Lincolnshire - Friskney and Frampton RSPB - Not THE Owl!

In birding terms I am having a bit of a crisis. I missed the Stone Curlew that flew through Beddington Farm. This was a SVC and Beddington tick. I have also pursued the Snowy Owl and failed but took another jaunt this time into Lincolnshire to Friskney hoping my luck would change! I spent the morning searching the area with a posse of birders but sadly the bird was not relocated during the day.

I spent the afternoon at Frampton Marshes RSPB which was en route home. The reserve was a pleasure to walk round with birds everywhere. I recorded fifty species and probably missed a few along the way! I likened the experience to a year patch watching at Beddington Farm in a single day!

I also came across an Owl but sadly not of the Snowy variety but a Barn Owl that was quartering a ploughed field. The bird did not seem troubled by my presence on the footpath landing on a nearby fence post during its hunt.

Shorebirds were well represented with wintering Spotted Redshank, Redshank, Black tailed Godwit, Golden Plover, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Ruff and a Dunlin.

Waterfowl included Pintail, Pochard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Gadwall and hundreds of Wigeon. There were probably Shoveler too but I did not manage to locate this species.

The geese were represented by a few Barnacle, a large flock of Dark Bellied Brent and regular Greylag and Canada Geese. The camera was kept busy as I made my way around the reserve. There had been a Spoonbill earlier on in the day but all I could find were Little Egret.

I was so glad that I spent some time at this reserve it bought back memories of my early birding days where whole days were spent in this fashion hide hopping with my Collins Guide open in front of me as I learnt the features of the regular species!

I was still gutted I had missed the Snowy Owl but I believe my luck will change I just need to tweak my game!

Norfolk - Snettisham RSPB - A Twitch Too Far!

I am not an ardent twitcher by any means but there are species that are on my hotlist. The Ross’s Gull was one and over the weekend another appeared in the form of a Snowy Owl! I was unable to travel to Norfolk on Saturday due to my commitments to Sutton Utd. The bird had flown off from the Thornham area that evening and I did not expect any further news on it.

Saturday around mid-night I heard an Oystercatcher calling as it flew parallel to West Sutton Railway Station. This caused some amusement with my girlie who exclaimed “Do you know all the calls of the birds?!” We had been to the new Empire cinema in Sutton to see Red Sparrow which incidentally is worth seeing. I wondered if this bird would stop off at the Farm or would be picked up on Pete’s observatory sound equipment.

I took my regular trip to the Farm Sunday morning noting a Redshank and Dunlin amongst the regular species on the lakes. Early afternoon news broke of the Snowy Owl at Snettisham RSPB which had me calculating travel and potential arrival times.

It appeared from news that the bird had roosted at Snettisham therefore I decided to go the next morning at insane o clock missing the Monday morning clog at the Dartford Crossing. The journey was straight forward and I arrived just after dawn. I learnt that the bird had in fact had flown off the previous evening. Official news of this development followed!

Based on previous activity there was a chance that the bird would be re located around the coast so I took a wander around Snettisham to see if the birds had returned and to feast on the masses of geese and shorebirds that were using the beach and fields.

A couple of Short Eared Owl was on display in the area where the Snowy Owl had been resting.

A flock of Avocet was noted in flight along with numerous Oystercatcher, Redshank, Ringed Plover and Curlew on the beach.

Flocks of Brent Goose were almost continually on the move in the area. A few Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, and Greylags were in the fields. This was an amazing sight and reminded me of my trip to Branta Birding lodge, Durankulak, Bulgaria last year where geese Red-Breasted and Whitefronts filled the skies in their search for suitable feeding areas.

My time was limited in Norfolk so I decided to have a quick wander around Wolferton Triangle for the last remaining Golden Pheasant before I returned to the smoke and a comparative concrete jungle!

Beddington Farm - Vanishing Snow!!

The snow has disappeared quicker than it arrived and it felt like shorts and T Shirt weather today! Most of the country is still snowbound which means the possibility of more displaced birds looking for feeding grounds. I had been hoping for a movement of grey geese during the harsh weather but this has not materialized thus far!

The prize of the day was not a shorebird or geese but an adult Mediterranean Gull which was on the South Lake sharing the ice with Black-headed Gulls.

