Sunday 31 October 2010

Sunday, 31 October

Ouse Washes - juv PECTORAL SANDPIPER 15:00h (Carole Davis, Bernard Siddle)

Woodwalton Fen - Short-eared Owl, Reed Warbler, 2+ Bearded Tits (Mark Brandon)

Fowlmere - juv Hen Harrier, Merlin, Woodcock, Firecrest, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Bearded Tits, 10+ Siskins, 5 Bramblings (Ade Cooper, Rob Jones)

Fen Drayton Lakes -  species recorded today included Bittern, Bearded Tit, Siskin, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Red-crested Pochard, Barn & Tawny Owl (Neil Renwick)

Melbourn - 48 Grey Partridges, 4 Bramblings and 6 Tree Sparrows to the south of the parish (Steve Cooper)

Yesterday 30/10 - Old Weston - WAXWING taken by a Sparrowhawk (Kevin Royles)

Waterbeach Fen & Cam Washes - Brambling, 4 Green Sandpipers,  2 Little Egrets, Kingfisher (David & Jonathan Heath)

Saturday, 30 October

Burwash Manor Farm, Barton - Jack Snipe around the pools,  Common Buzzard and two coveys of Grey Partridge, c.15 each (Murray Brown)

Paxton pits - Little Egret, Pintail, 5 Red-crested Pochard, 2+ Common Buzzard, 4 Sparrowhawk, 21 Golden Plover, 3 Dunlin, 4 Ruff, 8+ Redshank, 2-3 Green Sandpiper, Cetti's Warbler, 2+ Siskin, 8 Lesser Redpoll (Jamie Wells)

Fen Drayton - 2 Red-crested Pochard, Barn Owl, Brambling, Peregrine, c8500 Starlings to roost (Neil Renwick)

Ferry Meadows - 4 WAXWING over, juvenile Pink-footed Goose, Willow Warbler (Mat Webb)

Thursday 28 October 2010

Thursday, 28 October

Between Caldecote Manor & Wintringham Road - RING OUZEL with the thrush flock heard several times but not seen, 600 Fieldfares, 120 Redwings, 7 Bramblings,11 Grey Partridge (Stuart Elsom)

Cambridge - Red Kite west over Castle Hill 16:00h (Kevin Hand)

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Wednesday, 27 October

Emmanuel College, Cambridge - 2 WAXWINGS over south c.13:10h (Matt Silk)

Ouse Washes RSPB -Grey Plover, 20 Golden Plovers, 75 Ruff, 4 Curlew Sandpipers (Colin Kirtland)

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Tuesday, 26 October

Bretton, Peterborough - WAXWING over 07:55h (Don Gardener)

Hatley St. George - 2 WAXWINGS over 07:35h (Darren Oakley-Martin)

Little Paxton - 2 WAXWINGS at the west end of Gordon Road briefly 12:40h (Ian Langdon)

Fowlmere - 5+ Bearded Tits reported near Drewer Hide 10:00h (Doug Radford)

Foxton - Barn Owl along Fowlmere Road at dawn (Paul Bentinck)

Monday, 25 October

Fowlmere  - 3+ Bearded Tits from Reedbed Hide (Doug Radford)

Sunday 24 October 2010

Sunday, 24 October

Chatteris - GREAT GREY SHRIKE perched on overhead wires on the Somersham to Chatteris road half a mile before Somersham near Crafty Fox (Richard Patient)

Wicken Fen - 150 Golden plover on Burwell Fen, Brambling with Chaffinch flock at Priory Farm, fem Marsh Harrier ringtail Hen Harrier (Andrew Knights)

Melbourn - pair RAVEN over Muncey's Farm, Peregrine, Merlin, 4 Common Buzzard, only 5 Grey Partridge, 12 Corn Buntings (Steve Cooper)

Ouse Washes - 3 Bramblings and 6+ Tree Sparrow around visitor centre, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, 8 Ruff, 3 Grey Plover from Stevens Hide, Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Hen Harrier (Hugh Venables)

Paxton Pits - 17 Little Egret, 4 Red-crested Pochard, 4 Ruff, Dunlin, 4 Green Sandpiper, 3+ Redpoll, 11+ Siskin (Jamie Wells)

Grafham Water - GLAUCOUS GULL (Matthew Rogers)

Berry Fen - 2 Swallows over (Rob Partridge)

Nene Washes - 100+ Pink-footed Geese over, 3+ pairs of Stonechats (John Saunders); 2 WAXWINGS over north and 40 Pink-footed Geese over east (Charlie Kitchin)

Saturday, 23 October

Fowlmere - Jack Snipe, Redpoll sp., Cettis Warble (Richard Palmer)

