Sunday, August 30, 2015

Whimbrel

Whimbrel, Burwell Fen, 29th August 2015 © James Hanlon

Little Stint

Juvenile Little Stint, Burwell Fen, 29th August 2015 © James Hanlon

Bullfinch

Juvenile Bullfinch, Cambourne, 29th August 2015 © James Hanlon

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper, Burwell Fen, 28th August 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Little Stint

Little Stint, Burwell Fen, 28th August 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Water Rail

Water Rail, Fowlmere RSPB, 28th August 2015 © Alan Reynolds

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper, Burwell Fen, 25th August 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper, Burwell Fen, 25th August 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Unidentified Species

Possible Weaver Species, Dunkirk, 22nd August 2015 © Tony Martin
'I've been overseas for a good chunk of the year, and very busy workwise for the remainder, so haven't yet even hooked up my big lens in 2015. I did, however, open the nets in my garden belatedly a few days ago (22 Aug), and caught about 100 of the usual August migrants plus a nightingale and a critter that was a complete mystery.
I'm attaching a few photos. It's a small bird, with a wing length of only 57mm and a weight of just 13g. I haven't yet found anyone who has confidently identified it, but the best guess is that it's a weaver, and possibly a streaked weaver. Streaked weavers are from India and not known for trans-continental migrations. Methinks this bird did not get to the Fens under its own steam!' TM

Can anyone shed any light on this one? ED 

 The following was added 2nd September 2015 - ED
'After a lot of going around in circles, narrowing down the field of possibilities, I think we might have an answer to the identity of that weaver I captured at Dunkirk 10 days or so ago. Josep del Hoyo thinks it is a black-winged bishop and, having looked at some photos on the web, I agree with him in that nothing else looks this similar to the bird in the hand. This species has been previously recorded in the UK, as Josep notes:

Yes I can (I think)… It is a female-type plumage of the Black-winged Bishop (Euplectes hordeaceus). It is an Euplectes for sure, but the females, immature and non-breeding males of this genus can be very similar and somewhat variable; anyway, the intensity of the yellow wash makes me think that it is a Black-winged… Five species of this genus, including this one, have been recorded as escapees in UK… TM



Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Whitethroat

Whitethroat, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Starling

Starling, Willingham, 24th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Magpie

Magpie, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Monday, August 24, 2015

Dunlin

Dunlin, Burwell Fen, 21st Augsut 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Ringed Plover

Adult (top image) and Juvenile Ringed Plover, Burwell Fen, 21st August 2915 © Neil Bramwell

Greenshank

Greenshank, Burwell Fen, 21st August 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Ruff

Ruff, Burwell Fen, 21st August 2015 © Neil Branwell

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Ferruginous Duck x Pochard Hybrid

Ferruginous Duck x Pochard Hybrid, Ouse Fen RSPB, 19th August 2015 © Richard Thomas
'In case of interest, a compilation of some of the least worst phonescoped pix I could get of the drake presumed hybrid Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid that's been lurking around the Fen. ' RT

Marsh Harrier

Marsh harrier, Fowlmere RSPB, 16th August 2015 © Colin Brown
'....some snaps of the harriers showing sibling rivalry with one trying to snatch food from another, .... and some of the male adult passing a catch to a juvenile.' CB

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 19th August 2015 © Nigel Sprowell

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Great White Egret

Great White Egret, Wicken Fen, 14th August 2015 © Roger Cresswell

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier, Fowlmere, 30th July 2015 © Gary Thornton

Snipe

Common Snipe, Stretham Ferry Bridge, 8th August 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Ruff

Ruff, Stretham Ferry Bridge, 9th August 2015 © Neil Bramwell

Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 7th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Swift

Swift, Willingham, 9th August 2015 © Colin Brown

House Martin

House Martin, Willingham, 9th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 7th August 2015 © Colin Brown

Grey Heron

Grey Heron, Fowlmere RSPB, 8th August 2015 © Steve Swain
'(The Heron) went over to the left of the 2 islands (as you look at them), walked into the reeds and a minute or so later emerged with a  duckling in its beak. Pretty sure it is a tufted duckling. I showed the pictures to Doug Radford and he reckons it is. 
It  proceeded to stay there for 20 mins or so with the duckling in its beak, periodically dunking it into the water and then pulling out and shaking it. It then flew off with it in its beak to the far side of the mere and continued to play with it. Eventually it seemed to just leave it lying there. I didn’t actually see if it ate it or not.' SS