30/01/2017 Twitching in Lincolnshire today.

Monday 30 January 2017
Woodland Spa, Lincolnshire

I couldn't sit back while there was a White-billed Diver within driving distance so off I went up to Lincolnshire.  

• True to form the bird was showing well, from close range, on the River Witham.  It spent a lot of time under the water but when it surfaced I was able to study its features in the scope. 

What a bird!

Well worth the horrendous 6 hour journey - with me being gridlocked in Tunbridge Wells for almost 3 hours.

It breeds in the Arctic and winters mainly at sea along the coasts of the northern Pacific Ocean and northwestern Norway; it also sometimes overwinters on large inland lakes. It occasionally strays well south of its normal wintering range, and has been recorded as a vagrant in more than 22 countries. This species, like all divers, is a specialist fish-eater, catching its prey underwater. Its call is an eerie wailing, lower pitched than the common loon.

26/01/2017 Travelling back from Cumbria

Thursday 26 January 2017
Ladyburn Lake, Northumberland


Just had time to twitch the Red-breasted Goose, at Pilling, Lancashire, on my way home from Cumbria.

25/01/17 Travelling back from Scotland

Wednesday 25 January 2017

• Started off at the Cairngorms hoping to see Ptarmigan on the low slopes.  We quickly abandoned the idea as the winds were blowing with such force it was impossible to get a good position.

• I suggested to Brian we go and twitch the Pacific Diver in Northumberland.  After a little arm-twisting, we were off on the long drive to Ladyburn Lake for a very easy twitch of this rare visitor to the UK.  The diver was situated in the NE corner of the lake and was the centre of attention for the assembled birders and photographers.

• After satisfying our needs we moved from the diver to the nearby Reserve at Chevington where we had excellent views of approximately 50 Twite which were feeding on the sands by the dunes. 

courtesy of Brian Collis

•  Earlier there had been some Shorelark too but they had been spooked by dog walkers and had not been seen for a couple of hours.

We were "Happy as Larry" as we made our way from the NE coast back to Workington on the NW coast.

24/01/17 Scotland Day 3 (last day)

Tuesday 24 January 2017

Our last day promised much with another attempt at seeing a Capercaillie - this time we would be on foot, followed by an Eagle session to end our visit to Nether Bridge.

• First stop was Inshriach Forest where we finally found Capercaillie after a search lasting almost 2 hours.  We caught sight of a male and a female  some 10 minutes apart.  The only problem was that both sightings together barely added up to more than 1 second!  We had spent a total in the region of 6 hours for this meagre return.  I was pleased with the result but not with the experience.

• By way of compensation we had an excellent view of a Scottish Crossbill, sitting majestically in the canopy of a close pine tree.

• In the Findhorn valley things took a huge turn for the better with spectacular views of a White-tailed Eagle and at least 2 Golden Eagles.  We must have had 10+ sightings in total from these 3 birds.

• The White-tailed Eagle, a juvenile, showed first and flew directly overhead before ascending.  In one scope view we had it with a Peregrine and  a Buzzard causing an apt comment " ....in comparison the Peregine looks like a Swift....."

• The views of the first Golden Eagle were similarly superb, the first one with wings streamlined as it raced overhead and the second with wings spread for normal flight.

• This was a fitting finale to a really good trip where we saw 95 species plus another 2 heard, some excellent hospitality and great food.

Terrific value!

23/01/17 Scotland Day 2

It was Coastal day today as we headed out to the Moray Firth.
Lots of birds to see today - in fabulous weather.

• The Divers were there in good numbers with plenty of Red-throated Divers and Black-throated Divers.  There was at least one Great Northern Diver.

• We were lucky to see a couple of Iceland Gulls with a 1st winter bird at Burghead and a 2nd winter bird at  Lossiemouth east beach.

• By far the handsomest bird was the drake Eider - this species was present in large numbers.

