Red-necked Grebe at Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough

A bird in winter plumage, hence not really a red neck, but showing ridiculously well close to the visitor centre on Overton lake at Ferry Meadows CP.

Red-throated Diver at Peterborough rowing lake

This adult Red-throated Diver turned up on the partially frozen rowing lake at Thorpe Park in Peterborough on the 3rd March, obviously blown in by the easterly winds. Not a common bird inland, indeed the first time one has turned up in the Peterborough area for a number of years and so, a very welcome PBC tick for me.

The bird (in its' winter plumage, hence no red throat) showed very well whilst I was on site and continued to do so for the next couple of days until it made its' way to the larger Gunwade Lake at nearby Ferry Meadows CP when the thaw came. It remained there until yesterday, whereupon it obviously decided that enough was enough as there was no sign this morning.

Hobby

Black Terns at Ferry Meadows CP. Peterborough

Crap photos, great birds!

Garden Bramblefinch

Adult Mediterranean Gull at Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough

Kingfisher silhouette

Male Marsh Harrier, somewhere near Peterborough

Singing Sedge Warbler

Ravens close to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

There is a pair of Ravens nesting close to Peterborough, indeed in the same area that the Peregrines featured in my previous post are trying to set up home. They are at present feeding young and can be viewed quite easily from a distance. The above heavily cropped images show one of the pair.

The largest passerine, larger than a Common Buzzard, is making a welcome foray into the east of the country. The Raven is a huge bird, with a loud clanging 'kronk kronk' call and an obvious silhouette with the wedge shaped tail key identification features. Another bird that has been persecuted heavily and until recently was confined to the more remote areas in the west of the U.K., but now those times seem to be changing with the bird moving slowly eastwards. Although there are some that are now calling for the species to be put on general licence, meaning that they can be shot. This MUST NOT happen.

Peregrine Falcon near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

Even non-birders have heard of a Peregrine Falcon. A bird that can fly at eye-watering speed, a thing of legend and thankfully a bird that is getting more and more common. The bird is still persecuted by some, especially Pigeon fanciers who object to losing their prized flying rats to these magnificent creatures. I know of at least two sites in the local area where these birds are to be found regularly and I managed to catch up with a pair at one of these sites yesterday where the above heavily cropped photos were taken.

Female Redstart at Eldernell, Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire

A few ropey images of the female Redstart that was present at Eldernell on the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire yesterday. Always distant, but showing well and feeding continuously. A nice companion to the even more distant juvenile Spoonbill that was seen at the same site and was the intended target of the visit.

Turnstone at Ferry Meadows CP, Cambridgeshire

Not a rare bird nationally, but pretty scarce inland, this Turnstone was found today by Paul Taylor pecking around the small area of shingle by Gunwade Lake in Ferry Meadows CP. As is pretty usual for this species it was pretty approachable, but did object when you got a bit too close.