Browncap

I was glad that I put some old apples out during the cold spell as they seem to have drawn this female Blackcap into the garden.  It's also given me the opportunity to use my kitchen window for taking a few photographs and to practice with using flash to enhance the very poor light conditions.  Taking pictures through glass is hardly ideal though.
A lovely bird to watch - very aggressive towards the resident Robins.

Life in the Freezer

A catch up from the cold snap and a few days feeling under the weather myself with a temp of -10 degrees on Saturday in Willington at 11am.

The Goldcrest was taking advantage of the scarcity of liquid water in my garden and the Goosanders graced the weir at Great Barford.  Only drakes on this occasion but over a dozen had been reported.

I'm always amazed at how nature survives our weather extremes.  The hares numbered double figures and cared more about boxing than finding somewhere to shelter.  No David Attenborough though - maybe too cold for him?

It Snowed

A nice fall of snow last night but the light was horrible for photography this morning.  I gave it a go never the less making a complete mess of my exposure settings.
The Kingfisher has a tendancy to sit still during these cold snaps and use up less energy flying up and down the river.  Two previous harsh winters has hit these birds hard so let's hope this cold snap doesn't last.
The snow sculpture modelled on a certain Jack Russell me thinks!

Taste of the Tundra

With the weather feeling arctic-like, these Tundra Bean Geese on the ice at Blunham are probably feeling at home.

Half Century Birding

For my 50th birthday I chose to spend the day with some birds, starting in Salthouse and Cley and making my way west to Titchwell and Thornham where the Barn and Short-eared Owls displayed in the fading light.
Highlights were the two sparring Rough-legged Buzzards and the flock of around 40 Lapland Buntings at Burnham Overy, 25+ Red-throated Divers at Cley, some Redpolls of various guises at Titchwell and overall around the 100 species for the day with the sun shining throughout.  The "HB" Snow Bunting was pretty tame and came very close at Salthouse.
I can thoroughly recommend the White Horse at Brancaster Staithe where an ejoyable birthday concluded with a lovely meal of some Mullet & Monkfish washed with Adnam's ale.

El Sparrow and more

A rare opportunity arose to visit the New Forest where a series of good-to-see birds have settled.  The Spanish Sparrow at Calshot is no doubt a ship-assisted vagrant and the Dark-eyed Junco at nearby Hawkshill Enclosure could be too but never the less, two nice birds popular with visiting birders and in the case of the Sparrow, helping the locals in Calshot to raise money for local charities.  Photography opportunities were'nt ideal so these images are of "ones I prepared earlier" taken in Israel and New Jersey.   The best bird was however the male Crossbill that posed nicely in the winter sun.

On Reflection & Bully

Hard frost and bright sunshine this morning tempted me out.  The Water Rail on the river is a first for me, usually only heariung them or ocassionally seeing them on the settling lagoon.

Bullfinch is a bird I struggle to photgraph as they always hide amongst the tangle of branches.  This was one of three females feeding on the buds of this hawthorn.  Has the mild winter so far caused the bushes to come into bud already?

Baldie Update

Back in July I stumbled across this nest which had two large, juvenile eagles in residence.  This time with the daylight starting later and ending earlier, I was able to find an adult and then the pair roosting at their nest site first thing in the morning.  I have discovered that the birds relocated from their earlier nest along Route 1 which had been blown down in a storm.

Also plenty of Red-tailed Hawks and a silent high-speed Cooper's Hawk chasing a Grey Squirrel across the road.  The squirrel managed to live to see another day and the hawk vanished as quickly as it had arrived..

Butter Butts

The Myrtle Warblers are plenty this time of year around the trees and thickets on my morning walk to-from work.  They were'nt there in July.

Sharpie near Bath

At last I've found an advantage of Imogen being at Uni!  This long-staying Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Chew in Somerset was so close it would have been rude to not pop in and see it.  Also a winter plumaged Spotted Sandpiper.

Beanies

Four Tundra Bean Geese turned up at Cainhoe in 2009 and at the same site three have now taken up residence.  I wonder if this could be same parents now with a single juvenile and before, they brought two surviving young to the site?

White-fronts

Ten White-fronted Geese in the field north of Gypsy Lane this morning.  I checked yesterday morning and couldn't find them.

Roe Deer

Sadly too murky to photograph the Short-eared Owls and Hen Harrier.  Burwell Fen on Sunday afternoon.

Knot Study

A day out on the coast allowed some time to watch the Knot feeding along the shoreline.

Jay

Busy time of year for the local Jays.

Macro Monsters

I wouldn't normally get this close to a Hornet but this one had succumbed.  The bug was similarly impressive although species unknown until now.  Seems this is known as a "western conifer seedbug" and is an introduced species.

Suffolk for Breakfast

Followed by a welcome breakfast in Woodbridge.  I could say that I managed to stalk the bird to within close quarters to get my photograph but I'd be lying.

Rainbow Rising

A short burst of dramatic weather yesterday evening along Wood Lane.  A mniute later and the colour intensity had gone.  The complete 180 degree arc was as vivid as this.

3 for 2 offer at Grafham

At close quarters today - Sabine's Gull and two Grey Phalarope, all storm blown birds at Grafham.   Shame I couldn't have got out earlier when the light was better.

barbastella

Cambridgeshire and a new species for me.  To be honest, I don't know much about bats and this could any species.  Evidently, it is a Barbastelle Bat though and quite a rarity too.