27/1/2015: Staying local.....

27/1/2015

With the death of the old Octavia, I've been somewhat limited in my birding for the last few days and have been limited to the local patch. Having said that I was able to add a new species to the local list with a solitary Golden Plover calling as it passed over head. A Little Egret has spent the last few days hunched up on the bank of the Lode looking quite miserable! No more sightings of the Water Rails but hopefully they will put in an appearance at some point soon.

While walking along the old sidings this afternoon I was pondering on the lack of Long Tailed Tits this winter. Usually the hedges hold good number of this wonderful little bird but this winter the largest group seen so far has been 9.

Thursday 28th January: Ouse Washes

Picking up the new car so dropped D off at work and went off to the Ouse Washes for a while. The weather was grey and blowing so not the best of conditions....again! Goldeneye and Pintail were located amongst the usual wildfowl as were a good number of Tufted Duck. Amongst them was one female that caught my attention. A number of female present were showing white patches at the base of the bill and had apparent tufts. This female, which was loosely associating with them had a larger white patch at the base of the bill and no apparent tuft. Was it a therefore a Scaup?

Female Scaup or Tufted Duck

Size of base of bill patch distinctly greater than other female Tufted

Black tip to bill however looks too great for a Scaup and after enlargement hard to distinguish any other colouration on the bill

Having placed the images on Birdforum views are split. Will continue to ponder but without a better sighting this will have to be a question mark!

New Car!! Have bought a Skoda Yeti, so it better be able to take the punishment of the road to Burwell. Will be so glad to get back on the road!

22/1/2015: Ouse Washes: Bank to Bank Water

Thursday 22nd January

Arrived at 09.00 to find the car park empty, just the way I like it! As I passed the water pumping station via the lower path a Water Rail scuttled from the undergrowth giving a wonderful view. The Washes were flooded from bank to bank and seemed very quiet. There were the usual Wigeon, Tufted, Pochard and Mallard but not in great numbers. A couple of shots from the left of Kingfisher Hide might be an indication of why so few birds. A number of wildfowlers were present and so the ducks were keeping their heads down.

Moving up to Stockdale I was able to get a close look at the wildfowlers and the string of decoy ducks one or more had put out. Is one allowed to add Scaup and Pintail to your list if decoys? I think not!

Sitting for so long in the cold and damp hides I was thankful for my latest piece of equipment purchased at Mountain Warehouse, a foldable seat mat. No more frozen bottom!

A distant view of Goldeneye was confirmed by a quick swop of lens. I recently purchased on a whim and because it was vastly reduced on Amazon a x75 eyepiece for my Nikon EDG. With such magnification the light has to be pretty good, which sadly it wasn't, but I was still able to get a good, closer view of the Goldeneye on the far side of the Washes. I'm sure the lens will be of some benefit, particularly as most of my birdwatching seems to be over vast fens and the birds are always on the far side. However it will be what I will call a 'hide lens' as a good steady scope is required to reduce tremor.

On the way back to the car park a single Ringed-Necked Parakeet flew over screeching its presence as it passed by. Returned to the still empty car park at 11.00. The advantage of semi retirement!

Duration: 2hrs

Number of species recorded: 28

Highlight: Water Rail: close views but sadly no photo!

Soon back on the Road 

Following the sad death of the Octavia due to the horrors of Burwell Fen road, my trips out and about have been sadly reduced. Thankfully that will soon be over with the purchase of a Skoda Yeti! Higher clearance assured so no more crashes from the undercarriage..... hopefully!

18/1/2015: Burwell Fen killed my Car....!

Sunday 18th January 2015

Well it had to happen one day! After numerous visits to the Reach side of Burwell Fen the road to the bridge final exacted its revenge!

Normally there is just myself and the dogs in the car so the notorious bumps of the road to the bridge are not too bad. Add two more adults and it is a different matter. After an enjoyable walk around the lower part of the fen resulting in the spotting of  at least 3 Short Eared Owl, a couple of Stonechat and a female Marsh Harrier, the road finally exacted its revenge with a broken sump and a ruined engine! Goodbye my faithful Octavia!

So, somewhat limited birding this week but with today off work (Tuesday 21st) the dogs and I set off for a walk from home to Wicken and back. A good number of Fieldfare were present on Horse Fen with a few Redwings mixed in. Tit Alley produced a nice flock of Long Tailed Tit with both Great and Blue Tit mixed in. A Buzzard was seen over towards Wicken but views were distant and no way could I turn it into a Rough Legged!

As we came to the end of Wicken Drove a single Golden Plover passed over calling. Kingfisher and Little Egret were present at the Mill Pool along with a couple of Moorhen.

