An almost fruitless Feb outing

After an outrageously busy week at work, it was time to enjoy myself and do a bit of birding. After last weekend's decent visit to Summer Leys , I thought I'd give there a bash first of all.
The sun was out but there was a bitter old chill to the slight wind. Started by looking for the Corn Bunting(s). Despite the usual dollop of Yellowhammers and a few Linnets, there was no sign of any Buntings.



There was plenty of birds around, in particular a decent amount of Fieldfares and Redwings along the first section of the lane. There was a general feeling that things were gathering ready to leave for there breeding grounds with Wigeon and Goldeneye gathering into larger groups. With very little of note around I made it my mission to get some photos of the more common birds knocking around. With the light behind me I managed to get some good shots of various things on the scrape from the double decker hide (pretty chuffed with the male Mallard shots):







A couple of Shelducks were on 'Eddie's Island' seen from the screen hide but other than that, Summer Leys was really lacking anything of note so I turned my attentions to the small gathering of Wigeon and Gadwall feeding in front of the screen hide.

After having a good look around, I still had a couple of hours to play with so thought I'd go to Pitsford to see if I could rustle up some year ticks.
There had been a Curlew recently seen North of the Causeway but despite me having a good look around I couldn't come across it, nor any Ruddy Ducks. There were plenty of Tree Sparrows around the feeding station which was encouraging. The only birds of any note were a pair of Goosander distantly in Walgrave Bay.







With the search for anything good proving fruitless I thought I'd have a look on the south side of the causeway. There's been Brent, White Fronted and Pink Footed Geese all at some point at Pitsford amongst the resident Geese so thought I'd pick through them all. This wasn't to be, however as I was searching through them what should pop up on the water in front but the wintering Slavonian Grebe. I watched it for a bit and managed a very dodgy photo though was difficult with it diving so bloody frequently!



After that it was home time and England v Wales!

Syresham & Summer Leys

Yesterday (Saturday 18th Feb) went for a walk down to 'Crossbill plantation' with Em in pretty hardcore blustery conditions. Walking in between the two plantations 2 Crossbills flew from the second plantation to the first, calling too. Nice to see some are still knocking around and did flippin' well to see them in the conditions. Apart from that there was very little about.

Today the weather was lovely so ambled out at 8am on the usual route to the plantation. Opposite the gate to the sheep field is another plantation and thought I'd investigate. It actually surrounds a big pond, much to my suprise. While I was there 2-3 Siskins flew around overhead and then 2 big Ravens flew low over calling loudly heading west. Was a wicked view of them too.

There were no Crossbills today and all in all not much about other than 1 Jay, 1 Buzzard as well as 1-2 Ravens knocking around, very possibly involving the two from earlier. Got to say the whole area looks promising for pulling in some migrants come spring, especially the big sheep field...bring it on!

After that it was off to Summer Leys as I hadn't been there for a fair old while. I parked up by the first gate on the left down the lane. On getting out of the car I was greeted by a singing male Corn Bunting and it wasn't long before it showed itself in the hedge. Was good to see it (or another) was still knocking around, plus it was a very decent year tick and a dam rare sight nowadays in the county.

I then walked down to Chestnut corner. From there, viewable were 2 Pintail (male & female) on Eddie's Island, 1 Golden Plover on the grass by the screen hide.

From there I went round to the Screen hide. Right in front, no more than 20 feet away was the Golden Plover again. Being so close and all on its own it looks like it might not have been too well.

Around 30 Greylags flew in and amongst them was a sneaky little Barnacle Goose. Result! Although it's origin would obviously be v suspect, it was all the same another reserve tick.

There wasn't too much else around other than 2 Shelducks on Gull Island and the rare site of a Tree Sparrow at the Feeding Station. Also the Feeding Station hide was closed due to vandalism....typical. After that it was home time

A wander round slushy Syresham

Went for my walk around the fields north of Syresham for a couple of hours this afternoon (13:45pm - 16:00pm). Was hoping there might be something lurking along the hedgerow, maybe a year tick Little Owl or Woodcock for instance. As it was there was very little about other than the usual common hedgerow fare, as well as a couple of Treecreepers and Jays knocking around.



Towards the end of the walk are a couple of small conifer belts (at SP 630 427). I'd never been to investigate them before but thought I'd have a peek. As I approached a small of group of chunky finches flew out of the conifers to the top of a nearby tree calling 'chip' 'chip'. Crossbills! They showed well for a while with at least one male, one juvenile and several females. They soon flew up to reveal there were in fact 7 in total and landed in another nearby conifer strip. I managed to creep right under the tree they were feeding in and rattled off a few shots with my digital camera at full zoom. Was great to have a proper look at them through the bins, I must have spent at least half an hour watching them. They would at times pull off the whole cone and carry it to another branch and I also watched the male actually feed one of the females briefly.





Crossbills. Syresham 12.02.12

I'd spent too much time with my gloves off taking photos and my hands were now bloody frozen so off I trudged through the snow and ice home.

Coldest day yet on my quest for new Gulls

Thought I 'd do a few sites today but as it turned out I just managed Ditchford with the cold getting the better of me. Was around -13 this morning and while it reduced some what by the time the sun came up it was still well below zero. The countryside this morning was a proper winter wonderland, was stunning with the bright sunshine.

