Dunstable STW

Starting bright but clouding over by lunch, much cooler too. The Blackwit has left the building. A dozen Common Swift feeding over the lagoons with all three hirundines present too. A couple of Yellow Wagtail through; Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Hobby and Common Buzzard seen. Missed a brief view of an early returning Water Rail.



A pair of Wardown Park Whooper Swan are still present.



One of two loafing Grey Heron.



Speckled Wood



Small White



Yesterday, a fresh looking Shaggy Inkcap ...



... now looks like this

Dunstable STW

Present for five days this Black-tailed Godwit proved difficult to approach - too many nettles !



Somewhat easier to photograph was this Painted Lady - the tip of the left antenna is missing.



A male Banded Demoiselle.

Willen Lake, Bucks

At Willen lake, Milton Keynes, a Wilson's Phalarope was too far to DLSR but this Hobby performed well outside the hide.



A Grey Heron waits patiently.

Spain: April 2007 Part 1

This Alpine Accentor showed well down to six feet.



Record shot of Alpine Swift



A flock of Bee Eater fed by the roadside.



A chance encounter of Black-eared Wheatear on a roadside fence.



Black Redstart



A Black Kite with some carrion.

Red-rumped Swallow at Brogborough Lake

Found late yesterday evening - Red-rumped Swallow. The cloudy start to the day gave low light levels. Eventually the sun came out, but by then the bird was ranging further, and higher. If accepted, it will be the third record for Bedfordshire.

Dunstable STW: Migrants at last

A Clear night to the south with fog locally - could we see some migrants ? Well, once the fog had cleared three Sand Martin flew through and a pair of Little-ringed Plover appeared. Residents included an obliging Kingfisher which posed briefly, and the 'plastic' pair of Whooper Swan took time out to preen.

Iceland Gull at Stewartby Lake

There was no sign of a reported Kumlien's Gull, but I did find this 1st summer Iceland Gull. It appeared very pale/bleached on the water in the bright spring sunshine. The bill base was pale with the distal third dark. An adult was seen earlier too, so possibly three Icelands today.

Atlas Work

Next year sees the start of the 3rd national breeding atlas project run by the British Trust for Ornithology. As a county, Bedfordshire are starting a year earlier. Familiar to many folk, the Blue Tit should be easy to mark down as a confirmed breeder.



Two Eurasian Treecreeper were very active chasing one another around old 'crack' Willows in the water meadow. Four 'adaptations' can be seen on this bird. A long, decurved bill to get food from bark crevices, long claws help negotiate the surfaces on the tree, a stiff tail used for support and balance, and camouflage - dark above for predator defence and pale beneath while looking for prey.



Typical this time of year- one female Mallard with an entourage of attending males.

Sunday Best

In the south of the county, Raven, yet again, avoided the camera. Luckily, Little Owl, Common Buzzard and Red Kite were on show.







Whilst counting Common Buzzard at Potsgrove nine Chinese Water Deer were warily crossing a field, and almost went unnoticed.

Norfolk, 8th March 2007

Spring has truely arrived with the Sun, at last, getting higher as each day passes. The Barn Owl is one of those birds which never ceases to thrill. This one was hunting over Dersingham Bog.





A diversion to Grimes Graves in the Brecks to see a Great-grey Shrike. The £2.70 addmission fee to this English Heritage site was a shock to the system though. However, for our money, we did go down one of the neolithic flint mines - which was nice. There were a few Woodlark singing over the clear-fell areas whilst skylark could be heard over the more open grasslands. No prize-winning image here as the bird would not allow close approach.

Dunstable STW: Wildfowl 'n Waders

This pair of Whooper Swan are, unfortunately, the progeny of Wardown Park captive/pinioned stock.





The first Green Sandpiper of the year has been present for a week or so. Here, the bird is showing off its leg-iron.



A menage a trois. If they were rare, genuine vagrants would I, perhaps, get enthusiastic about the Canada Goose ?



Smart wildfowl in the form of Gadwall

Lunar Eclipse

This shot shows an early stage of a total Lunar eclipse. The shadow creeping up from the bottom of the image is caused by the Earth moving between the Sun and Moon. The really interesting bit was much later when the Moon was lit only by refracted light through the Earth's atmosphere, giving it a coppery-red hue - but I was heading for bed by then !



Image Detail:

Time 22:03
Exposure
1/60th sec @f11
Focal Length: c.546mm
RAW /Tripod / mirror lock-up

Rammamere & King's Wood

Weather wise, a very dull day indeed. A 3.36km walk over the Rammamere Heath and in King's Wood, Heath & Reach produced little of note, but included three Marsh Tit and a Lesser Redpoll. I try to avoid the Stockgrove Country Park as it is very popular with dog walkers.

Brilliant Bunting

Present since 31st January, this record shot of a Little Bunting showed on and off until about 09:30 this morning at Amwell nature reserve in Hertfordshire. Digi-scoping would definately have the edge on this occasion ! The bird associates with Reed Bunting at the feeding station set between two reed beds.



A few Water Rail can often be seen scurrying between the reedbeds.



One of three Red Kite at a location in the south of Bedfordshire. Also seen were a pair of Raven, three Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Siskin.



Not another Robin shot !

Norfolk Niceties

A trip to Norfolk with a very cold early morning start at Lynford Arboretum.



Lynford is a regular site for Hawfinch. There were a few in the arboretum and half a dozen or so in the paddocks feeding under the Hornbeams.



This fellow has perfected the art of levitation !



Great-spotted Woodpecker



A mini 'twitch' to see two Waxwing reported in a residential area of Kings Lynn.







Over at Thornham Harbour there was no sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs of recent days. This Little Egret did, however, oblige with a fly-past.



Over at Titchwell RSPB reserve six Bearded Tit were feeding very close to the footpath oblivious to one and all.









Rowdy behaviour on the marsh - two Black-tailed Godwit lock bills.