Friday 29 February 2008

Friday, 29 February

Stirtloe - female LAPLAND BUNTING this morning in stubble field west of track, 20m south of sewage works TL200668 (Richard Bashford)

Sutton Gault - Sand Martin flew south in morning (per rarebirdalert.com)

© Tony Martin
GREAT WHITE EGRET still at Pymoor (per rarebirdalert.com)

Fen Drayton Lakes - Goosander (Andy Cotton)

Ouse Fen - 2 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Dunlin (Andy Cotton)

Thursday 28 February 2008

Thursday, 28 February

Orton BP - Black-necked Grebe, 11 Goldeneyes (Paul Taylor)

Hermitage/Hill Woods - 6 Buzzards, pair of Marsh Tits and a fem Merlin nearby (Rich Broughton)

Hemingford Grey - Water Rail at the river this morning (Mike Everett)

Paxton Pits - Cetti's Warbler, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 redhead Smew, 3 Green Sandpipers, c.3000 Golden Plovers, Grey Wagtail (Martin Davis)

Fen Drayton Lakes - singing Cetti's Warblers on Holywell and Elney Lakes (Andy Cotton)

From Monday, 25 February: Ouse Washes RSPB (Earith to Welmore) - 3960 Whooper Swans, 767 Bewick's Swans, 111 Shelduck, 8568 Wigeon, 1774 Teal, 538 Gadwall, 1064 Shoveler, 1713 Pintail, 1861 Mallard, 2709 Tufted Duck, 1876 Pochard, 2731 Coot, 25 Goldeneye, 29 Little Egret, 4189 Lapwing, 100 Dunlin, 49 Ruff, 341 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Marsh Harrier, Water Pipit (Niki Williamson)

Wednesday 27 February 2008

Wednesday, 27 February

Buckden GPs - ICELAND GULL, which flew south towards Paxton (John Parslow)

Stirtloe - male and female LAPLAND BUNTING showing well 07:15-08:15h, also 5 Bramblings, 40+ Corn Buntings (Mark Hawkes)

Holme Fen NNR - ad male Goosander on the north-western mere this morning (Brian Stone)

Goosander, © Brian Stone


Monks Wood - pair of Buzzards, 16 singing Marsh Tits, 5+ pairs of Nuthatches, Siskin, Woodcock (Rich Broughton)

Maxey GPs - 2 Green Sandpipers this morning, Little Egret this afternoon (John Saunders)

Paxton Pits - White-fronted Goose, 4 Barnacle Geese, 2 Red-crested Pochard, 9 Smew, Goosander, Little Egret, Water Rail, 33 Siskin, c.3200 Golden Plover (Martin Davis)

Castor Mill - 2 Buzzards, Little Owl, 3 Stonechats (Paul Taylor)

Tuesday 26 February 2008

Tuesday, 26 February

Diddington village - White-fronted Goose (1st-winter) with Greylags & 3 Barnacle Geese (Mark Hawkes)

Paxton Pits - White-fronted Goose © Jamie Wells


Stirtloe - at least one male and one female LAPLAND BUNTING showing well this morning (Jono Leadley)

Maxey GP - 2 Jack Snipe (Will Bowell); 2 Green Sandpipers (Brian Stone); Merlin (John Saunders)

Dogsthorpe Tip - 1st win Caspian Gull, 3+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Will Bowell)

Grafham Water - GLAUCOUS GULL 2CY, Caspian Gull 2CY, Yellow-legged Gull 3CY, 3 Goosander (Jono Leadley, Philip Precey)

Cottenham, Long Drove - ICELAND GULL 2CY, 6+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Dick Newell)

Iceland Gull © Dick Newell


Cottenham, Long Drove - ploughed strip of land near north end: 15 Yellowhammers, 1 Corn Bunting, 15 Chaffinches, 5 Bramblings and 1 Brown Rat (Dick Newell).

