Bittern at Woodwalton Fen video

Bittern at Woodwalton Fen NNR

Digiscoped in the reeds of the far side of Gordon's Mere on 15.1.12.

Tundra Bean Geese, Langtoft, Lincs

Yesterday, Josh Jones found a flock of four Tundra Beans in the private pits of his local patch, the Baston and Langtoft complex. They were almost certainly the same four that he found late in 2011 in the area. On my way to twitch them there this lunchtime, I popped into Langtoft West End pits to see if they had relocated there, and almost immediately refound them along with the Greylags and an adult and juvenile European White-fronted Goose.
These are the four Beans. Note that one appears to have a damaged (whitish) right eye; this should at least make identifying the flock reasonably straightforward if they wander (whither it may be...).
Already in 2012, in the Peterborough area, I have seen Brent, White-fronted, Bean and Egyptian Geese, which is a good little haul of geese for January around these parts.

2011 One per month: WINNERS

Thanks to everyone who voted for my favourite photos for the past 12 months. To my great surprise, 9 out of the 12 received a vote for the top photo. Only one (September's phalarope) received no votes at all!. Four photos dominated proceedings, and though the winner was just about a clear favourite, the other three were almost inseperable. These are the top four of my photos as voted by you, my dear readers (as ever, click them to see more detail):

FIRST: November, Crested Tit


JOINT SECOND: July, Chalkhill Blue and bee


JOINT SECOND: June, Wood Mouse


FOURTH: January, Waxwings

House Sparrow mass roost, Faro, Algarve

House Sparrow chorus by Weedons World
Perhaps, once upon a time, it would have been possible to hear a racket like this in the UK, even in London. It is at least encouraging that sparrow populations are still quite high somewhere in western Europe. This recording was made in September 2011. There were thousands upon thousands of birds in the roost in trees next to the bar we were drinking at and I recorded this by wandering around under them with my camera on 'voice memo'.

2011 One per month

Please leave a comment to vote for your top three favourite photos of the year, from this bunch. Results will be announced shortly...


January: Waxwings, Werrington, Peterborough

February: Marsh Tit, Castor Hanglands, Cambridgeshire

March: Little Gull, Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough

April: Ptarmigans, Cairngorm

May: Brown Bear, near Kuhmo, Finland

June: Wood Mouse, our garden, Peterborough

July: Chalkhill Blue and bee, Barnack Hills and Holes, Cambridgeshire

August: Pied Flycatcher, Murrow, Cambridgeshire

September: Grey Phalarope, Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire

October: Turnstone, The Algarve, Portugal

November: Crested Tit, Loch Garten RSPB

December: male, Sparrowhawk, our garden, Peterborough

Young Peregrine at Woodwalton Fen

We are blessed with a decent population of Peregrines in and around Peterborough. I have seen half a dozen or so even in the last couple of weeks at widely scattered sites. They hunt the Nene Washes, are seen in the centre of the city and are regularly seen around the 'higher' hills to the west of the A1M.
This young male, though (aged on the streaked not barred) breast, brownish, buff-fringed upperparts; sexed on relatively small size) was hunting ducks, small gulls and pigeons at Woodwalton Fen NNR yesterday early mornign (hence the glowing light). It was the second day running I had seen a Peregrine at the reserve, but the previous day's bird was a much bigger, grey bird, which I had down as an adult female.
Though I can't move for Peregrines, I still haven't seen a Merlin in the Peterborough area this year. And I crave this 'core' species, just to tickle my local year list up to 182 species. Three weeks to go...

Garden Sparrowhawk

This exquisite male was outside our bedroom window this morning. Luckily it stayed long enough a. for the children to see it and b. for Ed to fetch my camera for a few shots...

Mars Robot

About 40 years ago, when I was a tiddly wee lad, I made up a song called Mars Robot. I used to strum a small out of tune guitar rather randomly and sing this ditty as if I was a Glam Rock star. So, I thought I'd record a version and this is it...
Mars Robot by Weedons World

Digiscoped Kestrel

Scaup is 180

Josh Jones found this Scaup today among Tufties and the odd Wigeon on the cut of the River Welland known as the Deeping High Bank. I twitched it at lunchtime for my 180th PBC area tick for the year. Within half an hour I was on 181, after Josh, once more, found his first ever local tundra Bean Geese, four of them at Baston and Langtoft pits.

Red Grice in moorland

Male

Female

Red Squirrel, Loch Garten

Cute, innit?

Red-throated Diver, Black Isle

A tame (tired?) winter-plumaged individual, digiscoped in fading light

European White-fronted Goose video

European White-fronted Goose

This bird was found with Greylags at Ferry Meadows CP earlier in the week. It is part of a widespread influx of Euro Whitefronts into the country. In fact, we found a couple in northern Scotland a few days ago in a flock of wild Greylags, plus a couple of Barnacles, six Tundra Beans and a Ross's Goose.
The Whitefront was number 179 for my 2011 PBC year list.

Crested Tits, Loch Garten

I saw my first ever Crested Tits as a teenager, exploring the forest around Loch Garten before paying homage to the hide where you can watch the famous nesting Ospreys. More than 30 years later, I was at Loch Garten again with a group from Heatherlea (on a trip promoted by Bird Watching Magazine), photographing these delightful little birds. These are a few of the first I've processed (and probably the best of the bunch, to be fair). Enjoy!