Saturday 5 March 2011

Maxey birds

Maxey gravel pits is a small site just to the north of Peterborough which used to be a gravel extraction works. It is home to a number of birds and is extremely good for breeding waders.

The area is made up of a mix of water, shallow muddy edges, gravel islands, reedbeds and rough grassland and it is this variety that proves irresistible to many breeding birds.

The photographs below were taken a couple of weeks ago and are just a selection of the birds that this site attracts. In a few weeks Maxey will be home to a few more species, hopefully most of which I will get to see and perhaps photograph!

Dunlin

Redshank

Ringed Plover

Oystercatcher

Drake Teal

Shelduck
All photo`s digiscoped using Lumix FS15 and Kowa TSN-883 x30

Not all of these birds breed on the site, they are just `passing` through or stay during the winter and disperse to their breeding grounds in the Spring. These are the Dunlin and the Teal, all the others have bred successfully in the past and will hopefully do so again this year.

12 comments:

  1. That looks well worth a visit John.
    I used to live in Peterborough, 20 odd years ago.

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  2. Hi Keith,
    Maxey is always worth a visit. In the past it has held such beauties as Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Green-winged Teal, to name a few! You never know what is going to turn up!
    J

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  3. You have got a nice selection there John, it is a good place to visit. I have had quite a bit of luck with a variety of butterflies on the grassy Eastern slope next to the road as well.

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  4. Hi Roy,
    Thanks, hopefully the Wheatears will arrive soon, along with the LRP`s. I know in previous years the site has attracted Clouded Yellow butterflies, so maybe this year it will again.
    J

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  5. Greetings John,
    Always a learning experience whenever I visit your informative and pictorially delightful site. You have brought to me a greater realisation and appreciation for the beautiful wildlife in Britain. For that, I'm grateful.
    Also wish to thank you for your kind, supportive comment on my latest posting. Much appreciated.
    May you and your loved ones have a most peaceful week.
    With respect and kind wishes, Gary :-)

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  6. John, do you instantly know all of these bird-types or do you have to look them after photographing them?
    Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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  7. Hi Gary,
    My thanks for your extremely kind and thoughtful words. I try my best!
    Here`s hoping your week is full of hope.
    J

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  8. Hi bazza,
    The birds photographed here I knew by sight and that goes for most of the birds on this blog. I have been birdwatching for a number of years and you get to know most common species quite easily. Wading birds are a problem, especially in winter plumage as they pretty much all look grey, but with a bit of experience they get a bit easier!
    J

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  9. My thanks Raining Acorns, we are lucky to live in a world with such diversity.
    J

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  10. Thanks to you, my list of places that I want to visit when I fly to your lovely island, is growing. Our vacation to Captiva in Florida yielded a treasure trove of bird watching. I saw my first bald eagle in the wild! Unlike you though, I still need a trusty bird book to help with identification!

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  11. Hi Rebecca,
    Britain is a lovely island with lots of beautiful places. On the subject of Florida, I have a client who has a house there and always tells me of the amazing bird life that they have there, it makes me quite jealous!
    As far as needing a bird book, there are still hundreds of birds that I still have to i.d. with the help of my trusty `Collins` guide book.
    J

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Thank you for taking the time to comment on my humble blog.