Little Owl

Metropolitan Essex seems to have a very healthy population of Little Owls with several pairs being seen on the daily commute, went back this morning for some photography, where a particular adult showed quite well.

Swift Visit

It was a Gambled trip to Merseyside for a mid morning twitch to New Brighton, where Bradders and myself were travelling on a single reported message that the LITTLE SWIFT was still be present. And it wasn't till we were at least half way up that we were still unsure if the bird was present!!

But thanks to Twitter contacts we were kept in the loop, and on arrival both Kettle Man and Andy field had lined the bird up for us, so high fives all round.

After watching the bird for an hour and meeting Sussex birders Jake and Matt, we decided to head home to catch the crappy football and get considerably drunk!!

little swift impersonating stormy petrol !!



More Redstart

Couldn't resist posting a few more of yesterday's Common Redstart, don't ever see these on the patch on migration like this !!

The Breck's

A trip to the Breck's and being Father's Day was joined by Pops (aka Bagsy) and dirty filthy twitcher Lethbridge, on a more relaxed trip to north west Suffolk.

First stop "Foxhole" for Stone Curlew, where no fewer than 8 birds on show, and fairly well they did.

 

 

Then onto the RSPB of Lakenheath, where they have done well in creating proper paths and watch points for our enjoyment, having known this site for years pre RSPB days,  the days when you could walk basically anywhere!! i guess all good things come to an end, but Marsh Harriers and Bitterns are now easy to see here so big up the RSPB.

 

pops checks out the latest sightings

And the only place known publicly to see one of Britain's rarest breeding birds the Golden Oriole, where we heard (but didn't see!) no fewer than 5 birds.....

Tho the bird that did steal the show was a juvy Jackdaw that basically showed down to ..... well nothing .... it even sat on my hand.

After this before heading home we had some cracking showy Common Redstart's at an undisclosed site.

Juv

another juv ready for his bed!

Little Bittern

A mid morning jaunt to the other side of London to Rickmansworth, where the female LITTLE BITTERN showed very well on the small river Colne.

This was my second bird seen in the London recording area, after having seen the Epsom bird back in June 96.

Was nice to see alot of familiar faces and to catch up.

Red or Black ?

Had this large raptor over whilst checking out my local Sand Martin colony, first thoughts were common buzzard on size and on raising my bins revealed a very darkish bird on flat wings, always flying away and fairly distant, i grabbed the camera a fired of a few shots before swapping for the bins.

Looking back at the pics it became obvious it was a kite sp, tho my first impression didn't match this and was puzzled on wing length, as red kite always seem long winged in flight, so alarm bells rung, was it a Black?

Couldn't make any colour out on the bird, but the fork perhaps lean's towards red kite?

Some late waders

Got to the Bay just in time to see 8 SANDERLING feeding on the rising tide before being pushed off (thanks to rich and john) also with these were a good number of Ringed Plover with a single Grey Plover, 2 each of Bar-wit and Redshank and Dunlin, these seem to be quite late? something i would normally see around early to mid may rather than June.

grey plover

A lunchtime jaunt to Rainham to catch up with the singing Marsh Warbler was only audible tho weather wasn't great, also added Gropper here to.

Back to the Bay and nothing doing but nice views of Common Tern's feeding on the ebbing tide.