Granville Garden tick

Whilst in the garden with Rob and Evie, both a SPARROW HAWK and RED KITE were showing nicely flying overhead.
Granville Garden tick list reaches a massive total of #13

Wilstone Circular and Cattle Egret

A lovely day for a full circuit of the Tring Ressies with Anna, Jon and Jen.
A total of 34 species including below

On the way to Waddesdon I took a rare opportunity to twitch a CATTLE EGRET in a cow field quite near Biscester. Year tick #205

Redwing and Fieldfare at Wilstone

Cattle Egret at Steeple Clayton

Northchurch Patch

After a very quiet birding stretch for a month and a half - due to finally moving house and then finally leaving Boehringer - I made the time to find a great 2 hour circular walk around Northchurch.
This produced goodies such as KINGFISHER and COAL TIT.
Local patch list for 2013 totals #31
Expect another list or two to be created covering both Granville Garden and Northchurch

I hope I find the time to keep at least this going as work load and commute has gone into overdrive.

Water Pipit at Wilstone

Early November saw the return of the Water Pipit as well as the LITTLE STINT at Wilstone

Year total to #204

Water Pipit returns again

Bird ID Course produces a double lifer

Myself and Rob ventured to Wales for a bird ID course and it produced a very active MERLIN as well as a CHOUGH. 
Bringing the life total to #287
Some good comparison shots of  MED GULL and some learnings occurred

The back end of a couple of Chough 

Lifer at Wilstone

While shopping in Reading yesterday a twitch came in on Birdguides , but no way I was going there then. So I checked this morning with Steve Rodwell whether it was still present and he let me know it was still present.
So I drove from Wokingham and connected with a juvenile
RING NECKED DUCK , lifer # 285

Ring Necked Duck - caught it through the scope in between sleeps! 

Migrant hunting in Suffolk

I went for a wander around Corton on the Suffolk coast and came up trumps with these little beauties - I actually called them in! The locals got the alert on the GGS and came a hunting!

Great Grey Shrike

Brent Geese

Snow Bunting

Seal

Brambling

Red Flanked Bluetail - tick!!

On the way back from our week long tour around the East coast of Britain, I stopped off for a tricky little RED FLANKED BLUETAIL - flitty little bird. Lucky to get a shot through the Lumix for sure! Picture taken at Happisburgh in Norfolk , lifer #284
Thanks to Anna for the patience and kind heart , never moaning about my birding during the week trip

Red Flanked Bluetail in Norfolk

Titchwell lifer

On our way to Rachel and Sven's wedding, I stopped off for a pretty good view of a GREEN WINGED TEAL - showing from the Parrinder Hide . Lifer # 283

Green Winged Teal

Also a LEO hiding in a bush!! Managed to get half a view through the scope

Long Eared Owl well hidden

Double Lifer at Spurn

On our round east of England trip, myself and Anna went to Spurn Point. I spent about half an hour in the sea watching hide, and came away with some great close up views of a few LEACH'S STORM PETREL and some more distant SOOTY SHEARWATER flying close to the horizon - too far for a piccie but good views through the scope.
Lifers up to #282
Very very windy day with a Northery wind

LEACH'S STORM PETREL 

The pic doesn't show the best views of the white on the wings - one shot only in that wind and wave action!

To be added:

[282] SOOTY SHEARWATER, Spurn PointOct 2013

[281] LEACH'S STORM PETREL, Spurn Point Oct 2013

[280] GLOSSY IBIS, High Rid Reservoir, Bolton Oct 2013

A Glossy Lifer in Manc Land

On the way up north for Chris and Ash's wedding - I took a detour west of Manchester (the traffic was awful) to High Rid Reservoir. In a rush as usual , I drove down the side of the ressie on a very bumpy road, looking out for ploughed fields . I saw through the scope 4 GLOSSY IBIS round the other side of the ressie!! I jumped out and ran around to get a record shot rather than a long distance blob. So finally I connect with this bird bringing my toyal life list to #280.
Late for the pre wedding meal, but the traffic was so bad that it was inevitable. 6.5 hours from Bracknell with a pee stop and about a 20 min bird detour.
A good start to a week off - where I hope to get a few lifers as well as some lovely times and chilling with Denz!

