Stewartby/MVCP

A female Red-crested Pochard resting by the sailing club lawn

A male Common Stonechat wintering behind the sewage works

An immature Mute Swan against a snowy backdrop

Sailing on Stewartby Lake

Snow Bunting revisited

A second visit to see the male Snow Bunting at Brogborough Tip was in order, if for no other reason but to improve on the previous images :~)

Plenty of sunshine, but where was the bird ? Well, suddenly I saw it - ten feet away !

Snow Bunting, Beans & Chats

Early frost followed by a sunny day and a chance to catch up with some notable Bedfordshire birds. This male Snow Bunting at Brogborough Tip was another excellent find by our county recorder Steve Blain.







After a few unsuccessful attempts last year, the wary Tundra Bean Goose family group showed well at Cainhoe, although distant.





A pair of Common Stonechat frequented a rough patch of ground adjacent to the Cainhoe lakes.

Woodland Walk

Another European Robin image !



A pair of Eurasian Treecreeper fed constantly.



A woodland path - where are the large wandering mixed flocks of
birds one used to see in years gone by ...?

Hawfinch

A suprise find today, while attempting to locate species for the county Xmas Birdhunt, was a Hawfinch near Woburn Park. The light was grim and the bird was a bit distant - so only record shots !





Oh - another European Robin image !

Brambling

The RBF at Leagrave Marsh remains but kept deeper in to the wood, probably owing to a cooler and keener wind. A Brambling posed briefly in rather difficult lighting.

Red-breasted Flycatcher at Leagrave Marsh

The second Red-breasted Flycatcher for Bedfordshire was discovered at Leagrave Marsh by Jon Palmer on Sunday. The bird is frequenting a block of woodland bordering the River Lea - a small oasis of habitat surrounded by estates, tower blocks and factories.

A tasty fly for lunch !

Fabulous Firecrest

This male Firecrest was discovered by Geoff Dawes off Derwent Road, Linslade yesterday. Today, after an hour searching, I saw it briefly down to 6ft not that far from the county boundary. Always a nice bird to brighten up those cold, short winter days !

Green Heron

One may find it difficult to twitch a mega rarity these days without encountering hordes of other birders seemingly trying to trample one to death. Not today, however, where down in Kent I caught up with a new bird for me - a first winter Green Heron. At one point there was only one other birder ! It was discovered on 25th October on the Royal Military Canal, West Hythe in Kent. It seemed unperturbed by the activities of humans close by. The light was abysmal, with shutter speeds of about 1/80th sec at ISO 800 - thankfully the subject was large, close and very still !

Common Scoter

This female Common Scoter was found at Harrold CP. A record shot, unfortunately, as the light was atrocious with the bird at digiscoping distance. There were three Goldeneye present- my first of the autumn.



Winter plumaged Great-crested Grebe

Aylesbury Asio

Berryfields, Ayesbury - it's not in Bedfordshire, but it's bigger, nearer and easier than Knotting Green. Viewed from a layby on the A41, this extensive area is earmarked for thousands of new dwellings - but for now it has two Short-eared Owl, two (or more) Barn Owl, Stonechat, Kestrel and Common Buzzard and has the potential for a harrier ...

Record shots of Short-eared Owl

Norfolk

A trip to north Norfolk was an indifferent day, weather wise, with very little avian activity close to the lens. After a short sea-watch at Cley beach we dropped in to the visitors center carpark, from where the Wilson's Phalarope could be distantly seen, but not photographed.
This rare American vagrant occasionally makes its way over to Europe - unlike Alexander Wilson, who first described the bird. He headed in the opposite direction - heading for the New World after leaving his native Scotland.

Over at Titchwell, a few Little Egret could be seen feeding.



A sizeable flock of Bar-tailed Godwit on the freshmarsh.



There were plenty of Red Knot on view.



With winter not far away, groups of Pink-footed Geese could be seen arriving from the North. These birds were feeding near Wells.

Raptor Rapture

Slightly less bright today with stronger winds, but as yesterday, keeping with the flight theme. These Common Buzzard took full advantage of the updraughts in the Bison Hill area of Dunstable Downs.

One of these individuals (seen in all three images) looked as if it had swallowed a cricket ball ! I presume it's just a full crop - let me know if you have an alternative theory ...







A Red Kite drifted by and did not show wing tags. It did not hang around - constantly harried by corvids.





By the time i'd noticed him, this juvenile Peregrine had almost got away after a quick interaction with the local Kestrel.

Local Patch - 09/10/08: Flight fancies

Some reasonable light this morning, and a chance to practice (non-too successfully) tripod work with birds in flight.

Two Shoveler show off their underwings.



A Black-headed Gull, now in winter plumage, hunts for scraps over the lagoons.



Another Black-headed Gull (this one a 1st-winter plumaged bird) spots a UFO on the horizon

A Common Buzzard lowers its under-carriage

Great Grey Shrike, Bucks

The discovery of a 1st-winter Great Grey Shrike twenty minutes from home was enough to draw me out of the county in to the Ivinghoe hills, Buckinghamshire. It showed very well at times in the autumn sunshine, but disaster happened when the cameras CF card became full just as it caught a shrew-type-thingy. Ho-hum ...
This bird was very actively hunting - it chased and failed to catch a Blue Tit.