Friday 27 February 2009

Friday, 27 February

Fen Drayton Lakes - male Garganey on Moore Lake (Dennis Hall); subsequently on Elney Lake until 13:30h at least. Also ad Yellow-legged Gull, 2 singing Cetti's Warblers, 2 rehead Goosanders, fem Stonechat, 5 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Siskins (Andy Cotton)

Paxton Pits - 2 FIRECRESTS near Cloudy Pit, Caspian Gull, male and fem Smew, Stonechat (Jamie Wells)

Cambridge - 2 Common Buzzards over Oxford Road at lunchtime (Christoph Zöckler); Peregrine over Mawson Road/Tenison Road c.12:30h (Martin Walters)

Ouse Washes - 6 Little Egrets to roost, 1st win GLAUCOUS GULL at 16:10h (Owen & Monica Marks)

Thursday 26 February 2009

Thursday, 26 February

Roswell Pits, Ely - 2 GREAT WHITE EGRETS until 06:55h and a Little Egret (Will Burdett, Mark Grooms)

Ouse Washes RSPB - Black-necked Grebe just south of Cottier Hide, ad Mediterranean Gull, probable GREAT WHITE EGRET in osier bed to north of Steven's Hide 17:10h (Monica & Owen Marks)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 3 Goosanders, 10 Ruddy Ducks (Dennis Hall); male Smew, Cetti's Warbler (Andy Cotton)

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Wednesday, 25 February

Stuntney/A142 - GREAT WHITE EGRET flew south at 17:30h (Duncan Poyser)

Roswell Pits, Ely - 2 GREAT WHITE EGRETS left the roost and headed north along the river just before 07:00h, also 2 Little Egrets (Ben Green). Both again in roost together from 17:35h (Duncan Poyser)

Dunkirk - GREAT WHITE EGRET this afternoon (as per rarebirdalert.com)

Paxton Pits - FIRECREST still near Cloudy Pit (Dean Harlow); showing well this afternoon (Bruce Martin); 2 birds reported at 14:00h (as per rarebirdalert.com)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 3 Pink-footed Geese in field north-west of Drayton Lagoon, also 2 Goosanders (Bruce Martin, Andy Cotton); 1800 Black-tailed Godwits, 13 Ruff, 3 Oystercatchers, Peregrine (John Parslow)

Grafham Water - Stonechat at north end of dam (David Hollin)

Ouse Fen - Short-eared Owl, Little Egret (Andy Cotton)

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Tuesday, 24 February

Roswell Pits, Ely - 2 GREAT WHITE EGRETS roosting in trees opposite sailing club 06:50 (Ben Green, Duncan Poyser); both birds back to roost this evening, one at 17:00h, one at 18:00h, Little Egret (Ben Green)

Paxton Pits - FIRECREST at the south end of Cloudy Pit again 10:45h (as per RBA)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 2 Stonechats, 3 Goosanders (Dennis Hall); 873+ islandica Black-tailed Godwits (Lee Evans)

Kingfishers Bridge - 2 GREAT WHITE EGRETS flew south west around 17:00h (Simon Wooton)

Monday 23 February 2009

Monday, 23 February

Paxton Pits - FIRECREST at the south end of Cloudy Pit again this morning around area of 'The Beach' (Dean Harlow); 2 FIRECRESTS reported 15:30h (as per rarebirdalert.com)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 1000+ Black-tailed Godwits, 400 Golden Plovers, fem Stonechat (Andy Cotton)

Ouse Washes - 2 GREAT WHITE EGRETS near Stevens Hide on the west side just south of the railway line, Black-necked Grebe from Cottier Hide (James Cadbury); Turnstone at Earith (Bruce Martin)

Cottenham, Long Drove - juv ICELAND GULL still (Steve Cooper)

Woodwalton Fen - 2 COMMON CRANES (Luise Addison)

Sunday 22 February 2009

Sunday, 22 Febuary

Milton CP - 2 Little Egret in the field between the railway line and the wood, 6 Little Grebe (Jonathan & David Heath)

Grafham Water - fem Scaup still in Gaynes creek, 4+ Red-crested Pochard, c80 Black-tailed Godwit flew north at 11am, drk. Goosander at Mander CP (Mark Hawkes)

Woodwalton Fen - 2 COMMON CRANE, 2 Marsh Harrier (Gavin Paterson)

Cambridge - Peregrine flying over the Botanic Garden (Peter Harkenrath)

Paxton Pits - FIRECREST at the south end of Cloudy Pit this afternoon around area of 'The Beach' (Martin Shadbolt); 90+ Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Green Sandpipers (Jamie Wells)