4 Glossy Ibis near Bolton

Slimbridge shots

We went camping with Rob, Nadine and Evie and has a lovely time - and as we were in the area Anna & I went to Slimbridge. Amongst the zoo like bird pens there was a 'wild' Ruddy Shelduck - just got to find it and get a pic before it flew off (showed it wasn't clipped!)

Ruddy Shelduck

 A cracking site of a Snipe quite close to one if the hides was a nice sight

Snipe

There were some Common Cranes hooting away but no sightings

Finally - SPOTTED CRAKE!!!

What a strange weekend - supposed to be on Chris's stag do, fell sick so up and down to Harrogate...
word came out via Birdguides and Steve Rodwell kindly gave me a bell - then today after tracking back and off to Wilstone, I finally connected with a SPOTTED CRAKE lifer # 279 (removing White Wagtail as its a sub-species of Pied Wagtail)

Just viewable via scope side on 

Hidden behind the reeds

Spot the birdie - fanned tail

Yet another Spotted Crake Dip...

On the way up to a sales meeting I stopped off at Lyddington in the hope of a SC - no chance. 

Whinchat at Otmoor

A visit to Otmoor with Denz (as well as a hotel stop over and a shed searching exercise) - the wonders of being without a home... Produced some great WHINCHAT sightings. Year tick # 186. Also hobby, Kestrel and a couple of dragonflies

WHINCHAT 

Through the scope 

My lovely wife, Anna. 

Cracking Wryneck

Up earlyish this morning - and off to Invinghoe. Lots of people there to see if they could spot the birdie - a fortunate spot of a common redstart - and then I went for a final look to see if the birdie was around - only me there - and bingo! The WRYNECK was sitting in the bush!
I called it in and then bumped into Roy who sent it to the locals. Quite chuffed!

Wryneck at Ivinghoe

Redstart 

Another Spotted Crake Dip

A drive after work to Kent (Grove Ferry) produced yet another dip on this species. It's now officially my bogey bird

Lake Windermere Goosander

A lovely weekend in the Lakes with AD's family , Jon spotted a water bird that I identified as a Goosander. Fortunately two were very close to the campsite given that its a massive lake quite a result . Interesting to see them hunt in a pair and try to push the fish out of the waters edge. Sad that one had fishing line out its bill
Pleased with this pic - great light that morning

Goosander at Windermere

Wall Butterfly Lifer #27

A trip to Walney Island (South End) near Barrow on Furness with AD produced a lifer butterfly - a
WALL flitting about in the sunshine

Wall

A pair of Common Scoter  out at sea - some distant record shots

Common Scoter

We're off to sea a gull, a Boneparte's Gull

A birthday visit to Heysham produced an adult BONEPARTE'S GULL for the second time of asking - the first time on my own before breakfast, then with AD ! 

Boneparte's Gull

Lifer (300 miles and 40 quid!)

A trip to Broomhead Reservoir near Sheffield on Stsurday morning produced a timely sighting of a TWO BARRED CROSSBILL - Lifer #279.
A distant shot acquired, had to get back to Berko for lunch with Debz and then copious beer on the Boat for Leon's birthday. Made it back by 14:58 - 2 mins to spare .
Possibly my longest twitch - except for the courser , so longest self driven twitch to date !

Two Barred Crossbill - completes the Crossbill Group!

Birding at the ressies

A trip and stay back in Herts allowed an injection of kickboxing and some ressie action - some shots over the last few days from Marsworth, Startops and Tringford

An Eclipse Male Mandarin

Common Scoter still

Juvenile Fox at Tringford

Herring Gull at Marsworth

Juvenile Common Tern also

Pec Sand Year Tick at Eton

A trip to Eton Common this morning produced a quick few minutes of a PECTORAL SANDPIPER - maybe the same one I saw there last year

Year tick # 178

Pec Sand at Eton Wick

Finemere Wood

The butterfly wood produced a few nice shots today on a stroll with Denz .... 

Peacock with a curly tongue

Peacock 

White Admiral

Silver Washed Fritillary

Small White

Yellowhammer