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Tuesday 28 February 2017

The big 300!!! - Blue Rock Thrush in the Wolds

A fortuitous trip to Gloucester set up an en route tea break at Stow on the Wold to get my 300th bird species - a long staying BLUE ROCK THRUSH that has been in the Cotswolds housing area going from roof to gardens for some months. This MEGA bird should be in Southern Europe and is expected to return in Spring. Two MEGA birds in three days! Unexpected.
So, only another 99 to go for the magic 400!!


Quite Blue this Thrush in the right light! 
MEGA Blue rock thrush 
Nice sighting once it came down off the roof of number 9


Sunday 26 February 2017

Lifer 299! Howay the lads

A lovely weekend up at Phil & Jans cottage in Warkworth with the family - a lifer only 10 minutes down the road at a big reservoir at East Chevington. After a long walk and bumping into some fellow twitchers who kindly gave me a lift back to the original hide , one of them spotted a fine looking PACIFIC DIVER quite close to the edge!
It's supposed to be in Canada or the likes - and has been there a while. A mega ! That's #299

PACIFIC DIVER - A MEGA!!!

Clear sight of the white neck 

Great close views of this MEGA



A walk back to meet up with Anna & Harry on a lovely but windy day - we then had a fab dinner in Amble in a seafood joint - yum!!!

Also on the lake and surrounding sea were
LITTLE GREBE
GOOSANDER
GOLDENEYE

EIDER DUCK (AMBLE)
TURNSTONE
DUNLIN
LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL
LAPWING
STOCK DOVE

CURLEW (WARKWORTH)
37 waxwing were reported right where we walked - but I didn't see them!! Oh well can't have everything..

Wednesday 22 February 2017

Front feeder action

Some great views on the front feeder this week:


Male BLACK CAP 
BLACK CAP & GOLDFINCH

LONG TAILED TIT

Sunday 5 February 2017

Local beardy

A couple of trips to Weston Turville Reservoir produced a fleeting view of a splendid male
BEARDED TIT - as to floated over the reed bed by the tin hide. Freezing conditions and no sun,so not ideal for a pic. A nice shot of a KINGFISHER through multiple branches and a vocal ROBIN.
WATER RAIL also called and flew into the reeds -as well as multiple REED BUNTING in the reeds
#62 for the year
Kingfisher at Weston Turville


Vocal Robin

Blue tit in the reeds


One of two wren