders at high tide, unfortunately it was out when we got there so the sandbanks were not overly crowded: Cormorant, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Great Black-Backed Gull on the shore-side; Pink Footed Goose in the distance in growing skeins; Redshank, Curlew, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, & a nice group of Gannet flying east; heading back to the car & some good visible migration of Meadow Pipit as well as a Rock Pipit which was heard from the bushes around the golf course, & Pied Wagtail.

Thornham Harbour.
Yet another new location, some excellent mixed agricultural land adjoining rough areas of grassland & marsh on the eastern fringes of the Holme reserve: Sparrowhawk above the nearby trees; Pink-Footed Goose & a small group of distant Brent Goose near to the shore-line; a nice group of ten Grey Partridge blending into the field; Skylark & Rock Pipit overflying; Teal, Wigeon, Redshank on the exposed mud of the creek & Bar-Tailed Godwit, Little Egret, Herring Gull further out towards the beach; Reed Bunting on nearby bushes; Curlew &, Grey Plover again nearer the shore; a lone Snipe went up high & quickly away.

RSPB Titchwell - still sunny & quite warm, later some light clouds moving in.
From the visitors' centre: Robin, Great Tit, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Magpie, Blue Tit & Long-Tailed Tit; along the path for Dunnock & Cetti's Warbler (heard) low-down in the undergrowth; Chiffchaff (heard), Coot, Water Rail (heard) from the first reed beds.

Just after the rail was heard a Bearded Tit darted up from the reeds & flew for 20 metres or so low over the reedbeds, an unusual sighting of these normally elusive birds. However, something even more unusual followed when six bearded tits then flew straight up & over the path seemingly headed off the reserve in some irruptive behaviour. However there was a breeze which seemed to push them back or they thought better of it & quickly dived back down into the reeds on the other side of the path. Quite a spectacular & most unusual sighting!

Further along the path, overflying &/or visible on the first scrape: Cormorant, Starling, Lapwing, Grey Heron, Teal, Dunlin, Redshank, Shelduck, Linnet, Egyptian Goose, Ruff, Avocet, lone Ringed Plover, Wigeon, Shoveler, Mallard, Moorhen, Pink-Footed Goose on the agricultural fields adjacent to the reserve, lone Golden Plover & lone Grey Plover, Black-Headed Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Black-Tailed Godwit, Wren.

Further along the path near the saltmarsh area: Meadow Pipit, Turnstone, Herring Gull.
At sea or along the shore: Eider, Oystercatcher, Common Gull, Sanderling, Bar-Tailed Godwit. As I watched the sea a curious grey plumaged & large bird flew directly towards the shore & only when it reached the beach did it swerve to fly westwards parallel to the shore: a confused juvenile Gannet.
Heading back to the car: Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Kestrel.

Choseley Drying Barns.
A few days earlier Andy had seen a great grey shrike on the barn roof, obviously worth a look to see if it was still there, but unfortunately the intervening few days of heavy rain had apparently sent it on its way. However whilst we scanned the area we came across Pied Wagtail, Kestrel, Robin, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove & in the far distance towards Holme a lone Marsh Harrier over the fields & a couple of Buzzard over trees.

Holkham Nature Reserve.
From the George Washington hide: large numbers of Pink-Footed Goose across all the fields from the hide & those leading up to the hide; a lone Barnacle Goose was also amongst the pink-feets; Wigeon also & a lone Marsh Harrier drifted across the reserve & behind into the woods towards the beach; back along the path a group of Long-Tailed Tit.

Back to Thornham Harbour for dusk & a Barn Owl, just as Andy had said there would be.

An excellent day, yielding 64 species, which may be a one-day record for me in Norfolk, none new though.

RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex, 05/10/2008

Weather: wet & windy but mild. From 4:15pm.

A late afternoon visit to Rainham, a bit too late because the reserve was getting ready to close. Nonetheless the wardens were very happy for a group of us to take a quick wander.

On the first area of marsh: Wigeon, Coot, Grey Heron, Magpie, Black-Headed Gull, Teal, Little Egret & Lapwing.

From the path towards the hide a couple of brown, juvenile birds were perched on the wire fence & it took them to fly off to a far bush where a male Stonechat was clearly seen before the juvenile birds could be postively identified.

Although the hide was locked the main stretch of water could be observed from the path, although nothing in addition was seen apart from groups of Starling & loose groups of House Martin with the odd Swallow: more summer migrant stragglers. A Little Grebe was also quietly sitting in the water in the very close reedbed; Mallard & Canada Goose were also seen on the open water.

Heading back to the visitors' centre put up flocks of Goldfinch & Linnet; finally a lone Kestrel was hunting over river side meadows.

18 species, none new.

Tring Reservoirs, Hertfordshire, 02/10/2008

Weather: Bright & sunny but cold & breezy. From 1:45pm.

After a morning guided tour of Tring Natural History Museum's egg & nest collection I took advantage of being in the area & headed up to Wilstone.

From the carpark: overflying Starling & Pied Wagtail.
Up onto the reservoir wall: Mute Swan, Coot, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Cormorant, Great-Crested Grebe, Pochard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Lapwing, Black-Headed Gull; Pheasant in the field opposite the reservoir & Wren in the hedgerow.

