Little Gull

Look, I'm a stick!



Note a hint of pink flush in this shot.
Adult Little Gull, Baston & Langtoft pits, Lincolnshire, 20.5.07 (DSLR)
Click each for a larger pic.

Turtle

Turtle Dove, Maxey pits, 20.5.07 (digiscope)

Wasp Beetle

Wasp Beetle, our garden pond, Peterborough, 18.5.07 (DSLR)

Gluteus

...a curious confusion of gluten and arse.

Crane

Rope in palms

PBC Wilson's Coot-foot

Wilson's Phalarope (plus Greenshank), High Wash, Whittlesey, Cambs, 10.5.07 (digiscope).

Whenever a juicy rarity is hanging around in Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire or further south in Cambridgeshire, but outside the PBC area, we always will it here! For once, the wishful thinking has come true. The amazing Wilson's Phalarope in glorious female splendour was not seen today at Grafham Water after a week or so at the site. But Jonathan Taylor of RSPB Nene Washes fame was there to see it fly in this afternoon (10.5.07) to the small, juicy pool on the High Wash (North Bank) halfway along to the Dog in a Doublet.
I was on the scene as soon as I could get there, but beaten by Brian Stone and Bob Davies (who almost had this bird on his garden list!). It was rainy and miserable, but once Brian climbed on the roof of his car (like a yobbo), and located the blighter, then the weather was put behind us. This is a brilliant little bird, and I will be returning to see it again if it hangs around.
I wonder if it will be drawn to my current fave site, Maxey, by other waders passing through. The presence of a Turnstone and the arrival of 14 Dunlin on the pool while Will Bowell was watching the 'rope, while the Maxey Turnstone of earlier today had gone this evening as had 14 of the 16 DUnlin earlier, may suggest at least a one way connection. Then there were last autumn's commuting Spotted Redshanks which roosted in the direction of the Washes, but returned each day to Maxey... Hmmmm...

Anyhow, Wilson's Phalarope is my 218th PBC species.

Wood Ruff

Eight Ruff and 3 Dunlin, Maxy pits, Cambs, 3.5.07 (digiscope)


Wood Sandpiper, Maxey pits, Cambs, 7.5.07 (digiscope)

I've grilled my 'local patch' at least twice a day the last week or so. It is really just one pit with wonderful wader habitat. The last ten days have seen more than 50 Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Ruff (or 7 Reeves, 1 Ruff), at least 3 Greenshank, at least two Common Sandpiper, about 10 Dunlin (assuming once they go they're replaced by new ones), a minimum of four Golden Plovers (in the nearby field). And since yesterday, a splendid breeding-plumaged Wood Sandpiper. [Also a couple of weeks ago there were a couple of Avocets, and a Spotted Redshank was reported from there yesterday).

Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope, Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, 4.5.07 (digiscope)
Not a bird I was expecting to see this week, this magnificent Wilson's Phalarope was my first in the UK. I'm glad I waited until an adult (and judging by its brightnss probably a superior female) turned up before I twitched one. This was also my first ever visit to the excellent Grafham Wter despite it being so close to Peterborough. It wasn't an easy bird to photograph (mainly through heat haze), but is was close enough for excellent views. The photos don't do justice to the subtle Red-backed Shrike blue-grey of the head and the salmon-peach of the breast, or the transition from black eye tripes to red-brown shoulder straps. Gorgeous.
It was using three main feeding strategies. Firstly, it was closing its eyes and swinging its head a few times quickly underwater, rather like an Avocet or a supersonic Shoveler. Secondly, it would occasionally do rapid spins on the spot like a Red-necked Phalarope. The third strategy was to follow the Shelducks, Gadwalls and Mallards and see what they stirred up, while picking repeatedly from the surface.

Swifts

Swifts, Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough, 2.5.07 (DSLR).

Another ouzel

Ring Ouzel, Stilton (on private Stilton Oaks Golf Course), 3.5.07 (digiscope). Thanks very much, Janet, for inviting us in to see this superb bird.

Triple drag

Four-spotted Chaser (DSLR)

Female Hairy Dragonfly (DSLR) click it to see quite how hairy!


Male Hairy Dragonfly (digiscope)
Here are three dragonflies from Serpentine Brick Pit, this glorious May 1, 2007.

