#indoorstoomuch

I was in Epping earlier and after reading Pauls blog the other day i thought i would head back to Brentwood via South Woodford (maybe a little out of a direct route but....). In taking this direction it would lead me to Connaught Water for the Mandarin Ducks . courtesy www.cannon-fodder-forums.com It was freezing, i was suited, the Mandarins ; all 11 males and 3 females plus one Wood Duck looking individual were showing well but i didnt hang about to take in a proper look; tick; thank you and good bye for the Mandarin. Upon getting back to the office i Googled "Wood Duck Connaught Water" quite a lot of entries for sightings of Wood Duck and this photo by renowned Birder / Photogrpaher, Les Harrison. Now it wasnt exactly the same but looked similar with the white head markings etc but seemed darker on the sides and underneath. I'll go back another day and take another look. courtesy of Les Harrison Other Birds Seen: Shoveller, Tufted Duck, Moorhen,...

I decided to take my first trip over to Ingrebourne Valley this year and arrived at the Hornchurch CP car park at 7.30am; it was slightly foggy here but visability wasnt that bad, the temperature was 1 degrees according to the car. I headed along to the viewing area counting Moorhen x54, Teal x23, Blue Tit & Great Tit along the way. A Jay flew to the trees on the right. At the first viewing section i could make out Mute Swan x2, Pheasant, Song Thrush, Green Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Magpie, Black Headed Gull, Mallard, Wren, Little Egret & Wigeon x13. courtesy of www.arthurgrosset.com For the first time i headed past the turning to the bridge and up and over the hill; Long Tailed Tit x9, more Blue & Great Tits, Robins, Dunnock and Song Thrush. I found the small Heronry in the trees; it will be good to go back later in the year. There were Grey Herons x9 up there this morning. The pond yielded more Mallard, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck & Coot. I ...

This blog is supposed to a record of where i went in conjunction with my software for what i saw regardless of a good or bad day. I was looking foward to Wednesday, the pagers had been going off for a female Ferruginous Duck at the West Lake in Thamesmead, viewable from the Morrisons car park. I had a client to meet in Northfleet so on the way back it would not be long before i could be on a quick detour. I grabbed the wifes car that morning, its bigger and a lot more comfortable than mine and set off; happily on my way and on the crest of the Dartford Bridge is when it began, something that had never happened to me before. I look down at the dashboard and saw the frost warning light on; Actually thats not a frost warning light, thats a low on petrol light (so you know whats coming). I flicked the computor to show me how many miles i had to go, expecting about 12ish; no, it revealed the rather stagerringly low figure of  0, Zero, Empty. I managed t...

At 6am the alarm went off and i immediately responded by giving it a huge whack into sleep mode. After a few more whacks the other half told me to get up and get out; she was tired but there was to be no lie in for her; the two eldest woke and started the usual noise in the bedrooms and then number one son woke wanting his bottle. After one bottle, making tea for the wife i was showered, dressed and in the car; time was now 7.15am. Finally arrived at the LB causeway at Abberton Reservoir 8.05am; numerous Mute Swan, loads of Shoveller. In addition there were Wigeon, Teal, Coot, Black Headed Gull, Littel Egret, Grey Heron, Starlings, Greylag along with a strange Greylag / Mute Swan Combo; it looked like a Greylag but it had a the bill of a Mute Swan. Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Gadwall - No Smew A quick drive south to Salcott and there was also No Great Grey Shrike but the fields there did turn up Mistle Thrush  and Red Legged Partridge x8. Finally arrive...

I have been feeling all week like going somewhere that i dont go that often; a little drive in the country; not that far but just far enough to feel like i had been somewhere. Looking at the RBA bird map for the week the conclusion was Fingrinhoe Wick for the Glossy Ibis. So the plan was to get up at 6am (not that early, normally up at 6.30am any way) be in the car and heading for Abberton Reservoir arriving on the Layer causeway for 7.30am and then; because its my plan; park by the wall overflow and there in all its glory will be the Smew. I can then drive about two minutes south to Salcott cum Virley for the Great Grey Shrike and, even though it seems to like the afternoons, as soon as i arrive at the cross roads there it will be. On to Fingrinhoe, park the car and after a quick scan of the marsh there it will be and just after i find it the second Great Grey Shrike of the day will fly to a tree just infront. Back in Hornchurch for no later that 12.30 - ...

Looking over the diary this morning i new i had some time between clients, not enough time to warrant going back to the office, so as is the norm with this job i new i would be parked up for half an hour before heading on. I spend a lot of time cutting through to the A127 from Ingrave via Dunton Road and i always see various birds as i drive down past the farm and stuble fields. So far, theres a pair of regular Buzzard; in fact the other day they were both on the ground about 40 - 50 ft into the field chasing insects etc around the floor; Meadow Pipit; Jackdaw; Common Gull; Black Headed Gull; Herring Gull; Great Black Backed Gull; Blue, Great & Long Tailed Tits; Carrion Crow; Fieldfare. Theres a Barn Owl box in the grounds of the farm as well so it could also be good for my second species of Owl. Any how within 15 minutes of being at the fields sitting in the warmth of the car 5 Red Legged Partridge came into view and slowly came towards the road. Not only a 2012 y...

