Kittiwake

This juvenile Kittiwake was found today at Ferry Meadows CP by Chris Park. Brian Stone phoned me at lunch time to let me know that the bird was present and `showing well`. This is number 170 for the year for me in the PBC area and a PBC `lifer`.

Desperate Times!

These are desperate days on the local patch! Every area seems to be awash with Pectoral Sandpipers and Wrynecks. The only birds other than Black-headed Gulls at Maxey the other day was this Grey Heron and Common Sandpiper.

The pump is now on, so hopefully a bit of mud will be exposed and we will get our own Pec Sand!

Hobby

I decided to pay a visit to the Nene Washes near Peterborough this morning, ostensibly to try and locate the Cattle Egret that was reported yesterday. No such luck! I did, however come across this obliging Hobby, lurking in the mist!

Black Redstart....one from my archive

Before any PBC listers start worrying this was the bird that was present in Exton village near Rutland Water at the beginning of the year! These photo`s were taken on the 7th March 2010, before I had started this blog, but I thought it would be okay to post them now!?

Juvenile Shag at Ferry Meadows CP

Finally a bird to add to my PBC year list of 2010! Having waited for what seems an age to add a `tick` this bird was found by Don Gardner yesterday morning.
Number 169 for the year and (hopefully) counting.

Maxey

Finally found some time to go `birding` today and whilst it is very quiet on the patch at the moment there were a few nice birds at Maxey. There were 2 Dunlin, 8 Green Sandpipers, a couple of Common Sands and 7 Little Egrets, also a Cuckoo flew over.

Wren

The wren has finally started feeding some young, can only see two at the moment, but there are hopefully more.

Turtle Dove

Been waiting a while to get a photo of a Turtle Dove. This one is taken on my tea break at work. A pair of Turtle Doves have bred at Fletland Mill in Baston for the past 4 years, this is one of the pair this year.

Peek-a-boo 2!

This Wren has been steadily building a nest in one of our other nest boxes in the garden. So far there has been no sign of a female taking up residence, but who knows?!

Turnstone at Maxey GP

For some reason my previous posting got deleted, probably pressed the wrong button. Anyway, here I go again.

This was the second `good` wader found at the site in two days, the other being a Wood Sandpiper, bringing my PBC total to 164 for the year.

Peek-a-boo!

One of our nest boxes in the garden has finally been used this year by a pair of Blue Tits. They are now in the process of feeding their young, an exhausting process judging from the number of visits the pair make.

Whooper Swan

This Whooper Swan has been at the Nene Washes, Central Drove on my past couple of visits. I assume it has decided to stay, maybe it was injured?

Early morning at Central Drove

An early morning stroll along the Central Drove at the Nene Washes in fantastic weather. This is a great place just to be `at one` with nature. Birds are all around you and there are even a few surprises, as well as the Roe deer a Stoat ran across the drove not 6 feet away from me.

Grus grus

Black-tailed Godwit overload

Early morning spent at the Nene Washes, Central Drove. Plenty of birds about including some very noisy Black-tailed Godwits.

Avocets in love

Twitch

Quick trip up the A1 with Chris Orders to see the Great Reed Warbler and Iberian Chiffchaff. On arrival at the Great Reed site the bird could be heard singing from practically 150 yards away and showed within 10 minutes of us arriving! I got a few `record` shots, but we decided to not chance our luck and raced to the Iberian Chiffchaff site. After the 30 minute walk the bird showed briefly, but was singing constantly. We also `got` Willow Tit while we were at the reserve, a local extreme rarity on our patch! All in all a good `twitch`.

Thanks to Chris for driving.