On Monday 20th along the Lode beyond the railway bridge I located three Water Rail! Two were moving stealthy along the reeds on the major bend. A call from further down the river revealed a third! This winter seems to be a particularly good year for Rails in this area.

17/1/2015: In and around Soham

17/1/2015

Pantiles to Railway Sidings

Cold and frosty morning. Enjoyable walk along The Lode from Pantiles Farm to the old railway sidings. Kingfisher moving up and down the river before disappearing. Little Egret appeared again on the bank side.

Seven Redwing in the horse field towards the sidings and good numbers of Fieldfare in the arable fields.

Duration: 1hr 15min

Number of species recorded: 21

Highlight: Kingfisher

Angle Common

Evening stroll around Angle Common produced a small flock of Linnet by the railway line and a Water Rail calling near the Lode path gate. A Stock Dove flew over and a large flock of Fieldfare were again on the arable field along with a small number of Redwing. A Kingfisher was present and a number of Pied Wagtails were gathering prior to roosting in the reeds. 

Duration: 1hr

Number of species recorded: 14

Highlight: Linnet: don't seem to have the numbers of previous years. 

15/1/2015: Lower Burwell Fen and The Lode

Thursday 15th January

Back from work and off to Burwell Fen. The wind had dropped and the Short Eared Owls seemed to be more active than the other day. At least three present. Hen Harrier (Ring tailed) was quartering the fields near the Reach Bridge. Female Marsh Harrier also showing well.

Duration: 1hr 15min

Number of species recorded: 31

Highlight: Short Eared Owl: made a number of close by passes as we crossed the Fen

13/1/2015: Lower Burwell Fen

13/1/2015

Work cancelled so off for a walk around the lower part of Burwell Fen. A Little Egret greeted us as we crossed the Reach Bridge and while watching it move through the long grass spotted a pair of Stonechat.

Very little to see while walking along the lower footpath other than a couple of Grey Heron. On the pool by Cock Up Bridge were a good number of Wigeon and in the grass nearby Fieldfare.

Crossing from the barns to the Reach Bridge a Short Eared Owl and a Ring Tailed Hen Harrier put in appearances. Shortly afterwards while checking out the flooded areas another sighting of a Short Eared Owl and a female Marsh Harrier passed over.

By this time the pleasant weather of the late morning was rapidly disappearing. As I chatted to a fisherman the clouds grew dark and heavy and soon rain started to fall. The temperature seemed to plummet and conditions become quite unpleasant so beat a hasty retreat to the car and home.

Duration: 2hrs

Number of species recorded: 25

Highlight: Short eared Owl and Stonechats

9/1/2015: Chippenham NNR

Finished work at lunch time so dogs roused from their various sleeping places around the house for a walk and a bit of birding. Hadn't been over to Chippenham for a while so decided to head in that direction.

On arrival there was a flock of 9 Bullfinches moving along the hedgerow as we walked ino the reserve and other than a passing Buzzard this proved to be the highlight of the visit. Otherwise it was very quiet and little activity. Such is the peril of a lunchtime walk.

Duration: 1hr 30mins

Number of species recorded: 19

Highlight: Bullfinch: 9 feeding along the hedgerow

8/1/2015: Fordham Woods

8/1/2015

Rain, rain and more rain! A miserable start to the day but dogs have to be walked. There was a recent report of a flock of over 40 Bullfinches at Fordham Woods so I decided to have a wander around to see if any remained. The birds had more sense than we did! Very little around. Good numbers of Chaffinch by the houses and Goldcrest in the hedges but other than the usual gathering of Blue, Great and Long tailed Tits the only real surprise were the two Teal on the river.

7/1/2015: Burwell and Tubney Fen

7/1/2015

Duration of visit: 2hrs 30min

Number of Species seen:47

No work today so up and off for a walk around the lower end of Burwell Fen and a quick round of Tubney. Now after the holidays both, especially Burwell Fen, were nice and quiet. The 'haystack' only turning up sometime after 10 am. 

Maybe I should explain the 'haystack'. For a number of weeks, certainly since Christmas a photographer with a very large lens has taken up position in one of the fields near the lower public footpath. His camouflage consists of what seems to be sacking and straw. Not sure how long he spends in his lonely haystack but enough to be nicknamed by the other birders as the Haystack. I can only wonder how many photos he requires of the Short Eared Owls and Hen Harriers as he is there an awful long time!

By the time we crossed the bridge a Ring Tailed Hen Harrier cruised by, quartering the fields by the car park and then off over Tubney Fen. The close proximity allowed for excellent views but sadly I was too slow to capture a photo. Must get better at this!

