Responsible Birding Diary: Saturday 21.11.20

 

I tried to relocate the diver again this morning, but it seems to have departed (or at least definitely moved). So, I dibbled around the Deepings area and eventually moved south and west to look for the Hooded Crow, once again. I couldn’t see that bird either (but was told it had been fluched by a Peregrine earlier). I did, however, have a nice flock of nearly 60 Pink-footed Geese passing by nearby, heading south-west. We don’t get a huge amount of these birds in our part of norther Cambs, despite being only a few tens of miles from the hundreds of thousands that winter in north Norfolk. However, we do get the odd skein which goes off course, or is seeking feeding grounds further inland.

It is wonderful to see a distant V-shaped skein and hope for anything but Greylags or Canadas, then hop out of the car and hear the distant ‘wink wink’ call of Pinkfeet!

Responsible Birding Diary: Friday 20.11.20

 

In case you are wondering, what is going on with the Responsible Birding Diary, the original diary ‘page’ on the website had, after eight months become unwieldy to add to. Daily updates from April to late November with words and pictures scattered throughout meant that adding new material had become glacially slow.

So, we have split the diary up, so you can still revisit the older stuff through the ‘archive’ link, but you can continue to see what I have been up to at this link. Please continue reading, and email the magazine at birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk or tweet @birdwatchingmag if you want to send some feedback.

Anyhow let’s get started (again)This morning it is a wee bit chillier than it has been recently. I didn’t go out looking for Hooded Crows or our ‘resident’ great Northern Diver (nor elusive Merlins), but instead have popped into the garden to see how it is coming along. Back in the day, I would have expected all leaves to have fallen and most plants to have stopped growing and gone into dormancy for the winter. But, these days, autumn and winter come later, and though the garden is covered in fallen leaves (which are also filling up the pond), some of the pond plants are still green and obvious, as perhaps you can see in the photos below.

Otherwise, the garden had Wren, House Sparrow and a fly-over Feral Pigeon and not much else, this morning in my brief visit. Perhaps at lunchtime, I may pop out in search of that Hooded Crow, again

…And indeed I did pop out at lunchtime. I relocated the Hooded Crow in the road! But could only get a quick record shot before a car came hurtling along and flushed it. Ho hum.

Responsible Birding Diary: Thursday 19.11.20

 

I got out early this morning to try to get better views of the Hooded Crow. Eventually, I tracked down the flock of about 200 Carrion Crows in which it was feeding. Don’t believe all that amateur nonsense about Rooks being the flocking crows and crows feeding alone. It is poppycock. Anyhow, it was lovely to watch this grey and black visitor.

Responsible Birding Diary: Wednesday 18.11.20

 

Today was my last day off, and last chance to catch up with a Merlin, this week (until the weekend, anyhow). I did see my favourite Great Northern Diver, but came home at lunchtime without a Merlin on my list.

But, thanks to some dedicated finding by local birder Derek L and his reporting on our local WhatsApp group), I was able to head out while it was still just about light enough to see, and see his Hooded Crow, near Castor Hanglands and the village of Ailsworth (just west of Peterborough). This is bird number 186 on my local year list and only the fifth Hooded Crow I have seen in 20 years birding in the Peterborough area.

Responsible Birding Diary: Tuesday 17.11.20

 

I am on a seeming eternal quest to see Merlin locally this year. Last year, I couldn’t move for Merlins, but this year I can’t see one for love or money. I decided to bite the bullet and walk the few miles of the Long Drove of the Nene Washes RSPB reserve in search of these little falcons. It was hard work in the strong winds (and my knees are bad at the moment) and I had no luck with Merlins. I did see a specularly huge juvenile female Peregrine which looked about the size of a Marsh Harrier as it was mobbed by a Kestrel!

Other highlights of the walk were 6 Stonechats, a single Great White Egret, and a fly-over Dunlin.

Responsible Birding Diary: Monday 16.11.20

 

As I had today ‘off’, I spent more time exploring different sites in the the Peterborough area. Most interesting was coming across a bunch of fields just north of the A47 (the road which links us to Leicester in the west and Norfolk in the east), east of Thorney. I counted 880 Whopper Swans in one field alone. With them were just about 10 Bewick’s Swans (we used to get many more of these smaller swans, but fewer of the Whoopers). Also there were at least 33 Cranes. It is a reminder of what a great place the Peterborough area can be, to see such a mass of brilliant wintering birds!

Loon revisited

Responsible Birding Diary: Sunday 15.11.20

 

And what can I say about today, other than I was once more watching the River Welland Great Northern Diver for an inordinate amount of time?

Responsible Birding Diary: Saturday 14.11.20

 

This weekend sees the start of a five day break from work, most of which I will probably spend birding, as my daily exercise. I decided to concentrate on the Deeping High Bank (again) and Deepings area in general, logging about 60 species. The best of the bunch were a Great White Egret by the Crowland Water Tower and the Great Northern Diver in its usual place. I also saw a couple of Stonechats and the odd Marsh Harrier.

Responsible Birding Diary: Friday 13.11.20

 

The diver (which is becoming an obsession) was present again this morning. I managed one or two photos, and also a picture of a ‘tame’ Buzzard just outside Deeping Lakes LWT.

Responsible Birding Diary: Thursday 12.11.20

 

Once more, I found myself driving the Welland in search of the Great Northern Diver (or anything else). At first there was ‘no sign’ and I thought the diver may have moved on. But as I was heading home, I saw it, but a little further downstream than is its customary setting.

