Common Seal at Peterborough Rowing Lake

Caspian Gull relocated at sewage farm

The first-winter Caspian Gull I found between Christmas and New Year had been seen since at Tanholt pits/Eye tip by Josh Jones. I figured that on Sunday, with no tipping, it may return to the guaranteed feeding of the Peterborough sewage works. I was right. 108 for the year list and the ninth 'elite' so far.

Early Spotted Redshank

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I found this Spotted Redshank on the lovely flooded fields at Ring's End on Saturday (4th January). The fields are also supporting 1,000 or so Black-tailed Godwits, c40 Ruff and a few Dunlin and Redshank, plus plenty of Pintail. And I heard my first Chiffchaff of the year there, too. Another half mile to the west there is a Red-necked Grebe. Anyhow, my previous earliest Spotted Redshank in the Peterborough area was on on the 14th March (in 2010), so this is an exceptionally early record to add to the Avocet in the same spot on New Year's Day (previous earliest 6th March in 2011).

1w Caspian Gull, Peterborough Sewage Works

I found this bird from the cycle track along hte Nene, east of the city on 29 December 2019. The last species for my PBC year list, which reached 192 bird species (my second highest ever).

Ring-necked Duck, BLGP

PBC year tick number 191, this young drake Ring-necked Duck was found by Josh Jones on 'The Ocean' a couple of days after Christmas 2019.

Stonechat, BLGP

Cattle Egret, East Delph Lakes, Whittlesey

Barn Owl

Red-necked Grebe, Maxey pits, Cambs

Long-tailed Tit, Maxey

Grey Seals at Donna Nook, Lincs

One of the upper beach harem-master bulls, chillaxing

Two mud-slug bulls slug it out until blood did flow

One of the older babies

A tender scene with a mother and fluffy cub, kissing and sniffing and suckling

Short-eared Owl. Whooper Swans

Marsh Tit feeding on Burdock seeds

This is the first Marsh Tit I have seen at Ferry meadows CP for several years. It is presumably the same individual that Don Gardener and Andy Frost have seen on a few occasions in the treed areas on the south side of Gunwade Lake in recent weeks. It was feeding on Burdock seeds, offering by hovering, returning to the same 'weedy' patch again and again. Indeed there were other birds in the little patch on the flanks of The Mound foraging among its semi-wildness. However, the next day, it had been mown flat!

Baston Fen Water Pipit

At the start of the year, the flooded fields of Baston Fen attracted a neat flock of Water Pipits (up to 20 at times). Well, this autumn, there is similar flooding and at least three Water Pipits were present in late October. This is the most striking individual.

Farcet Fen Black Redstart

Found on his roof by Steve Dudley on 27 October, this is bird 189 for my PBC year list