3/3/08 Afternoon visit.

Withins area
Lawping 46
Fieldfare 51
Redwing 10
Robin - partial Albino

Elton res - nothing much on as the sailing club had a boat out on the water
Goosander 3
GCG 15
Oystercatcher.

Flooded Horsepaddock's by canal
Shelduck
Stonechat 1st Winter male

Canal
Tufted Duck 9
Little Grebe
Mute Swan pair nest buiding

2/3/2008 Late pm - still quiet

Shelduck 1
Oystercatcher 3
Goosander 11
Goldeneye 4
1st Skylark singing plus 2 or 3 flying over

Early a.m.
Missed the Ringed Plover, however, on the canal were 2 Little Grebe( near where they nested last year) 8 Tufted and in flooded field ( the one with the Kestrel nestbox),a Shelduck.
Cheers Ian
..................................
The Swans that were nest building last week have vanished.

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 12:28, 2008-03-01

28/2/2008 Early am - pretty quiet

Male Stonechat nr Creek (quite unusual for this side of the Res)
Goosander 8
Goldeneye 5
Teal 3
Cormorant 13

Late news yesterday - Shelduck and 4 Oystercatchers.

Also early a.m.
Spent ages looking for Ringed Plover but no sign. 6 Goldeneye and 7 goosander also pair of Mute Swan with one of last years young and 3 Grey Wagtail.
On the canal 2 pairs of Swan( one nest building ). In fields by canal 50/55 fieldfare, 20ish Redwing, 30ish Pied Wagtail and a pair of Kestrel sitting on last years nest box.
Cheers Ian
........................
Forgot to mention 27 GCGrebe

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 16:13, 2008-02-23

20/2/2008 Late pm - you know its cold when Elton is 50% frozen

Highlight - only 1 dog walker

Ringed Plover 8 (they had increased to 6 on Monday)
Pink Feet 2 with Canada's
Goosander 36
Goldeneye 7
Gadwall pair
Pochard 7
G C Grebe 28
Tufteds 20
Good numbers(for Elton) of LBB and Herring gulls on ice but not much else with them.

2 Firecrests still present early pm down track near blue fencing as per Pete Baron but no sign late on.

-- Edited by Simon Warford at 19:27, 2008-02-20

They disappeared from the garden yesterday and were seen in the area behind the garages. I had some people visit and we spent an hour or so looking for them in the garden, but they weren't to be found. When a couple of the people left, they went looking around the area outside the garden and found them.

As you get to the end of Proctor Street, the garden is on the left, but on the right is a little dirt track leading through an area of trees. Just down here is a blue metal railings and it was here they were located.

It is probable that they move out of the garden area quite a lot as there are long periods when I "lose" then.

Firecrest showing very well in the garden for two hours. Hopefully some good pics to follow. Best view ever of these birds. Great to see them both feeding in birch trees - out in the open. They obviously enjoy the sun.

Some photos can be found here:

rezMoles firecrests

Sorry Warfy that you have missed them this time. I will be in tomorrow though.

-- Edited by Paul Wilson at 14:31, 2008-02-16



-- Edited by Paul Wilson at 23:40, 2008-02-16

Didnt get chance to add a post but on Saturday a pair of Coot, Moorhen and Mute Swan were nest buliding along the Canal at Elton with a pair of Canada Geese incubating! Spring is here!

Ian Campbell wrote:

---

Also Paul, great news about the Firecrests still being present, have you started making a nest box for them yet ??


-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 14:46, 2008-02-12

---

Ha. Spent fours hours this morning looking for them as the light was perfect. The buggers seem to have gone into hiding though. If i'd known i'd have gone up to the res.

Went round the Res this morning attempting to get a photo of a Jack Snipe - not a chance! The JS were there, but photographing them is another thing. Came home and started scanning the trees in my garden, and fantastic to discover that the firecrest are still here (well one of them at least). Haven't seen them since Jan 2nd, so it's good to find they(?) are still here. Saw one in the large holly bush at the Proctor Street end of the garden.

EDIT: Just seen two birds now, so can confirm both are still here. Now off to try to get some more pictures.

-- Edited by Paul Wilson at 11:57, 2008-02-10

Water levels at an all time extreme low, its perfect for waders, but sadly no waders this morning,
as I waited for warfy to arrive noted 400+ bh gulls 8+ cormorants plus a Adult Sinensis now one was at Cholton and one was at pennington the other day i wonder how many are in Gm.