Rounding the corner into the woods: Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Moorhen & Mallard; a couple of Little Egret on the bank near the woods, a first for me at Wilstone; a pair of Common Sandpiper darting about on the exposed mud, fighting or indulging in some early 2009 courting.

From the hide: Canada Goose, Woodpigeon, Teal & groups of over-flying House Martin, the last migrating stragglers. Something was spooking the waders, gulls & ducks but they went up a few times before the female Sparrowhawk flew into view & into the trees, before flying back into the woods behind the hide again.

Continuing to scan from the hide: Ringed Plover, Snipe (x5) on the exposed mud to the left of the hide near to the reedbeds; Kingfisher arrowed across the water showing it's magnificent orange breast, into the trees on the middle island where the sparrowhawk had been; Jackdaw twos & threes at the far side of the reservoir; a lone Ruff on the exposed mud to the right of the hide amongst Golden Plover (x8); a Long-Tailed Tit group also moved through the trees; another look at the assumed roosting mute swans revealed that they were in fact a pair of Whooper Swans, another first for Wilstone.

Back to the far end of the reservoir: Carrion Crow, Lesser Black-Backed Gull
After hearing a wagtail a few times but failing to clearly see what it was finally one alighted on a stump close to the hide & revealed itself as a Grey Wagtail, my first for many a year.
A Buzzard the soared over the trees to the far left of reservoir, & finally as I returned to the car a Mistle Thrush perched at the top of one of the chestnut trees near the car-park.

This wasn't the end of the day however because in the hide I read about sightings the day before of little gull on the Marsworth reservoir which I checked on an excellent Tring birding blog, so it was an easy choice to see if I could collect another life tick. On arriving at Marsworth it wasn't long before I picked out the two immature Little Gull constantly hawking over the water more like terns than gulls. I stayed for a while enjoying great views of the two in the fading sunlight, & also saw, in addition to those seen at Wilstone, a couple of over-flying Swallow & a lone Ruddy Duck, before heading home, another excellent day at Tring reservoirs.

42 species, 1 new species.

NWT Weeting Heath, Norfolk, 31/08/2008

Weather: muggy, rumbles of thunder then rain. From 430pm.

On the way back to London I called in at Weeting, hoping to see a flycatcher or some other early migrant in the trees, but the weather rapidly deteriorated accelerating the onset of dusk, however from one of the hides: Kestrel, Woodpigeon, Rook, Jackdaw.

Then after noticing a persistent piping call I was surprised to see up to five Stone Curlew on the heath, fairly close together, & presumably as part of a migration flock. It was great to see this species again after first seeing them many years ago. Another reserve to visit again in the Spring when the curlews will have returned.

NWT Cley Marshes, Norfolk, 30/08/2008

Overcast, mild, wind whipped up as the day progressed. From 11:50am.

Believe it or not my visit to the hallowed ground of Cley; I'd always stayed more locally at Titchwell & Snettisham but decided I had to visit sooner or later.

From the car-park & the snazzy visitors' centre:

Woodpigeon, Lapwing, Starling, Marsh Harrier.

Into the first set of three hides in the middle of the reserve: Coot, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Black-Tailed Godwit close to the hide for good views; good numbers of Shelduck & Dunlin; Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Ringed Plover, Gadwall, Teal; a single Green Sandpiper on the far-side of the scrape, it flew away towards to road; Ruff, Snipe, Avocet, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Moorhen, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Shoveler, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Curlew.

Heading back to the car-park an adult Little Grebe with a youngster in the reeds of the creek that runs along the path, as was a water vole a few metres.
On entering the car-park a distinctive falcon sped along behind the visitors' centre, 'another' Hobby (surely not from Wells?!) which spooked the lapwing in the field next to the centre. Most people in the car-park were understandably looking out onto the reserve rather than looking over the visitors' centre but one other birder spotted what I had seen & watched the hobby swiftly fly out over the reserve spooking more other birds as it went.

After a car-park pitstop heading out onto the East Bank: Egyptian Goose, Redshank.
Finally reaching the single beach: Sandwich Tern, Common Tern flying along the shore & overhead.
From the hide at the far end of the reserve adjacent to the beach: Linnet, Wigeon, Golden Plover.
Returning along the shore & a quick look out to sea: Gannet, my first in Norfolk; Great Black-Backed Gull.

I also visited the remaining hide on the reserve for some close-up views of dunlin but otherwise nothing addition.

Finally, leaving the car-park: Kestrel.

A reasonably successful first visit to one of Norfolk's birding Meccas though such is its reputation I expected to see a couple of new species without trying! I'll be back, I even joined the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

40 species, none new.

Wells-Next-The-Sea, Norfolk, 30/08/2008

Bright & sunny, some clouds. From 845am.

A visit back to the pine woods after a family beach trip in July, to check out the 'dell' for migrants, though I was obviously too early!

In the car-park: Pied Wagtail, Woodpigeon & Swallow over the nearby (smelly) boating lake.

Into the woods: Willow Warbler singing but not seen; Wren, Great Spotted Woodpecker, & a foraging Coal Tit group.
Further into the woods: Dunnock in brambles, Jay, then a muntjac deer scrambled away through the undergrowth; in another foraging party, Goldcrest & Treecreeper.

