22/2/2015: Shame on me!

22/2/2015

I promise..... I have been out and about bird watching but have been very remiss in keeping up my blog! Since my last entry I've been out and about on some fifteen occasions. A trip to Welney via The Denver Sluices produced a very nice Goosander but sadly no Rough Legged Buzzard. In fact despite a number of trip to Welney and a slow drive around Black Horse Fen no sign of the RLB. So I ventured over to Holme Fen where one has been in residence for the last couple of months. My trip resulted a no show and a stone from a passing tractor hitting my telescope lens a scratching it! Thankfully it has had no discernible impact.

Prior to Christmas a Great Grey Shrike was reported at Tubney Fen. This was the first since 1950's so I spent a couple of days scouring the area but with no joy. No further reports until recently when it was reported half a mile down the road towards Swaffham Prior on Whitway Drove. On a very rainy late afternoon I finally tracked it down looking somewhat dejected sitting in a bush in the pouring rain. 

Being close to the road, I was able to sit in the car and watched the shrike for 15 mins or so. Sadly I did not have my digiscope equipment with me but was able to capture a few grainy handheld shots through the lens of my small fieldscope. Not brilliant but a adequate record of this sighting.

Half term saw us doing a really nice walk around Salthouse, Norfolk. nothing major in terms of birds but a very enjoyable walk that took us inland as well as along the marshes.

During a recent visit to Welney I was able to record the rings on a number of Black tailed Godwit. These I sent to Dr Jenny Gill at the UEA who is part of a team that have been monitoring the movement of Icelandic Black Tailed Godwit for the last few years. She responded really quickly and was able to provide me with a wonderful insight into the birds seen such as the following:

LR-R//W

07.09.98	Holbeach, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
23.04.00	Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, E England
14.08.00	Snettisham, the Wash estuary, Norfolk, E England
26.02.01	Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, E England
09.04.01	Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, E England
12.04.01	Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, E England
16.04.01	Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, E England
18.04.01	Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, E England
18.07.01	Svarfaðardalur, Eyjafjarðarsýsla, N Iceland
28.01.02	Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, E England
23.01.05	Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire, E England
06.03.05	Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, E England
20.10.05	Freiston, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
11.03.06	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
03.03.07	Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire, E England
10.03.07	Paxton Pits, Cambridgeshire, E England
12.03.07	Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire, E England
14.03.07	Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire, E England
06.04.07	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
16.12.07	Breydon Water, Norfolk, E England
02.01.10	Needingworth, Cambridgeshire, E England
28.03.10	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
03.02.11	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
12.02.11	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
20.02.11	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
07.11.11	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
20.11.11	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
11.04.12	Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, E England
06.07.12	Cley, Norfolk, E England
07.07.12	Cley, Norfolk, E England
08.07.12	Cley, Norfolk, E England
09.07.12	Cley, Norfolk, E England
12.01.13	Mare Fen, Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, E England
01.04.13	Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire, E England
22.09.13	Freiston, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
29.12.13	Needingworth, Cambridgeshire, E England
27.10.13	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
20.11.14	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
19.12.14	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England
19.02.15	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England

and very interestingly for someone with Irish roots:

R-OR//W

12.08.06	Holbeach, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
02.10.08	Clonakilty, Co. Cork, S Ireland
07.03.09	Clonakilty, Co. Cork, S Ireland
27.09.09	Clonakilty, Co. Cork, S Ireland
18.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
19.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
20.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
21.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
22.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
23.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
24.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
25.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
26.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
27.04.13	Caldy Wildfowl Collection, Wirral, Merseyside, NW England
11.08.13	Frampton Marsh, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
23.08.13	Frampton Marsh, the Wash estuary, Lincolnshire, E England
29.10.13	Clonakilty, Co. Cork, S Ireland
17.12.13	Clonakilty, Co. Cork, S Ireland
19.02.15	Welney, Ouse Washes, Norfolk, E England

This is an interesting record as this one has not previously been seen on the Washes - unfortunately we don't have any sightings of it from Ireland this winter, so we don't know if it went there this year. 

Inspired by the results she kindly provided I returned today to Welney to see if I could get some more sightings. However all the BTG were settled on the far side of the Washes and refused to move. Oh well there will be another day!

9/2/2015: Hen Harriers and passing Cranes

9/2/2015

A beautiful evening so went out to Upware and walked into Wicken Fen and towards Harrison's Drove. A number of Water Rails were calling as were Cetti's Warblers.

As the sunset two Marsh Harriers appeared, one male. Shortly afterwards two female Hen Harriers drifted over the reeds towards the visitors centre and their usual roosting area. Shortly afterwards two more female Marsh Harriers appeared and quickly settled into the reeds.

As the sunset further two Cranes appeared from the direction of Wicken Village and slowly cruised directly overhead giving excellent views. They then continued down Harrison's Drove and disappeared.

A male Hen Harrier appeared on the far side and as it moved across the area another male Hen Harrier came up from the reeds. The two circled each other and then disappeared into the reeds. Throughout two Barn Owls quartered the fen to be joined by a third.

As we headed back to Upware another male Hen Harrier drifted overhead and headed towards the harrier roosting area. A fine end to a winter's evening.

1/2/2015: Wetland Day: A visit to Welney

Sunday 1st February

Seems the 1st is Wetland Day but sadly it had slipped my mind until I turned up at Welney. As there seemed to be people gathering in the main hide I disappeared of to the Reedbed Hide to see what was around.

Good numbers of Wigeon, Tufted and Pochard were present. Located three Goldeneye (2 male) in the centre of the flooded, which was beginning to take on all the characteristics of the North Sea, being grey and very choppy. Good numbers of Black Tailed Godwit were putting on a impressive display as they flew backwards and forwards along the far bank.

A couple of Great Black-Backed Gull (1 adult, 1 juv) seemed intent in giving the Pochard a bad time and in doing so revealed a solitary Pintail mixed in with them. There was a large number of Shelduck (12) beyond the main hide.

By midday I was frozen to the marrow and so retreated back to the car and home for an afternoon in front of the fire.