Ingrebourne Valley 30th and 31st december

Woodcock  Glades,   Marsh Harrier ,  20+ Snipe,  60+ Teal Scrape,  Female Bullfinch Glades,  10 Meadow Pipits Glades,  1 Snipe Glades,   2 Kestrel,  Sparrowhawk.  30 Lapwing.

Christmas at Downham Market

16 plus of these Goosanders on the Great Ouse at Downham Market,  

Wednesday 10th December Ingrebourne Valley

Male Marsh Harrier over Scrape late morning putting everything up then going south along the valley,  left wing had a number of primaries missing.    2 male 1 female Bullfinches were again feeding near the junction of the main path and the path to the iron bridge,  good views.   Essex wildlife have a facebook site for the Ingrebourne Valley,  and Becky Gibson is coordinating things on the way to the center opening.

Ingrebourne Valley monday 8th december

Birds seen in the last week;  Little Owl was seen last Tuesday sitting in the large Willow on the far side of the Scrape 2.30pm then flew,   Marsh Harrier seen in the week a couple of times back of Scrape,  Egyptian Geese have been freqenting the scrape area the last few weeks;   winter thrushes are around the Glades and hedges.

Fieldfare

Redwing

Ringed Teal at Langstone 30th nov

These attractive little ducks from South America are escapees from ornamental gardens,  3 turned up at Mill Pond Langstone near Hayling Island on Sunday,  even the local birders were surprised to see them there,   they were flying,   and in the future may breed like Mandarin Ducks.   Other notables seen;  Black Redstart Muddiford.

3 male Ringed Teal

Ingrebourne Valley Monday 24th november

Bittern, Barn Owl, 20 Fieldfare,  6 Redwing, 22 Ring-Tailed Parakeets, Snipe, Egyptian Goose, 5 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Water Rail, 50 Canada Geese, 6 Grey Lag Geese, 40 Teal,  2 Dabchicks.

Monday 17th Nov Ingrebourne Valley

Water water everywhere!  and..... no I won't say it.    Again lots of Wildfowl about with Snipe and Teal occupying the last bits of grassy bank on the far side of the scrape.    The best sightings were some Fieldfare in the bushes at the back and some going over calling,   a Kingfisher was again feeding in the shallows away from the river,  I had a Water Rail flying under the Iron Bridge,  and while standing there a female Bullfinch arrived and was feeding on buds and berries on the bush right next to the bridge and me,  a good place to see them.    There is also a good quantity of Gulls on and around the scrape which consisted of Commons, Lesser-Black Backed, Herring and Black-Headed with a couple of these rung probably the same ones which keep turning up.