Waxwings still Warwick

Another detour on the way to work yesterday confirmed that the 8 to 10 Waxwings are still hanging around the Rowan Drive (Coventry Road) area of Warwick.  They seem to be quite flighty probably due to the fact that the berries they are feeding on are on a low level bush by the pavement.

Firecrest....at last

After spending about 7 hours looking for Firecrests in the New Forest a couple a weeks ago and not being succesful and then looking for one in Frampton briefly yesterday and not finding it either, I decided to venture up north to Hams Hall to look for the over wintering bird there.

Fortunately my friend, Mike offered to drive (as I still felt tired from yesterdays excursions).  When we arrived, there was no evidence of the bird or any birds round the river by the bridge (where it was last seen), so we decided to walk to Ladywalk Reserve to watch the birds frequenting the car park feeders.   There were about 10 Lesser Redpolls, Goldfinches and a Reed Bunting, along with Great Tits and Blue Tits.  Also, in the bushes behind the feeders were two Chiff Chaff (which there has been much discussion as to their origin - Siberian etc) - I do not profess to knowing the difference although one bird did appear pale.

After spending half an hour watching the feeders, we walked back to the car via Edison Road Bridge hoping for the Firecrest and just as we were about to give up, I spotted a very pale Chiff Chaff with a distinct supercilium feeding frantically in the treetops.   As I recalled the fact that the Firecrest had been seen in the same vicinity as a pale Chiff Chaff, we scanned the bushes and eventually managed to locate the Firecrest which eventually gave us great views.  My first bogey bird for the year nailed at last and a lifer for Mike, so smiles all round.

Visiting friends in Gloucestershire

Myself and my birder's wife came to a compromise yesterday where we agreed that we would drive down to Gloucestershire to meet up with friends but also fit in Slimbridge in the morning.

So, we got up early and arrived at Slimbridge about 10am where we spent two hours mainly in Holden Tower looking for Bean Geese and the female American Wigeon.  I eventually got onto the Tundra Bean Geese (after some help.....must be going blind in my old age) and even managed a record blurred shot which clearly shows it tertials and how different and pronounced compared to the surrounding White Fronted Geese.

I then spent the next hour and a half looking for the 1st winter American Wigeon and finally got onto it after the Wigeon were scared onto the pool near the hide, only to lose it again quickly, fortunately one of wardens arrived at that moment and got myself and birders onto the bird (a very difficult bird to differentiate from the many other femal eurasion Wigeons around).

I beat a hasty retreat when Holden Tower started heaving with birders and took in a coffee at Zeiss Hide hoping that the Bittern would be performing.  Unfortunately, he was not (obviously gone camera shy) and so we left and spent the rest of the day with friends, arriving home very late.

Waxwings in Warwick

After all the excitement I had last week chasing species across Hampshire and Norfolk, this week was somewhat subdued with no real action.

I knew that Waxwings had been reported about two weeks ago near Rowan Drive in Warwick and despite a couple of drive pasts, I had not seen anything (except berry trees still laden with fruit) and therefore decided to take the detour to work again this morning (on the off chance that they may still be around).

This time I spotted seven of them sitting in trees in exactly the same location.  Not sure if these are last remaining ones in the area, possibly not, but as they have been so common this year, people may not be bothering to report them anymore.  Still a nice sight though and a confirmation year tick (as the last flock I saw was about a month ago and just a fleeting glance of some in Leamington flying very purposely away).

New Forest 8th & 9th February

As I had the week off, I decided to take the opportunity to visit family and do a spot more birding.  On the way down, I popped by Gosport to see the ever present Ring Billed Gull who takes up winter residency at Walpole Park.  He was very obliging and posed for quite a few photos.

 

I then made my way to the New Forest with the first stop being Beaulieu Road Station.  I really don't know why I even bother going there any more as I never see anything, even though it is known for Crossbill and Hen Harrier.  That day was no exception and I therefore went a couple of miles down the road instead where after a bit of work I managed to find 2 Woodlark, 1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and 1 female Crossbill and a few Treecreepers.

 

 

Next stop was Pennington Marshes which was quite productive with  1Slavonian Grebe, several Red Breasted Mergansers, 2 Pintail, 1 Eider, many Wigeon, many Teal, 1 Snipe, 1 Bar Tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel, many Dunlin, 5 Curlew, 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Mediterranean Gull and other common shore birds.