• Incredibly there was a single Hooded Crow early on - a rarity on this coast.

• Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting, Shag, Red-breasted Merganser, Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye, etc helped make up an impressive day list of well over 60 species.

A terrific second day with stunning scenery and loads of birds.

22/01/17. Scotland Day 1

An early 8.15 start to see Black and Red Grouse near Dorbach Lodge NJ.074.170.

• There were at least 10 male Black Grouse at the Lek and showing well in the good lighting conditions.  We also had good views of a Red Grouse and a couple of distant views.

• Then we were off to Loch Garten to see the Crested Tits.

• The Capercaillie search in Inverladen Wood was thorough, but unsuccessful and took well over 3 hours.

• The late afternoon session by the River Spey was more productive with good views of Goldeneye.  I saw my first Redpolls of the year in the canopy of the tall trees overlooking the river.

A underwhelming start despite the early successes.  Too much time in the van on bumpy roads with no sightings was a little hard to bear on the first day.

20/01/2017 Travelling up to Scotland

Saturday 21/01/2017
Barr Loch
RSPB Lochwinnoch

• Set off from Workington with Brian at 07.00.  We decided to make a detour near Glasgow to twitch the Hooded Merganser at RSPB Lochwinnoch.

RSPB Lochwinnoch.

• This turned out to be a very good decision and we got to see a really beautiful bird in all its glory. Thanks to a helpful local birder who we met in the car park, we were directed to Barr Loch and to the Ranger, Zul, who pointed us to the correct area on the opposite side of the Loch.

• The merganser had temporarily disappeared down a channel.  It soon re-appeared and gave us some superb views as it moved around, before going onto the bank for a nap.

What a great start - a lifer on day 1!

Loch Garten

Arrived at Mount View our hotel for the duration and, after dropping off our bags, we then made our way to Loch Garten for the last hour of daylight.

• We had close views of 3-4 Crested Tits as they came to the table for food along with the Coal Tits.

Incredibly there was only 4 of us in total to witness this spectacular event.

Roll on tomorrow when our trip starts proper!

20/01/2017 Cumbria and it's 150

Friday 20 January 2017
Cumbria

Spent a great day with brother-in-law Kenny and good friend Brian.  The weather was really good with clear skies and no wind.

Whitehaven Marina

• It took some time but we eventually located the Black Guillemot and enjoyed good scope views.
• There was a lovely Long-tailed Duck on the sea just outside the Marina.

• No sign of the Black Redstart.

Workington Harbour

• Stumpy, the one-legged be Mediterranean Gull stole the show by flying close by and landing at good strategic viewing points.
• At least 2 Purple Sandpipers could be seen from the end of the pier.

Siddick Pond, Workington

This was alive with birds.

• At least 10 Whooper Swans were on display with 4 of them being juveniles.
• The Redhead Smew was showing well on the small pond.
• So too were the Goldeneyes.
• Goosanders were present in good numbers.

River Derwent, Workington

Water levels were high so it did not bode well for us seeing our target bird - the Dipper.

• No need to worry - we saw at least 2 finally.
• Before this we were both surprised and delighted to see a Common Sandpiper.
• A splendid Grey Wagtail also showed up.

A terrific day which fittingly ended with the dipper sighting, my 150 species of 2017

19/01/2017 Heading up North

Thursday 19 January 2017

Heading up to Cumbria prior to a 4 day birding  holiday in Scotland with Heatherlea.

Brilliant lighting on M40 and I managed to see at least 10 Red Kites on the stretch from the M25 to Oxford.

Stopped off at Pennington Flashes for a planned break.  A lovely Willow Tit soon came to the feeder at the Bunting Hide.  Lots of Bullfinches and Reed. Buntings too.  From the Teal Hide I saw my first Bittern of the year.  There were so many Goosanders around and showing well.

I had to carry on with my journey and missed the gull roost where an Iceland Gull and a Mediterranean Gull were expected.