Mare Fen, Swavesy - 350+ Black-tailed Godwits 16:00h (Chris Horton)

Saturday, 21 Febuary

Nene Washes - male GREEN-WINGED TEAL just west of Lord's Holt (Ade Cooper)

Paxton Pits - Little Egret, 7 Shelduck, 5+ Common Buzzard, Peregrine (Jamie Wells, Martin Shadbolt)

Pymore - GREAT WHITE EGRET in ditch and fields northeast of Dunkirk, Tree Sparrow, Stonechat and 4 Bewick's Swans (Peter Herkenrath)

Long Drove, Cottenham - first winter ICELAND GULL at the tip (Peter Herkenrath)

Mare Fen area - female Red-breasted Merganser is now on the River Ouse, opposite Berry Fen, pair Smew on flooded fields between Mare Fen and the River Ouse (Richard Thomas); drake Garganey on the back of Mare Fen (Richard Grimmett)

Grafham Water - Stonechat, male on fence below dam, Smew, drk still at Valley creek, 4+ Red-crested Pochards in Gaynes creek (Mark Hawkes)

Fen Drayton - first winter ICELAND GULL over Ferry Lagoon, Cetti's Warbler (Richard Thomas)

Woodwalton Fen - 3 Common Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harrier,Red Kite, c7 Redpolls, c30 Siskins, 2 Tawny Owls (Monica and Owen Marks); 2 COMMON CRANES (Kevin Durose)

Cambourne - 2 WAXWING at corner of Greenhaze Lane and Foxhollow, female Scaup at Whomping Willow Lake (Audrey and Gwyn Williams)

Friday 20 February 2009

Friday, 20 February

Maxey Pits - male GREEN-WINGED TEAL on westernmost island from the hard standing viewpoint this morning (Dean Harlow)

Thursday 19 February 2009

Thursday, 19 February

Maxey Pits - male GREEN-WINGED TEAL viewable from the hard standing this morning (John Saunders)

Cambourne - 2 WAXWINGS along Greenhaze Lane 07:45h (Jonathan Hook)

Cam Washes, Upware - 4 Curlews, Green Sandpiper (Mark Pettit)

Fen Drayton Lakes - Bittern on Oxholme Lake 16:30h (Haether Chambers)

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Wednesday, 18 February

Grafham Water - Black-necked Grebe from Plummer CP, fem Goosander in lagoons, 10 Red-crested Pochards, Tawny Owl calling near Gaynes Cove screen 11:00h (Mark Brandon); also male Smew in Valley Creek, c.6 Goosanders in the Littless area and a male Mandarin (Jono Leadley)

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Tuesday, 17 February

Ely - GREAT WHITE EGRET on Cawdle Fen just south of Ely Station (TL539788) seen from the train at 16:40h (Mark Grooms)

Cambourne - 2 WAXWINGS in a Foxhollow Way garden 08:00h (Richard Palmer)

Grafham Water - Black-necked Grebe, 9 Red-crested Pochards off Plummer CP (Richard Palmer)

Monday 16 February 2009

Monday, 16 February

Hatley St. George - RAVEN over 09:05h (Darren Oakley-Martin)

Cambourne - 2 WAXWINGS along Greenhaze Lane this morning (Jonathan Hook)

Blackcaps reported recently include: a pair in a Fen Drayton garden, male and female separately in a Werrington garden, 2 in a Dogsthorpe garden, male and female separately in a Cambridge garden, female in a Fen Ditton garden.

Sunday 15 February 2009

Sunday, 15 Febuary

Ely - GREAT WHITE EGRET about 100 metres west of Ely station c.14:00h (Alex Ash)

Cambourne - 2 + WAXWINGS feeding in trees and gardens along Foxhollow Way (John Harding, Mark Hawkes); female Scaup and female Pochard on Whomping Willow Lane (Mark Hawkes)

Fen Drayton - 3 Smew, 15 Goldeneye, 5 Dunlin, Barn Owl, Green Sandpiper (Neil Renwick)

Etton Rd, Maxey - 2 Ringed Plover, Barn Owl, 4 Shelduck, Common Buzzard (Chris lines)

Needingworth Pits - 9 Smew on the pits nearest Overcote Lane, 2 Little Egrets (Philip Bubb)

Ely Beet Factory - 2 Bittern, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Water Rail (Mark Grooms); Bittern, 2 BEARDED TITS (Kathleen Rosewarne, Ian Barton)

Cottenham, Long Drove - ad or 4th winter Caspian Gull this morning (Peter Herkenrath)

Woodwalton Fen - ad fem Hen Harrier, c.100 Lesser Redpolls, 3 Mealy Redpolls, c.40 Siskins, 3 Barn Owls, Peregrine, Cetti's Warbler, Little Egret, 4 Water Rails (Mark Ward)