My first attempt at a 2012 most wanted and my third attempt at the Short Eared Owls over at Rainham. By 2.30pm i was parked up by Tilda Rice and walking along the cycle path. This was the first time i had been over this section so wasnt to sure exactly what to expect or where they would be. After walking most of the way to the A13 i doubled back and just as getting to the little bridge by the divide between this section and the next i got a very brief view of my first ever SEO. It rose very elegantly into view and then out of sight. Following the mound it then kept coming in and out of view and eventually came over to my side allowing two minutes of views eventually looking in my direction getting so i got a clear view of the face - superb! courtesy of www.martinkessel.net

To keep the description short: parents - friends - daughter & husband have purchased a luxury static caravan at Pinewood Holiday Park which is in Wells Next To Sea, Norfolk. It looks as if its half way between Titchwell & Cley on the coast. It can be rented for week slots or three night slots (subject to availability as you would expect) throughout the year. It sleeps 6 people if two dont mind sharing the double bed or five if you do. Its double glazed with full central heating with the lounge area having TV/DVD along with Free Sat. Pinewoods has a well stocked grocery shop, coffee shop and launderette. A beach cafe also sells snacks. The beach and holiday park form part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty set within a National Nature Reserve. It looks pretty good on the price; ranging from £150 to £300 for three nights dependant on time of year but for migration times it should be at the cheaper end of the scale working out at app...

On the way back from a clients in Harlow i was driving down Eastwick road heading back to the A414 when a large group of Fieldfare flew from the trees on the left side of the road to the field on the right. Only able to get a silhouette on them, my initial thought was Fieldfare, they seemed thinner more elongated than the Redwing i have seen in flight over at Tylers Common. I stopped and supprised myself that i was right!

After heading over to S-O-S this morning i made my way back and ended up passing Warley Place, earlier than i thought i popped in for a quick circuit on the hope of finding the Firecrests. No such luck today; however i did get a few patch ticks and some more for 2012 Redwing x68 - Patch Tick Chaffinch x4 Blue Tit x8 Great Tit x1 Blackbird x6 Goldcrest x2 Woodpigeon x1 Long Tailed Tit x3 Stock Dove x3 Wren x2 Carrion Crow x2 Kestrel x1 - Patch Tick Nuthatch x1 Goldfinch x14

With lack of planning i headed to Southend for the Purple Sandpiper; the lack of planning being not checking what time the pier openned however parking by Rossi's Ice Creams parlour i headed on. A great little walk with the smell of doughnuts from the shop and old ice cream to the bottom of the Pier found Turnstones x48, Sanderling x36, numerous Black Headed, Common, Herring Gulls & 14 Ringed Plover At the base of the pier i found a single Med Gull mixed in with the gulls along with Brent Goose x6 & Oystercatcher x2 Onto the the pier for the Purple Sandpiper - oh im about an hour and half to early - its shut and not to open for some time. Some really bad photo's to follow. and here they are: Ringed Plover Tunrstone Turnstone Bottom - Med Gull with 2 BHG Brent Geese

Driving to Roots & Shoots this afternoon takes me just passed the bottom edge of Tyler's Common - Jay for the patch

Sitting at home this morning waiting for a guy to arrive to prvide us with a quotation for rendering the house it was fortunate that he called to day he wasnt turning up today and re arranged. Shortly after the pager and twitter alerts went off for a White Fronted Goose , found by Dave Mo, in the Top Paddock over at Ingrebourne Valley. A 2012 & Patch tick, saw me asking the usual permissions to go. Within the hour i was parked by the Top Paddock to find Keith (who i know from Rainham) coming out into the road. He had looked in the paddock but found no Geese, so we headed off to look in the fishing lake the other side of the road. Inital viewing; no Geese but within a few minutes Geese arrived from out of sight on the far bank. Initially we found a Greylag with a rather large and unusual white facial marking  (Since posting Dave Mo has posted his shots and this bird is in them) and then another. There was a little group now consisting of about 25 birds all faci...

On the way back from a clients this morning knowing the Goosanders possibly were still at Weald i took a flying visit purley for a quick '12 tick 4 birds, two Drakes & two Redheads Thanks to Dave Mo for these pictures http://davemobirding.blogspot.com/

News Years Day found me at 8.15am over at the Stone Barges looking for Water Pipit, it was very mild, a little wind and relatively clear skies at this time. I didnt get the Water Pipit but did get the year off to a cracker..... Feral Pigeon 8x on one of the barges....at least the year can only improve! Redshank x12 , Starling x20, Shelduck x2, Black Headed Gull x6, Lapwing & Moorhen all found along the shoreline with Great Black Backed x2 & Lesser Black Backed Gulls  on one of the jetties. Behind me Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Herring Gull & other mixed gulls flew back and forth around the landfill. Next was on to the reserve which started with Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Canada Goose & Greylag on the new scrape. The Woodland area held Blue and Great Tits in large numbers but i couldnt find any Coal Tits. There was a very obliging group of Long Tailed Tits that flew to a tree right in front of me as i was leaving this area. Cettis Warbler x2 heard ...

Well; just over one year in; 154 birds seen since October 2010 and 151 of those seen in 2011. Its been a very interesting year, discovering places that previously i wouldnt have paid any attention to (Barking Bay), going to places that i have never heard of (Vange marsh for one). Trying to work out the differences between the calls and songs of most things common has been great fun and i've improved no end. Digi scoping is still disastrous as seen by the photos posted but its amusing trying. So with the Slaty Backed Gull under my belt from January as the biggest sighting of the year what have been my favorite moments; Martin Garners  gull ID day back in March was excellent; picked up a load of information from him and with the association he has with Dominic Mitchell we had access to the landfill site for the morning. My favorite viewing wasnt the Slaty it was the Firecrest over in Warley Place followed by the Med Gulls at Two Tree Island from the hide...