Grafham Water - 29 October 2012

Covered the dam and adjacent areas for three hours from 06.45 initially quite cloudy then brightening up considerably.

Three windblown adult Kittiwakes one of which was just below the dam wall and a Firecrest at the south end of the dam were the highlights.
Thrushes were still on the move though in reduced numbers, 780 Fieldfares SW in sporadic large flocks though only 93 Redwings were counted. Other species on the move included 2700 Starlings west, 240 Lapwings South, 32 Skylarks south, and 40 Meadow Pipits south. Otherwise there were 9 Goldeneyes, 1 adult Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Rock Pipit on the dam and 1 House Martin and 2 Swallows at the Model Farm.

overflying Fieldfare

adult Kittiwake

Toseland Fields - 28 October 2012

Wandered around the fields west of Toseland from 1500 hrs until dusk.

The best bird of the session was seen on arrival, a female Merling flying low west over the stubble fields toward the Ouse Valley. Thrushes were still on the move with 950 Fieldfares SW and a nice flock of c400 alternating between a berry laden hedge and the stubble fields in company with c 160 Redwings, c 60 Song Thrushes and c 80 Blackbirds. 17 Robins was a higher count than the normal density for this kind of habitat and must have included continental immigrants. 8 Tree Sparrows and 16 Siskins flew south.

Fieldfares heading south-west 

Little Paxton Balcony vis mig - 28 October 2012

Following yesterdays howling northerlies during which the highlight was 11 Whoopers that flew SW along the Ouse valley at 10.10 am a return to winds with a south-westerly element I spent the morning intermittently vis migging from the balcony 07.30 - 11.00 hrs.

Thrushes were moving in numbers today with 1,800 Fieldfares SW, c. 1100 Redwings SW, 230 Song Thrushes SW. Starlings were also on the move with 2000+ flying west. Otherwise 6 Bramblings SW was the highlight.

Toseland Fields - 24 October 2012

Still murky with mizzle and a keen north-easterly, the sort of week to be in the field every day,
could only manage a couple of hours from 4 pm locally today.

Thrushes have clearly moved on from the coast - 420 Fieldfares through SW, Redwing c 170 SW,
18 Song Thrushes SW, and 7 Reed Buntings flew high S. 3 Golden Plovers looked and sounded lost calling heading low over the stubble fields and landing in a nearby winter wheat field. A Barn Owl along the valley at dusk was a fitting end to the afternoon.

Nene Mouth - 22 October 2012

A visit to this area which in my view is a good migration watchpoint with a variety of habitats including fen fields, copses, hedgerows with narrow reed fringed pools and the impressive atmospheric backdrop of the vast bleak wilderness that is The Wash.

Ideal fall conditions of thick murk, mizzle and north-easterlies the hour or so drive from home couldn't pass quickly enough, I spent the morning from 08.00 to around midday slowly working the area...

Good numbers of thrushes dropping in, some seen and many others only heard as they passed overhead, difficult to quantify the numbers but c 60 Song Thrushes, c 310 Blackbirds, c900 Redwings (possibly double this number), c 700 Fieldfares and 6+ Ring Ouzels. Other notable species/numbers included c 140 Robins, c 150 Goldcrests, 2 Black Redstarts near Lodge Farm, 4 Swallows through south, 4 Chiffchaffs  all of which looked like abietinus, c 600 Starlings. Non-passerines were represented by c. 60 Brent Geese,a male Merlin, a ringtail Hen Harrier, a single juvenile Arctic Skua along the river and 16 Snipe which dropped in. Marvellous stuff, leaving the camera at home was the only negative though photography on a day like this would have been problematic and time consuming in any case, a day to enjoy.

Grafham - 21 October 2012

Wandered along the dam and watched the gull roost build up from the Marlow area for a couple of hours in increasingly gloomy dour conditions until the rain set in from 17.30.

The laridae highlights were limited to a single first calendar year Caspian Gull, 7 Yellow-legged Guls (4 adults, 2 first calendar years and a second calendar year) and at least 12 striking argentatus Herring Gulls with very limited black and extensive white on the wing tips.

Otherwise 3 Goldeneye circled the reservoir in the gloom and a Short-eared Owl across the fields east of the dam were about it.

Balcony migration - 21 October 2012

A two hour watch from 0700 from the Little Paxton balcony  in initially calm and misty conditions with a northerly breeze picking up.

Still a fair bit of movement today though lower numbers than yesterday

Rock Pipit 1 SE calling, Meadow Pipit 21 SW, Song Thrush 13 SW, Blackbird 7 SW, Redwing 4 dropped in, Goldfinch 21 S, Chaffinch 26 WNW, Brambling 1 W, Linnet 16 SW, Tree Sparrow 4 S.

Little Paxton - Balcony Viz Mig - 20 October 2012

0700 - 0930 visible migration watch from the balcony initially very misty over the Great Ouse and clearing slowly in a very light SE breeze.

Quite a few birds moving this morning including disoriented thrushes but the clear highlight were 3 Bearded Reedlings (all females/first-winters) which flew out of the phragmites bed and along the Ouse southwards. 

Otherwise  4 Snipe W, 18 Golden Plovers over east, 64 Meadow Pipits SW, 223 Redwings S/W in several large flocks including some which dropped in, 24 Song Thrushes SW, 17 Blacbirds mostly W/SW, 330 Starlings mosly west, 96 Goldfinches S, 140 Chaffinches WNW, 2 Bullfinches SW, 182 Lesser Redpolls mostly S, 4 Redpolls sp S (i.e larger than Lesser with lower pitched slower call) and 61 Siskins mostly SW. 