Hatley St. George - Crossbill and 2 Brambling over (Darren Oakley-Martin)

Fen Drayton - Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl (Dennis Hall); 6000-7000 starlings in to roost at Ferry Pond (Neil Renwick)

Swaddywell Pit -  12+ Bramblings with the finch flocks (Richard Astle)

Southey Woods - c.20 Bramblings, also Siskins and Redpoll sp. (Matt Webb)

Grafham Water - 3rd year Caspian Gull 17:50h (Matthew Rodgers)

Friday 22 October 2010

Friday, 22 October

Witcham - 2 1st-winter type RING OUSELS where Witcham, Sutton and Mepal parishes meet. Vocal but skulking and difficult to see (David Hopkins)

Fowlmere RSPB - JACK SNIPE from reedbed hide 17:45h (John Miller)

Cambridge - Peregrine over Emmanuel College 08:25h (Chris Richards)

Fowlmere - Jack Snipe from reedbed hide (John Miller)

Grafham Water - Goosander in front of Fishing lodge (Matthew Rogers)

Thursday 21 October 2010

Thursday, 21 October

Farcet - 1100+ Fieldfares over the Fen, 200+ over Crown Lakes this morning (Steve Dudley)

Haddenham, North Hill - birds moving roughly south-west between 07:00-10:45h included LAPLAND BUNTING, 1247 Fieldfares, 222 Redwings, 2 Bramblings,  Peregrine, Merlin, 78 Golden Plovers (Dick Newell, Monica & Owen Marks)

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Wednesday, 20 October

Crown Lakes, Farcet - male Hen Harrier, 270+ Fieldfares, 44+ Redwings, 3 Bramblings, 11 Bullfinches, 40+ Goldcrests (Steve Dudley)

Bar Hill / Dry Drayton - 200+ Fieldfares over west (Rowena Baxter)

Cottenham - 100+ Fieldfares over west (Vicki Harley)

Eldernell - c.2300 Fieldfares (Steve Dudley)

Peterborough - c.350 Fieldfares over (Brian Stone)

Tuesday, 19 October

Fen Drayton Lakes - Short-eared Owl (Mike Everett)

Fenstanton -possible RAVEN over,  60+ Golden Plovers (Mike Everett)

Monday 18 October 2010

Monday, 18 Ocotber

Balsham - Brambling over (Iain Webb)

Ferry Meadows - 4 ad Whooper Swans flew north from Gunwade Lake c.08:20h (Brian Stone)

Southey Woods - finch flock of 500+ birds containing at least 50 Brambling and 250 Siskins (Matt Webb)

Sunday 17 October 2010

Sunday, 17 October

Grafham Water - Peregrine, Brambling over north, Rock Pipit at south end of dam, 3 Marsh Tit (Mark Hawkes)

Fen Drayton - juv Little Stint, Stonechat, Brambling (James Hanlon)

Tubney Fen - adult male Merlin (Tim Dee)

Dry Drayton - Red Kite, 3 Common Buzzards (Ken Hook)

Hope Farm - 13 Grey Partridges, 3 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk and 43 Golden Plover (Ken Hook)

March Farmers - CATTLE EGRET, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, 2 Stonechat (Paul Taylor)

Ouse Washes RSPB - 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Grey Plovers, Peregrine, Merlin, Pink-footed Goose, 70 Whooper Swans, 2 Bewick's Swans (Steve Cooper)

Saturday, 16 October

Swaffham Bulbeck - ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD (per RBA)

Swavesey - 8 Whooper Swans over (Neil Renwick)

Hardwick Wood - RING OUZEL (Clive Sinclair)

Fen Drayton Lakes - pair of Bearded Tits (Chris Went)

Tetworth Estate - Brambling with Chaffinches, 3 Siskins, Red Kite, 3 Buzzards, Fieldfare (Stuart & Jill Elsom)

Wicken Fen - ringtail Hen Harrier (David Heath)

Little Shelford - House Martin south (Peter Bircham)

Friday 15 October 2010

Friday, 15 October

Fen Drayton Lakes - GREAT GREY SHRIKE 13:30h, at north end of Ferry Mere. Favouring cut willow brush viewed from the seat near the River Ouse (Dave Anderson); juv still present 14:50h (Mark Peck)

Cambridge - 5 PINK-FOOTED GEESE east over Mill Road (Iain Webb)

Thursday 14 October 2010

Thursday, 14 October

Mepal - 45 Filedfares briefly (Rob Partridge)

Grafham Water - Rock Pipit along north end of dam (Colin Addington); 2 Rock Pipits, 3 Goldeneyes, Cetti's Warbler (James Huchison)

Wednesday, 13 October

Berry Fen - 100+ Golden Plover (Mark Eaton)