If you want to see these things Mr warfy you have to get up early
keep birding

This a.m.
18 Cormorant, 9 Goosander, 6 Goldeneye, 4 Pochard, 1 Kingfisher, 20+ G.C.Grebe.
Below Withins near Crow Trees Farm, 80+ Fieldfare and a Robin that had at least 20% white feathers(this is the 3rd time I've seen it in the last 4 weeks).
Also lots of Reed Bunting around the canal and 8 different Song Thrush in song!,finally a pair of Bullfinch near Bennies ruin.
Cheers Ian

Early a.m. today.
16 Goosander and 5/6 goldeneye, water level low with lots of exposed mud, fingers crossed it stays like this for the Spring. About 10.00am getting into car and looked up to see a Peregrine carrying prey item flying North.

2/2/2008 Early am (nice blizzard)

1 Green Sand - below withins.
1 Dunlin
3 Jack Snipe
50+ Snipe
1 Water Rail
Fieldfare 150
16 Goosander
3 Goldeneye
2 Pochard
13 Cormorant
Sparrowhawk

Yes we have WADERS

The water level was very high with all the rain, in fact it was so full it was already flowing down the overflow, there were fears that the "leaky wall" might collapse! So the sluice has been opened and water is pouring out which is great news for us birders. Spoke to the farmer at Old Hall Fm and he said it could go down another 10 feet so it could be great for waders this spring fingers crossed, rumour is they will try and look at the leaky wall and maybe low for a while heres hoping!

This a.m. 9.00-9.30
Met Simon(Warfy) and another Simon(sorry I missed your last name) to look for Jack Snipe in marsh between Old Hall Farm and the canal. Warfy certainly has the magic touch, after putting up 7/8 Snipe and hearing a Water Rail he found us a Jack Snipe which we saw twice, a LIFER for me, brilliant!!
Cheers Ian
....................
Wellies definately essential

-- Edited by Ian Campbell at 11:59, 2008-01-19

This a.m.
On Elton, very little, just 8 Pochard and 4 GC Grebe.
Together with Paul Wilson(rezMole!) looked in marsh area between Old Hall Farm and the canal to find at least 60 Snipe. Thanks Simon(Warfy) for the info yesterday, no Jack Snipe though
Cheers Ian

This a.m.
7 GC Grebe, 4 Goosander, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Cormorant, 3 Tufted and 2 pair of Swans on the canal.
Cheers Ian

Great news about the firecrest
At Elton this a.m. less impressive!
1Goosander, 2 GCGrebe, 1 Tufted, 2 Swan(adult and 1st Winter). At Crow Trees Farm, 56 Fieldfare and 4 Redwing.
Cheers Ian

This a.m.
4 goosander, 1 Goldeneye, 6 Cormorant, 2 Kingfisher, 1 Snipe, 1 Mute Swan, 2 Tufted, 1 GCGrebe.Withins, 1 Heron, 1 GCGrebe. Canal, 3 Teal, 2 pairs of Swan, 1 Kestrel

Update on Firecrest in Daisyfield gardens - still have not seen them since Dec 31, although I think I have heard them a couple of times. Spent a couple of hours searching the garden today, but didn't see any. I'm 90% sure I heard one calling, but I'm not that good with bird calls, so I can't be sure. I'll carry on looking tomorrow afternoon (going to visit Pennington in the morning), and again on Sunday.

-- Edited by rezMole at 14:35, 2008-01-04

Spent the whole afternoon watching the firecrests. They were quite active moving around in the scrub further down the gardens, then making their way back to the conifers, calling to each other. I stayed watching until 4pm with some chap (Stephen Costa), but they had stopped showing by then. 1-2 pm definately seems the best time to see the birds.

I did notice a couple of bats flying around and about 40 starlings coming in to roost in the same conifers (along with the 20 or so house sparrows that roost in there). It was all getting quite noisy!

I am in work today, but will be looking out for the Firecrest tomorrow afternoon (after 1 pm, when I take my son back to his mums). May pop up to Elton Res in the morning - it's been a while.

-- Edited by rezMole at 16:30, 2007-12-31

Both Firecrest still here. Saw both briefly in seperate trees at the same time at 12.30 today. Fantastic that they haven't left yet. Will try to get better views later - just got to take my son home to his mums.

Res, early a.m.
Most of the birds seen on 27th seem to have gone today. Just 1 goosander and 3 Goldeneye and pochard with only a small number of tufted present. 3 Pairs of Swans appear to be setting up territory on the canal
Cheers Ian.