Patch, week 12

March 19^th  No visit

March 20^th  Highlight of the day was an albino Fieldfare seen from the Greenway amongst a large mixed flock of winter thrushes.

March 21^st  A quick visit today revealed three Wheatear and a singing Chiffchaff from the Greenway                                        Patch list 73

March 22^nd  A remarkable hour this morning spent viewing the following from the Greenway at the bottom of Blackhorse road :- 200 Fieldfares, 50 redwings, 10 pied wagtails, 6 corn buntings,  6 yellowhammers, 5 stock doves, skylarks, mistle thrushes, blackbirds, robin, meadow pipits and greenfinches, I have never seen such a profusion of birds in one field.               Patch list 74

March 23^rd  Another trip down to the field at the bottom of Blackhorse lane. Today there were hardly any winter thrushes, perhaps two dozen, but there was again a lot of other species the highlights being 4 wheatears and a stunning male Bullfinch. I also added Feral pigeon to the year list which I had also seen previously but omitted for no reason.    Patch list 75

March 24^th  Blackhorse lane again was my first stop in the hope of turning up a ring ouzel but it was virtually barren except for a wheatear. Nothing else of note on the rest of the patch but I finally got Common buzzard as a garden tick when a call alerted me to one overhead.

March 25^th No visit

Albino fieldfare record shot on Letchworth field by the Greenway

Despite a few attempts I was unable to get closer than 100 yards, but I will try again when |I get the chance to get a better image

Patch week 11

12^th Mar No trip

13^th Mar  Multiple skylarks, a large flock of mixed winter thrushes with starlings and a pair of Kestrels  from the Greenway with a buzzard calling overhead

14^th Mar  Lots of tufted ducks and GC grebes on the Blue lagoon in the fog. Six green sandpipers and a few snipe along the greenway

15^th  Mar  Went to Lakenheath with Les, the highlight was a pair of cranes.

16^th Mar  Went to Sandy with Les, highlights were a raven calling and tumbling above us and a close pass by a sparrowhawk.

17^th Mar  5 snipe and a green sandpiper along with lots of remaining teal along the greenway

18^th Mar  Large flock of winter thrushes and starlings along the greenway. 16 Gadwall, 2 little egrets and a grey heron at Radwell

A blank week for new species for the year but the first migrants will be showing up soon.

The Lodge

Taken on a recent trip to Sandy.

Patch week Ten

5^th Mar  On an otherwise quiet day I at last found a treecreeper on the patch, and two minutes later found another                                                                                                      Patch list 71

6^th Mar  Lots of drumming at Radwell but I could not locate where any of them were, and I spent half an hour looking! The only other interesting sightings were a pied wagtail at the Blue lagoon and a brown hare.

7^th Mar  After a tip from Tim, we nipped down to Radwell to see a cracking male PINTAIL which stayed for three days.  Also noted were a pair of buzzards and whilst watching these Les pointed out what may have been a peregrine but we could not be sure.                       Patch list 72

8^th Mar  A quick trip to the patch revealed nothing of interest.

9^th Mar   Four immaculate male shovellers, ten snipe and three green sandpipers on the patch

10^th Mar   Reed buntings and yellowhammers singing at the lagoon

11^th Mar  A good 2 ½ hours on the patch this morning and in one large stubble field I found  thirty fieldfares, a few redwings, two mistle thrushes, two meadow pipits, six blackbirds, at least ten yellowhammers

Summer Leys

This Bullfinch male and  pair of Reed buntings were the pick of my images from Summer Leys today

Patch list week 9

26^th Feb  A quick visit to Radwell, the Blue lagoon and the Greenway brought nothing new for the patch

27^th Feb  The flock of Fieldfares and Redwings has reduced to about 60 from previous highs, possibly because the birds are now moving North as a stimulus to the warm weather or the lengthening daylight hours. We saw a number of skylarks, still healthy numbers for the area, three yaffles were seen, a windhover passed over us, we just missed a hail storm and managed to find some shelter. After the storm there wee a lot less birds singing. Les heard a couple of yellowhammers singing and we saw a pair of buzzards over the meadows by Fairfield park and I saw a green sandpiper in flight.

28^th Feb  no trip

1^st Mar an early trip to the Blue lagoon brought the pleasing view of two pairs of Wigeon, the tufted ducks had climbed in numbers to 31. Two yellowhammers were singing close by. I also heard a little owl calling along the Greenway.                                                                                     Patch list 69

We went to Grafham Water P.M. and found it like a millpond, we were lucky enough to see a great northern diver at close quarters through the telescope.                                            Patch list 70

2nd Mar  no trip

3^rd Mar  An early visit to the Blue lagoon showed the Wigeon had gone, not a surprise, I suspect they were forced down by the foul weather. 3 yellowhammers now singing, Yaffles calling frequently and a pair of bullfinches were feeding on the new buds. After breakfast Les and I walked the Greenway down to Radwell and we heard and then with some patience found a little owl sitting high  in a copse, we flushed a kestrel and watched a crow harassing a buzzard.

4^th Mar We spent a lovely day at Summer Leys in Northants, one of our first birds was a Great white egret. When we got home Les spotted a bumblebee bashing his head against our kitchen window. From the numbers of predators on the area between Letchworth and Stotfold, I can only deduce that the area is rich in wildlife.