A good start.

18/01/17 The Arun valley

Wednesday 18 January 2017
The Arun Valley, West Sussex

• I was late in getting to Rackham Woods today - with heavy traffic around Lewes and Brighton. 

• With little to see we moved on to Coldwaltham where we were unable to find the Great Grey Shrike but we did see lots of Chiffchaffs

• At Lavington Common we saw a Dartford Warbler and, just as we were leaving after lunch, at least 4 Siskins high in the trees above us.

• Next stop was Waterwoods, at Arundel, for our annual twitch of the Firecrests.  This visit was one of our best with at least 2 of them showing well from 10 metres or so.

• My final stop, before leaving early, was Swanbourne lake where we saw 10+ Mandarins.

• I had to leave early to get home and pack for my journey north to Cumbria and then Scotland.  The rest of the group went on to The Burgh where they added Hen Harrier, Corn Bunting, Grey Partridge, Short-eared Owl and Red Kite to our day list.

A lovely day out and, after a quiet start, some super sightings!

16/01/17 You win some - you lose some!

Monday 16 January 2017

You win some.

Last Thursday, on my way to see the Purple Sandpipers at Newhaven Tidemills I saw what I was 95% sure was the Serin that had been seen here before Xmas.  As it was not listed as currently present I decided it was probably a mis-ID on my part and moved on.  

I intended to mention it to Paul on the following Saturday but, with an itinerary that involved several changes of venue plus the fact that my mind was on the immediate journey up to Norfolk, it never happened.  

Incredibly, it was Paul himself who spotted the bird on the following Monday!

On reflection, it was the Serin I saw.  What is worrying is that 95% sure was not enough for me to go public.  Why?

You lose some

Paul emailed me with the news that the DNA tests on the Stejneger's Stonechat at Dungeness proved negative - it was not the Siberian species after all.  It was a discoloured Stonechat as postulated by Ploddingbirder many weeks ago.

No change to my 2017 list total!

15/01/2017 Norfolk for the High Tide Spectacular

Sunday 15 January 2017
Norfolk 
Norfolk Bird Tours with Chris Mills
A few times a year, higher-than-average high tides force thousands of waders, including Knot,  Oystercatchers and Pink-footed Geese to take flight from the mudflats to escape the incoming waters. This is the famous Snettisham High Tide Spectacular.

I was really looking forward to this trip with Chris Mills from Norfolk Tours. Thankfully, despite the floods on Friday night, Snettisham was open to the public and the event was able to go ahead.  Although it was cold and wet, visibility was not bad.

Chris picked me up first in the minibus at 06.35 in Hunstanton and we were in place at Snettisham just after 07.00.  

We could hear, but not see, the Pink-footed Geese in The Wash.  As dawn started to break we could see all the birds on the mud where they had roosted overnight.  It all started to kick off around 07.30 just as we were feeling the wet and cold.

• First to leave the roost were some of the 60 000 Knot.  They left in groups of 200-300 flying in formation, low over our heads towards the pits by the hides behind us. 

•  In the distance, we could see huge spectacular Mexican wave formations as the Knot made their move.  

• Below you can see a bank of Knot in front of the Oystercatchers.

• You really need to see the youtube video to get the best feel for this amazing event.

Knot at Snettisham

• After 2 hours or so the Knot made the return flight from the pits to the mud after the tide receded. My overriding memory will always be witnessing this return passage of over 3000 birds flying, in formation, just 30-40 feet above us.

• The Oystercatchers were next to emerge from the roost but nowhere near in numbers or as a spectacle.
• The Pink-footed Geese, surprisingly, stayed put till very late.  Perhaps they fancied a "lie-in" after their ordeal on Friday night.

We retreated to the comfort of the Copper Kettle Cafe in Hunstanton and my freshly prepared bacon and egg sandwich and a couple of cups of coffee went down a treat.