Ferry Meadows - 2 Goldeneyes, 2 Coal Tits (Don Gardener)

Southey Wood - 75+ Siskins, Brambling, Coal Tit (Matt Webb)

Grafham Water -  Stonechat (Colin Addington)

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Tuesday, 12 October

Fletton - 4 GANNETS over south-west 12:22h (Brian Stone)

Paxton Pits - 2 SLAVONIAN GREBES, 15 Pintail, 14 Golden Plover (Jamie Wells); Curlew (Paul Lippett)

Bradley Fen - CRANE over west 12:29h (Brian Stone)

Ferry Meadows - CRANE over 12:45h, also 300+ Redwings, 6 Fieldfares, 20+ Siskins (Matt Webb)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 4 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE over (Andy Cotton)

Grafham Water - Brent Goose from Mander CP (Colin Addington)

Mepal - 3 Bramblings over, 200+ Redwings over, Coal Tit (Rob Partridge)

Maxey Pits - Mediterranean Gull (Chris Lines)

Monday 11 October 2010

Monday, 10 October

Needingworth GPs - GOSHAWK, probably male, over west (Mark Eaton)

Fen Drayton Lakes - GOSHAWK over high c.12:30h (David Harmsworth)

Mepal - 3 singing Cetti's warblers (Rob Partridge)

Trumpington - 162 Golden Plovers (Mike Foley)

Sunday 10 October 2010

Sunday, 10 October

Morbourne Hill - WHINCHAT in the paddock round the mast (Andy Frost)

Earith - 2 female Goosander flying downstream along Ouse landed on Ouse Fen Wash, Greenshank, 1-2 Brambling and 3 Siskins over, 3 Grey Wagtail (Graham Hirons)

Ferry Meadows - 2 Rock Pipits on Gunwade (Don Gardener); Brambling, 9 Siskins over (Matt Webb)

Ouse Fen - 11 Buzzards (Brian Groombridge)

Nene Washes - 2 pairs of Stonechats, Curlew, fem Marsh Harrier (John Saunders)

Grafham Water - 2 singing Cetti's Warblers, 2 Greenshanks, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3+ Yellow Wagtails, Little Egret (David Hollin, Mark Hawkes)

Woodwalton Fen - 7 Buzzards, 4 Marsh Harriers, ringtail Hen Harrier, Peregrine, male Merlin, 40+ Snipe over (Joe Lynn)

Castor Hanglands - 2 Crossbills, 20+ Lesser Redpolls (Mike Weedon)

Fen Drayton Lakes - Goldeneye, Hobby (Neil Renwick)

Cambridge - Brambling in a Windsor Road garden (Chris Akhurst)

Paxton Pits - Golden Plover over, Ruff, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, fem Stonechat, Brambling over (Jamie Wells)

Saturday, 9 October

Grafham Water - GREAT NORTHERN DIVER and Brent Goose of Mander car park, 2 Rock Pipit on dam, Brambling, 2 Greenshank, Little Egret, 450+ Redwing heading east or southeast, Redshank, Cetti's Warbler singing in lagoons, 70+ Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail (Mark Hawkes); GREAT SKUA reported at 17:55hr (per rarebirdalert.com)

Paxton Pits - Caspian Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Pintail, Greenshank, Redshank, 2 Dunlin, Brambling, 2 Redpoll, 7 Siskin, c.500 Redwing in several flocks heading east, 2 Swallow, 3 Yellow Wagtail, Common Buzzard Buzzard (Jamie Wells)

Earith - RING OUZEL in hedge on river bank opposite Westview Marina (Graham Hirons)

Fen Drayton - Hobby, Brambling over (Neil Renwick)

Abbotsley / Witerningham - FIRECREST in hedge between Caldecote Manor Farm and Wintringham Road (Stuart & Jill Elsom)

Ferry Meadows - 3 Rock Pipits on Gunwade (Howard Butler)

Needingworth GPs - 1st win RING OUZEL, 12 Bramblings, 14 Siskins over, 6 Redwings (Philip Bubb)

Nene Washes - Curlew, 2 Stonechats, 2 Cranes, ringtail Hen Harrier, 6 Tree Saprrows (Mike Weedon)

Friday 8 October 2010

Friday, 8 October

Stanground wash - LAPLAND BUNTING at least one flying over low south calling several times at c.13:20. This was a party of 4 similar-looking birds which could well have all been this species. Also WHINCHAT, 2 Wheatears (Brian Stone)

Ferry Meadows - 2 Rock Pipits, Merlin, ad Mediterranean Gull (Matt Webb); probably 3 Rock Pipits late afternoon (Brian Stone)

