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Tuesday 27 August 2013

150 up

With the advent of some easterlies and bands of rain sweeping in, last weekend had the promise of a few good birds.  Luckily the birth of my daughter hasnt (so far) impeded my self-finding ability although I am yet to make it to Pegsdon and find myself a Redstart.  I managed a few nips to Broom and lucked in on some nice birds and two new SFY ticks.

First up was a Ruff on Friday lunchtime although this was gazumped by Lee a couple of hours later who found 30!  On Saturday morning things improved again with 8 Arctic Terns, a Whinchat, Greenshank, 2 Dunlin, and some Ringed Plovers.  Sunday morning was again pretty good 5 Whimbrel flew over Matt and I, with at least 17 ringed Plovers though, two more Ruff, 9 Golden Plovers and my second SFYL addition of the weekend a Black Tern.  Monday things were a little quieter with 4 Ruff disappearing in to the distance as I got to GLE, but a new Greenshank flew over, 3 Snipe came in, and a Herring Gull loafed in the evening.

Wonder what else I can eek out before the year end?

Sunday 25 August 2013

The Myers Farm 'Complex' Site List

1. Mute Swan
2. Greylag Goose
3. Canada Goose
4. Mandarin Duck
5. Teal
6. Mallard
7. Pintail
8. Shoveler
9. Tufted Duck
10. Red-legged Partridge
11. Grey Partridge
12. Pheasant
13. Cormorant
14. Grey Heron
15. Red Kite
16. Sparrowhawk
17. Buzzard
18. Kestrel
19. Hobby
20. Peregrine
21. Moorhen
22. Oystercatcher
23. Ringed Plover
24. Little Ringed Plover
25. Golden Plover
26. Grey Plover
27. Lapwing
28. Snipe
29. Woodcock
30. Black-tailed Godwit
31. Common Sandpiper
32. Green Sandpiper
33. Greenshank
34. Black-headed Gull
35. Common Gull
36. Lesser Black-backed Gull
37. Herring Gull
38. Yellow-legged Gull
39. Common Tern
Rock Dove
40. (Feral Pigeon)
41. Stock Dove
42. Woodpigeon
43. Collared Dove
44. Cuckoo
45. Swift
46. Kingfisher
47. Green Woodpecker
48. Great Spotted Woodpecker
49. Magpie
50. Jay
51. Jackdaw
52. Rook
53. Carrion Crow
54. Raven
55. Goldcrest
56. Blue Tit
57. Great Tit
58. Coal Tit
59. Skylark
60. Sand Martin
61. Swallow
62. House Martin
63. Long-tailed Tit
64. Chiffchaff
65. Willow Warbler
66. Blackcap
67. Garden Warbler
68. Lesser Whitethroat
69. Whitethroat
70. Grasshopper Warbler
71. Treecreeper
72. Wren
73. Starling
74. Ring Ouzel
75. Blackbird
76. Fieldfare
77. Song Thrush
78. Redwing
79. Mistle Thrush
80. Spotted Flycatcher
81. Robin
82. Black Redstart
83. Wheatear
84. Dunnock
85. House Sparrow
Yellow Wagtail
86. (Yellow Wagtail (flavissima))
87. Grey Wagtail
Pied/White Wagtail
(White Wagtail (alba))
88. (Pied Wagtail (yarrellii))
89. Tree Pipit
90. Meadow Pipit
91. Chaffinch
92. Brambling
93. Greenfinch
[Domestic Canary]
94. Goldfinch
95. Siskin
96. Linnet
97. Lesser Redpoll
98. Common Crossbill
99. Bullfinch
100. Yellowhammer
101. Reed Bunting
102. Corn Bunting

Black-tailed Godwit

My intention yesterday evening was to go to Tetworth this morning to carry out my WeBS count. I'm rather pleased with my decision at dawn this morning to text my friendly gamekeeper and postpone until tomorrow, on account of the poor weather.

Instead, I stayed closer to home and again visited my closest 'wetland' at Myers Farm. I was kind of expecting something to be there, and my mind was full of Wood Sandpipers and Spotted Redshanks as I made my way there. Predictably, neither was, but a familiar call and a leggy wader on the mud had me adding yet another wader to this surprisingly productive site's list - a juvenile islandica-type Black-tailed Godwit.

In a way, it's a shame the site is so out of the way, but on the other hand, I'm pleased to have it all to myself.

However, I really do think that I should buy myself a smartphone with a reasonably proficient camera.

DOM

Friday 23 August 2013

Pintail at Myers Farm Reservoir, Potton

''Rubbish little farm reservoir on county border pulls in another good bird shocker.''

It isn't really rubbish, it kind of resembles a mini-GLE, but about the size of a six-a-side football pitch and with lots of exposed mud.

Following a Shoveler here (another site first) on 19 August, this morning at dawn a female Pintail was present - by far my earliest date in the county. I think a lot of stuff gets pushed off the fishing lakes just over the border at Little Heath, Gamlingay. Hence, some mornings, there can be reasonably high numbers of wildfowl and on others, nothing at all.

Tuesday's Greenshank was still present and there are now two Green Sandpipers. Not bad really...

ATB,

DOM

Wednesday 21 August 2013

GK 3

Yesterday (20th) at Myers Farm Reservoir, north of Potton, I finally self-found-carbon-free-year-ticked Greenshank, then today at Tetworth Hall Wetlands, another two were present.

That takes me to 137 - already surpassing last year's total and nudging me (temporarily, I suspect), into third place.

DOM

Friday 9 August 2013