Leaving the forest & walking along a road alongside fields: Carrion Crow, Lesser Black-Backed Gull over flew; Long-Tailed Tit calling noisily from hedgerow.

Back into the woods & then emerging along the beach's dunes I heard crossbills but didn't catch a glimpse, however as I scanned the trees for them I noticed a distinctive couple of falcons. Two Hobby were chasing insects including at one point what appeared to be a cabbage white butterfly, zipping back & forth on their speedy wings: a first for me in Norfolk. At the same time I watched the hobbies a Marsh Harrier drifted through & finally a Collared Dove in the carpark.

16 species, none new.

Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, Hertfordshire, 07/08/2008

Weather: Mild, bright but overcast, just after rain. From 11am.

From the wall, scanning the whole reservoir: Mute Swan, Coot, Tufted Duck, Great-Crested Grebe, Mallard, Cormorant, Common Tern, Grey Heron, Moorhen.

More unusually: Ruddy Duck, a couple of males; Pochard, one or two; Teal again a couple on the mud & on the banks in front of the hide.

Further along the wall: Pied Wagtail, juveniles; good numbers of gregarious & chatty Lapwing; Black-Headed Gull, Canada Goose.

In the wall-side hedgerow: Woodpigeon, Wren, Robin, Goldfinch; a yellowhammer singing, but not seen.

Into the small woods: flitting Goldcrest & Great Tit.

Taking up position in the hide: Gadwall, then after a few scans of the whole reservoir I picked out Red-Crested Pochard in eclipse plumage, easily identified by its bright red beak, & one of the birds I had hoped to see on this visit after reading the latest sightings on the website.

As I was about to leave the hide a heavy shower came down so I waited it out, & after it finished it triggered some activity: a Common Sandpiper skimmed the water & perched on a distant bank; then a fellow birder alerted me to a couple of Green Sandpiper which had flown up & out of their previous, hidden position to alight on the edge of the reeds, where they foraged before again moving out of view. A much darker bird than the common, a slightly dumpier, & marginally less active & 'dipping', & also a new species.

No sooner had the 'green sands' moved out of view than I picked up a Kingfisher perched on a fence post, again on the edge of the reeds. It preened for a while allowing me to take some digiscoped shots before it flew off. The first time I've seen one perched & not more usually zipping along & away from view in an instant.

The other birder then alerted me to a Red Kite floating over the car-park; a Crow flew across the reservoir onto a tree & as I scanned the area I again picked out a kingfisher. For a brief instant it was joined by another then one even dove into the water before it sat on a overhanging branch, before again flying out of view. Really good views!

I reluctantly set off for the car park, hoping to pick up a little owl in a dead tree that the other birder also tipped me off about, but to no avail, although I did see Swallow & Kestrel overflying.

Another excellent excursion & mission accomplished for a couple of target species (red-crested pochard & green sandpiper).

33 species, 1 new.

RSPB Rainham Marshes, Essex, 03/08/2008

Weather: Bright but overcast, mild but breezy; spots of rain.

In the car-park: Magpie, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Collared Dove; overflying Cormorant.

First look at the river in the shrubs next to the visitors' centre, a couple of active & noisy birds which after observing the dark legs, buff upperparts & white throat were revealed as Lesser Whitethroat, a new species. One of the birds appeared to be a youngster & an adult was bust feeding it; the noises they made were distinctive 'kek' & a tchurr; they then moved away towards the centre's feeders & then further into the reserve.

Other species on the centre's feeders: Great Tit, Blue Tit, House Sparrow, Greenfinch & Woodpigeon.

On the river-side mud or on the grass on the bank: Black-Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Starling; a couple of female or immature Reed Bunting perched on a dead shrub; Linnet & Lesser Black-Backed Gull.

After walking further up & again scanning the river-bank's mud quite a few small waders were picked out, some obviously Common Sandpiper, but amongst them one much more upright & slender looking & with distinctive, if not quite diagnostic, yellow legs: Wood Sandpiper. Although I didn't see it for long enough to be able to pick out its white stripe above the eye, also its underside was very white & appeared distinctly separated from its brown upperparts, the next day (Monday) a wood sandpiper was reported on the official RSPB site, so that along with the differences I did observe from the nearby commons were enough to confirm it in my mind. A bird I last saw nearly 25 years ago!

As the sandpipers moved closer to the bank, or flew off, out of view I moved further along the bankside path & immediately noticed a curlew-like bird flying up river, however it looked smaller & had a 'flappier' flight to the usual curlew; after it settled & I trained the 'scope on it I eventually picked out the distinctive head stripes of Whimbrel, another new species, one I've hoped to see for some time now. It stayed visiable for a while then like some of the sandpipers it flew down-river & out of view.

A couple of other species along the river: Kestrel hunting over the grass; Great Black-Backed Gull on the river-side mud amongst any black-heads.

After walking the public river-side path I then headed back to the reserve proper, & through the visitors' centre where a helpful expert pointed out Yellow-Legged Gull through a 'scope on the Thames' far bank-side ud, & tips to identify them: they have the same upperparts colour as common gull, whereas herring gull is the sae colour as back-headed gull; lesser black-backed gull has charcoal upperparts (usually). All very useful & even better, this was the first the time I'd seen the yellow-legged in the UK.

