1st January:
I got home from last night’s do just before the snow arrived
and once this white start to ’95 had finished I was more than surprised to see
a fine male Peregrine cruise over the house only 30 feet above roof top
level. The first new garden bird for
quite a while. [Eds: They were only just getting a toe hold in London at that
time]
2nd January:
Three Goldcrests were thoroughly investigating the Scots Pine
in the garden but the snow did not bring I anything else. The Mistle Thrush still thinks he owns the
garden.
6th January:
I spent the day with Roy and Simon to scout out the Lee
Valley for the Birdrace on Sunday [Eds: off which there is no mention in my notes at all??] and 74 species without a concerted effort was
very respectable. Fishers Green was our
first stop and one of the Bitterns gave himself up without too much hassle. It
was to be one of the ‘no camera’ days with exceptional views of Kingfishers and
Water Rail, lots of finches, Chiffchaffs and the slightly dubious Ferruginous
Duck [Eds: no recollection of this at all].
Inconsiderate sods in the Grebe Hide would not let us in so
we crept around the front, flushing a Water Rail and getting great views of the
Red-necked Grebe consorting with the Aythya flock. There was no sign of the Smew
and just a few Goosanders.
On to Broxbourne where we failed to find Blackcap but did
pick up more Siskins and a couple of Bullfinches.
The wood above Amwell gave us Nuthatch and Treecreeper and three bonus
Hawfinches. My first since 1992. The
reserve itself provided us with two Egyptian Geese, some Snipe and a flock of
six female and a male Smew. There were
no unusual Grebes and Gulls so we hit Rye Meads and picked up both Grey and
Pied Wagtail and Water Pipit along with a large flock of Magpies.
7th January:
I drove up to Cambridge last night to allow an early start
with Adrian W for a Norfolk bash. Naturally we started off by dipping the
Golden Pheasants at Wolferton but what’s new! A little further up the coast
thousands of Pinkfeet were streaming in off the Wash making a fitting picture
against the rising sun.
Heacham was our first proper stop and it was bloody cold but
we persevered and soon picked up a couple of Purple Sandpipers on the groynes along
with a host of other wader year ticks. Seventeen Snow Buntings grovelled in the
tideline debris and included a stunning male.
Hunstanton next, passing more geese on the way. The sea was very
disappointing with only a small flock of Eider, a few Mergansers and Goldeneye
but no Scoter at all. The only Grebe was
unusually a Black-necked which bobbed close in amongst the surf. Fulmars were
being very idle and preferred to cackle in flocks on the sea rather than
gliding about looking sinister.
Titchwell next and a walk down to the sea pausing to look at
the feeders and pool near the centre where there were lots of Tits and Robins
as well as a very tame Water Rail. Most of the reserve was frozen solid and we
headed straight down passing Reed Buntings, Rock and Water Pipits while a
Lapland Bunting flew over calling and out towards Thornham.
The Black-winged Stilt was no where to be seen so we checked
the beach and picked up a few other waders and gulls but the sea itself was dead.
Down at the East Hide [Eds: pre Parrinder] a Spotted Redshank was heard and
news that the Stilt was back on the beach pool, looking for all the world like
a Black-headed Gull front on so either this is why we failed to see it on the way
down or we were just being totally incompetent. Brent Geese touched down on the icy pools,
skidding uncontrollably upon landing but we could not find an over wintering
Marsh Harrier [Eds: still a good winter bird way back then]
Burnham Overy Dunes next and a long and disgustingly muddy
walk out to the dunes where we were hoping to find Shorelarks and a Richard’s
Pipit. Bryan Bland and co was heading in the same direction and he was till
wearing shorts, faded blue fisherman’s smock and wellies despite the bitter
weather.
Both species had been lost but we had a good look round and
were just watching a Barn Owl hunting behind a Pinkfoot and White-fronted Goose
flock when the Pipit was re-found but lost just as quickly out on the saltmarsh
but a Woodcock was put up and flew close by.
Thankfully the Richard’s Pipit returned and gave superb views on the
short grass between the Marrams.
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| Richard’s Pipit |
With no sign of the Shorelarks we headed back, keeping to
the lower saltmarsh side where navigating several feet of weed, wood and
plastic was easier that the path. Those
Larks were re-appeared as we got to the car but we chose to ignore the message
and pressed on. Stiffkey next where a Little
Egret had been present for some time but the tide was out and our chances were
slim but we had only been out of the car a short while when it flew right past
us! [Eds: Still such a cool bird back then]
The Twite flock eluded us at Morston Quay so we made our way
to the East Bank at Cley. Arnolds was
almost totally flooded and many Starlings, Dunlin and Pipits were feeding
around the edges. A smart Red-necked Grebe was on the main pool consorting with
several Goldeneye while further back a female Long-tailed Duck was diving
amongst some Mallard. We could only find five of the Snow Buntings amongst a
mixed Linnet, Twite and Goldfinch flock amongst the skeletal Yellow-honed Poppy
plants on the landwards side of the shingle.
The sea seemed quiet but suddenly a few Red-throated Divers
appeared along with a couple of Great
Crested Grebes, Guillemots, Razorbills and both Common and Velvet Scoters.
All the dabblers suddenly left the pool behind us and landed
on the sea and included several Pintail.
The walk back gave us a couple of pinging Bearded Tits so we called it a day and headed
for home where Adrian in his wisdom managed to get us caught in all the
football traffic trying to get out of Cambridge.
8th January:
A morning dash with Ian W to Abberton where a White Headed
Duck had been tentatively identified. Judging by the reasonable crowd, it was
obviously still present and we were soon enjoying sleeping views of this chunk
cinnamon coloured duck as it bobbed around with 70 Ruddy Ducks.