The main task, even in these adverse weather conditions, proved to be a truly spectacular event.  

Everything from now on would be a bonus. 

Thornham Harbour

Next stop was at Thornham Harbour to look for Twite. 

• We didn't even need to leave the car park - there, drinking from the pools of water in the car park, was a flock of 30+ of the beauties.  They stayed with us for the duration of our stay - 30 minutes or so.
• Also present, again less than 50 metres from the car park, was a stunning Spotted Redshank quietly sleeping in the muddy channel.

We met Jake and 3 of his friends and they told us that the Feruginous Duck at Holme Bird Observatory was showing well.  So we were off to there next.

Holme Bird Observatory

• The Feruginous Duck was indeed showing well but with it's head tucked in, stationary and probably asleep.

We took shelter from the rain in the Observatory and enjoyed the hospitality while we had lunch.

Titchwell

Our final destination was Titchwell where we were anxious to do some sea watching before it got dark.

• After a brief stop at the feeders to see the Brambling we made haste to the sea.
• On the sea, there were at least 7 Long-tailed Ducks including a number of males.
• For me, the highlight was the close Velvet Scoter swimming with 2 Common Scoters.  A little later we saw upwards of 3000 Common Scoter on the sea after they had been flushed by a dog walker.
• Also present were several Goldeneye, including some stunning males.  Over the day we must have had over 30 of this species.
• On the way back we saw a few Avocets, not on the frashwater lake, which was flooded, but on the mud on the saltmarsh.
• Our final activity was to see the Harriers as they went to roost.  At least 25 Marsh Harriers came in to provide us with a fitting finish.

What a day!  

The main event lived up to it's reputation and as an added  bonus we saw some stunning birds.  A species count in excess of 80.

14/01/2017 Fishbourne Creek, Ivy Lake and West Dean

Saturday 14 January 2017

Fishbourne Creek

With Paul and the group (9) looking for shorebirds.

• Parked at the church and on the way down to the estuary we encountered 7-8 Yellowhammers, a figure which went up to c15 as we progressed.

• Managed to see a good variety of birds but the pick of the bunch for me was the lovely Grey Wagtail.  It was ahead of us, on a stone ledge next to the water.  Close by was an obliging Rock Pipit.
• Soon afterwards, at the same place,  we had fabulous close views of a Kingfisher.  It was the first time I had ever seen one hovering above the water prior to plunging down into the water to catch a fish - amazing!
• The Whimbrel showed well finally.
• A flyover Peregrine was most welcome.
• I was also able to add Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover and Dunlin to my year list.

A lovely morning in stunning sunshine and hardly a breathe of wind.

Ivy Lake

We met up, by chance,  with Sandra for a while at Ivy Lake - it was so nice to see her and enjoy a brief birding experience together again.

• We had just finished twitching the Long-tailed Duck and the Scaup.  The former showed well but the latter proved a little more elusive.

This was turning out to be a rather special day.

West Dean Woods

My final destination was West Dean Woods

• There was no sign of the Little Owl but Chris spotted some lovely Bullfinches in the tree by the farm
• Andrew alerted us all to a couple of Hawfinches in the usual place by the turn in the road.  They were, predictably, sitting high in the canopy but showing well.

My intention was to head off to Norfolk directly but things had gone so well I had time to go home, enjoy a meal at home with Sue and catch up with the soccer scores.  Sadly Preston ended Albion's 16 match unbeaten run.  I eventually made the long trip up to my B&B in Hunstanton, arriving just after 8.30 p.m. 

It wasn't bad for my year list too with 13 additions!

13/01/2017 Dartford Warbler

Stonehill, Ashdown Forest
East Sussex

It might be a cold and snowy Friday 13 but my luck was in today when I saw my first Dartford Warbler of 2017 at Stonehill in the Ashdown Forest. Good but short views.