Med Gulls used to be common place during the winter months but they are becoming rarer with very few sightings. I did however witness a passage of forty birds over the Farm during late April last year.

Some of the shorebirds have remained on the Farm with Ruff, Dunlin and Golden Plover on the lagoon and sludge beds in the SE corner. A Dartford Warbler was present on the North side of the mound. Water pipit was along the edges of the only remaining lagoon. Fieldfare and redwing were numerous in the SE corner.

Beddington Farm - Is the Beast losing its Bite?!

The movement of shorebirds yesterday was unprecedented but there was a chance of more hard weather movements today. The Beddington faithful duly gathered staking out the skies for any similar passage of birds. Sadly a repeat was not to be but there were a few interesting developments at ground level.

One of the Ruff was still present frequenting the North lake before moving to rest on the path along with a Golden Plover. There were also a few Meadow Pipits feeding on the seed that was scattered along the path.

The East bank of the southern lake held what transpired to be one of two Dartford Warblers that were on site. A second Golden Plover was also found in the grassy area attempting to shelter from the bitterly cold NE/E wind that was sweeping across the Farm.

The south face of the valley continued to be churned up by a bulldozer which provided rich pickings for the c100 Lapwings and Gulls that were playing chicken as the bulldozer progressed up and down the slope. I could not workout why the plover on the South lake had not realized what was going on in the vicinity!

The Beast from the East is losing its bite but the snow has returned making life more difficult for the passerines. My garden is well stocked with fruit and the feeders are full I just need the group of Fieldfare that have found the restaurant to stop squabbling over the seating arrangements!!

Beddington Farm - Epic displacement of birds!

I am sure that when the Beddington Farm hard core patch watchers gathered they did not expect the scale of displacement of birds that unfolded throughout the day. The small band of myself, Dodge and Tank gathered in the hide started proceedings off with a steady flow of 263 Lapwing and a single Golden Plover all flying NW and a Dunlin on the North Lake. Pete Alfrey joined the group having abandoned the comfort of the observatory window. Frank completed the set with Tomas returning from his owl circuit later on it the morning.

Another 70 Lapwing pass though SW before a Grey Plover whizzed E across the lake. Pete was quickest on the lens securing shots of the bird. Dodge and I remained in the hide as Pete and Tank went to check the valley for any likely passerines en route they saw a Ruff on the South Lake which prompted Dodge and I to part the relative shelter of the hide.

The South Lake was the next focus of attention with an Avocet sat on the ice near the E bank. The bird looked a bit worse for wear but flew off a short time later. Tank and Pete re-located the Ruff and a Dartford Warbler on the mound. Dodge called and photographed a Kittiwake that was using the railway as a navigational aid. This species is not annual at the Farm. I hope to post a pic here at some point.

A couple of Golden Plover were seen along the path which has recently taken a battering from machinery replicating a ploughed field. Another group of 26 Lapwing passed over heading SW. I departed for a lunch date with my girlie to hear that a Knot, Dunlin, 20 Bar-tailed Godwit and a Black-tailed Godwit had flown over the Farm.

I returned to the Farm having had a very pleasant lunch and a couple of hot chocolates to thaw my inner self out. Movement of birds was slowly drying up so Pete and I went on another walk in the blizzard to mop up any other species that might have dropped in whilst our backs were turned.

A Ruff was found feeding in the canal along with Jack Snipe. We returned to the main gates to photograph the Golden Plover who were now seeking shelter behind clumps of earth. Just as we were about to leave 8 Pintail flew high NW.

A chat with Tomas who had returned for his evening owl watch ensued before Pete and I called it a day! What a day it turned out to be with so many different species of shorebird passing through or seeking sanctuary at a site that has taken a battering from the developers in recent times.

The days displaced birds:-

Avocet, Knot, Ruff 2, Bar-tailed Godwit 20, Black-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover 2, Dunlin 3, Golden Plover 13, Pintail 15, Wigeon 3, Great Crested Grebe, Fieldfare 150+, Meadow Pipit 70+,Lapwing 350+, Woodcock.

The Farm will always produce great records in the right conditions, which is why the faithful stick to its confines maintaining the areas reputation as a premier site for bird watching in London and Surrey! Please check Pete Alfreys and Dodge's blogs for photos of all species recorded during this amazing day!

Roll on tomorrow!!