After meeting Tony at Tower Hamlets where we put him onto the Fiecrest earlier in the week, he gave us his phone number & he told us that he would show us the whereabouts of the Tawny Owl in his home patch at Abney park cemetery in Stoke newington.
So today I give Tony a call at about 11 am & he is all ready close by us in the park, we only have to walk a short way before we are looking up at the Owl.
Very hard to pick out as it is close to the trunk & the leaves are good camouflague for it, but we get a view of it's body front on but the head is hidden, we spend a couple of hours looking up at the tree still getting the same view with the bird not doing much moving.We would never have found the bird without the help of Tony so we thank him very much for that.
So with the money running out in the car park it's time to head home, on leaving we say good bye to Tony & he tells us he will keep us informed if a mate turns up & any chicks appear.
He told us the storey that the female Owl was found dead last year & the chicks also, the male that is left here keeps calling through the night & Tony thinks a female may be in the park as well.
No photos today but another year tick for the both of us.
We will return another day in the hope of getting a good photo of the bird maybe sitting out a bit.
Friday 27 February 2015
Tuesday 24 February 2015
Lemsford Springs Herts, Green Sandpiper
Looking for somewhere to spend a few hours birding this morning, Jimmy comes up with Lemsford where they have some Green Sandpipers.
It's only 25 miles from home & we arrive at 8 o'clock & pick up a key from the wardens house that had been left in his porch, this key opens both the reserve gate & both the hides.
It is a very short walk to the hides & once inside we see 3 Green Sandpipers right away along with 2 Water Rail
Never been here before & I must say it's well worth the visit a smashing place to just sit & get some close up photos of at least 5 Green Sand pipers some Water Rail, Snipe, Grey Wagtail, Teal, Moorhen, Little Egret, Heron, in the trees just by the hide we pick out a couple of Goldcrest , the odd Wren,a flock of Long-tailed Tits & just for good measure a Sparrow Hawk flies low across the water right past the hide & sits in a bush on the other side of the hide.
Only 1 year tick for the day but a really great morning spent at a place we will certainly be returning too.
It's only 25 miles from home & we arrive at 8 o'clock & pick up a key from the wardens house that had been left in his porch, this key opens both the reserve gate & both the hides.
It is a very short walk to the hides & once inside we see 3 Green Sandpipers right away along with 2 Water Rail
Never been here before & I must say it's well worth the visit a smashing place to just sit & get some close up photos of at least 5 Green Sand pipers some Water Rail, Snipe, Grey Wagtail, Teal, Moorhen, Little Egret, Heron, in the trees just by the hide we pick out a couple of Goldcrest , the odd Wren,a flock of Long-tailed Tits & just for good measure a Sparrow Hawk flies low across the water right past the hide & sits in a bush on the other side of the hide.
Only 1 year tick for the day but a really great morning spent at a place we will certainly be returning too.
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| Green Sandpiper |
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| The Sparrow Hawk |
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| Greywagtail |
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| Snipe |
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| More Green Sandpiper |
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| Green Sadpiper |
Saturday 21 February 2015
Richard's Pipit at Shell Ness + Firecrest at Bow.
With Brian at work Jimmy & I make the short trip to Bow in the hope of picking up a Firecrest that has been reported there. Tower Hamlets cemetery is where we need to be.
It's around 8 am & not very nice weather wise with rain in the air, we head to Sanctuary wood & spend a good couple of hours looking for the bird without any luck, another 2 fellows turn up & help the search, but still no show, we head up towards the centre building by the main entrance to have a look at the map board to find out where else to look when Jimmy hears & then See's the Firecrest in the nearest bush by the board, as soon as he calls me the bird flies over our head & settles on the top of a grave stone & then gives us some really good close views before flying off & out of sight.
so a nice year tick for both of us, a call from Brian tells us that he is home from work & do we want to head to Kent for the Richard's Pipit.
