January

Thursday, 31 January

Magog Down - Red Kite over north-west 14:50h (Mike Foley)

Paxton Pits - drake and 2 redhead Smew, 2 Egyptian Geese, Little Egret, c.300 Golden Plovers (Martin Davis)

Wednesday, 30 January

Thriplow - probable SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF nearby at small fishing pit, c.TL453465. Elusive and calling infrequently, seen briefly but reasonably well and appears to give classic tristis call (James Hanlon)

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

Stetchworth - 9 Buzzards circling nearby TL645605 (Dave Palmer)

Tuesday, 29 January

Cambridge - probable Siberian Chiffchaff between Birdwood Road and Ancaster Way c. TL476570 08:15-08:20h, seen briefly but reasonably well although not heard to call (Pete Holt)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET in flight towards Pymoor 08:20h (Peter Stockwell); in ditch east of Pymoor at TL519860 again 16:15-16:22h (Richard Palmer)

Peterborough - a 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL, possibly two, and ad Yellow-legged Gull in roost at CEGB pit (Brian Stone); Black-necked Grebe at Orton BP still (Dave Bradley)

Ouse Washes, Earith to Welmore - 21 Goldeneye, 3 Little Egret, Curlew, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 6 Water Pipit, 5 Stonechat (Alex Thomas)

Fen Drayton - most paths are now accessible but wellingtons still recommended; 500+ Black-tailed Godwits, 40 Ruff, 4 Stonechats (Andy Cotton)

Fowlmere - Peregrine 12:30h (BirdGuides)

Graveley - 8 Grey Partridges this morning (Jono Leadley)

Papworth - 2 Buzzards over A1189 nearby (Philip Hobson)

Monday, 28 January

Orton BP - Black-necked Grebe still present 10:45h (Kevan Wolstencroft)

Wicken Fen - GREAT GREY SHRIKE, Cetti's Warbler, Little Egret, Water Rail, Barn Owl, Little Owl (Dave Plamer)

Paxton Pits - a male and 3 female Smew 12:00h (Mark Hill)

Sunday, 27 January

Dogsthorpe Tip - juv GLAUCOUS GULL and Juv ICELAND GULL viewable very occasionally from the back of Somerfield Garage/KFC car park off the roundabout where Paston Parkway meets Frank Perkins Parkway (Kev Du Rose, Helen Wilson, Ray and Will Bowelll)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET in drains south of Pymoor 15:30h (Peter Beesley); COMMON CRANE flew south at 08:00h (per rarebirdalert.com); 5 Little Egrets (John Pearman)

Grafham Water - FIRECREST again 13:45h, showing well, favouring overgrown copse between Plummer CP and the path on south side of lagoons, redhead Smew and drk Scaup in Littless Creek, 7 Goosander, c.10 Siskin, c.8 Buzzard around reservoir (Mark Hawkes); adult ICELAND GULL in roost from Mander CP this evening, 3+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Jono Leadley, Mark Hawkes)

Nene Washes - fem Hen Harrier, c.40 Black-tailed Godwits, c.10 Tree Sparrows, c.100 Bewick's Swans, c.300 Whooper Swans, 12 Stonechat (Mark Ward, Dean Harlow)

Woodwalton Fen - Red Kite, ad male Peregrine, Lesser Redpoll, 10 Siskin, Cetti's Warbler (Mark Ward, Dean Harlow)

Tanholt GP - ad Caspian Gull, 1+ 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull (Josh Jones)

Peterborough, CEGB pit - 2 juv GLAUCOUS GULLS on Teardrop Lake (Mark Ward, Dean Harlow, Josh Jones); 1st winter Caspian Gull, 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull (Josh Jones)

Orton BP - Black-necked Grebe, fem Merlin (Mark Ward, Dean Harlow)

Paxton Pits - pair Red-crested Pochard, pair Smew (Mark Ward, Dean Harlow)

A14 west of Old Weston - Red Kite (Kathleen Rosewarne and Ian Barton)

Earith Bridge - Red Kite (Kathleen Rosewarne and Ian Barton)

Cottenham, Long Drove - 3 Buzzards (David & Jonathan Heath)

Impington - Brambling in private garden (Nigel Butcher)

Cambridge - Tree Sparrow at garden feeders in Windsor Road (Chris Akehurst)

Saturday, 26 January

Dogsthorpe Tip - 1st winter ICELAND GULL & 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL 11:40h (Kevin Du Rose)

Cambridge - Red Kite drifting north over Fanshawe Road (Richard Patient)