Thursday 7 October 2010

Thursday, 7 October

Nene Washes - GREAT WHITE EGRET over the B1040 at the Dog-in-a-Doublet and onto the washes 08:23h (Chris Lines); Bearded Tit, 2 Stonechats, 6 Yellow Wagtails on Low Wash (Charlie Kitchin); Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, 70 Golden Plovers at March Farmers (Monica & Owen Marks)

Ferry Meadows - Peregrine over, Red Kite, 7 Siskins, 3 Buzzards (Howard Butler, Matt Webb)

Ely - 2 imm GANNETS over north, Bittern to roost at north-east side of the main BF pit (Stuart Sharp)


Ouse Washes RSPB -  Refurbishment work to  Welches Dam pump station means that the access route to the Northern hides towards the railway has been altered slightly. Please follow the pedestrian signs. Please do not be put off by the building site appearance of the route. Any problems please ask at the reserve or at the contractors site office.

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Wednesday, 6 October

Nene Washes - CATTLE EGRET at March Farmers (Marie Barton)

Ely BF - Bittern, 4 Marsh Harriers, Bearded Tit, Water Rail, Common Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail (Colin Kirtland)

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Tuesday, 5 October

Toft - Whinchat, a few Golden Plovers (Clive Sinclair)

St. Ives - 2 Bramblings over (Mark Eaton)

Upton Wood - 8 Crossbills, 30+ Siskins (Mark Peck)

Monks Wood - 4 Red Kites (Richard Broughton)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 2 Hobbies over (Neil Renwick); 4 Bramblings over Riverview Farm 17:10h (Andy Cotton)

Ouse Washes - 15 Whooper Swans from Steven's Hide (Mike Burdekin)

Morborne Hill - Wheatear (Richard Jones)

Farcet - 3 Cetti's Warblers at Crown Lakes (Steve Dudley)

Paxton Pits - Rock Pipit, Ruff, Golden Plover, 3 Greenshanks, Green Sandpiper (Jamie Wells)

Monday 4 October 2010

Monday, 4 October

Nene washes - LAPLAND BUNTING over Eldernell with a Brambling, ad male Hen Harrier, 5 Whooper Swans, Crane family still (Jonathan Taylor)

Cambridge - male Brambling at a feeder in a Windsor Road garden this morning (Chris Akehurst)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Snipe, 2 Little Egrets, Barn Owl, Hobby, 1+ Kingfishers (James Hanlon)

Grafham Water - Black Tern, 2 Greenshanks (as per RBA)

Upton Wood - Marsh Harrier, small flock of mobile Crossbills,  small flock of mobile Siskins, Red Kite, 2 Buzzards, 8 Marsh Tits, pair of Nuthatches (Richard Broughton)

Sunday, 3 October

Monks Wood - 2 Red Kites, 3 Buzzards, Marsh Tit numbers low but increasing numbers of Nuthatch (Richard Broughton)

Morborne Hill - Wheatear (Richard Jones)

Saturday 2 October 2010

Saturday, 2 October

Eye - NIGHT HERON perched on a roadside fence along the A47 (Jamie Wilson)

Grafham Water - Little Gull, Black Tern, 2 Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Redpoll over (Mark Hawkes)

Witcham Gravel - Redstart, Wheatear (David Hopkins)

Paxton Pits - Redstart, Peregrine, imm Marsh Harrier (Martin Davies)

Isleham Washes - Redpoll, Barnacle Goose (David Collins)

Ouse Fen - 3 Common Buzzards, 5 Kestrels, 2 Marsh Harriers, 3 Hobbies (Brian Groombridge)

Croydon Hill - 2 Bramblings, 8 Redwings, 2 Siskins, 107 Swallows, 50 House Martins (Darren Oakley-Martin)

Castor Hanglands - 13 Bramblings, 15 Redpolls, 6 Siskins (Jonathan Taylor)

Ely BF - Bittern 16:15h (Mark Grooms)

Milton CP - 4 Redwings, 2 Redpolls, 8 Siskins, Yellow Wagtail over (Jonathan & David Heath)

Woodwalton Fen - Merlin, 2 Marsh Harriers, 6 Buzzards, 25 Siskins, 3 Bramblings (Richard Patient)

Fen Drayton Lakes - 3 Cetti's Warblers (Richard Patient)

Friday 1 October 2010

Friday, 1 October

Nene Washes - juv GANNET over north, 2 Yellow Wagtails (Charlie Kitchen)

Witcham - fem Redstart in a private garden this morning (Allistair & Michelle Berry)

Trumpington, Cambridge - Wheatear, 2 Snipe, 16 Corn Buntings (Mike Foley)

Wicken Fen - juv male Redstart (Michael Holdsworth)