A good day once again!

Once again awaking to the sound and sight for 30+ Redpoll!

Northorpe Fen- 22/02
Reed Bunting
Yellowhammer
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Brambling (1 Control)

Bourne Woods
2 Common Redpoll (3 retrap)
4 Lesser Redpoll
Bullfinch
Tits

60 birds in total, the ringing is good!

Redpoll's frequent the garden!

Northorpe 'birdland' Fen.

Sunday was gonna be a good day from the off. I get down stairs to the spectacle of 30 Redpoll and Siskin feeding in the garden. I mean 30!!! Completely gobsmacked, at least 5 Mealies amongst the group, just WOW.

...and then we got to the ringing. Not 140 like Thursday, but in less than good conditions we got 70 birds! Not bad!

Northorpe Fen-20/01
16 Brambling
Many Goldfinch & Reed Bunting
3 Chaffinch
Tot- 63

Bourne Woods
Tits
2 Chaffinch
Tot- 7

A good session to start off half term, a well needed break!

Reasons to hate school...

...Firstly, this week i have missed 150 birds!!!

Northorpe Fen-16/02
44 Goldfinch
40 Reed Bunting
15 Brambling
12 Chaffinch
Other...

Bourne Woods; Bobs garden-17/02
Redpoll (common and Lesser) 10
1 Control Brambling from down the Fen
1 Control Comre from Thetford!

Secondly I feel the school is repressing our rights as students but thats not for this blog...
Damn I wish I could of had some time off.

Garden produced 7 Redpoll today, 2 definitive Common Redpoll (1 stunning summer plumage male) usual plethora of Siskin and Chaffinches.

Sunday looking good for some windy birdless ringing condtions, gonna give it a go anyway.

A saturday at Titchwell...

Instead of the usual ringing antics I decided to go on a proper birding trip, something I haven't done in a while. Not in the twitching habit meant I was not aware of missing out on Northern Harrier by a couple of days, but did catch up with a couple of birds that I haven't seen in a while!

First bird on the list being Marsh Harrier, always lovely to come across!



The photo's are all rather sketchy as I'm still getting in touch with the new lens, this was at full 600mm without tripod so was never gonna be a wall hanger.

We scanned the waters on the lagoons, plenty of Lapwing and Golden Plover, lovely birds. Redshank also everywhere. Spotted Redshank however were not everywhere, one bird was very confiding in us and let me get a few shots, all unfortunatley not showing its best side...



A massive float of Common Scoter were off the coast, 1000+! Admittedly this is a new bird for myself, never done a proper sea watch or scanned for such.

Plenty of Ruff, Pintail, Shoveler and Avocet were present on the lagoon with the Lapwings and Golden Plover after further inspection.

Weather putting a dampner on proceedings...

Not been ringing weather for over a week now so been out doing little ringing, managed an hours worth of ringing in a free today, good timing, 2 Nuthatches unexpectedly gracing us with their prescences. Male and female so good news for the new tit boxes around the woods, maybe some good pulli to do in the summer!

Bourne Woods Site- 10/02
2 Nuthatch
3 Coal tits (4 rt)
1 Blue tit
Great tit (1rt)
1 Chaffinch.

First proper birding trip of the year, and the first with my new lens set up for saturday, Welney and Norfolk coast. Looks good for some descent photos.

Feeling popular with the birds ;)

The new garden layout is really reaping the rewards!

10+ Chaffinch
7 House Sparrow
15 Siskin
1 Common Redpoll
1 Lesser Redpoll
4 Greenfinches
10 Goldfinches
5 Woodpigeon
2 Redwing
2 Blackbirds

Also of note was a ringed Goldfinch, not a bird Bob does many of in his garden, possibly a fen bird (fenland ringing site 5 km away),

Yet another nyger related garden tick!

First light this morning produced 15 Siskin, 12 on the feeders at one point, the other drinking out of the pond. And back in fresh from my geography mock, a very convincing Common Redpoll, ringed no less. Almost concrete proof the birds in my garden are the ones going to Bobs nyger feeder about 1 km away. Sketching shots to follow...

Thats what all the fuss is about!

Siskins taking a liking to my nyger feeders. Maybe not such an unusual sight but very exciting as this is the first year they have been in the garden.

FAIL!

Siskins in garden all day until I decide to call in back-up, no birds caught, complete failure! Ah well!

...on other notes, one of my dreams is to spend a couple of weeks recording bird sightings on a North Sea Oil rig during peak migration! Would be amazing! If anyone knows of any blogs that refer to this kind of thing I would love to know of it so leave a comment. Thankyou :)