Finally entering the reserve, on the first area of marsh: Mistle Thrush, Little Grebe, Coot, Grey Heron, Pied Wagtail, Moorhen. At this point a militray helicopter overflew a few times to take part in the war games going occurring on the other side of the river, disturbing for a while almost everything on the reserve.

Walking through the forest zone & the plentiful berry shrubs: Wren, Reed Warbler & more goldfinch.

From the hide: Mallard, Little Egret; in the distance another wader, pale & active on the water's edge, a Greenshank.

Leaving the hide, along the path, looking back onto the flash: Greylag Goose, Shoveller; by this time the greenshank had been joined by a couple more, but which were roosting, beaks under wings, rather than foraging.

Beyond the flask crossing a creek for Water Vole, then on the 'back' creeks of the reserve, Mute Swan & Skylark.

Heading back to the visitors' centre: overflying Herring Gull & Sand Martin.

Passing through the centre & back to the path over-looking the river, the tide had now risen& on one of the rocky islands the whimbrel had re-appeared & got much better views as it foraged amongst the rocks. Finally an over-flying Black-Tailed Godwit.

Excellent day, with a couple of target species seen (yellow-legged & sandpiper[s]) & a couple of bonus lifer-ticks (lesser whitethroat & whimbrel).

42 species, 2 new.

Beaulieu Road Station, New Forest, Hampshire, 13/07/2008

Warm, bright with sunny spells, from 11am.

Parked up at Decoy Pond Farm & walked out along the railway line into mixed heath & woodland.

In first clump of gorse closest to the train line: Crow, Magpie; the first of many Stonechat seen throughout the walk; Great-Spotted Woodpecker busy on a dead shrub; many Chiffchaff foraging lowdown, most notably around a chainlink fence; juvenile Robin & Great Tit.

Onto the heath area & a very fruitful patch of burnt gorse bushes: Linnet & Goldfinch in usual small groups. A couple of unusual-looking yellow-green birds were also briefly perched on the burnt wood, & they didn't immediately suggest greenfinch due to colour & small bill, they looked almost serin-like; after reference to various resources & internet photos, as well as unlikelihood that they were serins, decided on juvenile Greenfinch.

Continuing towards the wooded area where the path deteriorated so much I had to turn back, however my mind was easily made up when a Hobby was spotted sitting on a dead tree on the wood's edge, back towards the heath. It perched between enthusiatically hunting insects, behaviour which included soaring & a couple of impressive stoops. It was then joined by a couple of soaring & calling Buzzard which came up from the woods before floating out of sight.

Continuing to lap the around the burnt out gorse: the usual stonechat in good numbers; suddenly a distinctively-profiled bird perched atop one of the branches immediately identified as Dartford Warbler, a new species. Another was seen later & its distinctive 'tchurr' call was also heard from nearby unburnt gorse foliage.

Also in the unburnt foliage: Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush & a Roe Deer, which stared at me before bounding away.

Cutting through the burnt area again, the hobby was still on its favoured tree, green woodpecker & nuthatch also heard from afar. Looking back into the burnt area more sturdy-looking pipit perched & then flew off, enough of a glimpse to identify Tree Pipit.

Heading back to the car through the pines: Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Treecreeper & Pied Wagtail near the car.

A modest number of heathland birds, with a couple of specialists, in particular dartford warber & hobby.

20 species seen, 1 new.

Milford On Sea & New Forest, Hampshire, 12/07/2008

Bright, cloudy, occasionally sunny. From 11:30am.

A trip to the New Forest's coast as part of a weekend away, & a nice walk out along Hurst Point, though I didn't get all the way to its end.

In the car-park: Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull.
On the marshes opposite the sea-wall: Oystercatcher, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Little Egret, Mallard.
Whilst on the beach flying out to sea: Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Great Black-Backed Gull.
Far out at sea near the Needles formation of the Isle of Wight: Gannet - groups & individuals diving for food.

A pretty unremarkable collection of seabirds but noted because of the unexpected gannets, presumably part of breeding colonies around the Isle of Wight's cliffs.

11 species, none new.

Whitten Pond, New Forest.
From 7:30pm. A quick evening stroll around the pond, for usual Woodpigeon, then a lone, pale-looking Kestrel. On the other side of the road, for Stonechat, & a lot of pipits, a few pale-looking & low down in the heather making almost cricket-like calls, Meadow Pipit. Later a lone bird perched high in a tree, making different calls, probably Tree Pipt.

A35, New Forest.
From 10:30pm. Night-time visit for owls, which was unsuccessful, though a couple of whistling Woodcock overflew.

Roydon Common, Norfolk, 04/07/2008

Weather: sunny but cool, dusk to darkness. From 8pm.

After Titchwell a trip to Roydon for dusk.

From the car-park in the agricultural field on the other side of the road a Buzzard perched in the hedgerow before flying off & also the distinctive song of a woodlark could be heard though not seen coming as it was from the other side of a clump of trees.

Heading up the path: singing Yelowhammer & Meadow Pipit; male & female Stonechat on bushes at different sections of the path.
After taking up a viewing position & waiting for sunset: Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Black-Headed Gull, Curlew, Swift, House Martin & Stock Dove.