Paxton Pits - 5 Smew, Goosander, 15 Pintail, Egyptian Goose, Pink-footed Goose, 3 Barnacle Goose, 4 Ruff, 24 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Woodcock, Little Egret, Peregrine, 4 Buzzard, Tawny Owl, Stonechat, Bar-headed Goose, 2nd cal yr Yellow-legged Gull, also 3 male Red-crested Pochards reported (Martin Davis/Jamie Wells)

Peterborough, CEGB pit - 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL on Teardrop Lake (Paul Taylor)

Grafham Water - Smew in Gaynes Creek this morning, Peregrine over west, 4+ Goosander, Black-tailed Godwit (Mark Hawkes)

Friday, 25 January

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET again east of Pymoor, just east of Dunkirk in main drain again (rarebirdalert.com)

Grafham Water - adult and 2 1st-winter ICELAND GULLS in roost by 16:15h, 2 f Goosanders, 2m 1f Mandarins (Owen Marks); 2 Smew in Gaynes Creek (Ray Presley); Scaup at Savages Creek (Colin Addington)

Fen Drayton - BLACK-NECKED GREBE on SW corner of Elney pit (Dave Anderson)

Thursday, 24 January

Dogsthorpe Tip - 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL (Will Bowell & Helen Wilson)

Ely BF - Cetti's Warbler and Common Sandpiper heard this afternoon (Ben Green)

Grunty Fen - Brambling in private garden (David Nation)

Wednesday, 23 January

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET again east of Pymoor, just east of Dunkirk in main drain again (Paul Mason)

Grafham Water - redhead Smew in Gaynes Creek 09:00h, 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL in roost off Mander CP late afternoon (Colin Addington)

Buckden - possible RAVEN headed north over the marina 13:15h (Philip Precey)

Fen Drayton GP - due to flooding access is still very limited, but 2 male and a redhead Smew on Far Fen Lake, Water Rail, c.1500 Golden Plovers, 2 Dunlin, 15 Ruff (Andy Cotton)

Cottenham, Long Drove - Caspian Gull (BirdGuides)

Tuesday, 22 January

Fen Drayton GP - Bittern showed well this morning (Sue Rogers)

Orton BP - BLACK-NECKED GREBE still present (Brian Stone)

Wicken Fen - fem Hen Harrier, Merlin, Marsh Harrier, Short-eared Owl (Aaron Grainger)

Paxton Pits - 2 male Smew, 2 male Red-crested Pochard, Water Rail, 43 Goldeneye, Buzzard over (Chris Boness)

Stretham - male Blackcap (John Thake)

Monday, 21 January

Shropshire's Reservoir - ad win Little Gull in roost this evening (Ian Barton)

Fen Drayton GP - due to flooding access is very limited, but 2 male and a redhead Smew on far Fen Lake, 850 Golden Plovers, 25+ Dunlin, c.20 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Stonechats (Mike Everett)

Sunday, 20 January

Grafham Water - juv. ICELAND GULL & juv. GLAUCOUS GULL in roost from Mander CP, drk. Scaup in Savages Creek, c.33 Pintail over, Green Sandpiper, 6+ Goosander, 16 Redhank, 2 Nuthatch, 4 Barnacle Geese (Mark Hawkes); pair of Mandarin in Dudney (Jono Leadley)

Woodwalton Fen NNR - Mealy Redpoll, 25+ Lesser Redpoll, 70+ Siskin, Cetti's Warbler, Bittern, Water Rail, Peregrine (Raymond Bowell); ringtail Hen Harrier, probable second Bittern (Duncan McNiven, Debbie Pain)

Paxton Pits - adult Mediterranean Gull, Peregrine, 2 drk. and 4 redhead Smew, 2 Shelduck, Ringed Plover, 8 Redshank, Woodcock, Green Sandpiper (Jamie Wells); flock of 150+ Black-tailed Godwits over (Martin Davis / Jamie Wells)

Orton BP - BLACK-NECKED GREBE still present, Jack Snipe (Helen Wilson & Will Bowell)

Ouse washes - 13 Egyptians on the Hunts section of the washes this morning, leucistic bird still amongst them (David Griffiths)

Fowlmere - Merlin, Peregrine, Barn Owl (Toby Austin)

Saturday, 19 January

Grafham Water - pair of Mandarin in Dudney Creek, 2 Goosander (Mark Hawkes)

Fen Drayton GP - drk. Smew and Bittern in flight over Oxholme Lake (Neil Renwick)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET again east of Pymoor, just east of Dunkirk in main drain again (Owen Marks); 8 Egyptian Geese including one leucistic bird Hunts section of the washes (David Griffiths)

Landbeach Tip: 2 Caspian Gulls and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (Richard Patient)