We meet just after 12 noon & on the way we decide to pop in at Elmley as a Wood Sandpiper is about, we drive up & down the track with no luck in finding the target, the place is full of Lapwings with the odd Redshank plus a couple of Marsh Harriers, double figures of Curlew with the odd Ring Plover also seen, a few Skylark & some Kestrel made up the numbers seen.
A longer stay than we planned as we all like being here, but we make our way to
Shell Ness which is 10 miles away to look for the Richard's Pipit. We take the car right to the bottom of the track over some very uneven ground to park a lot closer to where we need to be to find the bird. We can see a small group not to far away with the scopes out, on reaching them we find Dave B & he tells us he has heard the bird not to long ago. we don't see or hear the bird while Dave is hear, but as soon as he has gone the Pipit flies up over our heads calling as it flies, not a great view but a ticks a tick.
A quick look in at Capel Fleet gives us our first Barn Owl of the year & the quick look in turns in to us staying till the light goes when another couple of Owls give us really good displays.
We have had a great day with 3 more year ticks in the bag.
It's around 8 am & not very nice weather wise with rain in the air, we head to Sanctuary wood & spend a good couple of hours looking for the bird without any luck, another 2 fellows turn up & help the search, but still no show, we head up towards the centre building by the main entrance to have a look at the map board to find out where else to look when Jimmy hears & then See's the Firecrest in the nearest bush by the board, as soon as he calls me the bird flies over our head & settles on the top of a grave stone & then gives us some really good close views before flying off & out of sight.
so a nice year tick for both of us, a call from Brian tells us that he is home from work & do we want to head to Kent for the Richard's Pipit.
We meet just after 12 noon & on the way we decide to pop in at Elmley as a Wood Sandpiper is about, we drive up & down the track with no luck in finding the target, the place is full of Lapwings with the odd Redshank plus a couple of Marsh Harriers, double figures of Curlew with the odd Ring Plover also seen, a few Skylark & some Kestrel made up the numbers seen.
A longer stay than we planned as we all like being here, but we make our way to
Shell Ness which is 10 miles away to look for the Richard's Pipit. We take the car right to the bottom of the track over some very uneven ground to park a lot closer to where we need to be to find the bird. We can see a small group not to far away with the scopes out, on reaching them we find Dave B & he tells us he has heard the bird not to long ago. we don't see or hear the bird while Dave is hear, but as soon as he has gone the Pipit flies up over our heads calling as it flies, not a great view but a ticks a tick.
A quick look in at Capel Fleet gives us our first Barn Owl of the year & the quick look in turns in to us staying till the light goes when another couple of Owls give us really good displays.
We have had a great day with 3 more year ticks in the bag.
Wednesday 18 February 2015
Just a few more photos from the weekend.
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| Little bunting |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Coal tit |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Who you looking at. |
Monday 16 February 2015
Little Bunting & lesser Scaup in Wales.
We meet up with Brian at 5 am & arrive in Glamorgan around 7.30am, the target bird is the Little Bunting seen at Forest farm in Cardiff.
On arrival we park up & start to look for the hide, a fellow birder pulls up at the same time as us & thinks he knows where to go,so we blindly follow him & bingo he takes us the wrong way, still it's not to big a deal & we track back & find the hide next to the centre.
Once inside the Bunting is seen feeding just a few yards away, a cracking little bird to give all three of us a lifer, it's mine & Jimmy's first lifer this year & the second for Brian.
As you walk to the other side of the hide it is set up with feeders & it is very busy with plenty of Tits & a Nuthatch shows on & off for the whole time we are here also 2 male Bullfinch & a female show very well, this is a great little place to sit & watch & to get some good photos if you have some idea what to do with your camera, (note to myself must try harder to find out what this bridge camera can do.)
Off now to Cardiff Bay to find the wetland centre for a chance to spot the Lesser Scaup in the bay.
Not far from the car park we find the boardwalk & pick out the Scaup within minutes, it's a long way off but easy to pick out as it swims with a group of Tufted Duck through the scope.
Some people with us are heading off to look for a Bonaparte's Gull only a couple of miles away at Rover's way near the heliport. we meet up again with Geoff a birder from Leicester while here but the signs are not good & we don't spend to much time looking for the Gull.