12/01/2017 Out and about locally

Tues 10 January 2017

Weir Wood Reservoir, East Sussex

• After the excitement of the Crossbills this morning it was off to work at Weir Wood reservoir after lunch.   Even here I was able to add Marsh Tit and Treecreeper to my year list.

Wed 11 January 2017   

Stonehill, Ashdown Forest, East Sussex

• I had no luck finding any Dartford Warblers - my target bird.
• I did however come across a flock of 25+ Linnets as I walked round the site.
• A lovely Mistle Thrush was feeding on the ground, as I made my way back to the car park.
• A Song Thrush soon joined it, followed by 4 or 5 Redwings.

Thur 12 January 2017    

Newhaven Tidemills, East Sussex 

• I took the opportunity of a convenient high tide to look for Purple Sandpipers at Newhaven Tidemills. True to form there were at least 8 of these beauties showing really well. Surprisingly they were on top of the east pier with some Turnstones - on every occasion previously they were below the pier near the water level.
• Fulmars were flying close to the cliffs on the west side.
• Also seen was a Meadow Pipit, a Redshank and 3 Stonechats.

12/01/2017 My first 100 birds of 2017

My first 100 birds of 2017

Long-eared Owl	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	1
Ring-necked Duck	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	2
Gadwall	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	3
Goldeneye	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	4
Mallard	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	5
Pochard	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	6
Shelduck	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	7
Smew	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	8
Shoveler	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	9
Goosander	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	10
Carrion Crow	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	11
Herring Gull	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	12
Magpie	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	13
Chiffchaff	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	14
Cormorant	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	15
Coot	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	16
Black-headed Gull	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	17
Tufted Duck	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	18
Slavonian Grebe	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	19
Great Black-backed Gull	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	20
Woodpigeon	01/01/2017	RSPB  Dungeness  NR	21
Bewick's Swan	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	22
Tree Sparrow	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	23
Goldfinch	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	24
Blue Tit	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	25
Great Tit	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	26
Pheasant	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	27
Common Gull	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	28
Mute Swan	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	29
Rock Dove	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	30
Robin	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	31
Rook	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	32
House Sparrow	01/01/2017	Walland Marsh, Kent	33
Blackbird	01/01/2017	Uckfield, East Sussex	34
Starling	01/01/2017	Uckfield, East Sussex	35
Chaffinch	02/01/2017	Uckfield, East Sussex	36
Collared Dove	02/01/2017	Uckfield, East Sussex	37
Rose-coloured Starling	02/01/2017	Crawley, West Sussex	38
Short-eared Owl	02/01/2017	Horse Eye Levels, Pevensey, East Sussex	39
Greylag Goose	02/01/2017	Horse Eye Levels, Pevensey, East Sussex	40
Dunnock	02/01/2017	Horse Eye Levels, Pevensey, East Sussex	41
Pied Wagtail	03/01/2017	M40  Stokenchurch	42
Red Kite	03/01/2017	M40  Stokenchurch	43
Blue Rock Thrush	03/01/2017	Stow-on-the- Wold, Gloucestershire	44
Sparrowhawk	03/01/2017	Stow-on-the- Wold, Gloucestershire	45
Raven	03/01/2017	Stow-on-the- Wold, Gloucestershire	46
Dusky Thrush	03/01/2017	Beeley, Derbyshire	47
Fieldfare	03/01/2017	Beeley, Derbyshire	48
Jackdaw	03/01/2017	Beeley, Derbyshire	49
Waxwing	03/01/2017	Victoria Woking Mens Club, Chesterfield, Derbyshire	50
Grey Heron	04/01/2017	Tarring Neville, Newhaven, East Sussex	51
Cattle Egret	04/01/2017	Tarring Neville, Newhaven, East Sussex	52
Bean Goose	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	53
Pink-footed Goose	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	54
Barnacle Goose	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	55
Oystercatcher	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	56
Canada Goose	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	57
Turnstone	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	58
Curlew	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	59
Lapwing	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	60
Kestrel	04/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	61
Red-necked Grebe	04/01/2017	Camber, East Sussex	62
Siberian Stonechat	04/01/2017	Kerton Road, Dungeness, Kent	63
Long-tailed Duck	05/01/2017	West Rise Marsh, East Sussex	64
Wigeon	05/01/2017	West Rise Marsh, East Sussex	65
Kingfisher	05/01/2017	West Rise Marsh, East Sussex	66
Brent Goose	05/01/2017	West Rise Marsh, East Sussex	67
Reed Bunting	05/01/2017	West Rise Marsh, East Sussex	68
Moorhen	05/01/2017	West Marsh Rise, East Sussex	69
Stonechat	05/01/2017	West Marsh Rise, East Sussex	70
Wren	05/01/2017	Old Lodge, East Sussex	71
Long-tailed Tit	06/01/2017	Old Lodge NR, East Sussex	72
Marsh Harrier	07/01/2017	Stodmarsh NR, Kent	73
Hen Harrier	07/01/2017	Stodmarsh NR, Kent	74
Water Pipit	07/01/2017	Stodmarsh NR, Kent	75
Teal	07/01/2017	Stodmarsh NR, Kent	76
Great Crested Grebe	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	77
Gannet	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	78
Great Skua	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	79
Jay	07/01/2017	Stodmarsh NR, Kent	80
Razorbill	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	81
Kittiwake	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	82
Red-throated Diver	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	83
Cetti's Warbler	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	84
Great White Egret	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	85
Greenfinch	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	86
Lesser Black-backed Gull	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	87
Little Egret	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	88
Pintail	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	89
Guillemot	08/01/2017	Dungeness, Kent	90
Black-necked Grebe	08/01/2017	Scotney Gravel Pits, Kent	91
Snipe	08/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	92
White-fronted Goose	08/01/2017	Pett Level, East Sussex	93
Buzzard	09/01/2017	Danehill, East Sussex	94
Coal Tit	09/01/2017	Danehill, East Sussex	95
Nuthatch	09/01/2017	Danehill, East Sussex	96
Great Grey Shrike	10/01/2017	Gills Lap, Ashdown Forest, Sussex	97
Goldcrest	10/01/2017	Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex	98
Great Spotted Woodpecker	10/01/2017	Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex	99
Common Crossbill	10/01/2017	Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex	100