Friday, 18 January

Peterborough, CEGB pit - juv GLAUCOUS GULL in roost at 15:50h (Josh Jones)

Grafham Water - redhead Smew in Gaynes Creek 12:45h (Colin Addington)

Paxton Pits - Smew (BirdGuides)

Grunty fen - Brambling (BirdGuides)

Thursday, 17 January

Fen Drayton - 2 male and a redhead Smew on Far Fen lake, Black-necked Grebe on Drayton Lagoon. Flood levels continue to rise (Andy Cotton)

Ouse Fen - fem Merlin, 2 Little Egret (Andy Cotton)

Needingworth Quarry Lakes - Little Egret, 50+ Dunlin (Andy Cotton)

Wednesday, 16 January

Wicken Fen - GOSHAWK reported from Baker's Fen this afternoon (Chris Boness); Peregrine over, Barn Owl, 2 Cetti's Warblers singing briefly at Swaffham Prior Fen (Carl Howard)

Woodwalton Fen - GREEN-WINGED TEAL on Gordons Mere (Peter Beesley)

Ouse Washes - Black-necked Grebe, 10 Little Egrets from Pymoor (Duncan Poyser); GREAT WHITE EGRET at usual roost site by 16:18h, also 3 Little Egrets (Duncan Ritchie)

Fen Drayton - 2 male and a redhead Smew on Far Fen lake, Black-necked Grebe on Drayton Lagoon. Flood levels continue to rise and have now cut off large sections of the footpath on the southern side of Elney Lake. The Disabled car park is currently flooded; the main car park on Holywell Ferry Road is closed; the path along the Oxholme Drain, on the eastern side of Drayton Lagoon, is impassable; the path along the Moore Brook, between Elney Lake and Moore Lake, is impassable. The bridleways bewteen Elney lake and Oxholme Lake and along the western side of Drayton Lagoon are flooded. Please take great care if visiting the reserve and be aware that the current flood watch status could be upgraded (Andy Cotton)

Tuesday, 15 January

Nene Washes - 391 Bewick's Swans, 202 Whooper Swans, 14 White-fronted Geese, 2 Marsh Harriers, Hen Harrier, 3 Buzzards, 2 Merlin, 3+ Peregrine, 2500 Golden Plover, 730 Black-tailed Godwit (Jonathan Taylor)

Monday, 14 January

Woodwalton Fen - GREEN-WINGED TEAL with c.185 Teal on Rothschilds Mere (Steve Gann)

Ouse Washes, Earith to Welmore - 12 Goldeneyes, 2000 Golden Plovers, 4 Ruff, 73 Black-tailed Godwits, Green Sandpiper, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier this morning (Alex Thomas)

Sunday, 13 January

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET at usual roost site by 16:05h (per rarebirdalert.com)

Wicken Fen - GREAT GREY SHRIKE, 2+ Short-eared owls, Peregrine, 3 ringtail and 1+ male Hen Harriers (David, Saffron Walden); fem/imm Merlin, a fourth ringtail Hen Harrier and second male Hen harrier (Andrew Knights)

Grafham Water - Common Scoter still off dam, 3 redhead Smew in Gaynes Creek and ad Yellow-legged Gull in lagoons this morning, 8 Yellow-legged Gulls in the roost from Fishing Lodge this evening (Mark Hawkes); 12 Goosander at western end this morning (Jono Leadley, Colin Addington); flock of c.12 Siskin at the lagoons (Ken & Maggie Hook)

Paxton Pits - 2 redhead Smew, 1+ Little Egret, 2 Buzzard, c.200 Golden Plover, Grey Wagtail, c.25 Siskin, Shelduck (Julian Hughes, Neal Parkin, Jamie Wells)

Wood Ditton / Stetchworth - ringtail Hen Harrier between the villages (Peter Stronach)

Sutton Gault - 34 Bewick's Swans, 20 Whooper Swans, male Merlin, 180+ Corn Buntings (Mark Peck)

Fen Drayton GP - GREAT WHITE EGRET over just before 08:00h, BLACK-NECKED GREBE, 2 male Smew, Red-crested Pochard, Little Egret, also 65 Dunlin, 5 Ruff and a Black-tailed Godwit over in a Lapwing flock (Andy Cotton)

Saturday, 12 January

Grafham Water - 2 1st winter Caspian Gull, Common Scoter, 7 Goosander, 2+ Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Barnacle Goose, 4+ Bramblings (Mark Hawkes, Jono Leadley)

Trumpington - 8+ Brambling in the finch flock, Addenbrookes-side of Foster Road, in the area of the OSR stubble field and nearby bushes (Mike Foley)

