Friday 31 July 2009

Friday, 31 July

Grafham Water - juvenile Mediterranean Gull Gull, 70 Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 Sanderling, 8 Dunlin, Ruddy Duck, Ringed Plover, 3 Avocet, 2 Green Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plover (Mark Hawkes)

Fowlmere - 2 Garganeys, which flew off at 06:15h (Gavin Ryan)

Wicken Fen - Red Kite over west, Greenshank, 5 Green Sandpipers, Hobby, Stonechat (Dave Palmer)

Thursday, 30 July

Grafham Water - 7 Sanderlings on dam early afternoon (Colin Addington); this evening one Sanderling remains, also moulting male SCAUP in lagoons, juv Mediterranean Gull off lagoons, 4+ Green Sandpipers, 6+ Avocets, 2 Common Sandpipers, 5+ Little Egrets,, 5+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Mark Hawkes)

Paxton Pits - Whimbrel over, 11 Common Sandpipers, Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Egrets (Jamie Wells)

Fowlmere - 2 Garganeys from 21:20h (Gavin Ryan)

Wansford - Red Kite over A1/A47 junction c. 11:00h (Anna Mcoustra)

Wednesday 29 July 2009

Wednesday, 29 July

Earith - Bittern flushed from the side of the Old Bedford River this morning (David Griffiths)

Paxton Pits - 4 Little Egrets, 58+ Yellow-legged Gulls, 1+ Green Sandpiper, 7 Common Sandpipers, 6 Dunlins (Martin Davis, Jamie Wells)

Tuesday 28 July 2009

Tuesday, 28 July

Grafham water - Turnstone near Savages Creek, Avocet in lagoons, also 3 Little Egrets, Green Sandpiper, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, probable Garganey in flight briefly (Mark Hawkes)

Monday, 27 July

Cam Washes - juv Mediterranean Gull, Greenshank, 8 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, Marsh Harrier, 2 Barn Owls this evening (David Heath)

Monday 27 July 2009

Sunday, 26 July

Grafham Water - 2+ Green Sandpipers, 6+ Little Egrets, 4+ Avocets, 4+ Yellow-legged Gulls, 5 Dunlins (Mark Hawkes)

Paxton Pits - Whimbrel, c.50 Yellow-legged Gulls, 4+ Little Egrets, Green Sandpiper, 5 Common Sandpipers, 1+ Hobby, juv Cuckoo (Jamie Wells); fem Red-crested Pochard (Trevor Gunton)

Fen Drayton Lakes - Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit (Dave Anderson); Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turtle Dove (Neil Renwick)

Cam Washes, Waterbeach - 3 Ruffs, 5 Green Sandpipers (Peter Herkenrath)

Saturday, 25 July

Maxey Pits - juv Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpipers, 10+ Green Sandpipers, Black-tailed Godwit (Chris Lines)

Grafham Water - Garganey, 3 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 7 Little Egrets, 4+ Avocets, 3+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Mark Hawkes); 2 Whimbrels briefly, 2 Dunlins (Colin Addington)

Paxton Pits - 3 Little Egrets, 74+ Yellow-legged Gulls, 6+ Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers (Martin Davis, Jamie Wells)

Friday 24 July 2009

Friday, 24 July

Fen Drayton Lakes - Bittern in flight over Holywell redbeds 09:00h (Dennis Hall, Dave Anderson)

Maxey Pits - 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Black-tailed Godwits (Malcolm Holley)

Thursday 23 July 2009

Thursday, 23 July

Paxton Pits - 84+ Yellow-legged Gulls, Peregrine, 2 Whimbrels, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Common Sandpipers, 6 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Dunlins (Martin Davis)

Cam Washes - 5 Black-tailed Godwits - 14+ Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 6 Avocets, 4 Ruffs, 4 Greenshanks, Dunlin, Little Ringed Plover, 2 Barn Owls (David Heath)

Wednesday, 22 July

Maxey Pits - Tawny Owl (Phil Ackerman); 3 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper (Malcolm Holley)

Grafham Water - Black Tern off Mander CP 16:20h (Colin Addington)

Ferry Meadows - juv Mediterranean Gull from Peake Hide 17:45h but flew and not relocated (Brian Stone)

Fowlmere - Green Sandpiper, Turtle Dove, Dunlin (Gavin Ryan)

Fulbourn - 2 Tawny Owls (Hugh Venables)

Little Wilbraham - pair of Little Owls with two juvs nearby (Hugh Venables)

Monday 20 July 2009

Monday, 20 July

Stanground Wash - Garganey (Brian Stone)

Paxton Pits - Egyptian Goose, 22+ Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 Little Egrets, 6 Common Sandpipers (Jamie Wells)

Sunday, 19 July

Paxton Pits - 5 Common Sandpipers, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, Little Egret (Jamie Wells)

Maxey Pits - 16 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper (Mike Weedon)

Fen Drayton Lakes - Bittern, Spotted Flycatcher, male Marsh Harrier reported

Saturday, 18 july

Buckden GP - 5 Little Egrets, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper (Mark Hawkes)