10/01/17 Great Grey Shrike at Gills Lap and Crossbills at Old Lodge 100 up for 2017!

Tuesday  10 January 2017

Gills Lap

• I finally succeeded in seeing the Great Grey Shrike this morning after three previous failed attempts. It was showing really well near its favourite dead tree in the valley below Gills Lap car park. 

Old Lodge

I had to leave Gills Lap with the shrike still showing in order to meet up with Paul and the group at Old Lodge.

• The highlight of this morning visit was undoubtedly the 4 Crossbills we saw near the end of our visit.  We had seen them earlier but latterly they came really close and we were able to enjoy extended views.  

• Other highlights included lots of Coal Tits and a Goldcrest.

A super morning and one that saw me go through 100 species for the new birding year!

08/01/17 Dungeness, Scotney GP and Pett Level

Sunday 08 January 2017
Paul and group (11)

Dungeness

Another top class birding trip with a range of superb species seen.  The weather conditions were very mild with sunshine and no hint of rain.

• The day started slowly when Ring-necked Duck was not at its usual place near Boulderwell Farm.  We did find it later on from the ARC Hanson hide - it was showing in the distance but the key ID features were clearly visible.

• Things picked up when we found the Stenjneger's Stonechat off Kerton Road.  The poor bird was being pursued by a posse of photographers so moved around continuously.  However we were able to enjoy superb views from our sensible vantage point.  

• The sea was so calm today with little or no wind.  Our eclectic list included an unexpected "Bonxie", a  couple of Red-throated Divers, several Kittiwakes as well as the usual suspects. 