As it usually happens a couple of hours later it comes up on the pager as being there now.
A 40 mile drive takes us to the Forest of dean, a two barred Crossbill has been seen there, we decide to head to Parkend church instead as a Crossbill is reported.
A good decession as we get another year tick within a very short time.
One last place to visit while here as we are close to the New fancy watch point we have to give it a look. None of us have been here before & we will certainly be back when we have more time to give to it. No luck with any Goshawk this time as the weather not the best for them to show but what a nice place to watch for them.
On the way home a few Red kite seen for a year tick for Jimmy & myself,so 1 lifer & 4 ticks in all for a very nice day.
On arrival we park up & start to look for the hide, a fellow birder pulls up at the same time as us & thinks he knows where to go,so we blindly follow him & bingo he takes us the wrong way, still it's not to big a deal & we track back & find the hide next to the centre.
Once inside the Bunting is seen feeding just a few yards away, a cracking little bird to give all three of us a lifer, it's mine & Jimmy's first lifer this year & the second for Brian.
As you walk to the other side of the hide it is set up with feeders & it is very busy with plenty of Tits & a Nuthatch shows on & off for the whole time we are here also 2 male Bullfinch & a female show very well, this is a great little place to sit & watch & to get some good photos if you have some idea what to do with your camera, (note to myself must try harder to find out what this bridge camera can do.)
Off now to Cardiff Bay to find the wetland centre for a chance to spot the Lesser Scaup in the bay.
Not far from the car park we find the boardwalk & pick out the Scaup within minutes, it's a long way off but easy to pick out as it swims with a group of Tufted Duck through the scope.
Some people with us are heading off to look for a Bonaparte's Gull only a couple of miles away at Rover's way near the heliport. we meet up again with Geoff a birder from Leicester while here but the signs are not good & we don't spend to much time looking for the Gull.
As it usually happens a couple of hours later it comes up on the pager as being there now.
A 40 mile drive takes us to the Forest of dean, a two barred Crossbill has been seen there, we decide to head to Parkend church instead as a Crossbill is reported.
A good decession as we get another year tick within a very short time.
One last place to visit while here as we are close to the New fancy watch point we have to give it a look. None of us have been here before & we will certainly be back when we have more time to give to it. No luck with any Goshawk this time as the weather not the best for them to show but what a nice place to watch for them.
On the way home a few Red kite seen for a year tick for Jimmy & myself,so 1 lifer & 4 ticks in all for a very nice day.
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| Little Bunting |
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| Nuthatch on one of the feeders |
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| Bullfinch |
Sunday 8 February 2015
Waxwings & White-fronted Goose for 2 ticks
A trip to Ipswich to look for Waxwings, it's a slow drive with a lot of speed restrictions due to road works.
Cedarwood school in Kesgrave is the reported area to start looking, 2 hours & many drives round the local roads later we are about to give it up when the pager tells us that they have been located 2 miles away in a mistletoe tree along Colchester road Ipswich.
As soon as we park up we are onto 6 birds in said tree outside number 250.
Just a little group gather to get some photos of these great birds but they would not play ball & they stay on the dull side of the tree for most of the time,on the odd occasion that they came round the sunny side the cameras go into overdrive.
On the way home we pop into Abberton & pick up another year tick when we see 4 White-fronted Geese, we have missed out on these a couple of times so nice to get them today.
Cedarwood school in Kesgrave is the reported area to start looking, 2 hours & many drives round the local roads later we are about to give it up when the pager tells us that they have been located 2 miles away in a mistletoe tree along Colchester road Ipswich.
As soon as we park up we are onto 6 birds in said tree outside number 250.
Just a little group gather to get some photos of these great birds but they would not play ball & they stay on the dull side of the tree for most of the time,on the odd occasion that they came round the sunny side the cameras go into overdrive.
On the way home we pop into Abberton & pick up another year tick when we see 4 White-fronted Geese, we have missed out on these a couple of times so nice to get them today.
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| My best effort |
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| The other side of the tree. |
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