 

 

 

I spent the rest of the day looking for two other New Forest Specialities, Firecrest and Dartford Warbler, without finding either.  As dusk fell, I took in the Blackwater Hawfinch Roost.

 

 

 

The following day I decided to twitch the Green Winged Teal at Blashford Lakes along with a Great White Egret down the rood at Ringwood and finally managed to find a Dartford Warbler on the way back.  Despite extensive searching I still could not find a Firecrest but managed to come across 1 Marsh Tit,loads of Coal Tits, Mandarin Ducks and several Roe Deers.  Highlight of the day though was a very showy Cettis Warbler and his mate on the marshes not that far from my Sister's house.  Also seen in that vicinity were more Roe Deer, a huge Pike and a Brambling.







Norfolk Day 3 - 05/02/2013

We spent our final morning again at Titchwell and during this visit we were rewarded with a fantastic view of a Bittern just feet away.  The only other addition to the usual species seen was a female Eider on the sea.  We just about had enough time for my birder's wife to do some shopping in the RSPB shop before dashing back home via Lynford Arboretum for possible Hawfinches - there were many birders but no Hawfinches and the wind was just too bitter to stand around and wait for longer than a few minutes.

 
We then made A final stop off at Thetford for a quick coffee and lunch and the ever obliging and very popular Black Bellied Dipper before winging our way back home through a snow storm on the A14.

Norfolk Day 2 - 04/02/2013

Today took us to firstly to Holme Beach to look for Shore Lark and Snow Buntings. We managed Snow Bunting but could not find any Shore Lark at all. A brief sea watch gave me Red Throated Diver.

Before going to Titchwell (where we stayed for the day), we went via Choseley Drying Barns again and this time obtained great views of Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Brambling. The fields round the barns contained 4 Hare as well as Red Legged and Grey Patridge



Titchwell produced the same birds as the previous day with just two additions, a Mediterranean Gull from the Parinder Hide and a brief glimpse of a flying Bittern.

Again it was another very windy day which made birding extremely difficult, not only for sea watching (as there was so much swell) but also with trying to spot passerines.

 

Norfolk Day 1 - 03/02/2013

An early start found us having a bacon sandwich in the car at Wolferton Triangle at 7:45.  After a few drives round the triangle, my birder's wife was about to give up all hope of seeing a Golden Pheasant, when one popped out the uindergrowth in front of us - she was very happy and has almost forgiven me for dropping by there the previous 40 times!

We then drove cross country and had our second bacon sandwich and a coffee at Salthouse beach carpark.  Surprisingly there were no Snow Buntings around at that time (although there were 3 there later apparently).  A quick very cold and windy walk gave us Turnstone, Red Throated Diver, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and a seal making its way down the beach to the sea.

We then drove to Cley Beach Car Park for some seawatching which produced Guillemot, Greater Black Backed Gull and loads more Red Throated Diver.  We then went to the Cley visitor centre to decide whether or not to go into the reserve and decided not as there did not seem to be much around.  They do have a good collection of  books for sale there, which are always worth browsing.

A flock of Brent Geese were nearby, so we drove the short distance and settled down to try and find the 2 Pale Bellied and a Black Brant Juvenile that were in the flock.  We were just about to give up when a friendly cycling birder came by and we asked him for some guidance.  He very kindly showed us the Black Brant - he had started from the left and it was the third bird in - and then my birder's wife found the Pale Bellied.  Not as easy for those two compared to the Golden Pheasant but just as satifying.

We then made our way gradually to Titchwell, en route missing the Rough Legged Buzzard at Burnham Overy but gaining Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Chaffinch and Brambling at Choseley Barns.

Titchwell itself was quite hard work with poor light but spectacular sights on the beach with thousands of Black Headed Gulls and Common Gulls feeding on a recently washed up crop of (we presume) razorfish.  The beach also had Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Sanderling, Knot, Black Tailed Godwit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Curlew and Linnet.  The sea held a huge flock of very distant Common Scoter and the marshes had Redshank, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Golden Plover, Ruff and Lapwing.  It was my turn to spot and chanced upon a Water Pipit among some Pied Wagtails.  The reedbeds attracted Hen Harrier and Marsh Harriers coming into roost as well as Bearded Tits and Bittern (the latter two which we missed) - can't have everything.

Today was as hard it can get birding wise, the rewards were out there but it took a lot of effort and time to achieve the results we did, and it was cold, especially for a tired birder's wife.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit easier.....