Towards the back of the common next to the agricultural land a foraging Kestrel, probably taking some of the larger insects that were numerous as the sun set; as I watched a scimitar winged bird also briefly appeared, much larger than a swift & a possible hobby but it didn't stay visible for long enough & the light was not good enough to tell for sure.

Finally the sun set & no sooner had it than the main draw of the summer heathland habitat revealed itself: up to a dozen Nightjar at various points on the common along the path. One even flopped onto the path in front of Kim & I where it sat apparently checking us out, much to our amazement, for a minute or so before taking flight again. We also had close views of flying birds, with the males showing distinctive white wing patches. The main activity seemed to be near the car-park where there is a stand of trees, so next time we can sit cosily in the car & wait for dark.

13 species, none new.

RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk, 04/07/2008

Weather: Sunny, warm with a pleasant cool breeze. From 10:40am.

In the carpark: Woodpigeon, Robin, Chiffchaff, Blackcap.
Visitors' centre feeders: House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Chaffinch; in nearby bushes, Wren.

On the way up the path to the Island Hide, on marshes to the left: Little Grebe, Coot, Mallard, brief Redshank, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Lapwing.

Continuing up the path & suddenly a large brown bird flapped over the path in front of Kim & I, an unmistakeable Bittern, a first at Titchwell for me, all the more amazing to me that I had recently seen one for the first time at all at Minsmere last month. It flew into the freshwater reedbed near to the fen hide & out of view.

Also in or over the reedbeds: Reed Warbler & Marsh Harrier, a brightly-coloured male joined by a female.

On the fields opposite the freshwater marsh: Skylark, Reed Bunting.

On the first freshwater marsh/scrape area: Ruff, still in remnants of breeding plumage, as were others seen later; Avocet, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Black-Headed Gull.

Into the Parrinder Hide: Grey Heron in the distance; a very close young reed warbler being fed by its parent; a usual brief glimpse of Bearded Tit in the nearby reedbeds; Canada & Greylag Goose with young; Black-Tailed Godwit all in russet breeding plumage; Teal, Pied Wagtail & a lone Common Tern; six fairly distant, roosting black waders were Spotted Redshank again, like other waders, in breeding plumage.

From the left-hand side of Parrinder Hide: Starling, Herring Gull, Moorhen; an active small wader foraging on the shore of a nearby island was an obvious Common Sandpiper, my first for many years & a species I was hoping to see on this visit; Dunlin again in dark-bellied breeding plumage.

Heading to the beach: Cormorant flying out to the sea; singing Meadow Pipit & Little Egret amongst the marshes opposite the hides; Swift & House Martin zipping about.

On the beach, out at sea: good views of Sandwich Tern, crashing into the waves for food, a large tern & again a species I haven't seen for many years; a lone Great-Crested Grebe; a small group of Eider, out towards Brancaster beach.

After a couple of hours enjoying the sunshine, Kim & I headed back to the car-park passing the reedbeds where we had excellent views of reed & Sedge Warbler; finally back to the car-park & a singing Chiffchaff.

47 species, none new.

Little Owls on the A10, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, 03/07/2008

An evening drive up to Norfolk & as dusk settled on the outskirts of Ely, amongst mixed agricultural & scattered wood land, a small, plump bird alert & perched on the top of roadside tree was spotted which seemed immediately to be an owl. I swung the car back round & parked up in time to see it fly over the road & into some trees on the other side of the road, where another could be seen again perched on top of an even higher tree. The flight was distinctive with rounded wings & quite a small bird which identified Little Owl rather than the much larger & more arboreal tawny owl. I have seen a little owl on a stretch of the A10 before perched on a sign, yellow eyes prominent so I'll be keeping up my watchfulness since then after this latest sighting.

Fisher Fleet to the Point, King's Lynn, Norfolk, 21/06/2008

Weather: drizzly rain. From 11am.

After Reffley Wood a visit to the Fisher Fleet & the Point for possible shorebirds. Around the Fleet's outflow pipe: Cormorant, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Mallard; overflying Starling, Black-Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail & Collared Dove; a single Common Tern also flying along the river.

In the hedgerow & verge along the track to the Point: Greenfinch, Reed Warbler from low in the grass; Sedge Warbler clearly visible from a shrub; Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch; Swallow overflying & charms of Goldfinch.

Just past the sheep paddock a lovely Turtle Dove preening itself in the wind & rain, it sat for a while allowing nice views. In the vegetation near the houses: Great Tit, Dunnock.

At the Point: Buzzard soaring high over the river before being lost to view; singing Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan & Oystercatcher over the marsh flats; Shelduck, Redshank, Little Egret & Lapwing on the river-side mud.

29 species, none new.

Reffley Wood, King's Lynn, Norfolk, 21/06/2008

Weather: Cloudy, cool, rain showers. From 9am.

A return to Reffley Wood 24 years after my first visit, which was my first birding outing, & I was pleasantly surprised that it was still there as I had assumed that the ongoing housing developments observed as I grew up would have eaten it away entirely by now. Fortunately the wood is now owned & managed by the Woodland Trust for posterity.

Around the entrance & tiny car-park: Blackbird & Long-Tailed Tit; Song Thrush in good voice, the first of a few around the wood; Woodpigeon, the first of very many.

Walking in the woods for: Blackcap, only a couple throughout the day; Robin, mostly adult with young; a Stock Dove on a branch over the path & as I watched it a Wren appeared feeding its following brood.