Decided to walk along the bottom path and so check out the small pools as well as the fields. Large number of Goldfinch on the move from one source of seed to another. As we approached the cattle grid a Short Eared Owl cruised over the top of us no more than 5 feet away. Sadly still haven't mastered the art of having a camera handy when needed! As the Short Eared Owl made its way over the fen two  more appeared from the ditch on our right hand side. With all three in the air I was able to note that none of them had the missing P feathers on the right wing as did the owl seen the other night. As soon as appeared all three melted away across the fen and I did not see them again. 

No sooner had the Short Eared Owls gone but another Ring Tailed Hen Harrier was spotted down towards the factory units. This soon disappeared towards Burwell village.

Throughout the walk groups of Golden Plovers passed over softly calling as they went. A large number had gathered on a recently ploughed field just off Factory Drove. (Thanks to Palomar Audubon Org I will from now on be referring to groups of plovers by their collective noun of a Congregation and as I read more into collective nouns for birds I think I shall expand my usage further). As the walk progressed further congregations of Golden Plovers passed over some in their hundreds as did charms of Goldfinches and a many deceits of Lapwing.

Very little to report on the way back. The usual waterfowl were present but the numbers have not been great for sometime. However as we moved along the path from the barns to the Reach Bride a Bearded Tit called just the once but sadly could not be found! I checked out the swans on Tubney Fen but could not find any of the Bewick Swans that were reported.

The following photos were taken on Burwell Fen using a Blackberry attached to a Nikon EDG scope.

6/1/2015: Back to work....

6/1/2015

New term started today so a reduction in time dedicated to birdwatching! A brief morning walk produced very little and by the time work and family duties had been carried out dusk was well and truly upon us as we went round The Lode.

As we crossed the railway line we were met by a Barn Owl hunting over the field. Good views were to be had as it quartered back and forth over the field then crossing the river to the far fields. I counted 9 'drops' but without luck before it disappeared over the hedge.

Other than that very quiet.

Talking of Barn Owls.......

The following photos were mobiscoped some time ago while out at the Nene Washes. They were taken using a Blackberry attached to a Nikon EDG Fieldscope. They are 'raw' and have not been photo shopped in any way.

5/1/2015: Trip into Suffok

5/1/2015

Last day before return to work so off for a short trip to Suffolk and a visit to Santon Warren. Very few people around so spent most of the time skirting the car park and visiting the horse paddocks. Good numbers of Great, Coal and Blue Tits with good flocks of Long Tailed Tits roaming around. Chaffinch present and mixed in with them were a couple of male Brambling.

Spent sometime searching for the Great Grey Shrike. Was reported as showing well from the road but sadly no such look.

Duration of visit: 90mins

Number of Species seen:27

Highlight: Brambling with Chaffinch working through beech mast. Mistle Thrushes with Redwings in horse paddock.

On the way home popped into Mayday Farm. Nothing to add to list from Stanton but a very pleasant walk through the woods with the dogs..

4/1/2015: Fog and Frost

4/1/2015

Thick fog as well as frost had settled over the Fens this morning making visibility very poor. A walk round the Lode and back through the railway siding produced very little of note. Heard a few Fieldfare overhead and spotted a few Dunnocks but little else. A drive over to Ramsey produced 27 Cormorants along the Ramsey Forty Foot and one very depressed Heron.

3/1/2015: Walk around The Lode

3rd January 2015

Pretty awful weather this morning, very grey and wet. However dogs have to be walked, so did the round walk of the railway sidings and The Lode.

Duration:1hr 10mins

Number of species recorded: 25

Highlight: Little Egret on the bank of the Lode looking very miserable in the rain, the Jack Dee of the bird world. 

Still haven't had the high numbers of tits and allied birds in the hedge in the area that I've had in previous years. Largest flock so far only 16 with 11 Long Tailed Tits and the rest Blue Tit. Only 1 Chaffinch, but good numbers of Wren. Great Spotted Woodpecker showing well. 

By the time we got home the rain had set in so plan to spend the rest of the day preparing school work!

Distant view of Little Egret

2/1/15: Local Patch and Burwell Fen

2nd January 2015

Local Patch:

Duration:20 mins

Number of species recorded: 9

Short walk this morning produced a Green Woodpecker and very little else. A very quiet morning.

Burwell Fen: 14.15 to 16.45

Duration: 2hrs 30min

Number of species recorded: 39 species plus Roe Deer (16)

I am fortunate to live within striking distance of Wicken Fen and its expanding environs. For the last few years I have been visiting Burwell Fen and have watched its gradual change from an arable area to an increasingly important part of the nature reserve.

The building of the bund and the flooding of the fields each year has encouraged a range of bird life to make use of the area. Burwell Fen has become an area of importance for Short Eared Owls with numbers ranged from just a couple up to a reported 17.