Responsible Birding Diary: Wednesday 11.11.20

 

This afternoon, I went to Maxey pits to try to film the Starling murmuration which has been building up there. On the way, I thought I would call in on my beloved Great Northern Diver. Sure enough, after a bit of a wait, he appeared and swam very close to the gate where I originally found him on Sunday. But then, he abruptly turned round and went back the other way.

When I looked a little downstream, I noticed what I thought was a thin branch sticking out of the middle of the river. A second glance revealed it was an Otter, waving its tail in the air, almost like a flag to see off the diver, which was close to invading the Otter’s fishing area! It was a quite extraordinary sight!!

Later on, though I did see getting on for about 30,000 Starlings come to roost, they never really formed a single big swarm, preferring to dive almost immediately into the roost site. Another afternoon, perhaps…

More Welland Great Northern Diver photographs

Responsible Birding Diary: Tuesday 10.11.20

 

The Great Northern Diver was in position again on the River Welland. I took a lunchtime trip up there with my dear wife, Joe, and I managed to get a few more photos. At one stage, a Great White Egret flew over our heads.

Meanwhile, a quick pop in to nearby Deeping Lakes produced a calling Chiffchaff, which I guess is going to linger for the winter, now.

Responsible Birding Diary: Monday 9.11.20

 

I drove up again to the Welland on this the fourth foggy morning on the trot. After a bit of a waiting, I saw the Great Northern Diver in exactly the same spot as I last saw it yesterday afternoon.

Great Northern Diver, River Welland, near Deeping Lakes LWT, south Lincs/north Cambs

Responsible Birding Diary: Sunday 8.11.20

 

For the third day running there was fog on the Welland, and so the temptation to seek birds which may have got slightly lost in the haze. Things started well enough with the Great White Egret, again fishing along the river in the mist.

But then I got lucky! I found a juvenile Great Northern Diver on a stretch of the river, where it branches off from the road (near Deeping; and where the river forms the boundary between Cambs to the south and Lincs to the north). The diver fished the same stretch of river all day. giving great photographic opportunities. (for photos see the next post; meantime here is the Great White Egret in the fog).

Responsible Birding Diary: Saturday 7.11.20

 

For the second day running it was a foggy start, so I was back at the Deeping High Bank (a road which follows the River Welland for a few miles). A Great White Egret was again fishing the banks of the river, and that was about the sum of the goodness on the river. SO, I went to Deeping Lakes and hung out for a while compiling a list from one of the screens.

I reached just over 50 species, with the highlights being a female Pintail and a Green Sandpiper popping in. In the afternoon, I went down to Eldernell (Nene Washes) for a bit of an early evening ‘roost’s session. It is very good there at the moment. My totals were as follows:

Hen Harrier, 1, ringtail,

Marsh Harrier, 7 (minimum)

Crane, 59,

Great White Egrets, 4,

Little Egret, 19,

Stonechat, 2

Responsible Birding Diary: Friday 6.11.20

Despite moaning about a lack of time in the morning pre-work, for birding, I drove up to the Deeping High Bank this morning, as it was foggy, and fog should never be ignored (It brings some very good birds, sometimes). All I had to report was a Stone chat and five Whooper Swans. By the time I got to Deeping Lakes, it was still too foggy even to see the islands properly. A couple of Cetti’s Warblers were singing and that was looking like the highlight, when a Bearded Tit called from near my screen. And a few seconds later a lovely male Bearded Tit flew by calling.

Responsible Birding Diary: Thursday 5.11.20

 

It is hard to get any birding in outside the weekends, at the moment. There is not much time in the morning to get a decent cycle in with birdwatching, before work, despite the clocks going back. Still, I can always pop out to the garden and enjoy the birds. There are always birds in our garden, and with the falling of the leaves, it is easier to see them in the hedges! So, I have been enjoying the Dunnocks, Great Tits and Wrens. But I also had a Linnet fly over and a Sky Lark; the former was my first over the garden, this year, and the latter an indication that there is still some migration going on.

Responsible Birding Diary: Wednesday 4.11.20

 

I popped out for a bit into the sunny but cold garden this morning. Easily the highlight was the pair of Goldcrests working their way through the trees. I have never seen more than one Goldcrest in the garden, before, and these are pretty uncommon ( less than annual).

Responsible Birding Diary: Tuesday 3.11.20

 

The most interesting thing in the garden today was a fresh scattering of Woodpigeon feathers. I think it looks like the remains of Sparrowhawk kill (which we get from time to time) and hope it isn’t a result of hunting by one of the thousands of semi-feral cats that come into our garden!

Responsible Birding Diary: Monday 2.11.20

 

A quiet day, wildlife wise (and too windy to get up to much on my bicycle), the best I could get out of the day was watching Great Tits, Robins and Magpies enjoying the garden.

Glossy Ibis, Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough

 

Responsible Birding Diary: Sunday 1.11.20

 

As the weather was somewhat better today, I decided to pay the Ferry Meadows Glossy Ibis another visit, and I got lucky, with some close views and some sunshine. It may be a brown, dull-coloured version of its species, but it was fascinating watching it probing for endless earthworms. It is a great tribute to the staff at Ferry Meadows, especially my friend Chris Park, that the flooded fields of Heron Meadows, there, have delivered such great birds!