In pines near to the houses that border the wood, a good group of mixed birds: squawking Jay, Great Tit, Coal Tit, a scruffy-looking Willow Tit, Blue Tit & Goldcrest, most apparently feeding youngsters.
After viewing this group a piercing cry was heard, although the bird was not seen I later identified it as sparrowhawk.

After doubling back to the wood's entrance I headed to the new growth area near to the bypass for: Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Swift, House Martin, Collared Dove & Dunnock.

On reaching the wood's edge I had more excellent views of goldcrest which was singing in the larger trees. I also heard but did not see skylark, goldfinch & a green woodpecker's yaffle as well as a willow warbler singing from deep amongst the younger & denser trees.

A low-key morning with most of the birds that I saw the first time noted again, although I was disappointed to hear nothing of the garden warblers or nuthatches, but maybe I timed the visit just a couple of weeks too late to at least hear them - maybe next year.

20 species, none new.

RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk, 01/06/2008

Weather: Overcast but bright, trying to rain. From 10am.

A late Spring return to Minsmere, I was tempted into the long drive by the recent sightings reports & to see the summer terns & warblers.

From the carpark: Goldfinch in large flocks in the trees; a Pheasant on the ground casually feeding; Woodpigeon, Black-Headed Gull & Chaffinch; Linnets in a very large flock with other finches; a close-up Greenfinch singing from a gorse bush, & Magpie.

On the visitors' centre feeders: Blue Tit, Great-Spotted Woodpecker & Great Tit.

On the path to North Hide: Blackcap singing in the trees; Sand Martins coming & going from the sand bank next to the pond; Mallard overflying & Coot on the pond; Dunnock, Wren, Chiffchaff, Robin & Whitethroat all also singing from the trees along the path; a Kestrel also overflew the area before the hide.

From North Hide: Canada & Greylag Goose both with youngsters; Redshank active & apparently breeding in the long grass around the scrapes; Avocet, Common Tern, Tufted Duck & Moorhen scattered all over the scrape; Barnacle Goose in large, apparently feral flocks; the first Marsh Harrier of the day overflew & was enthusiastically mobbed for its trouble. Also first views of Little Tern, then I picked out smaller numbers of Gadwall, a lone Ringed Plover & a Little Egret.

Leaving the hide to head to the beach, along the section of the path that adjoins the heath: a couple of Nightingale, very bold along the path, one hopping about like a thrush; another marsh harrier quartered the heath which flushed Green Woodpecker, & it was then mobbed by an Oystercatcher.

Continuing along the path to the beach through the reedbed area for good views of singing Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler & Reed Bunting. Once on the beach just Herring Gull & feeding terns were picked out, the seas were empty otherwise.

From East Hide: Shelduck & Cormorant; leaving the hide a loud Cetti's Warbler song from very close quarters was heard so, primed from breaking my dipping out jinx in Spain I felt confident of seeing it for the first time in Britain, & there it was, low in the undergrowth into which I poked my head.

Following the path from the hide along the beach took me past the fenced off little tern breeding area & there I diverted onto the beach for better views of the lively & noisy colony coming & going. Rejoining the path towards The Sluice: whitethroat, reed bunting & linnet again; a male Stonechat amongst the gorse; a lively Meadow Pipit in song flight; a few Swallow flying over the fields & Skylark singing high over the fields; cetti's yet again, apparently now I've seen one there's no stopping them from showing!

From South hide: Mute Swan, Little Grebe & Swift over the reedbeds.

From West hide: Jackdaw & Crow. Also during the walk from the south hide I was stopped in my tracks by a deep bass noise emanating from the reeds that could only be bittern, the first time I had heard them 'booming'. Once in the West hide I was scanning the horizon when a distinctive bow-winged & heavy-looking bird casually flapped heron-like above the reeds: my first Bittern. Only a glimpse from distance but enough to verify a new species.

After a brief chat with another birder about good views of bittern from the Island Mere hide I decided to go straight there skipping the Bittern hide but along the way: blackcap, Blackbird & Long-Tailed Tit.

From Island Mere hide: immediately another Bittern flew into the reedbeds behind the hide; a couple of Great-Crested Grebe busy around their nest; Grey Heron & House Martin flying over the further reedbeds; a lone Teal also made a rapid flight away from the hide; finally yet another bittern flew across the water in front of the hide before flopping into the reeds - a good, close view of a usually elusive bird.

Heading back to the visitors' centre: Wren & Willow Warbler in the scrub along the path.

Another excellent day at Minsmere & this time a new species to go along with one of my most productive days. The famous bitterns didn't disappoint & I was very pleased to see this keystone species which has a stronghold in East Anglia after many years of birding in the region.

63 species, 1 new.

s'Albufera, Mallorca, Spain, 25/05/2008

Weather: overcast but bright & warm. From 11:30am.

A short drive from Canyamel & easy to find is Mallorca's premier birding site: s'Albufera. To my surprise most of the people wandering about were Brits, a change after the predominantly German towns of Canyamel & Cala Rajada.

