2nd March
An early start to be at Tony’s for 3.30am to head to
Tattingstone Bridge in Sleaford in Lincolnshire in the hope that the White-billed
Diver would still be around. John Norgate drove us and we arrived pre-dawn but
this did not stop Tony getting out the car and finding the Diver immediately
cruising u and down! As the light improved it became obvious just how splendid
this winter adult was. A huge, powerful diving
machine. Unfortunately it drowned on a
fisherman’s Pike lure just a few hours after we left.
The weather started to close in dramatically so we scurried
up the road to a gravel pit where the Black-throated Diver was seen as we got
out the car but then did a disappearing trick and we never saw it again but we
did see both the Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes on the adjacent pits. We pooped back for the White-billed Diver but
it had gone round a bend in the river and it was tipping it down so we opted
for Kings Lynn passing a few Pinkfeet on the way. The juvenile Glaucous Gull
was not a problem at the port and nor was the extensive McDonalds breakfast
that we devastated afterwards.
Back at Tony’s in Colchester we had a coffee and then headed
out to search for Waxwings and 31 were seen in a housing estate before we
located a further 105 in a Hawthorn hedge along the Mersea road. They were at their best when they came down
to drink in the furrow in a field. More film and time would have been great!
After a catch up with Kettle we went to Abberton and quickly
found the male White-headed Duck before looking for the Birch Little Owls where one
was being mobbed by a male Stonechat – a good inland Essex bird [Eds: at the
time]. Time to head for home.
9th March
A typical Kentish trip to Sheppey with Pete G. Harty was well populated with Hen and Marsh
Harriers as usual and a female Merlin was perched up on a clod for an age. Down
at the ferry we found a smart Little Egret on the saltings; a most welcome if
not entirely surprising find nowadays. A
Short-eared Owl cruising around the top farm was my first this year and a fine
bird to finish off the day with.
10th March
On getting home last night I was horrified to discover that
the world and his wife had gone hurtling up to Nottingham for a Redhead – not a
female Sawbill as my brain first told me but a drake of species previously
unrecorded in Europe!
It was an early start for Ian W and I to the north-eastern
suburbs of the city to the usually quiet village of Bleasby. As the sun came up, so did the fog which
completely obscured the gravel pit. It
was cold and damp and everyone returned to their cars to wait for it to lift. This took till nearly 9.30 and as it
dispersed in flew a flock of Pochard complete with the accompanying drake
Redhead. It was a little chaotic as the crowd
tried to view through the hedge but in time everyone got excellent views of
this chunky Aythya that was at times actually displaying to a female Pochard. After a preen and stretch he dozed and
watched us with piercing golden eyes.
There were lots of Kingfishers zooming around and calling
noisily. Our next stop was the Cedar
Waxwing in Sherwood which of course was an absolute doddle to find with about 250 commoner
cousins and then it was back down to the Werrington Black-throated Thrush that
showed even better in the sunshine. I
wonder if Nottinghamshire can pull out any more good birds this year?
23rd March
A lunchtime visit to Parsloes Park with Andrea and the boys
provided me with my first personal Waxwing find with a single bird trilling
from the top of a tree around the lake.
31st March
A day out in Norfolk with Steve B nearly only got as far as
Harlow as we had a nasty blow out on the car at speed on the M11 and it all
would have been ok if we had been able to release the nut holding in the spare
tyre underneath. Once the RAC sorted us out,
we made our way to Wayland Wood where a male Golden Pheasant was quickly found
and others were crowing loudly from the undergrowth.
A new tyre was sorted in East Dereham before we arrived at a
garden in Sheringham to see a fine Rustic Bunting that had been frequenting the
garden. It was ringed so I presume it
was trapped there too. Anyway it showed
very well as it grovelled around the flower beds. A very boldly marked
individual with prominent facial features.
 |
| Rustic Bunting - I think this was taken by Paul Gale |
More Buntings and Finches beckoned us along the cliff top at
West Runton where a field was heaving with Linnets but amongst them were about
40 mostly Mealy Redpolls but with at least three smart obvious Arctics although
there may well have been the same number again with more subtle
individuals. There were many Goldfinches
and Skylarks too and a well-marked Lapland Bunting was one of four seen.
Cley next but there was nothing on the sea but there were
three Wheatears on Cley Eye where Brents still grazed. News of Black Redstarts and Ring Ouzel in
Sheringham cemetery had us zooming back that way and we saw two female of the former
and partially leucistic female of that latter.
The homeward journey took in Weeting Heath gave us close
views of two Stone-Curlews just out front and a male Goshawk harassing Wood
Pigeons over the pines while Woodlarks sung above and a huge flock of
Fieldfares and Redwings were milling around probably wondering whether to start
the long journey home or not.
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