Goosanders

     Weald Country Park;     Sunday 9th feb;  2 pair Goosanders.

Massachusetts, carrying on the baby theme.

Bonnie and I went to Lexington to bond with our latest Grandson Toby born on dec 6th,  great little chap like they all are at that age.  It's always difficult for new parents to cope with the feeding of newborns and try to carry on a normal life,  especially at night,  you have to be lucky,  it doesn't last long though,  as they develope very quickly.  Also congrats to Dave and Susanne Bradnum.       I managed to take a few common bird photo's from and around the complex.   When the weather changed we took a trip to a conservation area near Lexington,  after about half an hour the cold got through to us and we had to hurry back to town and into a starbucks to thaw out,  we nearly came a cropper,  it was 21 degrees below.    There has been a fallout of Snowy Owls from the north along the east coast,  and at Plum Island they had a count of 14 in one day,  although it's only an hours drive,   to think about it on this trip is criminal.

3 generations,   Strange headgear?

Forgot they could smile at 5 weeks.

Snowstorm,  temperatures plummit

American Robin.

Dark-eyed Junco.

White-Throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Titmus

Downy woodpecker

Glimps of a Northern Flicker

White-Bellied Nuthatch

Black-capped Chickadee

Abberton

After driving through torrential rain to Abberton Reservoir,  son David and I arrived at the causeway in sunshine and found the male Smew fishing by the reeds,  great views of this unusual black and white (duck).   It's amazing how many people pulled up opposite the bird jumped out with bins or whatever rush up to the fence only to watch it fly off,   remarking "Oh it's gone!"     It did eventually come back each time though.  Other birds seen;   Goldeneye,  Goosander, and plenty of wildfowl.     They have opened the main causeway where you can park in bays,   It looks really good.

Photo's by D C McGough

photo by old McGough

Lovely Redpolls, Glades.

Does one Swallow make a Winter? December the 1st.

Stopped at Orford Quay Suffolk today,  and blow me there was a Swallow flying round the buildings on the Quay,  luckily it landed on the roof of a building briefly for me to snap the proof,   proof on the roof.   This was my only birding of the long weekend because 6 of us were fine wining and dining at The White Horse,  Sibton Suffolk,  Wonderful  food.

Dec 1st

The Redpolls have arrived sat 23rd nov

I went to the Glades this morning at 10 am hoping the northerlies would have brought some finches down,  I went round for an hour only to find a couple of small flocks of goldies with one or two redpolls thrown in,  all very flighty.   Eventually I was just about to give up and go home when I suddenly saw the flock I was looking for,  the sound and the flying round and back down onto the trees was unmistakable,  there were at least 30,  they must have arrived today.

Part of the flock

Hope they are 

                                                                         here to stay

Tuesday 19th nov

What a beautifull cold sunny morning this was,  Our plan on dark dreary monday was to go to Southend pier on tuesday and get ( flight photo's) of Med Gulls amd any bonus that might turn up,  the forcast was splended,  best day of the week.   We had not been to the pier for some time so we were looking foreward to some serious just the right bright day photography,  so we parked just down the road at 9.30 and put our £5 worth of parking fee in the machine and marched briskly and happily to the entrance of the pier,  to be greeted with  (  The Pier is closed Mondays and Tuesdays from 4th of November to March 2014) AAHHHHHH!   The only consolation was we wern't the only ones.    Enthusiasm eventually came back and we went off to Westcliff and found a mob of Splended Sanderlings,  counted 60 of the busy birds,  one or two ringed and some with oil on them.   Then off to Two tree Island with high tide approaching and always a good display there,  but strangely there were no Black-Tailed Godwits.

Sanderling

Grey Plover

Brent goose

Juv