Walking up the kilometre-long path to the visitors' centre passes a good-sized & noisy heronry dominated by Cattle Egret with a few Little Egret; the cattle egrets were in full buffed-up breeding plumage, busy getting busy. Sitting separately, aloof from the colony was a beautiful Night Heron, resplendent in white, with dark green crown & a long streamer - the first new life list addition of the day.

Before reaching the egret colony though, a great view of an overflying Osprey was had. It was fairly distant but it was obvious, even with the naked eye, that it was carrying a large fish: a successful hunt! Also overflying were Swift, but nearer to the ground amongst the reeds along the path were as many singing Cetti's as I've ever heard, but as usual no luck with actually seeing one, though Coot was seen in the river running along the path.

On another patch of water, visible before entering the visitors' centre, some striking ducks were visible & using the centre's guide-book I confirmed Red-Crested Pochard, a bird I found quite numerous on the reserve. On leaving the centre the sightings came thick & fast: plenty of House Sparrows, a Spotted Flycatcher, & singing Nightingale & Cetti's (neither of these two were seen though). The osprey briefly reappeared & then another raptor flew over, & because it was quite close I could pick out its buff underside. More obvious were its long, slender wings & tail, it was also larger than a hobby, & had a more relaxed flight, attributes which identified Eleonora's Falcon. Furthermore a good dozen or so of these impressive falcons were seen out over the distant part of the reserve viewable from the first hide: the CIM hide. On entering the hide not just the falcons were obvious, a wide range of species were seen on the muddy flats of the marsh. Most numerous were Black-Winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, & amongst them, Little-Ringed Plover. A lone, foraging bird with a distinctive curved bill identified Curlew Sandpiper & by way of contrast with the more familiar a Greenfinch flew over. Flitting amongst the reeds & the grazing buffalo were Great White Egret, & on the water Common Tern, Shoveler, Mallard & Grey Heron. Further out with the Eleonora's, a couple of Marsh Harrier briefly quartered & a Purple Heron also briefly took flight. Finally just before leaving the hide I was alerted by a fellow Brit birder to an exotic & strange looking bird, a Sacred Ibis, with wattled head & white plumage, which took its time feeding in an almost regal manner.

Finally moving on from the CIM hide, via the viewpoint, took us over the sa Roca Bridge & very close views of Crested Coot, a species reintroduced to s'Albufera. Also, on a nearby lagoon was a Little Grebe with three chicks.

The path towards to the Bishop hides passes through dense river-side foliage, like walking inside a hedgerow, & here the Cetti's Warbler were again in excellent song. This time however a couple of drab brown birds were spotted very briefly flitting about & after waiting & straining to see through the shadows of the undergrowth, finally a bona fide view of the elusive warbler! A couple hopped about on the ground or the low foliage with a distinctive cocked tail, occasionally bursting into song, a shy bird but at this point apparently oblivious to anyone's presence. Hopefully now I can see the bird in the UK, though I won't bank on it especially having observed first-hand its preference for shadowy undergrowth.

Visiting Bishop II hide first, with much less activity than CIM, highlighted the presence of a curious & tiny, but loud, bird that I wasn't familiar with. A closer view of one in flight showed a stubby tail & a sandy colour with some streaking. However throughout the day it was more usually heard delivering a song from flight though it was difficult to see due to its small size. I wasn't immediately able to ID this one but after checking the reserve's species list & other guides I decided I'd seen a Fan-Tailed Warbler or Zitting Cisticola, albeit briefly & not clearly.

From Bishop I hide a very close Snipe was rooting in the mud, along with little egret & black-winged stilt again, & a Moorhen on the lagoon's edge. A snoozing couple of ducks that I first took for hybrid mallards caught my attention when they un-tucked their heads, revealing a grey smudge around the eye & neat, uniform mottling to the plumage: Marbled Duck.

Heading back towards the centre, & a reluctant exit, took us past another Nightingale which was flushed by a loud family with kids walking past. Back across the bridge revealed a Gadwall couple, & back along the main path out an excellent view of a singing Sardinian Warbler as well as more familiar Goldfinch, Blackbird & Woodpigeon.

A nice walk, I only visited a fraction of the reserve but saw plenty, giving a big boost to the life list. If I were to return to do the rest I'd hire a bike like many other people had, in fact I reckon it'd be impossible to cover the ground in a reasonable time otherwise.

As a footnote, after s'Albufera was a drive up to Formentor, the mountainous northern peninsular of the island, during which I briefly spotted a Raven, & before that a group of unidentified raptors. Unfortunately the narrow winding road made it impossible to stop &/or look out the window long enough to see what they were!

38 species, 12 new.

Canyamel, Mallorca, Spain, 21-26/05/2008

Canyamel is a resort in the north-east of Mallorca not too far from s'Albufera, so lucky me, as well as lounging on the beach I was able to sneak in a bit of birding on the couple of days when the weather was not so good.

Almost as soon as I set foot on Canyamel's beach an Audouin's Gull flew overhead & they were the commonest gull around the resort so I saw plenty every day. Back at the hotel the children's play area was within a small remnant of the pine forest that covers the hills & it supported a nice variety of garden species: Serin, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon as well as large numbers of noisy House Sparrows. Added to this on a couple of nights the distinctive purring of a Turtle Dove was heard & I got good views of it in the pines from the room's balcony, on one occasion it even flew down to the pool-side for a drink: behaviour that I saw from the other doves & sparrows.

