Cuckoo

Cuckoo singing in the garden today. I think this is the first time one has actually landed in the garden. 109 Cuckoo

Osprey

Laid up recovering from the kidney infection I picked up in Spain last week meant I was here to notice this bird head south along the river.

102 Osprey

Jay

May have omitted this earlier but one seen from the house today.

101 Jay

Hirundines bring up the ton

Got back from Spain yesterday. Good to see singles of these around the village today.

99 House Martin
100 Swallow

Peregrine

Nice views of a male cruising past the office window in foul weather.

98 Peregrine

Two more

Filled in a couple of gaps on a morning ride on the regular circuit via North Bank, King's Dyke and Bradley Fen. the bunting was singing on Stanground Wash which was recolonised by them a couple of years ago.

96 Corn Bunting
97 Marsh Harrier

Migrants

Came into work on the bike today via OPB and Beeby's BPs. Both these were single birds at Beeby's.

Also in the woodland here Treecreeper and woodpeckers.

93 Little Ringed Plover
94 Sand Martin
95 Treecreeper

Whooper Swan

A surprising garden tick while watching the night sky tonight. Heard calling from the river.

92 Whooper Swan

Early Common Tern

A rather early Common Tern was at Ferry Meadows today and I picked that up cycling home. Also nearer Elton my first Yellowhammers of the year from the bike.

90 Common Tern
91 Yellowhammer

Siskin

Just one in the garden this morning.

89 Siskin

Ringed Plover

Loads at Beeby's BP this morning.

88 Ringed Plover

Rock Pipit

Informed of the excellent conditions for birds at Tanholt I cycled out there at lunchtime today and found this. Terrible photos but it was very far away. Also a couple of White Wagtails here.

87 Rock Pipit

Scandinavian Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus littoralis

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x32

Three this morning

Still cycling infrequently at the moment but took the early bus into work this morning and then cycled out to the High Wash and back. First new bird was a Chiffchaff singing at the old sewage works where a Red-legged Partridge was singing from the Fengate industrial estate opposite. A pair of Oystercatchers on the High Wash were my first by bike and 2 Kingfishers were very vocal near the Town Bridge onthe return journey.

83 Chiffchaff
84 Oystercatcher
85 Kingfisher

And Linnets makes four. I'd not realised this wasn't on the list yet.

86 Linnet

Cetti's Warbler

A windy ride round by Padholme Pump and Bradley Fen turning sunny and warm perhaps encouraging this bird to sing from the west end of the lake.

82 Cetti's Warbler

Scaup

This bird was rediscovered yesterday at Eye Green NR after going missing from CEGB where it first appeared on the 10th of February. I biked out at lunchtime today to see it bagging a lucky Little Egret flying over Eye village on the way.

80 Little Egret
81 Scaup

Grey Plover

A tactical error which saw me head to Beeby's instead of Tanholt two days ago seems to have cost me Sanderling as that bird has now gone. But the Grey Plover was still present today and is another good addition to the list.

79 Grey Plover

Three from the Brick Works

Red-legged Partridges at Beeby's and the ducks at Orton BP.

76 Red-legged Partridge
77 Red-crested Pochard
78 Goldeneye

Bullfinch

A corking male in the garden this morning. More birds generally now that the harder weather is kicking in.

75 Bullfinch

Black Redstart

I'm not sure there has ever been a wintering Black Redstart in the area since I've been here but this one has been at King's Dyke for at least the past 3 weeks. I managed to see it distantly from just off the green wheel on the north side this lunchtime. My first in the area for some time. I also bumped into Nick Mudge and saw Green Sandpiper and a couple of Snipe along the sewage outfall.

72 Green Sandpiper
73 Snipe
74 Black Redstart

Reed Bunting

Just one at Star Pit.

71 Reed Bunting

Little Owl and Green Wood

Went down to Ferry Meadows this lunchtime insearch of reported Water Rail and Little Owl. The rail wasn't showing but the Little Owl was in the top of its favourite oak by the archery area. The Green Woodpecker was near the visitor centre and was a very late addition to the year list for this species.

69 Little Owl
70 Green Woodpecker

Song Thrush

Surprising omission but this is the first I've noticed this year, singing near home at dawn.

68 Song Thrush

Several additions

A male Blackcap on treetops oppsite my office was the first ever in winter here.

62 Blackcap

Also took my first ride this year east along the Nene today. Added Gadwall and Redshank at North Bank Sewage Works and Pheasant, Shelduck and Meadow Pipit at Bradley Fen.

63 Gadwall
64 Redshank
65 Pheasant
66 Shelduck
67 Meadow Pipit

Mediterranean Gull

A first-winter found by Matt Webb at this site near the city centre. Also an office tick!

61 Mediterranean Gull

Golden Plover

17 passing the house along the Northants side of the Nene Valley this morning.

60 Golden Plover

Iceland Gull

Found yesterday by Josh Jones, this bird was luckily right at the front of the resting flock on the field opposite Dogsthorpe Tip this lunchtime. It soon flew off onto the tip and I didn't see it again.

59 Iceland Gull

Coal Tit, Goldcrest & Grey Wagtail

A short wander up to the Cemetery from work this lunchtime netted me three more ticks. The Grey Wagtail was unexpected flying over Broadway; I've not seen any in the town for ages.

56 Coal Tit
57 Goldcrest
58 Grey Wagtail

Mistle Thrush

In Elton today.

55 Mistle Thrush

Ducks

Headed to Ferry Meadows again lunchtime. Got as far as Lynch this time and this has a few ducks. The 'pecker was calling from Bluebell Wood and Skylarks were passing over the valley on my return journey.

50 Great Spotted Woodpecker
51 Pochard
52 Teal
53 Shoveler
54 Skylark

Tawny Owl

Much hooting keeping the family awake last night.

49 Tawny Owl

Kestrel

All seen from car so far this year so this one at home is a BIGBY.

48 Kestrel

Ferry Meadows

A highly successful first cycle down the the meadows with many birds performing very well.

European White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons albifrons, adult


Greylag Anser anser


Canada Goose Branta canadensis


Mute Swan Cygnus olor


Mallard Anas platyrhynchos


Coot Fulica atra


33 Sparrowhawk
34 Long-tailed Tit
35 Little Grebe
36 Mallard
37 Tufted Duck
38 Canada Goose
39 Greylag
40 White-fronted Goose
41 Great Crested Grebe
42 Coot
43 Moorhen
44 Goosander
45 Grey Heron
46 Nuthatch

Then back at the office in the afternoon a couple of gulls flew north to add to the days tally.

47 Great Black-backed Gull

Common Gull

First day back at work. Common Gull is very common here but not at home so was the only addition.

32 Common Gull

The second

21 Stock Dove
22 Lapwing
23 Mute Swan
24 Cormorant
25 Tree Sparrow
26 Common Buzzard
27 Feral Pigeon
28 Wren
29 Herring Gull
30 Great Tit
31 Pied Wagtail

2012 underway

1 Starling
2 House Sparrow
3 Collared Dove
4 Blue Tit
5 Red Kite
6 Woodpigeon
7 Jackdaw
8 Blackbird
9 Black-headed Gull
10 Goldfinch
11 Chaffinch
12 Lesser Black-backed Gull
13 Rook
14 Greenfinch
15 Magpie
16 Carrion Crow
17 Fieldfare
18 Redwing
19 Dunnock
20 Robin