Temminck's Stint at Beeby's pits

This bird was found by Brian Stone on 15 May. I dragged myself off my sickbed to go and have a wee look, as it is I think just the fourth Minx I have seen locally.

Barn Owl at Maxey pits, 13 May 2012

Digiscoped Dunlin

Taken at Beebies pits, Peterborough, Cambs, 13 May 2012

Swallows on barbed wire

'Iberian' Chiffchaff video

The Castor Hanglands bird seems to have 'modified' its singing style again. Now, the song is dominated by Chiffchaff style singing, with just hints of the 'sweep' notes of Iberian Chiffchaff, usually at the start of the song phrase.

Male Wheatear at Maxey pits

Australian Brushturkey at Cassowary House

Damp Queensland birds

Spotted Catbird, Cassowary House, Kuranda

Macleay's Honeyeater, Cassowary House, Kuranda

Helmeted Friarbird, Cassowary House, Kuranda

Yellow-spotted Honeyeater, Cassowary House, Kuranda


Magpie-lark, Cairns esplanade


Bar-shouldered Dove, Cairns esplanade

Thala Beach

This is the area where the Lace Monitor in the previous post was. Nice, innit?

Lace Monitor

Thala Beach Lodge, Port Douglas, Queensland

Predated

I went for my usual cycle round Ferry Meadows CP this lunchtime. I have to say, it was remarkably quiet. The final appearance of something resmebling sunny weather (I was only wearing two fleeces) has lifted the hirundines and Swifts and there were relatively few terns over the lakes, and very little chance of tern passage. There has been a slight increase in Garden Warbler numbers,especially round the Ham Bridge area, and nearby, at the small reedbed near the fork in the river, I heard my first FM Reed Warbler singing this year (in their traditional spot).
There is always something new to see, however. Today's treat came along the hedge between Lynch and Overton Lakes. There was basically a racket going on. The racket consisted of a mass of Long-tailed Tit trill, the odd Blue Tit and a singing Blackcap. I cycled round the hedge to see what was going on, and eventually saw a few of the Long-tailed Tits: my first juvenile Long-tailed Tits of the year.
Something was bugging the little birds and it clearly wasn't budging as they were persisting in mobbing and trilling and singing at whatever it was. I saw something largish mover, so I went round the other side to get a better look.
In the middle of the Hawthorn hedge, surrounded by Long-tailed Tits, the odd Blue Tit and a singing Blackcap, a Jay was holding a dead juvenile Long-tailed Tit and ripping at its flesh with its bill.
I think it is the first time I have ever seen a Jay eating a dead bird.

Curlew Sandpiper, Nene Washes

Curlew Sandpipers have become particularly scarce among our scarce passage waders around Peterborough. Spring birds with a bit of the lovely red underpart colour are particular rare. This is the first in spring I have seen since a bird also found on the Nene Washes by the same finder, Jonathan Taylor, in May 2008. My last in the PBC before sunday was a juvenile at Maxey Pits in Spetember 2008.
This rather short-billed individual was on an isolated strip of mud in the flood near Morton's Leam, halfway between Eldernell and March Farmers. During Sunday, this little patch had 14 Whimbrels, 3 Greenshanks, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit (female), 2 Avocets, 2 Dunlin and 4 Wheatears.
That takes the PBC year list to 166, with 35 'elites'.

Short-eared Owl

Look into the eyes...

...not around the eyes.

Tawny Frogmouth

Whinchat at Maxey

This lovely male Whinchat was found at Stonechat Corner at Maxey pits by John Saunders this afternoon. As I arrived on the scene, I couldn't see the chat at first, but flushed two Whimbrels, a very welcome and timely addition to the old local year list (now up to 161 including 31 'elites'). Also there was a Wheatear and a White Wagtail.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Cairns esplanade

This is one of the dark-rumped birds (a female) that breed in Asia and winter in Australia. The other bird is a Greenshank.

Dunlin at Ferry Meadows CP

This nice little breeding plumaged Dunstable was taking its chances on the shore outside the Watersports Café this morning, found by Matt Webb. Let's hope the dogs don't get it before the windsurfers have a chance to trample on it.

Crested Jacana, Centenary Lakes, Cairns

Blue-winged Kookaburra

Red-capped Plover, Cairns esplanade

Masked Lapwing

One of the birds we saw just about everywhere, but this soggy individual at Cairns esplanade was just about the only one I got round to photographing...

Cairns megapodes in the rain

Australian Brush-turkey




Orange-footed Scrubfowl