Crane family into roost, Eldernell

Red Kite at Eldernell, Cambs

Wheatear at Prior's Fen, Cambs

Barred Warbler at Kilnsea, East Yorks

Only a few hundred metres from the Masked Shrike was this occasionally 'showy' juvenile Barred Warbler (in the hedge outside the pub). Not a bird I have seen very often, and the only one I have photographed.

Masked Shrike at Kilnsea, East Yorkshire

I took a trip with Will Bowell and his girlfriend Natalie up to Kilnsea to see this wonderful third for the UK and first in mainland England. Great bird and really easy to watch, catching grasshoppers etc on the grass its favoured hedge.

This is the only shot I got where you can see that the peachy coloration on the flanks of the right side. These are the first signs of the colours this juvenile/first-winter bird will wear as an adult.

Having a bit of a mid-preen shake.

RSPB Frampton visit

Toby Collett, warden at RSPB Frampton, South Lincs, invited the editorial gang from Bird Watching Magazine (ie me, Matt M & Jack T) for a tour of the reserve last Friday (12.9.14). It is an amazing place, with bucket loads of waders and so much more, to boot. We saw about 70 species, with highlights including two Pectoral Sandpipers, Glossy Ibis, Merlin, peregrine, scores of Curlew Sandpipers, a dozen or so Little Stints, four Wheatears hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits, loads of Knot, and a nice collection of Spotted Redshanks plus at least three Kingfishers. Oh, and a Weasel or two! Here are a few snaps.

Weasel

Two juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers of strikingly different size

Mixed waders from the East Hide, including Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Little Stint

Little Egret

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper Juvenile Curlew Sandpipers

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, with a yeloow flag 'EAE', apparently ringed/tagged in Norway (watch this space for an update)

Two Kingfishers which called with a distinct trill and behaved oddly throughout. There was a third bird nearby, but I'm not sure this was the cause of the strange behaviour.

Whinchat, Baston Fen, South Lincs

Yesterday, I briefly visited Baston Fen NR looking for Whinchats and hoping for a Redstart. Couldn't see the Redstart but he number of Whinchats had swollen to at least five birds (from three the previous day). Here is a digiscoped record shot.

From the Archives... No. 30

I took this digiscoped image of a Little Auk back in November 2006 and had forgotten about it ever since. I think it may have been one of the last Little Auks I saw; certainly can't remember one since.

Some recent birds

Juvenile Cuckoo, Holme Fen, Cambs

Cormorant and eel, River Welland, Lincs

Juvenile Knot, Baston & Langtoft Pits, Lincs

Little Egret, Baston Fen, Lincs