Ouse Washes and Grafham 29 May 2013

Northerly winds murk and rain until 09.30 and then intermittently later, ideal conditions for grounding migrant waders heading for the Arctic tundra. 

Covered the Ouse Washes from Welches Dam north eastwards to just beyond the railway bridge from 07.30 to 13.30 followed by an hour along the dam at Grafham Water.

Good numbers of waders were on the Washes; c. 70 Ringed Plovers most of which were race tundrae;  3 Golden Plovers flew north, 2 Grey Plovers were near the railway bridge until spooked by a Marsh Harrier then flew north with 10 Ringed Plovers; a Curlew Sandpiper was more settled with Dunlins and Ringed Plovers in front of Stockdales Hide, 17 Dunlin -  a mix of alpina and schinzii, 5 Sanderling, a Little Stint on a pool with Ringed Plovers near the railway bridge flew over to the east side of the washes when disturbed by a quad bike. While arctic tundra bound waders were struggling to reach their breeding grounds the first 4 Avocet chicks of the year were attempting to feed, 8 Black-tailed Gowits  were counted and at least 7 Snipe were drumming during a slightly brighter period late morning. 

Other species noted were c. 20 Little Egrets, 1 'cream crown' Marsh Harrier, 5 male Garganey, 2 Hobbies and, a male Whinchat near the railway bridge. 

An hour along the dam at Grafham delivered 4 tundrae Ringed Plovers, 1 Sanderling, 4 Dunlin,

c. 200 Swifts and a Hobby.  

The murky Ouse Washes

Curlew Sandpiper - distant digiscoped record shot

Little Egret in classic foot paddling stalking pose

Dunlin and Sanderling - Grafham Dam 

Ouse Washes - 27 May 2013

A very pleasant early morning walk north along one hundred foot drain from Mepal to Oxlode in bright sunshine and with an increasingly fresh southerly wind. 

c. 25 Little Egrets, 1 adult male and c 5 'cream crown' Marsh Harriers; 2 male Garganey one of which was keeping very exotic company in the form of a drake Mandarin; 1 Wood Sandpiper was on the best looking though distant wader pool;11 race tundrae Ringed Plovers; 9 Black-tailed Gowdwits; 2 Turtle Doves, 5 Corn Buntings plus the usual commoner species. 

A rather scruffy 'cream crown' Marsh Harrier

Drake Mandarin and Garganey

Grafham Water - 24 May 2013

Another day with fresh winds, initially from the south-west, then later in the afternoon veering north-east with heavy showers again. 

Two visits today to the dam from 0630-0800 and Hill Farm, Mander and the south end of the dam 1530-1700. 

3 Yellow-legged Gulls; 3 Arctic Terns were off the dam early morning with 1 off the fishing lodge later in the day; 8 Common Terns. The heavy afternoon showers had brought down numbers of hirundines with c. 300 Swallows, c. 60 Sand Martin and c. 100 House Martins off Hill Farm there were also c. 400 Swifts. 

A single Little Ringed Plover was on the dam late afternoon on 25 May, little else noted though in a two hour trawl of the north side of the reservoir apart from 6 Common Buzzards and 2 Red Kites. 

Grafham Water - 23 May 2013

A cold north-westerly wind, cloudy in the morning with occasional very heavy showers developing.

The dam, Mander and lagoons areas were covered early morning with a briefer visit to the dam and Hill Farm areas late afternoon..

3 Sanderlings were on the dam in the morning with just 1 left by late afternoon, a first-summer Turnstone was also on the dam as were 6 Oystercatchers. An Arctic Tern resting on the dam flew off high ENE early morning with a second bird off Mander. A male Avocet flew over the dam and headed toward the lagoons, there were 4 Yellow-legged Gulls (1 adult, 1 second calendar year and 2 third calendar years). 
A Spotted Flycatcher was at the north end of the dam and c. 150 Swifts were counted. 

Lammas Meadow & Grafham - 20 May 2013

A north-easterly breeze and overcast.

Two Siskins early morning at Lammas Meadow appeared to be on territory, a single Arctic Tern flew ENE along the Ouse valley. 

Later 1 Hobby, 1 Turnstone, 3 Common Sandpipers, c. 60 Swifts and 6 Yellow Wagtails were on or over the dam at Grafham Water.

Pyrenees and the steppes of Huesca - 16-19 May 2013

A short trip with the old gang to this fantastic area. A great variety of habitats are accessible within a relatively small area ranging from cereal and semi-desert tableland steppe through Mediterranean type scrub to the verdant valleys and craggy peaks of the Pyrenees. 