Fen Drayton GP - Bittern (Tony Lowe and Dave Griffiths); BLACK-NECKED GREBE and 2 Goosanders on Drayton Lagoon, Bittern, 4 Stonechats, 2 Pintails, Siskin (Richard Patient)

Buckden GP - 29 Goldeneye (Richard Bashford); Barn Owl, female Stonechat (Mark Hawkes)

Swaffham Prior Fen - 15 Redpoll, 2 Short-eared Owls, ringtail Hen Harrier, fem Marsh Harrier, 2 Barn Owls in the area (Andy Massey)

Friday, 11 January

Ferry Meadows - 2 Jack Snipe, 34 Snipe, 20 Siskin, Kingfisher (Brian Stone)

Thursday, 10 January

Ferry Meadows - Peregrine (Don Gardener)

Wednesday, 9 January

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET nearby in Main Drain, a counter drain east of Pymore, TL518860. Viewed from the bridge where Pymore Lane/O'Furlong Drove, off the B1411 at Pymore, crosses the counter drain (Jono Leadley, Mark Hawkes); at roost at usual site by 15:15h, also 3 Little Egrets (David Nation)

Grafham Water - 1st-winter Caspian Gull, ad Mediterranean Gull, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 3 Barnacle Geese (Mark Hawkes, Jono Leadley)

Tuesday, 8 January

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET into roost at usual site 15:52h, also 5 Little Egrets (Richard Allison); Grey Plover, 50+ Ruff, c.250 Black-tailed Godwits at Earith (David Griffiths)

Milton - 3 Caspian Gulls, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls (Dick Newell)

Cottenham, Long-Drove - 8 Yellow-legged Gulls (Dick Newell)

Monks Wood - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the north-east block, 1000 Wood Pigeons in to roost (Rich Broughton)

Fen Drayton GP - Black-necked Grebe on Drayton Lagoon 15:30h although it can be elusive, male Smew on Far Fen Lake briefly, Treecreeper (Andy Cotton)

Heydon - Tree Sparrow in a private garden, Barn Owl along Fowlmere Road (John Miller)

Monday, 7 January

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET into roost at usual site 15:55h, also 3 Little Egrets, 3 Goldeneye (Paul Harrington)

Grafham Water - 1st-winter GLAUCOUS GULL left roost 07:50h, 1st-winter male Scaup in Valley Creek (Jono Leadley)

Monks Wood - 1+ Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 3+ Nuthatches, 4+ Marsh Tits in the north-east block (Rich Broughton)

Cambridge - 40+ finch flock including 2 Siskin and a Brambling between main hospital and S-block on the Addenbrooke's site briefly this afternoon (Iain Thomas)

Fen Drayton - male Smew, Little Egret (Ken and Jonathan Hook)

Sunday, 6 January

Tanholt - juvenile GLAUCOUS GULL (Will Bowell)

Grafham Water - 1st-winter GLAUCOUS GULL in roost from lagoons (Simon Davies); and present until dusk from Mander CP, FIRECREST again along path near lagoons, 1st-winter male Scaup in Valley Creek this afternoon, 3 Barnacle Goose, 4+ Goosander, 2+ Siskin, 5+ Yellow-legged Gull, drk. Pintail (Mark Hawkes, Jono Leadley)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET again into roost viewed from Pymoor this evening, 3+ Little Egret, 2nd winter Caspian Gull, 8+ Yellow-legged Gull (Duncan Poyser)

Fen Drayton GP - BLACK NECKED GREBE on Drayton Lagoon, 2 Smew (Neil Renwick)

Eldernell - 14 White-fronted Geese from CP at 14:00h briefly, ringtail Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, 2 Short-eared Owls (Paul Taylor)

Cottenham, Long Drove - 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, Caspian Gull (Andy Cotton)

Madingley, Cambridge - Stonechat near the American Cemetery (Sean Rouse)

Wicken Fen - 3 Short-eared Owls (Andy Massey)

Swaffham Prior Fen - ringtail Hen Harrier, 4 Buzzards, 2 pairs of Stonechat, 50+ Corn Buntings (Andy Massey)

Paxton Pits - redhead Smew (Iain Thomas)

Saturday, 5 January

Paxton Pits - Little Egret, Water Rail, Barn Owl, male Peregrine, fem. Stonechat, Siskin, 3 Smew (Martin Davis)

Milton CP - 35 Siskin feeding in Alders between the visitor centre and the play ground (Jonathan Heath)

Cottenham Long Drove - 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL (Dick Newell)

Dogsthorpe Tip - 1st winter ICELAND GULL (Kevin Du Rose)