Monday 25 February 2008

Monday, 25 February

Stirtloe - 2+ LAPLAND BUNTING still 08.15h with 2 Bramblings & c.50 Corn Buntings ½ m SSE of Buckden and just east of Stirtloe in stubble field west of track, 20 yds south of sewage works (Mark Hawkes); male LAPLAND BUNTING still present with Skylarks 15:45h (Jamie Wells)

Buckden - Red-necked Grebe still present (Lee Evans)

Pymoor - GREAT WHITE EGRET still viewable from Railway Bridge (TL494883) (per rarebirdalert.com)

Paxton Pits - Cetti's Warbler, 21 Siskin, 3 Smew, 3 Red-crested Pochard this morning, 1st win White-fronted Goose, Little Egret, 2 Stonechats, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2000+ Golden Plovers this afternoon (Jamie Wells)

Ferry Meadows - male Red-crested Pochard, Red Kite, 6 Siskins (Paul Taylor)

Sunday 24 February 2008

Sunday, 24 February

Stirtloe - 3 LAPLAND BUNTING with an impressive number of Corn Buntings (c.40), Yellowhammers (50+), Reed Buntings, Sylarks (100+) Chaffinches and at least 5 Brambling ½ m SSE of Buckden and just east of Stirtloe in stubble field west of track, 20 yds south of sewage works (Mark Hawkes)

Buckden GP - Red-necked Grebe still on first pit on left this afternoon (Mark Hawkes)

Ely - BLACK REDSTART just north of Roswell Pits, Ely at 10am (Leo Young)

Ouse Fen - Red Kite over, 3 Corn Buntings 4 Pink Footed Geese and Barnacle Goose (Nigel & Muriel Sprowell)

Pymoor - GREAT WHITE EGRET still in drain east of Dunkirk (per rarebirdalert.com)

Haddenham - male Hen Harrier over North Fen (Jake Alsop)

Woodwalton Bank - 60 Redwing 200 Fieldfare, Short-eared Owl, 2 Barn Owl, 3 pairs of Stonechat, Buzzard (Dale Bateman)

Saturday 23 February 2008

Saturday, 23 Febuary

Elton - CATTLE EGRET over, later relocated out of county near Fotheringhay (Brian Stone)

Ouse Fen - 4 Pink-footed geese still present with Canada Goose and Barnacle goose at Cell 1, Corn Bunting, female Stonechat at Far Fen track (Andy Cotton)

Grafham Water - FIRECREST again in overgrown area between Lagoons and Plummer car park, favouring brambles near stream, Red Kite around the west end this morning (Mark Hawkes) 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL in the roost off Mander CP, Brambling, 5 Goosander, 3 Yellow-legged Gull (Jono Leadley)

Buckden GP - Red-necked Grebe still present, Little Egret, 4+ Corn Bunting, 150+ Fieldfare (Mark Hawkes)

Pymoor - GREAT WHITE EGRET still present (per rarebirdalert.com)

Woodwalton Fen - Buzzard, 20 Siskin, 2 Redpoll, 140 Fieldfare, 40 Redwing, Marsh Tit (Gavin Paterson)

Paxton Pits - 5 / 6 Smew, Little Egret, Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Ringed Plover, Buzzard, 3 Barnacle Goose, Bar-headed Goose (Jamie Wells)

Eldernell - GLAUCOUS GULL, Hen Harrier (Charlie Kitchin)

Friday 22 February 2008

Friday, 22 February

Ouse Fen - 4 Pink-footed Geese close to Fen End Road this morning (Richard Thomas)

Paxton Pits - Little Egret, c.1500 Golden Plovers, c. 2000 Lapwings, 4 Goosanders, c. 20 Corn buntings over, Siskin over (Jamie Wells)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET still in favoured drain east of Dunkirk (per rarebirdalert.com)

Thursday 21 February 2008

Thursday, 21 February

Buckden - Red-necked Grebe (© Jamie Wells)



Buckden GPs - RED-NECKED GREBE still present mid-afternoon (Jamie Wells)

Woodwalton Fen - ringtail Hen Harrier, Barn Owl, 3 Water Rails, 60 Siskins this morning (Brian Stone)

Ouse Fen - 4 Pink-footed Geese arrived 08:10h this morning (Richard Thomas)

Cambridge, Trumpington - 600+ Golden Plovers near A10/M11 junction 17:15h (Peter Bircham)

Wednesday 20 February 2008

Wednesday, 20 February

Ouse Fen - 4 Pink-footed Geese with Wigeon flock this morning (Richard Thomas)

Fen Drayton - redhead Goosander, Little Egret, redhead Smew, male Stonechat (Andy Cotton)

Ferry Meadows - fem Goosander, 5 Bullfinches, 8 Siskins (Paul Taylor)

Wicken Fen - GREAT GREY SHRIKE, fem Marsh Harrier (Dave Palmer)