Despite losing most of a day to heavy snow in the Pyrenees a day which was earmarked for treeline and alpine meadow specialists, a four day trip delivered the following selected highlights: Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Goshawk, Lesser Kestrel, Great Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Roller, Dupont's Lark, Short-toed Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Thekla Lark, Calandra Lark, Blue RockThrush, Rock Thrush, Black Wheatear, Black-eared Whetear, Subalpine Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Wallcreeper, Red-backed, Woodchat and Iberian Great Grey Shrikes, Alpine Chough, Rock Bunting, Ortolan Bunting and a host of other interesting species. 

Tableland steppe El Planeron reserve north of Belchite

Dupont's Lark - perching on the side of low scrub typical singing position.
At least  6 birds began singing before dawn, this bird showed particularly
well later at about 07.30 singing from this low perch and in song flight. 

Spectacled Warbler - near Candasnos, Monegros

Short-toed Eagle - one of a pair engaged in display above Sastago, Monegros

Short-toed Lark - El Planeron - Belchite

Corn Bunting - a common bird of the Monegros cereal steppes

Nightingale being typically showy in a small orchard at Belchite

Rock Sparrow - Belchite monument 

Wheatear  form libanotica,  Belchite monument. Quite obviously different
to nominate: slightly smaller with a stronger bill, paler ashy grey upperparts,
less buff on underparts and a narrower tail band are the obvious features but
more subtle  differences combined to form a very distinctive jizz.

Lammergeier - Hecho Valley 

Wallcreeper - record shot - Boca El Infierno, Hecho Valley. After a three hour intermittent
watch of this known site, this fabulous species appeared and stayed for ten minutes
before heading off up the valley. In this case persistence paid off as the Wallcreeeper
was sighted within 15 minutes of our last reasonable departure time from the valley.
Bird of the trip by consensus. 

Grafham Water - 14 May 2013

A very fresh morning with cold south-westerly winds and clear skies, cloud increasing during the day with heavy showers in the afternoon. 

From 06.30 - 10.00 covered the dam and lagoons areas with a return visit to the dam and Mander viewpoints from 3.00 - 4.30.

A quiet morning with just 1 Dunlin on the dam, 1 third calendar year Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Avocet on the lagoons, 1 female Wheatear on the dam and c 50 Swifts. 

The afternoon showers brought in Swifts with c400 present and hirundines with c 260 Swallows and c 150 House Martins. A  Sanderling had joined the Dunlin on the dam and 2 Whimbrel flew through high north-east. A single Arctic Tern was off Mander and just two Common Terns were present.

Sanderling 

Common Swift 

Lammas Meadow - 12 May 2013

A warm though fresh morning with a light south-westerly wind:

Fairly quiet this morning, a Turtle Dove which flew through north was the highlight, otherwise 4 Little Egrets over south, 8 local Common Terns, 1 Hobby over, 2 male Yellow Wagtails on the flash, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and c. 25 Swifts. 

Grafham Water - 11 May 2013

Following a couple of rather quiet days, fresh south-westerly winds with several very heavy showers, some with hail, late afternoon brought a few migrants in. A three hour spell at various points along the south side of the site. 

2 Turnstones were on the dam as were 3 Dunlin plus 8 on the lagoons as were 2 Avocets still; 4 Ringed Plovers and 3 Common Sandpipers were also on the dam and 3 Sanderling circled over the dam during heavy rain and may well have landed. 2 Arctic Terns were off the dam and 14 Common Terns were counted. A single third calendar year Yellow-legged Gull was the only larid of note.

4 Hobbies between the lagoons and dam sporadically harassed Swifts and hirundines with one successful kill (a House Martin).

Warblers were well down in numbers compared to the high numbers noted on the 8th and 9th of May with many having moved on, 2 Cetti's Warblers were singing at the lagoons. 

A single nominate Wheatear was on the dam, 2 Cuckoos were at the lagoons, 6 presumably local breeding Yellow Wagtails  on the dam. C 140 Swifts and c 230 Swallows were around during one the heavy showers.

Turnstones at a canter - Grafham dam 

Grafham Water - 8 May 2013

Initially very murky with intermittent rain until 8 am and south-easterly winds, becoming brighter through the day

A couple of hours on the dam early morning and a lunchtime repeat visit with a walk to the lagoons.

A bit of movement early morning with a Little Tern straight through east and 8 Arctic Terns through south-east after lingering off the dam for a while. 13 Ringed Plovers circled the Dam before heading off ENE into the murk. Just 4 Yellow Wagtails were counted and a single Common Sandpiper was on the dam. Garden Warblers were present in numbers many singing with c.12 between the south end of the Dam and the Lagoons a wave of Chiffchaffs was also evident with c 18 in the same area. 2 Avocets and a single Bar-tailed Godwit were on the lagoons. 

Bar-tailed Godwit 

Lammas Meadow, Little Paxton 6 May 2013

Initially calm then a gentle southerly breeze backing south-east, sunny and warm.

