Friday 30th Dec 2011 Abberton Reservoir

I was going to Dungeness today with my son David to do some photograpy, but the light was going to be pants,  so we took a trip to Abberton res instead.   Weather wasn't great but we managed to see quite a variety of birds.  Short-Eared Owl at 11am,  Fieldfares,  Pair of Bullfinches, with the male coming out into the open,  daren't move!    3 Goosanders,  20 Spotted Redshanks, some Goldeneye,  millions of other Wildfowl including 15 Bewick Swans,     We just missed the Hen Harrier doing his rounds, apparently quite close,  and a Peregrine.    Eventually the rain came and that was it.

D.  Charles McGough, Short-Eared Owl.

Dave McGough,  SEO.

Claires Garden Norfolk tues 27th dec 2011

A flock of Redwing were feeding on Holly berries next to my daughters garden.   They were using her beach tree for their start point.    I did go to Lynford Arboretum to look for Hawfinches in the paddock.  There was a number of other birders there for the same reason,  unfortunatly some bugger was in the middle by the hornbeams with a large dog tearing around while he threw a ball for it.   Wasted journey.   Of all the millions of miles there are there to walk a dog he had to climb over the barbed wire into that small but beguilling field to spoil everyone elses fun.     I feel better now.

Weald CP. 19th and 20th Dec 2011

Russ Sherriff and I saw 3 male and 3 female Goosanders back on the lake yesterday,  I returned today because it was better weather and there were 4 male and 3 female still there.   The flight distance of these beautiful birds is about 150 metres,  they soon start to move away as you appear,   so the usual stealth is neaded.

Harold Court Wood friday 9th dec. Redpolls

Lesser Redpoll

Mealy Redpoll or trick of the light?

Belhus 6th dec 2011

               Siskins, Belhus Woods.

Female Siskin

Redwing

Monday Rainham Marshes 5th Dec

A lone Black-Tailed Godwit plodding and prodding it's way around the marsh.   The water is gradually seeping back into the scrapes and is looking very promising   The birds are building up day by day.    

Rainham Marshes weds 30th nov

Bird of the month must be The Short-Eared Owl.  I don't think I have been anywhere without seeing or hearing about a SEO.  There are other good birds around at the moment,  as the guys survey has shown,  and here at the marshes the same thing,  a number of Stonechats, and resident Bearded Tits?  It's certainly looking promising.  We need a week of  very cold weather.  Just a week.