Monday 18 February 2008

Monday, 18 February

Buckden GPs - RED-NECKED GREBE still present 13:00h, TL208676 (BirdGuides)

Paxton Pits - Smew (BirdGuides)

Fen Drayton - Bittern showed very well at Holywell Lake this evening

Ouse Washes - Black-necked Grebe, Water Pipit, Peregrine (as per rarebirdalert)

Girton - Siskin, © Garth Peacock

Sunday 17 February 2008

Sunday, 17th February

Sunday, 17 February

Woodwalton Fen - 2 fem Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 3 Stonechat, Little Owl, c.50 Siskin (Chris Gerrard and Jono Leadley); Bittern in reeds in NW corner & Cetti's Warbler from Gordon's Mere Hide, 2 Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl & Bearded Tits heard twice from North Hide (Duncan McNiven & Debbie Pain); Peregrine, Woodcock, 2 Lesser Redpoll (Stuart & Jill Elsom)

Buckden GP - RED-NECKED GREBE still on first pit early morning (Mark Hawkes)

Fordham Wood - Willow Tit, Nuthatch, 5 Marsh Tits (Andrew Knights)

Coveney/Little Downham - Water Pipit, 4 Little Egrets, Green Sandpiper in the area (David Hopkins)

Grafham Water - 4 Goosander, 3 Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Goose (Mark Hawkes)

Paxton Pits - 3 Barnacle Geese (Mark Hawkes); White-fronted Goose, Little Egret, 3 redhead Smew, 2 Buzzard, Green Sandpiper (Jamie Wells, Martin Davis); also 13 Snipe 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Jack Snipe, 2 Green Sandpipers (Mark Ward)

Averseley Wood - HAWFINCH over, 5 pairs of Nuthatch, 7 pairs of Marsh Tit (Rich Broughton)

Needingworth GPs - male and 5 redhead Smew in NW lagoon (Duncan McNiven & Debbie Pain)

Wicken Fen - Little Egret, 6 Redpoll, GREAT GREY SHRIKE, 6+ Marsh Harrier, Woodcock, 2+ Cetti's Warbler, 2 Water Rail, 20 Corn Bunting (David & Jonathan Heath); 3 Hen Harriers (Andy Cotton)

Maxey GP - Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover, Snipe (John Saunders)

Upware - 2 Short-eared Owls (Toby Austin)

Saturday, 16 February

Grunty Fen - 2 Bramblings feeding with c.30 Chaffinches (David Nation)

Cottenham Long Drove - 1st winter ICELAND GULL Kathleen Rosewarne and Ian Barton); 4+ Brambling with 40+ Yellowhammers and 100+ Chaffinches (Andy Massey)

Woodwalton Fen - Bittern flew into Gordon's Mere 10:00h (M. Harris); ringtail Hen Harrier, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Barn Owls (Stefan Tinworth)

Paxton Pits - 2 Little Egret, 4 readhead Smew, 8 Shelduck, 2 Pintail, 3 Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, 2+ Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Buzzard, 7 Siskin over(Jamie Wells)

Paxton Pits - Red-crested Pochard, © Nigel Sprowell



Wicken Fen - GREAT GREY SHRIKE, Hen Harrier, 10+ Marsh Harriers, 2 Barn Owls (David Heath)

Friday, 15 February

Peterborough - up to 15 Siskins regularly at feeders in a private Orton longueville garden (Peter & Jan Farbridge)

Cottenham, Long Drove - 12 Corn Buntings (Nigel & Muriel Sprowell)

Thursday, 14 February

Cambourne - 2 Goosander east over council offices 07:50h (Russell Watkins)

Cottenham, Long Drove - juv ICELAND GULL 11:30 (rarebirdalert.com)

Cambridge, Windsor Road - male Siskin on niger seed in a private garden this morning (Chris Akehurst)

Tuesday, 12 February

Nene Washes - 1746 Black-tailed Godwit, 148 Redshank, 33 Ruff, 10575 Lapwing, 3750 Golden Plover, 2080 Teal, 10487 Wigeon, 1267 Pintail, 1145 Mallard, 384 Shoveler, 642 Bewick's Swans, 291 Whooper Swans (Jonathan Taylor)

Orton BP - Black-necked Grebe, 19 Goldeneye (Brian Stone)

Fowlmere - 4 Water Rail, Snipe, 2 Treecreeper (Nigel & Muriel Sprowell)

