Thursday 31 December 2015

GBBG Sightings

Spotted these to Great-Black backs on the tip last session, great to see there still going strong.




TK7T

Rung 13/12/12 4th Calendar yr or older (Pitsea)
Sighted 28/09/13 (Pitsea)
Sighted 05/12/15 (Pitsea)







W5AT

Rung 06/12/14 4th Calendar yr or older (Pitsea)
Sighted 19/09/2015 (Pitsea)
Sighted 05/12/15 (Pitsea)




Always encounter a few foxes up on the tip, this one was in rather good condition.






















HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL




Wednesday 30 December 2015

Ringing 29/12/15

Nice mixed bag in today's ringing session with nine Lesser Redpoll being the highlights including a control baring a UK ring, be interesting to see how far it has travelled.






Three Yellowhammers all males were next best.






Both Great spot & Nuthatch were rattraps from earlier in the year.











Woodpigeons don't often get caught in miss nets here, so two in one session was a bonus, though probably a waste of a ring with so many shoots nearby!










Smart birds close up, and much better condition then town birds to.

60 birds processed today with 38 new, best of the rest were several Coal tit.

Monday 28 December 2015

Ducking & Diving

First day out since all the festive malarkey, started of at Mollands lane South Ockendon, With it still being unseasonably mild wasn't expecting to much in the way of winter wildfowl, but did manage to find a single red head Goosander.

Very little else duck wise but two Corn bunts and a flock of fourteen Siskin were noteworthy.

Fairlop Waters Great Northern diver is still present and sure to see out the new year.





















Rainham was very busy, So decided to head home to bank some browny points.

Saturday 5 December 2015

1W Caspian Gull, Pitsea tip 5/12/15

Very challenging Gull ringing session today in 100mph winds!!  We did manage one catch consisting of 172 New birds & 5 rattrap's.  Despite us being on site early doors we had to wait till mid morning before a dust cart with appropriate food waste on board for us to lure our quarry into the catch area.

With Aron on the controls & a few new faces, it went pretty well despite todays weather conditions. We did score with about 30 GBB's which is a lot better than previous recent attempts.

I picked up this 1w Caspian Gull whilst we were setting up.
























Friday 4 December 2015

East Tilbury 3/12/15

A good mix of birds seen on yesterdays survey at East Tilbury, the highlights being two Short-eared owls and several Marsh Harrier, the latter certainly on the increase here.














Singles of both Green Sand & Jack Snipe were best on the wader front.











A pair of Bearded Reedlings are still giving great views along the seawall.



























Several Corn Bunting were on the saltings.

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Great-Northern Diver, Fairlop 24/11/15

Today started with a survey at East Tilbury which produced a single Red-throated diver & 2 Common Scoter east.  A big increase in waders and a dozen Corn Bunting being the highlights.

Fairlop waters country park held this fine Great-Northern Diver that SB found on Sunday.

Best views I've had of one in London, with previous birds normally a distant blob on the big reservoirs up in the lea valley!

Shame about the dull light, but a cracker none the less.



















Sunday 22 November 2015

Fudge Duck, Dagenham Chase 22/11/15

Cant see much wrong with today's female Ferruginous duck found by Vince at the Chase this morning, and is almost certainly the same individual that's was present a couple of winters ago.

A Scaup was also present often in the company of the fudge duck.



























Sunday 8 November 2015

Short-eared owl - Hoo peninsula 8/11/15

Todays survey started well with myself and Mo picking up a very late WHINCHAT along the entrance track to our survey site.  I can't remember ever seeing one so late before.

Further on we both had MERLIN on our transit, with two sparring over a meadow pipit along the seawall last knockings.

Star bird though was this cracking Short-eared owl, which showed very well on our return route.


Other birds of note were several groups of Lesser Redpoll, Water Pipit, Peregrine pair, double figure Marsh harrier and several Green sandpiper.























plenty of stonechat around still




Sunday 25 October 2015

Rough Essex.

Myself & Mo headed out to the east coast of Essex yesterday morning to filthy twitch the very showy Rough-legged Buzzard that has taken up residence of Holland haven nature reserve.

Arriving at dawn we headed towards the hide, it wasn't long before Mo picked up our bird heading towards us from the golf course, accompanied with a Common for comparison.  The bird flew closer and closer and gave a great flyby before settling on a nearby fencepost, where we enjoyed the bird down to about 100 feet! Absolutely amazing views through the scope, shame the light was so poor for the camera.
















We stopped off at Heybridge Basin on the way home where the Great Grey Shrike was still present.