Paxton Pits - 23 December 2012
Walked along the western side of the area to Diddington Pit Late afternoon the highlights being a redhead Smew on Island Pit, 4 Goosander over south, 117 Black-tailed Godwits over west with 3 Golden Plover in tow, a single Ruff on Pumphouse Pit, a lone Woodcock at dusk, 1 Chiffchaff and a respectable count of 55 Yellowhammers.
Grafham Water - 17 December 2012
A fairly swift lunchtime visit in bright sunny conditions and mainly covering the west end of the reservoir with a quick look at the dam...
Bewick's Swan 2, Scaup 1 adult female off Marlow, Smew a male and female in Sanctuary Bay, Goosander 18, Red-breasted Merganser 1 in Savages Creek, Great Northern Diver 1 in Sanctuary Bay, Little Egret 21, Green Sandpiper 1, Common Sandpiper 1 Marlow area, Turnstone 2 just east of Hill Farm, Yellow-legged Gull 3 (2 ads 1 3rd calendar year) and 2 Waxwings in Grafham Village near the old school - my first close views of the influx...
Bewick's Swan 2, Scaup 1 adult female off Marlow, Smew a male and female in Sanctuary Bay, Goosander 18, Red-breasted Merganser 1 in Savages Creek, Great Northern Diver 1 in Sanctuary Bay, Little Egret 21, Green Sandpiper 1, Common Sandpiper 1 Marlow area, Turnstone 2 just east of Hill Farm, Yellow-legged Gull 3 (2 ads 1 3rd calendar year) and 2 Waxwings in Grafham Village near the old school - my first close views of the influx...
Woodwalton Fen area - 16 December 2012
A benign winter morning with light southerly breeze, some high cloud and sunshine. A modest yet satisfying birding session from 0730 to 1300:
16 Bewicks and 4 Whooper Swans distantly on the adjacent fields, 2 redhead Goosanders on Great Raveley drain; a good raptor morning with 6 Sparrowhawks in the air and displaying together, a single male Merlin flashed across Darlow's Farm, a sub adult male Marsh Harrier perched and a ringtail Hen Harrier across the adjacent fields. Passerine highlights were limited to small numbers of winter thrushes, 4 Chiffchaffs, c.30 Siskins and 17 Lesser Redpolls with one larger likely Mealy that offered too brief views to be identified beyond doubt.
16 Bewicks and 4 Whooper Swans distantly on the adjacent fields, 2 redhead Goosanders on Great Raveley drain; a good raptor morning with 6 Sparrowhawks in the air and displaying together, a single male Merlin flashed across Darlow's Farm, a sub adult male Marsh Harrier perched and a ringtail Hen Harrier across the adjacent fields. Passerine highlights were limited to small numbers of winter thrushes, 4 Chiffchaffs, c.30 Siskins and 17 Lesser Redpolls with one larger likely Mealy that offered too brief views to be identified beyond doubt.
Grafham Water - 8 December 2012
A fairly calm and relatively mild morning after recent hard frosts and a fair variety of species seen between 0700 and 1130.
A Slavonian Grebe off the dam was probably the cream of the crop with plenty of variety in support the best of which were probably; 6 Shelduck, 3 Pintail (1 male), 2 female type Common Scoters, c 76 Goldeneye busy displaying off the Marlow Car Park, 5 Goosanders (2 males), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers both redheads, 8 Grey Partridges, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Golden Plovers over SW, 6+ Redshanks, 4 Turnstones along the north shore, 1 first-winter Caspian Gull east over the dam; 1 Rock Pipit, 3 Waxwings near the Model Farm and later west over the Marlow car park, a single flock of 70 Fieldfares over west and 1 Chiffchaff - a typical collybita.
A Slavonian Grebe off the dam was probably the cream of the crop with plenty of variety in support the best of which were probably; 6 Shelduck, 3 Pintail (1 male), 2 female type Common Scoters, c 76 Goldeneye busy displaying off the Marlow Car Park, 5 Goosanders (2 males), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers both redheads, 8 Grey Partridges, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Golden Plovers over SW, 6+ Redshanks, 4 Turnstones along the north shore, 1 first-winter Caspian Gull east over the dam; 1 Rock Pipit, 3 Waxwings near the Model Farm and later west over the Marlow car park, a single flock of 70 Fieldfares over west and 1 Chiffchaff - a typical collybita.
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| Slavonian Grebe off Grafham Dam 8.12.2012 |
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| Starling pre-roost Paxton Pits 25 November 2012 |
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.
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.
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| overflying Fieldfare |
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| 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.
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.
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| 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.
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.
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