Wicken Fen - male Marsh Harrier, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 25+ Yellowhammers and 25+ Reed Buntings on spilled grain at Priory Farm (Dave Palmer)

Maxey GP - 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 300 Golden Plovers, 2 Snipe (Leon Smith)

Kings Dyke NR - Jack Snipe (Phil Parker)

Ferry Meadows - Oystercatcher (Terry Daunt)

Monday, 11 February

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET near Pymoor, viewed from TL510883 at 11:09h (Richard Allison); 7 White-fronted Geese (Bruce Martin); WILLOW TIT, Grey Plover, 16 Ruff, Water Pipit, 2 Marsh Harriers (rarebirdalert.com); 17378 Wigeon, 1233 Teal, 970 Gadwall, 242 Shoveler, 1068 Pintail, 1342 Mallard, 3328 Tufted Duck, 2987 Pochard, 15 Goldeneye, 3 Little Egret, 1187 Lapwing, 195 Dunlin, 245 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Marsh Harriers, 4 Water Pipits, 17 Stonechat, Chiffchaff (Alex Thomas)

Buckden GP - Red-necked Grebe (Mark Hawkes)

Earith - feeding flock of 196 Mute Swans (Jake Allsop, David Hopkins)

Dogsthorpe Tip - juv GLAUCOUS GULL (Josh Jones)

Woodwalton Fen - Barn Owl, Cetti's Warbler, Buzzard (Brian Stone); 2 male BEARDED TITS from North Hide this afternoon, 2 fem Marsh Harriers (Garth Peacock)

Sunday, 10 February

Grafham Water - Red-crested Pochard in Gaynes Creek, male Scaup in Dudney Creek, Pink-footed Goose, 6 Goosander (Mark Hawkes, Colin Addington, David Hollin)

Buckden GP - Red-necked Grebe, 37 Goldeneye, Water Rail (Mark Hawkes)

Orton BP - Black-necked Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Red-crested Pochard, Ruddy Duck (Kevan Wolstencroft)

Cambridge, Milton Science Park - ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD over 14:00-14:10h (Zbig Karpowicz)

Dogsthorpe Tip - juv GLAUCOUS GULL, 1st win Caspian Gull (Josh Jones)

Fen Drayton - 2 Little Egrets, pair of Stonechat, fem Marsh Harrier over (Sarah Howlett); male Scaup on Ferry Mere, 76 Goldeneye, 2 Water Rail, 60 Ruff, 31 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 more Little Egrets (Andy Cotton)

Marsh Lane GP - pair of Smew (Mike Everett)

Woodwalton Fen - pair Stonechat, Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, Kingfisher (Gavin Paterson)

Paxton Pits - 2 male and a redhead Smew, Kingfisher (Gavin Paterson); another 6 redhead Smew, 5 Goosander, 25 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, 3 Yellow-legged Gull, 4+ Buzzard, 5 Siskin (Martin Davis, Steve May, Jamie Wells); a third male Smew, 5 red-crested Pochard (Mark Ward)

Ferry Meadows - ad Mediterranean Gull, 9 Woodcock, Brambling (Matt Webb)

Wicken Fen - GREAT GREY SHRIKE, 2 Stonechat, 3 Short-eared Owl, fem Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, 2 ringtail Hen Harriers (Andrew Knights)

Cottenham - male Blackcap (Nigel Butcher)

Saturday, 9 February

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET in the usual drain near Dunkirk (Andy Bayes)

Cottenham, Long Drove - 3 Common Buzzards and Barn Owl (Chris Akhurst)

Whittlesford - 3 Buzzards over station area (Nigel Denham)

Grafham Water - drk Red-crested Pochard still in Gaynes Creek, plus 2 drk Pintail there, drk Scaup from Mander CP, plus Pink-footed Goose still, fem Brambling female at Plummer CP (Mark Hawkes)

Dogsthorpe Tip - juv GLAUCOUS GULL, juv ICELAND GULL, 2 Caspian Gulls, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (Brian Stone et al.)