• On the way to the reserve we saw 2 Slavonian Grebes on New Diggings.

• At the nature reserve itself, we initially dipped with the Long-eared Owl but we returned shortly afterwards to see not one, but two of the species.  They were incredibly difficult to see, being so beautifully camouflaged.

• Other highlights on the reserve included Redhead Smew, Goldeneye, Pintail, Great White Egret and a probable Merlin.

• On the way back Andrew and I went to Scotney GP to see the Black-necked Grebe while Paul and the rest of the group went round Walland Marsh to see the 50+ Bewick Swans before heading to Camber to get the Red-necked Grebe.

• We met up with the rest of the group at Pett Level where, from the good mix of species seen, my pick of the bunch was the couple of White-fronted Geese showing in the distance.

A remarkable day with over 80 species seen, including some very special one's.

07/01/2017 Stodmarsh NR for Harriers and Water Pipits.

Saturday 7 January 2017
Stodmarsh NR near Canterbury, Kent


Up at 04.30, on the road by 05.00 and onto Stodmarsh NR by 07.00.   Why?   Dead easy - I wanted to see the Hen Harriers as they left the roost area.

My viewing point was the lampen wall near the Tower hide.  The harrier's roost in the reed area adjacent to the wall looking out towards the Grove side.  I had read about this on the KOS site and it appealed to me immensely.




The weather was quite mild, but damp,  causing the Harriers to leave just after 07.30 - later than on the previous day.

• First to show was a Marsh Harrier.  Others followed at regular intervals over a 30 minute period

• Interspersed with this departing group were at least 3 ringtail Hen Harriers.  There was no sign of any of the males that are currently roosting here.

• Next stop was the Marsh hide where a Water Pipit was seen yesterday.  I joined 4 others from KOS and soon they alerted me to the aforesaid pipit as it flew to the right of the hide.  A little later, 4 were seen flying some 50 metres directly in front of us.  When they landed I managed to get good scope views of one of them.

I left at 10.30 to get back home for lunch before heading off to the Amex to see the Albion beat the MK Dons in the FA Cup.

I was really pleased with my time management today and delighted to find the target birds.  This will go on my calendar as a "must do" event every year.

06/01/17 No Luck

Friday 6 January 2017
Ashdown Forest

• Tried again today to see the Great Grey Shrike at Gills Lap, the Crossbills and the Brambling at Old Lodge but dipped on all 3 counts.

• The only consolation was the sighting of a couple of Ravens and 6 Long-tailed Tits at Old Lodge.

05/01/17 West Rise Marsh and Ashdown Forest

Thursday 5 January 2017

I needed to stay local again today so I targeted the Long-tailed Duck at West Rise Marsh for the morning session and the Great Grey Shrike at Gills Lap in the afternoon.

West Rise Marsh

• The Long-tailed Duck was very obliging, appearing smack in the middle of the lake and in superb lighting.

Ashdown Forest

I met up with Shaun for the afternoon session.  

• We dipped on the Great Grey Shrike at Gills Lap. 

A tale of two halves with nothing to show for the latter except for a wren sighting!

04/01/17 Staying Local - Pett Level, Newhaven and Dungeness

Wednesday 4 January 2017

A late start today! 

Tarring Neville, Newhaven, East Sussex

• I made the short journey to Tarring Neville and had an instant success with the 2 Cattle Egrets that showed well in the field adjacent to the west side of the A26.  They were about 30 metres from the grazing cattle.

Pett Level, East Sussex

• Next stop was Pett Level where I quickly found the Bean Geese, close to the Canada Geese. 
• I returned at the end of the day and I was directed by a visiting London birder to the Pink-footed Geese away in the distance.
• There was also a small flock of Barnacle Geese which were resting on the grassy ground.  