A couple of hours on the meadow from 06.30, then a bit of skywatching from the balcony in the evening. 

Despite the unpromising conditions a pulse of new passerine migrants the best of which was a female Redstart, 2 Tree Pipits which flew off NE from the main hedge and the first Garden Warbler of the year. 

Whitethroats were up in number at 8 and a single Lesser Whitethroat was new in otherwise warbler numbers were as expected. 31 Swallows flew through north.

Four distant terns were probably Black but were just beyond id range. 

An evening balcony watch failed to produce much excitement, 2 Common Sandpipers were the only noteworthy sightings. 

Lammas Meadow, Little Paxton - 5 May 2013

Light SW breeze, sunny and warm with some cloud.

An early morning walk across Lammas Meadow followed up with watches from the house balcony from 1100-1300 hrs and 1900-2100 hrs.

Lammas Meadow was very quiet this morning with 1 Wheatear being the only new in migrant, but the balcony watches were more productive. 

4 Common Buzzards were displaying over the Mill Field copse, 1 first-summer Grey Plover flew ENE as did 11 Dunlin, 4 male Yellowhammers heading north were intriguing. At 2043 hours 17 Arctic Terns flew high north toward Grafham in the rapid migratory flight style that this species can adopt when required. 

Balcony Skywatch - 4 May 2013

Very fresh SW wind with occasional heavy showers - intermittent river/skywatching throughout the day.

Sandwich Tern - 2 flew ENE along the Ouse late morning, 6 late Black-tailed Godwits flew north, a male Cuckoo flew along the river and a small passage of Swallows ENE totalled c70 birds. 

Lammas Meadow - 3 May 2013

A light frost with mist across the meadow, calm with clear blue skies..

An hour and a half or so from 0600hrs....

5 Wheatears (3 males) (all race oenanthe) on the playing fields were new in as was a Grasshopper Warbler reeling along the central hedge, otherwise fewer warblers than yesterday certainly with clear skies overnight. 

Lammas Meadow - 2 May 2013

Too nice an evening not to spend a couple of hours on the doorstep patch...

11 presumably local Common Terns along the Ouse were joined briefly by 6 Arctic Terns which then headed off high ENE, 4 Teal flew north, 2 Snipe were on the flash with 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 male Wheatears had survived the days canine disturbance or might have dropped in late. Warblers were in full song with 18 Reed which must have included migrant birds, 3 Sedge, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Whitethroats, 4 Lesser Whitethroats, 3 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler. 6 Swallows flew north.

Ouse Washes - 2 May 2013

Bright blue skies with  a few cirrus clouds and easterlies coming from a fair way east which brought in

Red-footed Falcons (3)

Leaving Churchmans hide at 11.45 a scan across the Bishopsland meadow to the west revealed a male Red-footed Falcon hunting over the wet 'troughs', walking north to get closer views the falcon appeared to have doubled back and was over the pond near the Ship Inn. I  phoned the news in as an adult or near adult male since I was certain that I had seen some pale in the lower belly.

The adult male which showed reasonably well had the requisite brick red thighs, vent and undertail coverts and silvery outer upper wings (stunning!)  but I was pretty certain that there was a second male with a paler patch at the lower belly presumably a fourth calendar year bird (i.e. near adult) and this was proven to be the case with views of a distant male which was presumably this bird whilst the adult male was still in view at the southern end of Bishopsland. 

The birds were never really close and quite wary though typically perched between frequent high wheeling hunting sorties I decided to try the road near the Ship Inn which seemed a favored spot being sheltered from the easterlies and spent 45 minutes scanning but only managed distant views of the two males when a full adult female came into my scope view with the adult male and both were watched for a few minutes before disappearing across the bank and into the Washes. 

The birds were feeding avidly so were presumably very recently arrived. 
Poscript: interestingly having looked closely at some excellent photographs of the male at Lakenheath, Suffolk on 3 May this has somewhat paler red thighs and lower belly with more yellow pigment presumably this was the second male which appeared at a distance to have a paler lower belly and thighs.  

Otherwise:
4 Garganey (south end Common wash Hide), 1 Whooper Swan (presumably ill), 4 Pintail, c 40 Little Egrets, c40 Black-tailed Godwits mostly race limosa, 26 + Ruff, c. 40 Redshank, 24 + Avocets, 1 cream crown Marsh Harrier, 1 second calendar year Mediterranean Gull, 5 Wheatears, 1 Whinchat and c 25 Yellow Wagtails. 

Adult male Red-footed Falcon - Ouse Washes

Adult male Red-footed Falcon heading towards the Washes past the distinctive aqua wires 

same bird showing the diagnostic silvery outer upperwings