Wicken Fen - Two Marsh Harriers, male Hen Harrier and a ringtail Hen Harrier (Dave Griffiths & Tony Lowe)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET Seen again in ditch from Pymoor (per rarebirdalert.com)

Joist Fen - fem Peregrine, Green Sandpiper, pair of Stonechat (Andy Massey)

Friday, 4 January

Ouse Washes - dawn counts of 3937 Whooper Swans, 3128 Bewick's Swans and a further 1000 swans not separable in poor light (Alex Thomas); GREAT WHITE EGRET in from north to roost 15:50h, viewed from Pymoor by railway line (Owen Marks)

Fen Drayton - Bittern sitting up in the reeds at Holywell Lake, Little Egret, adult Yellow-legged Gull (Mike Everett)

Thursday, 3 January

Grafham Water - FIRECREST in hedge on south side of lagoons early afternoon (Simon Davies); also ad Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Siskins over (Martin Davies)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET to roost in trees by Stevens Hide 16:10h, also Little Egret and Dark-bellied Brent Goose (Duncan Poyser)

Ouse Washes - 10 Little Egrets, 425 Golden Plovers, 390 Black-tailed Godwits, 106 Dunlin, Brent Goose, 2 Water Pipits, 6 Siskins (Alex Thomas)

Fen Drayton - 2 male Smew, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dave Griffiths, Cambridge & Tony Lowe); Bittern briefly at Holywell Pit 15:20h (Dave Anderson)

Castor Mill - Red Kite over, 2 Stonechats, Little Owl (Paul Taylor)

Wednesday, 2 January

Peterborough - 2 HAWFINCHES in tops of trees behind Flettton Towers in Woodston c.15:40h. These trees can be viewed from the rec off Oundle Road between the railway bridge and Grove Street, directly opposite the new Oundle Road flats. Walk across to the Queen's Walk end of the rec to view the tall trees at the back of Fletton Towers (Steve Dudley)

Paxton Pits - Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, 2 Woodcock, ad Yellow-legged Gull (Martin Davis)

Fen Drayton - BLACK NECKED GREBE still, male Smew, Bittern, Goosander, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 9 Siskin, 2 Stonechat, Treecreeper (Andy Cotton)

Grafham Water - FIRECREST with tit flock in hedge on south side of lagoons TL157668 (Ray Presley)

King's Dyke NR - 2 Jack Snipe, Woodcock, Buzzard (Phil Parker)

Nene Washes - ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Buzzards, fem Merlin, fem Peregrine, 450+ Whooper Swans (Gary Heath)

Nene Park - 2 Lesser Redpoll, 5 Goldeneye, 4 Woodcock, Jack Snipe (Don Gardener)

Wicken Fen - Marsh Harrier, 2 Hen Harriers, 4 Black-tailed Godwits (Robin Cox)

Tuesday, 1 January

Fen Drayton - BLACK NECKED GREBE still, 3 Smew, Little Egret (Duncan Ritchie)

Grafham Water - Dark-bellied Brent Goose again at Marlow CP (Ray Presley); 3-4 Yellow-legged Gull, Scaup still in Dudney Creek this afternoon, plus 2 Goosander around (Mark Hawkes, Jono Leadley)

Ferry Meadows - Jack Snipe with 11 Common Snipe, c160 Common Gulls on Overton (Matt Webb); c.15 Lesser Redpoll (Ramond Bowell)

Paxton Pits - 3 redhead Smew, Green Sandpiper, c.300 Golden Plovers, 2+ Jack Snipe, 5 Woodcock, pair Stonechta, Buzzard, ad win Mediterranean Gull, 2 ad Yellow-legged Gulls, Goosander, 2 Water Rails heard, Siskin over (Martin Davis)

Ouse Washes - Dark-bellied Brent Goose, GREAT WHITE EGRET (per rarebirdalert.com)

Sutton Gault - c 200 Bewick's Swan, Merlin, Peregrine, 3+ Water Rail, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, 3 Stonechat, 6 Tree Sparrow, 70 Corn Bunting (Mark Peck)

Burwell Fen -ringtail Hen Harrier, 2 Barn owl, 3 Grey Partridge (Kathleen Rosewarne and Ian Barton)

Eldernell - Cetti's Warbler, Marsh Harrier, 2 Barn Owl, Little Owl, Water Pipit, c500 Black-tailed Godwit, Brambling (Ramond Bowell); Short-eared Owl (Duncan Ritchie)

Maxey GP - Jack Snipe (Ramond Bowell)

Blackbush Drove - 2 Short-eared Owls (Duncan Ritchie)