Recently I have to say I've become a little addicted to sifting through Gulls, especially with the glut of white wingers on offer. Therefore Ditchford would be my first port of call. I arrived around 9am and headed out through the snow straight for the watersports pit, the only pit with a decent amount of ice-free water. It soon became apparent that I really should have added that extra pair of socks and while everywhere else was warm, ski socks and wellies were not going to cut it in these temperatures!

An initial look at the Pit showed that the light wasn't quite right yet and there was a fair bit of mist about. So, with increasingly painful feet from cold, I headed down to the Viaduct Pit to see if there was any free water there or if there might be a Bittern knocking around on the fringes. There was a pair of Goosander on the river as well as several Canada Geese and Wigeon. Viaduct Pit did indeed have a small strip of ice-free water. There were a fair few birds there though nothing of any real note.

Back at the Watersports Pit the visibility had improved nicely and I began sifting through all the birds on show. I was keen to find myself both Caspian and Med Gulls, both seen there in the last week or two. With shed loads of Gulls on show I thought my chances were pretty high.

It wasn't too long before I found a 2nd-winter Iceland Gull on the ice, though it wasn't long before it disappeared. I also picked out a nice looking adult Yellow Legged Gull tip-toeing between other Gulls on the ice. Was a handsome beast with particularly bright yellow legs, the dark mantle and quite a meaty bill.

2nd-winter Iceland Gull. Ditchford GP. 11.02.12

It wasn't long before a drake Smew (presumably the same I saw here last weekend) showed up among the Ducks on the far side of the lake, again associating with Goldeneyes. An additional female Goosander was on the river in front of me.

Didn't think it'd be long before a 'Glauc' showed up and low and behold one of the regular 2nd-winter beasts suddenly appeared sitting on the ice at the front of the pack. Managed to rattle off a few pics, although my feet (especially the left one for some reason!) were becoming increasingly painful and the thought of cranking up the car heater and cracking open the thermos of coffee were getting just a little temping to say the least!

Top to Bottom: 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull (first two) and the Watersport Pit mele

It was quite clear how sparse food was for a lot of birds on-site with Robin, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock and Blackbird all feeding unusually close-by. By 1 o'clock I was feeling just as cold and ravenous and despite my earlier intensions to get over to maybe Summer Leys or Pitsford, I'd had enough!

Chilly Ditchford comes up trumps again

Had yesterday morning to have a wander round Ditchford yet again. Was planning a raid on the female Scaup that had been on Wilson's Pit for a couple of weeks, though I had my doubts as to how much water would be ice-free with Em's text from around 6am reading that her car was saying -13 on its temperature gauge!! 

I arrived around 10am in lovely sunshine with next to no wind, however it was as predicted, pretty bloody cold and low and behold all three pits there were virtually completely frozen over.

A couple of a very vocal Kingfishers flew past, a Snipe was flushed by a dog walker, a Marsh Tit showed briefly and several Bullfinches were knocking around but other than that, there was sweet f*** all to get excited about! The first lake had a small bit of water available though all there was to see were a few Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler and Mallard, but sadly attempt 2 for the Scaup again drew a blank....boooo!

Top to Bottom: Wilson's Pit (Ditchford GPs), Mallard on the ice,
Grey Heron and Mute Swans. 04.02.12


Having already driven past the Ditchford Lane exit of the A45 to get to Wilson's, I noticed there were bloody tonnes of Gulls on the ice of the watersports pit so this had to be next on the hitlist.

I parked up and thought I'd try the fishing lake first as this tactic has served me well in the past.

There were at least 3 Red Kites showing stupidly well over the fields to the right of the lake and were spooking the Gulls a tad, as was a nearby Buzzard. Would you believe it, no more than 5 seconds of scanning through the Gulls on the ice there and there was a stunning looking 2nd-winter Iceland Gull standing out like a sore thumb! I watched that for a bit, watching a Herring Gull taking a real dislike to it, chasing it round the lake, though I didn't mind as it gave me a chance to have a real good look at it in flight. Rattled off a few cheeky shots, dicing with frostbite in the process:

2nd-winter Iceland Gull Ditchford GPs 04.02.12


After that top start, the Watersports pit had to be the next destination. It was still groaning with Gulls. I approached a lone birder watching the pit to find it was Dave James frozen to the spot, a birding mate of mine.

We scanned the pit several times but unbelievably we couldn't find anything of note. Finally though Dave found a 2nd-winter Iceland Gull having a bath on the ice-free water at the back of the pit. The same one from the fishing lake or another, very hard to tell tbh! I then picked up a handsome drake Smew associating with a flock of 7 Goldeneye not far from the Iceland. After a while we went down to Viaduct pit and the pit the other side of the railway, though nothing new.

Red Kite cruising past the Gull paradise that is the Watersports Pit. 04.02.12


So we had one last scan of the Watersports pit. Not long after, Dave picked up first one then not long after two 2nd-winter Glaucous Gulls at the back of the pit. Happy days! Both showed really nicely and soon we re-found the Iceland Gull again preening on the ice.

A wader then flew over heading east. I quickly managed to get it in the scope to find it was a Black Tailed Godwit of all things! Not quite sure what he was doing loafing round here but there we go. It slowly circled round and landed by the pit slightly out of view. Again managed a few average shots with the iphone. probably would have taken better ones and more of them, though it meant battling through the pain barrier with taking your hands out of your gloves for more than 30 seconds and your hands were in agony!! Dave did make a very valid point, we wouldn't see these white wingers in the heat!

Top to Bottom: 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull (first and second), 2nd-winter Iceland Gull and view of one of the frozen pits


After all that it was home time and time to defrost!