Grafham Water - 19 October 2012

Red-necked Grebe

A calm cloudy mild morning with a very light SE breeze - five hours along the dam and adjacent areas from 07:20

The highlight was a  Red-necked Grebe which flew in from the west of the reservoir landing quite close to the dam until disturbed by fishing boats 15 minutes later when it flew off low back towards the west end. Otherwise an adult Mediterranean Gull, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, 12 Little Egrets and 4 very flighty Rock Pipits were the only notable sightings on or near the water.

Visible migration was quite good until mid morning with 42 Lapwings S, 7 alba wagtails S, 35 Meadow Pipits mostly S with c. 70 along the dam bank, 2 Fieldfares S, 1 Tree Sparrow S, 27 Goldfinches S, 11 Siskins S, 117 Lesser Redpolls S, 72 Linnets S, 52 Chaffinches W and 5 Reed Buntings SW.

Red-necked Grebe

Grafham Water - 15 October 2012

A five hour session along the dam and lagoons areas in mixed conditions initially cloudy then with rain for an hour or so then becoming a little brighter mid  morning

Visible migration started off well then fizzled out somewhat once the rain set in a Short-Eared Owl was the highlight flying high south otherwise 34 Meadow Pipits S with c 40 on the dam, 7 alba Wagtails S, 71 Chaffinches WNW, 6 Bramblings WNW, 61 Goldfinches S, 61 Linnets S, 18 Lesser Redpolls mostly W/S with c 20 around, 42 Siskins Sand 3 Reed Buntings W. Oddly no  immigrant thrushes were evident either moving or grounded.

Otherwise 1 male Peregrine flashed over the dam, 9 Little Egrets, 1 juvenile Ringed Plover presumed race tundrae appeared during rain, 4 Green Sandpipers and 2 Redshanks at the lagoons, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls (a ad, 1 1cy, 2 3cy), 3 Chiffchaffs and 2 Cetti's Warblers at the lagoons -

juvenile Ringed Plover - presumed race tundrae - the darker and colder
upperpart tones and upper breast patches and with submarginal lines on coverts
narrow white supercilium behind the eye and dull browny yellow legs, all strongly
indicative of race tundrae

Grafham Water - 8 October 2012

A more lively morning with a light ENE breeze and low temperatures overnight combining to encourage migration...covered the dam and adjacent areas from 0645-0945

Jay - a group of 6 flying high and purposefully SW with a further 3 S later, 3 Swallows south,

8 House Martins S, Chiffchaff numbers down to 4, c 18 Goldcrests, 420 Starlings mostly SW, 20 + Blackbirds at the model farm gorging frenetically on berries were obvious migrants, 21 Redwings mostly south with 8 dropping in, c230 Meadow Pipits S with c. 300 grounded, 17 alba Wagtails S with <15 on the ground, c 35 Chaffinches S, 1 Brambling S, 2 Siskin S, Goldfinches moving in numbers with c 170 S, 16 Lesser Redpolls S, 1 Redpoll sp S, c 25 Reed Buntings, and an increase in Yellowhammer numbers to c 14.
9 Little Egrets and 4 Yellow-legged Gulls were the only notable birds on or near the water. 

Redwing heading over south

and a recently arrived Redwing

Grafham Water - 6 October 2012

A lovely bright morning with a north-westerly breeze, spent 4 hours along the dam and immediate area...

16 Litle Egrets in trees west of Plummer, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 6 Golden Plovers over west, 2 Snipe south, c.60 Skylarks south, 5 Swallows south, 120 Meadow Pipits mostly south with c 80 in the vicinity of the dam, 2 Rock Pipits on the dam with possibly a third over SW, 14 Alba Wagtails south with greatly reduced numbers on the ground  c.25 and with one almost certainly a White Wagtail, 19 Redpolls over south, c130 Goldfinches and c 90 Linnets.

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit 

the joy of dots or 6 Golden Plovers (one obscured)

Grafham Water - 01 October 2012

Initially promising with some movement apparent but dissipating in the very mild condistions with temperatures in the high teens. Managed to visit most of the main viewpoints from 0730- 1330

23 Little Egrets including 16 in Dudney Bay, 6 Wigeon, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, 16 Skylarks south, c70 House Martins and c 50 Swallow lingering, c96 Meadow Pipits though s/sw, 9 Siskins south,  6 Redpolls south. Good numbers of insects on the wing.

male Migrant Hawker 

Grafham Water - 30 September 2012

Three hours on the dam from 07.30  in fresh south-westerlies...

5 + Little Egrets, 4 Wigeon, 1 Dunlin, 5 Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 adult Common Terns, 1 first-winter Little Gull off the Marlow car park, 5 Yellow-legged Gulls.
Some visible passerine migration and grounded migrants, with 33 Swallows south and c25 lingering, c350 Houe Martins lingering and 110 south, 8 Sand Martins south, 14 Skylarks south, 4 Grey wagtails south, 1 flava Wagtail south and just one other on Marlow cp, c 70 Meadow Pipits mostly south to south-west, and c140 in the dam area, 1 Rock Pipit south, 70 + Linnets south,  3 Redwings west, 2 Song Thrushes dropped in, 8+ Chiffchaffs, c 15 Goldcrests in the Marlow cp bushes, and 8 Jays high west.