Friday, 8 February

Angelsey Abbey - 7+ Siskins in trees near entrance (Chris Akhurst)

Fen Drayton - 4 Common Buzzard flying high over Ferry Lagoon, Godwit flock still present in good numbers (Andy Cotton)

Grafham Water - drk Red-crested Pochard from Plummer CP this afternoon (Colin Addington)

Thursday, 7 February

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET in the usual drain near Dunkirk 09:30h (Mike Everett); and at Pymoor 11:10h (BirdGuides)

Wednesday, 6 February

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET at Pymoor 10:20h (BirdGuides)

Fen Drayton - 3 Little Egrets, Black-tailed Godwit flock still around Ferry Lagoon (Andy Cotton)

Landbeach - Merlin and Buzzard north of the Landbeach-Cottenham Road this afternoon (John Miller)

Peterborough - 12+ Siskins regularly at feeders in a private Orton longueville garden (Peter & Jan Farbridge)

Dogsthorpe Tip - GLAUCOUS GULL, 3+ 'Nordic' Jackdaws (Will Bowell)

Grafham - Male Firecrest, © Garth Peacock



Tuesday, 5 February

Thriplow - WHITE WAGTAIL with Pied Wagtails on roof of the school this morning (Doug Radford)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET on Main Drain east of Dunkirk again 10:30h (Fred Heath)

Dogsthorpe Tip - juv ICELAND GULL, juv GLAUCOUS GULL, 3+ 'Nordic' Jackdaws this lunchtime (Will Bowell)

Fen Drayton - 5000 Black-tailed Godwits, 2000 Golden Plovers, 1000 Lapwings (Mike Everett)

Woodwalton Fen - Cetti's Warbler (Will Bowell)

Monday, 4 February

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET at Pymoor 13:15h today (BirdGuides.com)

Histon - 10+ Siskins in alders at stables nearby 10:30h (Ken Sheard)

Paxton Pits - pair of Smew, 3 Red-crested Pochard, 2 fem Goosander (Paul Rule)

Sunday, 3 February

Dogsthorpe Tip - juv GLAUCOUS GULL (Raymond Bowell)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET still around Pymoor/Dunkirk today (per rarebirdalert.com)

Grafham Water - FIRECREST again in SE corner of lagoons, adult Mediterranean Gull, 3 adult Yellow-legged Gull, Pink-footed Goose again at west end, fem Goosander off lagoons (Mark Hawkes)

Sutton Gault/Chain Corner - 3 Scaup, 2 Water Pipits, 2 Stonechats, 43 Corn Buntings (Mark Peck)

Orton BP - pair Red-crested Pochards, Black-necked grebe (Dave Bradley)

Fen Drayton - male Smew, 2 Little Egrets (Dennis Hall)

Saturday, 2 February

Cambridge, probable tristis Chiffchaff, © Pete Holt



Wicken Fen - 2 female Hen Harrier, 2 Short-eared Owl (Saimon Clarke)

Dogsthorpe Tip - Yellow-legged Gull (Peter Beesley); 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL (Mike Weedon)

Cottenham, Long Drove - 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL, 8+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Dick Newell et al.)



Tanholt - ad & juv GLAUCOUS GULL this morning (Josh Jones)

Grafham Water - drk Scaup was still in Littless Creek, with 5+ Goosander and a single Pink-footed Goose (Mark Hawkes)

Earith - Turnstone, Grey Plover, Green Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Ruff (David Griffiths)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET still around Pymoor/Dunkirk today (per rarebirdalert.com)

Peterborough, CEGB pit - 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULLS, Yellow-legged Gull

Ferry Meadows - adult Mediterranean Gull, 50+ Common Gulls (Matt Webb)

Fen Drayton - 2000 Black-tailed Godwits at Ferry Lagoon (Ian Dillon)

Friday, 1 February

Dogsthorpe Tip - 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL (Brian Stone)

Grafham Water - ad ICELAND GULL in roost near Savages Creek 16:18h (Colin Addington)

Cottenham Long Drove - ad ICELAND GULL this morning (Simon Stirrup)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 2 redhead Smew on Moore Lake, 2 Little Egrets, Barn Owl (Andy Cotton); c.5000 Black-tailed Godwits (John Le Gassick)

Paxton Pits - male and redhead Smew, male Goosander (John Hoppett)

Monks Wood - male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Nuthatch, 7 Marsh Tit, 3 Woodcock in north-east block (Rich Broughton)

Orton BP - pair of Red-crested Pochard (Dave Bradley); Black-necked Grebe (Chaz Shaw)

Elton Furze Golf Club - 300 Fieldfares on practice range (Peter Beesley)

Eldernell - Bittern, 7 Tree Sparrows (Charlie Kitchin)