With positive news on the African race Chaffinch at Fingringhoe,
we headed quickly in that direction. Three hours were wasted waiting for it to
appear which of course it did not. Back at the reservoir the duck had livened
up and was actively feeding with the Ruddys.
It’s age and sex were uncertain and opinions divided as to its
provenance. As usual I will make my own
mind up. [Eds: we were later to find out, it was in fact a first-winter male…]
A nice flock of Bewick’s Swans were seen and a family trumpeted
not far from the causeway and a Red-throated Diver flew low over the causeway
and was a welcome addition to my Abberton list [Eds: I think I had lists for
most of the places I visited back then!] With the weather being decidedly pissy
and deteriorating we came home.
9th January:
A morning spent unloading pallets of directories at Fairlop
Waters allowed my to have a squint at the Long-tailed Duck. [Eds: Back then none
of us had mobiles or the internet… to find out a person’s number you had to
look in the ‘BT phonebook’ and if it was a company you were after you needed
the ‘Yellow Pages’. Let your fingers do
the walking… We had fun unloading them off the Artics in the car park for
people to overload their cars with for delivery before taking a couple of routes
home do deliver myself]
11th January:
Back to Abberton and Fingringhoe. Terribly windy and terrible birding with three
hours wasted on that bloody Chaffinch again and sleeping views only of the White-headed Duck. Pete G was not amused!
15th January:
Steve Bacon invited me on a Kentish excursion to give his new
diesel Fiesta a good run. We started the day at Scotney Pit on the borders
where a typical winter assortment of wildfowl was gathered. As hoped for, the Scaup flock was present and
numbered 15 or so in a mixture of plumages and were associating with Pochard and
Tufted Ducks. The only Grebes we could find were Great Crested and Little but
there were three Red-throated and a Black-throated Diver. Canada and Greylag Geese
were grazing and six Barnacle Geese were with them [Eds: the start of the feral
flock down there?]
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| Scotney Pit |
Over the back of the pit a flock of 21 adult and four
juvenile Bewick’s Swans flew in from Dengemarsh. Down at Dungeness we quickly
found eight redhead and a drake Smew, three Slavonian Grebes, two Red-necked
Grebes, a few Goosander and Ruddy Ducks as well as all the other usual
wildfowl. [Eds: These days any one of these species would be a good visit…]
There was no sign of the Glaucous Gull but a Yellow-legged
Gull was a half expected find while a ringtail Hen Harrier quartered the bushes
and made frequent stoops.
After buying some cod from the shack on the beach we headed
to the toilet block at Greatstone where the adult Med Gull was seen upon arrival
and a casual scan of the sea revealed it to be covered in birds with dozens of
Red-throated Divers, a Black-throat and two Great Northerns, two Mergansers and
countless Great Crested Grebes.
With plenty still to do we made our way across county to
Reculver to look for the five Shorelarks present since October. They gave us the run around by eventually
dropped right in in front of us on their favourite raised area of beach before
twittering off to the adjacent winter wheat fields.
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| Shorelarks |
Time was short and
the Red-breasted Goose still had to be seen but it did not take long to get to
Blacketts Farm in Tonge and it took no time at all to find the goose amongst
several hundred Brents as they grazed the nearest fields. The sun was behind us
and the views were superb. A strikingly obvious Black Brant was also with them
along with a strange hybrid that superficially resembled a Lesser White-front.
Onwards again to Harty which annoyingly was immediately
opposite our goose watching spot but the
drive round was worth the effort with six raptor species seen in the remaining
daylight. Hen and Marsh Harriers were numerous with two ringtail and a male of
the former tumbling over our heads. Two Rough-legged Buzzards were found – one on
the deck and one way off in the distance and the vast Golden Plover and Lapwing
flocks were spooked by Peregrine and Merlin (which perched up on a fencepost). A Short-eared Owl appeared and we picked up
Greylags, White-fronts and Bewick’s Swans in the fading light while Starlings,
Corn Buntings, Skylarks and Greenfinches headed off to roost at the end of a
superb day out.
21st January:
The African Chaffinch was still at Fingringhoe and I was getting
marginally irritated by my failed attempts. Reports were coming in about angry
farmers, loaded shotguns and thrown crockery at cars the previous weekend and I
naturally approached with some caution. [Eds: viewing was from your car on a
roadside around an area of hard standing I seem to recall]. I had a long wait
as before and had just been chatting to Tony and Jeanette when they noticed that
the chap in the car behind was on something, and there it was and wow what a
blindingly obvious and unmistakeable bird.
My initial impression was of a blue grey finch with a black frontal blaze but closer inspection revealed a pale salmon pink and pale grey flush to the underparts and an olive green back. Two large wingbars much as a nominate bird but the second appeared broader on the inner feathers.
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| African Chaffinch, House Sparrow and Chaffinches |
The rain started about that time so after
watching it come and go a few times I trundled happily for home (once I had
persuaded my damp car to start). It may
have taken my 15 hours but I was glad to have stuck with it. You never know,
they may even split it… [Eds: That did indeed happen eventually but they never
accepted the Abberton bird to a specific race and this even now it lurks in
BBRC limbo I believe. It’s ok Mr Kettle –
it’s on my list]
22nd January:
An atrociously wet day in Kent which resulted in distant
views of both the Red-breasted Goose and Black Brant again but to be quite
frank, not a lot else.
27th January:
An afternoon in light rain helping Dad with some chain sawing
up at Gernon Bushes proved quiet with only a couple of Marsh Tits and
Nuthatches of note.
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