Getting better...

25/2/07 Welney WWT Leaders; James and Simeon
The usual Sunday visit to Welney produced 2 Scaup, 400+ Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 10 Redshank, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Kestrel and six Tundra Bean Geese. Better than the last visit as more land has emerged and waders are starting to arrive!

Same old, same old!

18/2/07 Welney WWT Leaders; Simeon
After doing some volunteer work at Welney I went and did some birding from the main observatory. The usual stuff was present; Scaup being the highlight, but I got some pics of Whooper and Mute Swans which I will upload as soon as I can. I counted an amazing 1597 Whooper Swans in total - that's how bored I was! A Kestrel and 22 Meadow Pipits were round the back of the centre and I missed the Bean Geese that were on the floods, but I got a lovely Little Owl on a barn roof for consolation; a year tick! Spring is almost hear though!

Rainham Marshes RSPB

27/1/07 Leaders: Connor

A trip was made to Rainham Marshes to see the Penduline Tit at the RSPB's fairly new reserve. We had to wait for the reserve to open so we walked alongside the Thames. 5 Tundra Bean Geese flying over was a surprise and there were a couple of Water Pipits and Stonechats as well.

The reserve opened at 9:30 am and immediately on arrival at the reeds behind Averley Pools a female Penduline flew in and showed well if briefly. It continued to show more distantly for the next ten minutes.

On the way home a diversion was made to visit Elstow Clay Pits, Bedfordshire, where I finally saw a Fudge Duck, an embarrising gap in my Brit list filled. A juv Great Northern Diver was an added bonus.

Another diversion was made into Cambs for the drake American Wigeon at Needingworth. Having already dipped on this bird once it was a relief to see it this time.

It was a fabulous day all round with a lifer and several quality year-ticks.

The Lesser Yellowlegs has been showing very well recently at Thornham and two Waxwings were nice in the car-park at Holme NOA on 11/2/07. (For pictures of Lesser yellowlegs and Waxings, see the gallery).

Pot Luck!

3/2/07 Holme NOA and Snettisham RSPB Leaders; Connor, James and Simeon.
I (Simeon) got up at 6:30am and set off for Dersingham. There, I picked up Connor and we went to Holme. On arrival we did an hours seawatch; 4 Long - Tailed Duck, 2 Fulmar, 3 Red - Throated Diver, 4 Great - Crested Grebe, 2 drake Goldeneye, a pair of Red - Breated Mergansers, 1 Razorbill, 1 Eider, 1 Kittiwake, 2 Grey Plover and an unidentified Auk! Not Bad! Then James mysteriously appeared and we spent the rest of the time flitting between Thornham and the observatory. Kingfisher, a very early Avocet, Sparrowhawk, Short - Eared Owl and a male Hen Harrier were of note! The Lesser Yellowlegs was showing amazingly well about 5 metres in front of all its twitching admirers! (see gallery for photo) We were in the observatory when Chris Mills shouted that a raptor was going over. It was identified as the Black - Eared Kite from Snettisham RSPB! A case of being at the right place at the right time!

Later we went to Snettisham RSPB where the Kite had been seen flying in a couple of hours ago. We unfortunately never saw it again, but we did get 2 Barn Owls, 1 Short - Eared Owl, 2 Marsh Harriers and another male Hen Harrier! It had been a brilliant day, but unfortunately James never saw the Kite.