Cam Washes - 3 Avocets, 3 Ruffs, 13 Green Sandpipers, 6 Greenshanks, 2 Common Sandpipers (David & Jonathan Heath)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 3 Green Sandpipers, 3 Marsh Harriers (James Hanlon)

Paxton Pits - 2 Whimbrels, Greenshank, 4 Common Sandpipers, 25 Yellow-legged Gulls (Martin Davis)

Nene Washes - 2 Common Cranes at TL290997 about 17:00h (Phil Jackson)

Friday, 17 July

Paxton Pits -2 Whimbrel, Greenshank, 31+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Martin Davis)

Maxey Pits - 3 Greenshanks (Mike Weedon)

Friday 17 July 2009

Thursday, 16 July

Kingston - Crossbill over (Iain Webb)

Grafham Water - Whimbrel over east, 3 Green Sandpipers, 4 Common Sandpipers, Greenshank, 3+ Avocets, 7+ Little Egrets, 5+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Mark Hawkes)

Paxton Pits - 2 Little Egrets, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, 2+ Common Sandpipers, 20+ Yellow-legged Gulls (Jamie Wells); 2 Turtle Doves, 4 Buzzards (Martin Davis)

Southoe Farms - 2 Turtle Doves, Grasshopper Warbler (Martin Sreeves)

Tuesday 14 July 2009

Tuesday, 14 july

Fen Drayton Lakes - no sign of the White-winged Black Tern by late morning (Andy Cotton); 3+ Green Sandpipers, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Dunlins (Gavin Paterson)

Elton - 10 Crossbills low over Greenhill heading south (Brian Stone)

Ferry Meadows - Crossbill low west over Ham Lane, near the entrance, 07:50h (Matt Webb)

Monday 13 July 2009

Monday, 13 July

Fen Drayton Lakes - adult WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN still present 12:15h (birdguides.com); present on the spit in the northern section of Ferry Lagoon. The best views can be obtained from the riverbank footpath (Jacqui, Andy Cotton); still present 17:45h. Also 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Little Ringed Plovers (John Hoppett)

Southey Wood - 18 Crossbills along the main ride, TF108027, at 08:00h (Brian Stone)

Brampton Wood - 2 Crossbills over north 09:15h (Dean Harlow)

Hemingford Grey - c.20 Crossbills over south this morning, also Barn Owl, Egyptian Goose (Mike Everett)

Sunday 12 July 2009

Sunday, 12 July

Fen Drayton Lakes - adult WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN still present 06:40h (Bruce Martin); still present this evening (John Lindsell)

Cam Washes - Oyster Catcher, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Avocet, 7 Greenshank, 4 Redshank, 5 Green Sandpiper, 5 Little ringed Plover, 470 Lapwing, 3 Ruff, 2 Dunlin, Hobby, Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl (Owen Marks and Dean Harlow)

Grafham Water - 10 Little Egret, 6 Little Ringed Plover, 4+ Yellow-legged Gull (Mark Hawkes); 5 Common Sandpipers (Ade Cooper); Osprey over west this evening (David Hollin)

Saturday, 11 July

Fen Drayton Lakes - adult WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN all day, mostly at Ferry Mere and Lagoon, but occasionally at Far Fen Lake and Drayton Lagoon, Grasshopper Warbler , 3 Turtle Doves, Red Kite, pair of Marsh Harriers and two flying juveniles, 3 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Buzzards (Neil Renwick)

Grafham Water - Greenshank, 4+ Little Egret, 3+ Yellow-legged Gull, Ruddy Duck (Mark Hawkes)

Cam Washes - 2 Dunlin, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Oystercatcher, 9 Greenshank, 14 Green Sandpiper, 9 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Ruff, 3 Marsh Harrier, Hobby (Jonathan & David Heath)

Friday 10 July 2009

Friday, 10 July

Fen Drayton Lakes - adult WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN over eastern end of Ferry Lagoon to 11:30h at least (Andy Cotton); still present 12:55h (Bruce Martin); still present 15:58h, best viewed from river footpath along north side of Ferry Lagoon (Dean Harlow).

Thursday 9 July 2009

Thursday, 9 July

Paxton Pits - 2 Little Egrets, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, Green Sandpiper, 5 Dunlins, pair of Turtle Doves (Jamie Wells)

Grafham Water - male Ruff from lagoon hide (Colin Addington); also Greenshank, Little Egret, 61+ Common Terns, 7 Redshanks (Mark Hawkes)

Ouse Washes - Wood Sandpiper, Ruff, 9 Avocets (Dean Harlow)

Cam Washes - 14 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Avocets, 3 Ruff, 12+ Green Sandpipers, 5 Greenshanks, Snipe, 9+ Little Ringed Plovers, 10+ Redshanks, 2 Barn Owls,2 Oystercatchers (David Heath)

Fen Drayton Lakes - Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper (Mike Everett)

Hemingford Grey - Grasshopper Warbler and an Egyptian Goose still present (Mike Everett)

Wednesday 8 July 2009

Wednesday, 8 July

Paxton Pits - 29 Yellow-legged Gulls, Green Sandpiper, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Little Egrets (Martin Davis)