Saturday, 14 Febuary

Paxton Pits - 3 Smew, Woodcock, Yellow-legged Gull, pr Grey Partridge, pr, in field NW of Diddington village, 30-40 Siskin (Jamie Wells); Jack Snipe, Little Egret (Mark Hawkes)

Grafham Water - Black-necked Grebe still near south end of dam, 13 Red-crested Pochard, fem. Scaup, drk Smew, 9 Ruddy Duck, 5 Goosander, 11 Little Grebe, Little Egret (Mark Hawkes)

Buckden GP - 9 Common Buzzards (Mark Hawkes)

Great Cambourne - 2-3 WAXWINGS along the bridleway between Foxhollow and Greenhaze Lane (Jonathan Hook)

Woodwalton Fen - FIRECREST, with Long-tailed Tit flock heading roughly west along main east-west ride (Mike Weedon)

Ely Beet Factory - 2 Bittern, 2 Bearded Tit (Kathleen Rosewarne, Ian Barton)

Friday 13 February 2009

Friday, 13 February

Prickwillow - GREAT WHITE EGRET flew north over River Lark at 08:34h TL596.828 (per rarebirdalert.com)

Grafham Water- Black-necked Grebe from Plummer car park (Colin Addington); 5+ Red-crested Pochards (Mark Hawkes)

Ouse Fen - 4 Smew (per rarebirdalert.com)

Little Thetford - BLACK REDSTART (Phil Savage)

Thursday, 12 February

Fowlmere - Bittern (Doug Radford)

Cambourne - Waxwing still around Monkfield Lane (Martin Leader)

Fulbourn - 4 Little Egrets in roadside ditch between Fulbourn and Teversham this morning (Colin Kirtland)

Thursday 12 February 2009

Wednesday, 11 February

Cambourne - Waxwing still around Monkfield Lane (Martin Leader)

Long Drove, Cottenham - 1st-winter ICELAND GULL, adult Caspian Gull, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls (Ian Barton)

Sawston - Little Egret 10:30h (Mike Ratcliffe)

Tuesday, 10 February

Fen Drayton GP - 2 Bitterns (Paul Rule)

Cambourne - 3 Waxwings around Monkfield Lane (Martin Leader)

Late news from 9 Feb: Ouse Washes - 1st-w male Scaup, Water Pipit, 8 Whooper Swans (Paul Boult)

Sunday 8 February 2009

Sunday, 8 February

Paxton Pits - 3-4 Smew, 2 Goosander, 6 Pintail, 3 Red-crested Pochard, Jack Snipe, Barn Owl, Grey Wagtail, 2 Marsh Tit, Siskin (Martin Davis, Gary Rawlings, Jamie Wells)

Fen Drayton - 3 White-fronted Geese on Moore Lake, Bittern at Holywell Lake, Cetti's warbler (c/o Neil Renwick); 2 redhead Goosanders (Mark Eaton); Scaup on Moore Lake (per rarebirdalert.com)

Needingworth - 14+ Smews (Mark Eaton)

Stirtloe - c.130 Corn Bunting, 300+ Skylark, very pale Common Buzzard (Mark Hawkes)

Buckden GP - Green Sandpiper, Pintail, 30+ Corn Bunting (Mark Hawkes)

Grafham Water - fem Scaup, drake Smew, 5 Goosander, 6 Red-crested Pochard (Mark Hawkes)

Kirtling Brook - Peregrine, 4 Little Egret (Hugh Venables)

Woodwalton Fen - FIRECREST, Hen Harrier, 20 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Mealy Redpoll, 6 Marsh Tit (John Sunders)

Saturday, 7 Febuary

Fen Drayton - Bittern dropped into Ferry Pond (M Harris); 3 Bitterns roosting at Holywell Lake (Duncan McNiven & Debbie Pain); male Smew on Elney Lake, Little Egret and 2 Water Pipits at TL356702, ringtail Harrier moving along the Ouse (John Walsh, Gavin Talbot)

Grafham Water - male Smew in Valley Creek, 9 Red-crested Pochard (Mark Hawkes)

Paxton Pits - 4 Smew, 3 Goosander, 3 Red-crested Pochard, 8 Barnacle Geese, 8 Shelduck, 4+ Common Buzzard (Jamie Wells)

Cam Washes, Waterbeach - Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl, Little Egret, 2 Redshank, 2 Shelduck (Jonathan and David Heath)

