2014 SUMMARY

Pretty poor birding ths year generally - only #4 LIFERS - 2 of those in the last week of the year!
A total of #134 bird species seen this year - even with an East Coast trip with Rob in May.
Highlights are:
Yellowlegs on local ressies - after we had been around the country looking for rarities
Breeding Firecrest at my new work place of Ashridge
Penduline in both Italy and UK.
Bird hide built!

Here's to an attempt to get to the 300 species in 2015

Bird Hide progress

Working on the invisibility cloak for the hide...!
The artificial ivy coming through quite nicely - and the mini hedge plants are in.
Work to be done on the top part of the hedge still, and the front muddy area.

Ivy stapling underway - as well as bushes planted..

What's that sticking out the hedge - is it a monster? 

Robin very close by the hide - taken with my phone!

Last LIFER of the Year #291

A PENDULINE TIT rounded off the year - all be it a fleeting view of this little beauty. The bird had been at seen the day before at Meadow Lane in Beds - we were driving down from Darlington the day before but didnt get to the turning until after dark. Shame as it had been showing very well all day - with perfect light on the bull rushes.
I got up early to get there before light to see if I could get a nice shot before I had to get back for a family meet up with Rob & co.
Very cold morning - beautiful blue sky and crispy air

Chilly but beautiful morning 

After about 10 mins, the signal came up that the bird had arisen from the reeds. I got about a 5 second view through the binos before it rose up out of the lake and headed south to the sewage works.

It was expected that it would come back (it did this the day before) 

After about an hour and a half I had to ditch the vigil as I had to go home. 

Quite pleased to hear it didnt come back - as I would have missed a great picture in that light and on the reeds.

Bunch of twitchers freezing their nuts off - post tit departure!

Here's one some more fortunate person took the day before - not my pic!

Not my pic, but the bird I saw!

Year tick at charity stop

Ventured out to Caring for Life with Anna,Jen and Jon - and stumbled across a family of TREE SPARROW- a nice surprise !
Year tick #125

Tree sparrow on a crisp day

Lovely surroundings

Boxing Day LIFER!!!

A 45 minute trip to  Pugney's County Park near Wakefield produced only the second lifer of the year - a BLYTH'S PIPIT - on a flooded field in a local industrial park. The bird has been there a couple of weeks now - and needed someone walking quite close by to tease it out of the grass and into the trees. A very rare bird that hangs out in Asia / Mongolia. Another mystery as to why it is here....
Lifer # 290 - #124 for the year

BLYTH'S PIPIT - a MEGA!!! 

Brief views on the branches 

The site of the sighting

Industrial Park the LBJ was hanging out in 

Dark Lord Darth Twitcher

Christmas Day in the hide

A beautiful morning and a little time spent in the hide with Anna

Quite cosy! 

Amazing blue sky through the peek holes

Hide going covert Part 1

Stage one of hide cover up!!

Fake fern stapled on 

Starting to melt into the background but not done yet ! 

Granville Hide sightings

Sightings from the hide this morning:
BLACK HEADED GULL
WOOD PIGEON

Also had a darkness visit - using the night vision scope (which just gets to the edge of the copse)

Nothing seen however on this occasion.

First spot from "The Roost" Bird Hide @ Granville

During the Granville Bird hide installation , multiple FOX sightings occured - Leon captured this one having a poop!

Also present was a RED KITE - that landed in the field

Red Fox caught in the act from the Hide 

Granville Bird Hide - Operation "Chuck it over the hedge"

A detailed and highly risky project to get the hide from the dojo and into the field, then back it into the hedge...

Sounds easy.

Thanks for the help of Russ "The Welly" , Leon "Let's do it and have a beer" and "Mind Control" Forsh...

Over it goes! Quality Forsh using Jedi mind tricks and I'm taking a pic!

There's an elf in the hide! Its in position

Room with a view 

Cant see that!? Needs some camoflague me thinks..

Pretty slender