Great Gransden - pair of Spotted Flycatchers with young (Graham Askew)

Cam Washes - 3 Avocets, 3 Ruffs, 9 Green Sandpipers, 7 Greenshanks, 8 Little Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwit (David Heath)

Southoe - Little Owl, Barn owl, Grasshopper Warbler (Martin Sreeves)

Tuesday, 7 July

Ouse Washes - Wood Sandpiper, 13 Ruffs, 3 Avocets, Peregrine, Garganey, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Marsh Harriers, 3 Black-tailed Godwits (Gavin Paterson)

Paxton Pits - SCAUP on Diddington Pit unitl flying towards Island Pit at 15:40h, Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank over east, 3 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, Hobby, 30 Yellow Legged Gulls (Jamie Wells)

Gamlingay - Quail singing nearby at Fuller's Hill Farm (Derek Gruar, Darren Oakley-Martin)

Islesham Water Meadows - presumed escape White Pelican, 3 Green Sandpipers (Steve Cooper)

Tuesday 7 July 2009

Monday, 6 July

Fen Drayton Lakes - 5 Egyptian Geese, Green Sandpiper (Gavin Paterson)

Paxton Pits - Wood Sandpiper, 4 Little Ringed Plovers (Jamie Wells)

Sunday 5 July 2009

Sunday, 5 July

Grafham Water - 2 Greenshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Egret, at least 7 Yellow-legged Gulls (Mark Hawkes)

Cam Washes - 13 Avocet 13, 11 Greenshank, 10 Green Sandpiper, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ruff, 5 Little Ringed Plover (Dean Harlow)

Ouse Washes RPSB - 2 Wood Sandpipers and 25 Ruff (per rarebirdalert.com)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 3 Green Sandpipers, 5+ Little Egrets, Hobby (Neil Renwick)

Saturday, 4 July

Paxton Pits - SANDWICH TERN around Pumphouse Pit (occasionally flying over to Diddinton Pit) Little Egret, 6 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Buzzard, Turtle Dove, (Martin Davis, Jamie Wells)

Cam Washes - 6 Wood Sandpiper, 10 Greenshank (David Heath)

Grafham Water - 4 SANDWICH TERN off Plummer CP at 10.10, then flew off over lagoons, Whimbrel flew over north, 3 Oystercatcher, 5 Little Egret, 8+ Avocet (Mark Hawkes); 2Common Sandpipers on dam (Colin Addington)

Buckden GP - 2 Green Sandpipers, Little Egret (Mark Hawkes)

Monks Wood - Long-eared Owl (Roger Hughes)

Devil's Dyke just east of Swaffham Prior - Quail calling from a wheatfield (Claire Spottiswoode)

Fen Drayton Lakes - male Ruff, Greenshank (Richard Patient)

Friday 3 July 2009

Friday, 3 July

Foxton - Quail calling in a private garden about 24:00h last night (Marcus Kohler)

Great Gransden - Spotted Flycatcher in the churchyard (Chris McCabe)

Ouse Washes - Hobby over reserve near Welches Dam and Quail calling form arable fields just off reserve east of Common Wash (Paul Harrington)

Thursday 2 July 2009

Thursday, 2 July

Grafham Water - ARCTIC SKUA adult still on wall of dam 07:50h, female Common Scoter, Greenshank (Mark Hawkes). The Arctic Skua was humanely put down at 12.20h.


Arctic Skua, Grafham Water, 2nd July © Mark Hawkes (click for larger image). Hand-held shot taken at around 3 foot range. Only the 2nd county record for July.

Fen Drayton Lakes - 3 Green Sandpipers, Hobby, 7 Little Egrets, 4 Egyptian Geese (Gavin Paterson)

Helpston - Spotted Flycatcher (Richard Astle)

Southoe - pair of Little Owls, possibly with young (Martin Sreeves)

Wednesday 1 July 2009

Wednesday, 1 July

Grafham Water - 3 Common Scoter off Plummer CP, Greenshank, 14+ Avocets, 2+ Yellow-legged Gulls, 5 Little Egrets, Hobby over (Mark Hawkes); ARCTIC SKUA adult on dam in evening (Ade Cooper)

Fen Drayton Lakes - Marsh Harriers have bred successfully. The first chick fledged on Monday, the second fledged on Wednesday. RSPB volunteers & staff will be on hand at the Holywell Lake car park at weekends to help visitors to see them taking flying lessons (Neil Renwick)

Dry Drayton - BLACK KITE over the village 18:30h heading towards Cambridge (Mike Clydesdale)

Monks Wood - pair of Spotted Flycatchers with two fledged young (Stuart Sharp)

Tuesday, 30 June

Maxey Pits - 2+ Wood Sandpipers, 5 Green Sandpipers, Cuckoo (Chris Lines)

Cam Washes - 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Green Sandpipers, 2 Ruffs, 13 Avocets, 2 Greenshanks, 13 Little Ringed Plovers, Little Egret, Barn Owl (Jonathan & David Heath)