Other species around the resort were Swift, Swallow (ones & twos mostly apparently passing through), & decent numbers of Yellow-Legged Gulls (mostly off-shore), Cormorant (a lone bird fishing off-shore) & Blackcap. Canyamel also has a small creek which runs out to the beach & which is surrounded by a thick reed-bed, from here one night Cetti's Warblers were in good voice but as elusive as ever. On the final evening on another stand of pine near the beach were a couple of Spotted Flycatcher, although the first view of this species was had during a visit to the nearby town of Cala Rajada where one obligingly perched on a telephone wire.

A nice drive to just outside Cala Rajada takes you up to the lighthouse of Punta de Capdepera & it was here on the impressive sea cliffs that I spotted an apparently black bird flying strongly between the cliffs. At first I thought it was some sort of crow but when it started to sing in a clear & strong note it obviously wasn't! After a quick reference a Blue Rock Thrush was identified; quite a striking bird & I had a good view subsequently of one on the lighthouse's fence. Setting off back down the hill to the town a distinctive dark bird with a darker head & a tail with white sides was enough to identify a Sardinian Warbler even though just a glimpse was had.

14 species, 3 new species.

Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, Hertfordshire, 11/05/2008

Weather: Bright & sunny, glorious t-shirt weather. From 8:30am.

A follow-up trip to Wilstone, fingers crossed for hobbies.
In the car-park & same as the last time with blackcap in good voice but not visible this time, although Swift, Pied Wagtail & Goldfinch were seen.
Cresting the embankment & scanning the water revealed Grey Heron, Coot, Common Tern & Great-Crested Grebe.
Continuing along the embankment path a Kestrel over the trees, Canada Goose, Cormorant & Shoveler all flying over the water, Starling & Carrion Crow flying over the nearby trees & fields.

My attention turned back to the reservoir & the terns foraging over the water, & I soon noticed a slightly different bird to the common terns. It was one I had hoped to see after checking the Friends of Tring Reservoirs' website where many sightings of flocks had been reported, but for me here was a lone Black Tern, a new species for me. It was smaller than the common terns & obviously of much darker colour: blacker on its head, fading to grey on the underparts. The website states that it has been a good year for these terns at the reservoir & I watched for a while before moving off along the path, hoping to see it again when I rejoined the reservoir later in the walk.

Further along the path either on the reservoir or in the hedgerow by the side of the embankmant were Gadwall, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck.

A Skylark was heard before I picked it out over the fields just before entering into the small woods for Blue Tit & Great Tit. As I continued into the woods I glanced out onto the adjacent fields thinking I had spotted a hare only it was much larger & was in fact a Chinese Water Deer complete with fangs that are its equivalent of antlers. Further into the woods for a Wren which was apparently in exactly the same place as last time, this time with a beak full of moss presumably for its nest.

Into the reservoir hide revealed an additional Mallard, Pochard & Mute Swan, then leaving the hide & continuing through the woods & onto the pasture & hedgerow, picking up Long-Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Great-Spotted Woodpecker & Jackdaw.

Further along the path, & just before the ascent to the old canal a very vocal bird caught my attention sounding similar to a blackcap. It took some time to pick out as it flitted about amongst the dense foliage but eventually I identified a Whitethroat, my first for some time. As I watched I also heard the distinctive loudness of Cetti's Warbler but as usual didn't see it, unlike the Treecreeper which alighted on a branch nearby. A few yards further along & another vocal warbler, this time a Sedge Warbler which also took some time to show itself as it flitted between amongst the hedgerow rather than the reedbeds where I was focusing my attention.

Rounding the corner of the field to begin the small climb, a Blackbird flew along the hedgerow & then overhead a Buzzard received some unwanted attention from a crow, then back to the hedgerow where I picked out a surprise pair of Yellowhammer skulking about.

After walking along the dry canal bed & spotting nothing new I turned downhill & into another small wooded area where I finally picked out Blackcap. Then heading to rejoin the embankment path around the reservoir, a bird flew into the nearby field of rape where it became quite difficult to pick out, but nevertheless a clear male Reed Bunting with his partner calling plaintitively from the trees into which a Song Thrush flew.

Back on the reservoir embankment & with the temperature having risen throughout the morning had seemed to enliven the reservoir with plenty of activity from the terns, both common & black (although I could still only see a single bird). By this time however another bird had joined the others because as I scanned the water I picked out a largish, scythe-winged bird which first skimmed low over the water & then up over the trees in the middle of the reservoir. It was joined by another which skimed over the reeds. Here, finally, were the Hobbies I had hoped to see & they didn't disappoint! In certain aspects of their profile they looked like giant swifts, as they dashed about catching insects with ease, a very charismatic bird with slate-grey upperparts, distinctive moustaches & a flash of reddish-orange on the underparts. I watched for a while before reluctantly having to head back to the car, & by this time their numbers had gone up to at least five.

As a nice bonus to watching the hobbies, a Red Kite lazily soared over & a Lesser Black-Backed Gull also flew towards the other reservoirs, to the east of Wilstone.

A good day, & although I would have liked to pick up the cetti's it was a first for the black tern & a definite first (only a previous possible at Titchwell) for hobby.

45 species, 2 new species.

Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, Hertfordshire, 11/05/2008