Peregrine

Adult Peregrine, Cambridge, 26th November 2008 © Richard Hall
This bird has taken to resting on the Catholic Church on the corner of Regent Street and Lensfield Road.Richard points out that there is a ring on its left leg - Any suggestions as to where it came from?

Caspian Gull?

Caspian Gull?, Cottenham, Long Drove, 26th November 2008, © Dick Newell
The plumage of this bird looks adult, except for some black on the primary coverts. The wing-tip pattern was near classic "adult" Caspian Gull, with a small amount of black on the white tip of P10. With no red in the bill it is probably a 3CY. However, its legs were rather thick and rather pink and the bill-shape looks slightly off. It was carrying a green ring, 8P15, on its right leg, so it was ringed somewhere in Poland. It will be interesting to see what it was ringed as (RGN).

Scaup

Female Scaup, Cambourne, 22nd November 2008 © Mark Hawkes
Found by Mark on Whomping Willow Lake.

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl, Pymoor, 18th November 2008 © Garth Peacock
The floods at Welney force the Owls to hunt on the roadside bank. This one posed in the evening light on a fence post just south of the Cambs/Norfolk border for a few seconds before being disturbed by a passing vehicle.

Mistle Thrush

Mistle Thrush, Fowlmere RSPB, 18th November 2008 © Garth Peacock

Wren

Wren, Aldreth Causeway, 15th November 2008 © Colin Brown

Barn Owl

Barn Owl, Willingham, 8th November 2008 © Colin Brown

Great Northern Diver

Juvenile Great Northern Diver, Grafham, 6th November 2008, © Peter Beesley

Fieldfare

Fieldfare, Wicken Fen, 7th November 2008 © Luca Patriccioli
One of a flock of 30.

Common Buzzard

Juvenile Common Buzzard (Pale Phase), Willingham, 7th November 2008 © Colin Brown

Mute Swan

Mute Swan, Orton Brick Pits, 6th November 2008 © Peter Beesley

White-fronted Goose

White-fronted Goose, Brownshill Staunch, 5th November 2008 © Richard Thomas
Part of a group of 9 adults and 1 juvenile.

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret, Brampton, 1st November 2008 © Jamie Wells
Three cracking photos of these apparent short stayers.

Redwing

Redwing, Little Gransden, 31st October 2008 © Adrian George
'A marginally better effort than yesterdays' to quote Adrian

Caspian Gull hybrid?

3CY Caspian Gull hybrid?, Cottenham Long Drove, 30th October 2008, © Dick Newell
In many respects, this bird looks pretty good for a Caspian Gull. It has long wings, long legs, a good head-shape, slender bill, a beady eye well forward, and the typical shawl around the base of the neck of a Caspian Gull. However it has fairly bright yellow legs, a bright bill and a bill-shape that is not quite straight enough for a Caspian Gull, it droops a little in a manner similar to Yellow-legged Gull. So my guess would be that this is a hybrid Yellow-legged x Caspian Gull (RGN).

Redwing

Redwing, Little Gransden, 30th October 2008 © Adrian George
One of 12 to 15 Redwings that suddenly appeared on a berry bush adjacent to Adrian's house after spotting it while flying over.

American Golden Plover

American Golden Plover, Mare Fen, 29th October 2008 © Richard Thomas

Cormorant

Cormorant, Wicken Fen, 29th October 2008 © Garth Peacock
They were quietly enjoying the evening sun until an unwelcome visitor tried to join in setting off this reaction.

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan, Fen Drayton RSPB, 28th October 2008 © Colin Brown
Photographed near the sluice gate leading to the river.

Caspian Gull

Adult and 3CY Caspian Gulls, Cottenham Long Drove, 27th October 2008, © Dick Newell
2 out of 3 Caspian Gulls present with at least 10 Yellow-legged Gulls. The adult only stayed long enough for this 1 record shot. The 3CY was a little more cooperative.

Goosander

Goosander, Milton CP, 27th October 2008 © Jonathan Heath
A record shot of this short stayer.

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow, Wicken Fen, 21st October 2008 © Garth Peacock
Coming to the feeders at the Roger Clarke hide.

Grey Heron

Grey Heron, Horningsea, 21st October 2008 © Luca Patriccioli

Common Gull

Common Gull, Cambridge, 19th October 2008 © Richard Hall
Taken on Parkers Piece in central Cambridge

Yellow-legged/Caspian Gull?

Yellow-legged/Caspian Gull?, Paxton Pits, 19th October 2008, © Jamie Wells
At first sight, the bullet-hole eye, rounded head and parallel-sided bill, make this gull look like a Caspian Gull. However, it looks a little dark and the mirror on P10 is the typical trapezoidal shape of adult Yellow-legged Gull. However, the bird is not fully adult, there is a brown smear on the tertials, so the mirror might not mean much. The bird does not exhibit the ridiculous long-winged appearance of some Caspian Gulls. Apparently there were some grey tongues protruding into the black on the primaries.
Without a view of the legs, this bird may be best left unidentified, it could even be a hybrid (RGN).

Scaup & Tufted Duck

Scaup and Tufted Duck, Wicken Fen, 18th October 2008 © Richard Hall
Photo taken from Westmere Hide

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull, Landbeach, 11th October 2008, © Dick Newell
This gull has a very large mirror on P10 merged into the white tip on that feather. It also has a mirror on P9. The black band on P5 is a bit greyed out on the inner web and is not continuous across the feather, it is split in the middle. The pattern of P9 and P10 as well as the lack of a mark on P4 seems to fit what Olsen & Larsson say about eastern populations of Yellow-legged Gull. Or is it just an unusual western Mediterranean bird?

Teal

Female Teal, Ferry Meadows, 9th October 2008 © Garth Peacock
An experiment in back-lit photography in the late afternoon sun.

Cormorant

Cormorant, Ferry Meadows, 9th October 2008 © Peter Beesley

Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe, Ferry Meadows, 9th October 2008 © Peter Beesley
I had to twist Peter's arm to let me post this most unusual photograph - GP

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail, Grafham Water, 5th October 2008 © Stuart Elsom
This adult male was very obliging at the south end of the dam - SE

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull, Cottenham Long Drove, 4th October 2008, © Dick Newell
This bird is about as streaky-headed as nominate michahellis gets, it is also quite dark, although not quite as dark as it seems in this photograph. It is not fully adult, as evidenced by the black alula, so the lack of a mirror on P10 is not informative. However, one is tempted to speculate that it might be atlantis.

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis, Sutton Gault, 4th October 2008 © Tony Mills

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis, Sutton Gault, 4th October 2008 © Jamie Wells