This afternoon was cold with a moderate breeze. There seemed to be a lot of people around. Usually the place is quiet but the holiday sessions seems to have brought everyone out. There was a lot of photographers out but it was good to see that the majority were sticking to the public rights of way and not, as in recent days, walking through the middle of highly sensitive areas in the hope of a snap of the owls. I've never quite understood this need to go hunting for the owls. Stand still for long enough and they invariably pass by! Given the size of lens that some of these photographers carry they could get a good picture of the owls from the centre cafe!

Other sightings of interest:
1 Ring tailed Hen Harrier
3 Stonechats
3 Barn Owls
2 Little Egrets

Male Stonechat: Burwell Fen

Report of a family of Bewick Swans with Mute Swans over on Tubney Fen. Must check it out as I haven't recorded Bewick in this area before.

1st January 2015: New Year, New Beginnings!

With the advent of 2015 I will, for the third time, resolve to keep a 'fairly' up to date blog of my time out and about seeking birds in and around the Cambridgeshire Fens and a bit further on occasions.

So in doing so, let's go back to 2014 and reflect on the birding outcomes of that year. Using the ever trustworthy and highly recommended Bird Journal (www.birdjournal.com) I can say with a fair degree of accuracy that the number of birds I've seen in and around the fens in 2014  was 149 species out of  a year total of 214.

My trusty Bird Journal also tells me that last year's figure is up on 2013 (134), 2012 (141) 2011 (129) and let's not mention 2010 ( all records lost! My fault not Bird Journals.)

I know there are species that could have been added, such as the Snow Bunting and Richard's Pipit that were at Fordham but my birding philosophy has always been to go the other way when a crowd appears! Anyway the year has gone, the new one is a day old so let's see what it brings!

First Trip...... break the mould!

So recording what you see and hear in the Cambridgeshire Fens eh? Well let's make the first entry about the Suffolk Brecklands then! Now that is logic. 

Cold, grey and windy New Year's Day so once the horse was done off for a walk with Debbie and the dogs. Site for visit- Cavenham Heath in Suffolk (www.sogonline.org.uk/cavenham-heath). Being on the edge of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk we are fortunate to have a wonderful variety of birding environments. Cavenham is one I visit on a regular basis, enjoying the change in landscape from Fenland to Breckland.

Duration: 1hr

Number of species recorded: 17

Highlight: Redwing.  Many feeding in bushes close to the road, giving excellent views.

Welcome to my patch!

Let me introduce you to my local patch. This is my local patch. The one I walk most days of the week, come rain or shine. You see as well as being a birdwatcher I'm also a dog walker (more about those two later) and so my local patch is the one we walk nearly every morning and evening.

To put it mildly my local  patch is not the most appealing. It is in fact the disused railway station and sidings of my town. Over the years it has always been the dog walkers area, a motor bike track, a dumping ground for lazy fly tippers and is now used by National Rail as a storage area. 

This was the main station yard, now a dumping ground for National Rail. The fenced off  area is no longer accessible which is a great shame as in September 2013 I found two Yellow-Browed Warblers in this small patch of woodland.

Aah the charms of the local patch. However the bushes by the entrance hold a good number of House Sparrows and Collared Doves.

At the beginning of 2014 a bulldozer moved in a cleared all the scrub from this area ready for development. Since then nothing has happened and so the scrub returns as did the Whitethroat and Blackcaps.

For a full list of birds seen along the railway sidings: Click Here

Part of the old railway sidings. One of the old dog walkers tells stories of coming down here as a boy to get rides up and down the sidings on the trains!  However this track does lead out onto...

The Lode! Built (dug), it is thought, in the 1790s to reduce flooding around Soham and Fordham. Across The Lode is Soham Mere which was once a large lake until it was drained in the late 18th century.

So that is my local patch. Might not be the most glamorous but it is all mine as I've never seen another birdwatcher in the area (if you are one, meet me under the Willow by the river to discuss sighting!).

So what has it produced?

According to my trusty Bird Journal (www.birdjournal.com) in 2014 I recorded 47 species of birds along the old sidings alone and 71 species along the sidings and Lode together. These include such wonderful finds as a Great White Egret (2013)

Woodcock and Brambling during the winter of 2013 as well as a Short Eared Owl and passing Hen and Marsh Harriers heading towards Wicken Fen. Last summer produced a Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher and Hobby on a regular basis. 

So until it is completely built over I shall continue to daily go in the hope of some rare bird turning up to make my day!

Local Patch Walk: 1st January 2015

Weather: Very cold (2 degrees), grey and windy

Duration: 30 mins

Number of species recorded: 13

Highlight: Sparrowhawk. Seen in tree by path giving excellent views.Then flew off and into a tree further along where it disturbed another Sparrowhawk. Both then flew off over the Lode squabbling as they went.