Woodwalton Fen - 2 Common Buzzards, Red Kite, Merlin, Woodcock, 100+ Siskins and 50+ Lesser Redpolls, 5+ Mealy Redpoll (Richard Patient); Bittern arrived at Gordon's Mere 16:45h and possibly the same Bittern seen at Rothschild's Mere 17:00h, also Little Egret, 2 Barn Owls (Mike Weedon)

Kingfisher Bridge - Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Water Rail (Chris Went)

Barleycraft GP - 15 Smews, Peregrine, Kingfisher (Steve Cooper)

Godmanchester SW - Green Sandpiper, 6 Chiffchaffs, 10 Grey Wagtails (Steve Cooper)

Friday 6 February 2009

Friday, 6 February

Wilburton - Brambling in a private garden still (Peter Stockwell)

Fenstanton - Jack Snipe on the north edge near Fen Drayton again this evening (Mark Eaton)

Thursday 5 February 2009

Thursday, 5 February

Wilburton - Brambling in a private garden this morning (Peter Stockwell)

Fenstanton - Water Rail in a private garden this morning (Mark Eaton)

Ouse Washes - 31 White-fronted Geese, 7 Bean Geese, 922 Black-tailed Godwits, 97 Dunlins and 19 Ruffs between Earith and the Welney Road (Paul Harrington)

Fen Drayton - Jack Snipe and a flighty Water Pipit in the drainage area nearby c.TL324687, redhead Goosander on Moore Lake (Mark Eaton)

Wednesday 4 February 2009

Wednesday, 4 February

Fen Drayton Lakes - redhead Goosander, Woodcock (Dennis Hall); 5 Smews (Dave Anderson)

Ouse Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET at Pymoor (birdguides.com); 7 Bean Geese, 17 White-fronted Geese, 6 Water Pipits (Jonathan Taylor); 6+ Tree Sparrows and a Brambling at the visitors' centre (Bruce Martin)

Woodwalton Fen - Red Kite, fem Hen Harrier, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Buzzards, 2 Barn Owls, Little Owl, 5 Water Rails, c.21 Whooper Swans, Mealy Redpoll (Colin Kirtland)

Tuesday 3 February 2009

Tuesday, 3 February

Grafham Water - pair of COMMON SCOTERS from Marlow CP 15:20h (Colin Addington)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 6 Smews on the Trout Pond this morning (Dennis Hall); a total of 8 Smews this afternoon, also Bittern in flight briefly, 2 Stonechats, Barn Owl (Andy Cotton)

Sunday 1 February 2009

Sunday, 1 Febuary

Hinchingbrooke Country Park - male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker along main ride this morning (John Lindsell)

Cambourne - 2 WAXWINGS in Monkfield Wood, and gardens nearby, 13:30h (Martin Leader)

Sutton - WAXWING in private garden (Richard Grimmett)

March Farmers - 2 COMMON CRANES feeding just west of parking area, Turnstone on flood near trig point (Mike Weedon)

Paxton Pits - Little Egret, 8 Barnacle Geese, Red-crested Pochard, 4+ Common Buzzards, Black-tailed Godwit, Woodcock (Rob Banbury, Neal Parkin, Jamie Wells)

Warboys - Red Kite flew east over Ramsey Road (Graham Muney)

Grafham Water - Bewick's Swan, Scaup, Smew, 9 Red-crested Pochards still south end of dam, 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Grey Wagtails (Mark Hawkes)

Woodwalton Fen - Mixed flock of 60, mainly Lesser Redpolls and Siskin with a few Common Redpollls and Goldfinches (Peter Beesley)

Meldreth - Little Egret over, Chiffchaff (Ian Dodd)

Saturday, 31 January

Fen Drayton - redhead Merganser still on Ferry Lagoon (Richard Bradbury); Bittern dropped down into reeds on Elney Lake at 9am this morning (Hugh Venables); 2 Smew on Ferry Lagoon (Mark Hawkes)

Grafham Water - c.70 Brent Geese flew east, 9 Red-crested Pochard by dam (Mark Hawkes)

Buckden - female Goosander (Mark Hawkes)

Pymoor - 2 GREAT WHITE EGRETS again in ditch SE of Pymoor north of B1411 (rarebirdalert.com)

Coveney - ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD (rarebirdalert.com)

Cambridge - Peregrine flying South along Hills Road (Rob Scoffin)

Ferry Meadows - adult Mediterranean Gull seen in flight over Overton Lake (Matt Webb)

Woodwalton Fen - 4 + Common Buzzards, Peregrine, 2 Red Kites, Merlin, 2+ Marsh Harriers, 21 Whooper Swans, 3 Little Egrets (Howard Butler)

Holme Fen - 2 Common Buzzard, Red kite (Howard Butler)