Tuesday, 26 February 2013

February 26th (GARDEN WAXWINGS)

Waxwings at last,six birds sitting in our rowan tree,peering down at the apples which I have been putting out as bait since November 2012.Everything was looking good,my garden net was already in place,my heart was thumping,then gone----a passing car spooked them---damn.
Will they return,not yet at least,its now 1400 and they were in the garden for all of forty five seconds around 1100.

Friday, 22 February 2013

PAST TIMES (1982)

February 22nd.Burham marsh - saw a flock of one hundred Snipe flying about,also saw two Bearded Tits in the reed-bed

Leybourne -(1) Black-throated Diver,(1) Kingfisher, (1) drake Pintail,(10) Gadwall,(1) red-head Goldeneye  and (1) Green Sandpiper seen.

Thursday, 21 February 2013

February 21st.

Blackcap (Praha,bird)
Reed Bunting (female)
I had my small garden net up for a while first thing and re trapped the (PRAHA,Czech) Blackcap (male),which I first controlled on December 30th 2012.Its been seen to feed on Ivy berries,fat balls and apples,its w.t. was a healthy 19.1 grams.
I continue to have up to ten Reed Buntings feeding in the garden and re trapped one the other day from February 2010.
Smew (red-heads)
Cold,easterly,occasional sleet flurries (0:9am-10:30).(New Hythe).

The Herons were performing well this morning and I could see four occupied nests.Good numbers of Gadwall continue to frequent Abbey Mead and today they were joined by twenty Teal,which had probably flown over from the river,a Kingfisher was also seen.
A Little Egret was feeding along the Mill Stream and at the northern end of the Streamside lake two red-head Smew were present.I also saw several Goldcrests,one Chiffchaff,two Lesser Redpoll and six Siskin.
Grey Heron
Little Egret

Monday, 18 February 2013

February 18th (Stodmarsh)

Six of us went to Stodmarsh today,with two species on the hit list,Penduline Tit and Water Pipit.The Penduline Tit was on show as we arrived on site and looked especially good in today`s sunny conditions.The Water Pipits,we saw just two,were a little more tricky to find and were at some distance (Marsh Hide) but we did have some nice scope views.We also saw at least three Marsh Harrier,two Bearded Tit and one Hen Harrier (ring-tail).
Penduline Tit



February 15th ( Isle of Sheppey)

Its not often you see as many as seven Common Cranes in Kent.Although at some distance,they were none the less great to see.
Common Cranes (Capel Fleet)
Stonechat
Wigeon (Elmley flood)
Brent Geese (Elmley flood)

Sunday, 10 February 2013

January 21st-February 6th (South Africa)

Jeanette and I had one week at Lakeside Lodge,which is in the Entabeni Safari Conservancy reserve (Waterberg Biosphere` area) and one week at Zimbali Lodge,a large estate that contains forests and lakes on the Dolphin coast,just north of Durban.It has a bird list of nearly 200 species.

Although the rainy season,I`m pleased to say we had nice weather throughout our two weeks stay.The people who stayed at Lakeside the week before we arrived however,were not so lucky and had seven days of rain.

FAIRMONT  ZIMBALI  LODGE


Crowned Eagle (Young bird).
Crowned Eagle (young bird) its still being fed by the adults on the nest).
Some Crowned Eagles in South Africa nest in urban locations and are very tolerant of humans.The pair nesting at Zimbali can be viewed from the hotel restaurant and swimming pool area.The birds are being researched and monitored closely.
Species?,any raptor buffs out there.(  I think its probably a rather plainly marked Honey Buzzard,young dark phase bird).
African Jacana
Honey Buzzard
Fish Eagle
Brownhooded Kingfisher
Natal Robin
Longcrested Eagle
Tawnyflanked Prinia

Spottedbacked Weaver
One afternoon we went to the Durban Botanical Gardens,which are thirty minutes by road from Zimbali.The gardens proved to be a great location to spend a few hours birding.
Sacred Ibis
Red Bishop
Yellow-billed Kite
Pink-backed Pelicans
Black-headed Heron
African Spoonbill
A  look at the river estuary in Durban produced,White Pelican,Spurwinged Geese,Greenshank,Egyptian Geese,Swift Tern,Greyheaded Gull,Blacksith Plovers,African Spoonbill and Red Bishop in the reeds.
White Pelican (Durban river estuary)
Spurwinged Goose,Egyptian Geese,African Spoonbill and Blacksmiths Plovers.(Durban,river estuary)

Saturday, 9 February 2013

LAKESIDE LODGE

Many bird species which are common in the Kruger National Park,are rare or absent at Entabeni,so I didn`t amass a long list,but I did manage to see Black Duck,a new species for me.
Lakeside Lodge
Woodland Kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher
Groundscraper Thrush
White Lion

Anteating Chat
Temminck`s Courser
Wattled Plover
Hamerkop

African Black Duck and Egyptian Geese
  
White Rhino