Camber, East Sussex

• The splendid Red-necked Grebe on the small pool just before you get to Camber was a welcome bonus.

Kerton Road, Dungeness, Kent

• The Stejneger's Stonechat was very active today in the area to the west of the quarry.  There was a particularly keen photographer who was constantly disturbing the bird as he tried to get the perfect image.

Another fabulous day, this time much nearer home.  My year list total is creeping up and now stands at 63.

03/01/17 Twitching: Blue Rock Thrush, Dusky Thrush and Waxwings

Tuesday 3 January 2017

I just couldn't resist the chance to twitch the Blue Rock Thrush at Stow-on-the-Wold and the Dusky Thrush at Beeley in Derbyshire.  With fine weather, it was a no brainer.

Stow-on-the-Wold

• The Blue Rock Thrush was sitting nicely on top of a chimney near Fisher Close as I arrived, in complete contrast to last time when we had to wait a long time to get a sighting.  The number of birders present was only about 25%  of the previous visit so the whole experience was much more comfortable.

• On the way I managed to see at least 3 Red Kites on the M40 - my first sighting of this species in 2017.

Beeley in Derbyshire

• I was in Beeley just after 1 p.m. but the village centre was deserted.  I finally got into the action when I found the Dusky Thrush and the birders at Pig Lane, a couple of hundred metres north of the centre.  It was on the ground in a field and perched on a fallen branch from a nearby tree.  It was further away than I would have liked, nevertheless the views were excellent.

Because this bird showed immediately I still had time to do a third twitch.

Chesterfield in Derbyshire

• As luck would have it, I picked up news on RBA of Waxwings in Chesterfield so I thought I would try for them after I had seen the Dusky Thrush.  I arrived about 2 p.m. at the Victoria Working Men's Club, as advised by the alert, and there in a tree in the gardens adjacent to the club car park were at least 8 of the 18 Waxwings reported earlier.  Not a bad way to bring up 50 species for the year. Incredibly there was no-one there to share my excitement with! 

Another 9 species added to my year list, with 4 really special ones, to make this a truly wonderful day, fully justifying the 400+ mile round trip.  

02/01/17 Staying Local - Short-eared Owl and Rose-coloured Starling

Monday 2 January 2017

I decided to avoid the crowds today and stay local.

Crawley

The Rose-coloured Starling was showing superbly mid-morning at Beachy Road.

Horse Eye Levels

After lunch I made my way down to Horse Eye Levels to be in good time to see the owls.  After a very wet day yesterday I was confident of a sighting today.  

• Just after 2.30 p.m. the first Short-eared Owl appeared, flying close by.  It then landed on the ground and I was able to get a really good view.
• About 10 minutes later 2 of them flew by, again offering great views.

• As I made my way to the car I got a third sighting - this time a single bird flying in the field to the south of me.

• There were no signs of any Harriers, Hen or Marsh.

I only managed to add 6 new species today but 2 of them were rather special and my afternoon on the Pevensey Levels was awesome.

01/01/17 New Year at Dungeness

Sunday 1 January 2017
Dungeness

Spent the morning at Dungeness.  The weather was wetter sooner than expected so conditions were not great.  I bumped into Andrew early on and we went round together.

Although my species list only reached the mid-thirties, there are some really good birds on it.

• Pride of place went to the Long-eared Owl which showed splendidly at the dipping pool by the visitor's centre.
• The Ring-necked Duck showed well on Cook's Pool at Boulderwall Farm.
• Andrew picked up on the Slavonian Grebe on Burrowes from Dennis's Hide.
• On Walland Marsh the 29 Bewick Swans showed well.
• Other interesting sightings included a redhead Smew on Burrowes, a drake Goosander at ARC several Goldeneye and, of course, plenty of Tree Sparrows at the feeders on Walland Marsh.

We were so pleased to see some rare birds today after missing out on the Steineger's Stonechat and the Caspian Gull at the start of our visit!