Field day

I spent most of the day (30.4.07) at large in the PBC area with Will Bowell. We covered several sites and had fantastic success.
I started the day with 26 Barwits and a Knot at Maxey and continued with a further 18 Barwits and a Turnstone at Deeping Lakes. The other big highlight was a couple of beautiful summer Black Terns at Fletton Brick Pit (LB1), flying over a pair of first-winter Little Gulls.

Day totals included:

Bar-tailed Godwit, 47,
Turnstone, 1,
Knot, 1,
Black Tern, 2,
Little Gull, 2,
Greenshank, 4,
Common Sandpiper, 2,
Dunlin, 1,
Wheatear, 6,
Hobby, 2,
Grey Partridge, 2.
As ever, click on any photo for a bigger version...







Barwits and Knot at Maxey (digiscope)


Female Wheatear (digiscope)


Male Reed Bunting, Maxey (digiscope)

More wader fun

I spent an inordinate amount of time today chasing waders around, like a headless Turnstone. I checked out Maxey early this morning and there were seven Bar-tailed Godwits there. Next I found five Barwits at the New Workings at Baston and Langtoft, where there were also two Greenshanks. I left there and while passing Frognall, a flock of about 150 waders whizzed by. At first I thought they were Golden Plovers, but there was something a bit fast and direct about their flight that gives me doubts. Were they more Barwits?
I went to the High Wash and while thereI heard that Charlie Kitchin had seen Tunstone, multiple Sanderlings and Grey Plovers plus more Barwits at Eldernell. A quick dash there proved that there really is no visible (to the public) decent wader habitat. So I returned to the High Wash where there were two more Barwits...


Knot, Maxey, 29.4.07 (digiscope)


Little and Large (Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit), Maxey, 29.4.07 (digiscope)

In the afternoon I returned to Maxey and was immediately greeted by the splendid vision of a breeding-plumaged Knot, only the second of these brick-red mini-Barwits I have seen locally (ie in spring). There were also ten Barwits, which the Knot was hanging out with, and these were soon joined on the pits by two more plus a Grey Plover!

Grey Plover, Maxey, 29.4.07 (digiscope)

I paid one final visit in the evening, and watched as five of the 12 Barwits disappeared. But half an hour later another four appeared.
So I reckon I have seen a minimum of 39 Barwits this weekend.
By the way there were also three drake Wheatears at Maxey today.

Maxwits

Bar-tailed Godwits, Maxey pits, 28.4.07 (digiscope)
There has been a massive movement of Bar-tailed Godwits in the last couple of days, across the country. So, I was not entirely surprised, but was very pleased when I found a pair at Maxey early this morning. I was even more pleased when a Whimbrel flew by me with a Barwit for company, but the pair of the deck flew and joined them heading east, so I feared no one else would see them. I let Will Bowell and Josh Jones know, and Josh reported a Whinchat at Deeping Lakes (not far from Maxey). I still want one for my PBC year list, so I picked up Will and we went to DL, but there was no sign of the chat. Will did, however, receive a text from Chris Lines saying he had more than 20 Barwits at Maxey!
So, we returned there instead, and there were 22 of the beauties!
Thirteen of them departed at 9.30, leaving nine. But later in the afternoon WIll had ten (plus a new Greenshank in fine breeding plumage), so another (at least) must have dropped in. So, there have been at least 26 at Maxey today, an astonishing count!


There were still ten there in the evening, including these two birds, who were separated from the other eight.
I have the next week off work and intend to do a fair bit of local birding; Maxey is the subject of high hopes for a good variety of waders...

Garden Robin

Our garden is starting to bustle with baby birds. Sadly, the children found a dead young Song Thrush here yesterday, but I'm encouraged that they appear to be nesting in our Ivy hedge. We had two baby Blackbirds two days ago (26.4.07) and the Robins which are nesting in the vine outside our kitchen window and conservatory are both coming to feed what are probably tiny babies in the nest. Here is one of the adults taken today on its way to the nest (DSLR)

Wit

Bar-tailed Godwits are fairly scarce around Peterborough. So, I was particularly lucky when this one flew right by me at the Nene Washes this morning (22.4.07; DSLR)