Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff, Fowlmere, 30th April 2011 © Keith Gypps

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwits (Male lower image, female upper image) Grafham Water, 29th April 2011 © Mark Hawkes
'Part of a movement through the county during the morning. As well as the dull plumage, the female can be sexed by its longer bill and larger size.' MH

Grasshopper Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler, Paxton Pits NR, 29th April 2011 © James Hanlon

Grasshopper Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler, Fowlmere RSPB, 26th April 2011 © Gary Thornton

Nightingale

Nightingale, Paxton Pits NR, 25thApril 2011 © Gary Thornton

Common Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat, Paxton Pits NR, 25th April 2011 © Gary Thornton

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler, Paxton Pits NR, 24th April 2011 © Jamie Wells

Grey Plover

Grey Plover, Paxton Pits NR, 24th April 2011 © Jamie Wells

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier, Site Undisclosed, 24th April 2011 © Colin Brown
Heavily cropped record shots of the aerial prowess of the species.

Common Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th April 2011 © Colin Brown

Linnet

Female Linnet, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th April 2011 © Colin Brown

Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th April 2011 © Colin Brown

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th April 2011 © Colin Brown

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 24th April 2011 © Colin Brown

Wheatear

Wheatear, Sutton Fen, 23rd April 2011 © David Hopkins
'On a bog-oak pulled out from a peaty field and left on the drove-side.' DH

Grasshopper Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler, Wardy Hill, 23rd April 2011 © David Hopkins

Bar-headed Goose

Bar-headed Goose, Paxton Pits NR, 23rd April 2011 © Jamie Wells
'I know it's an escape, but it's still quite smart!' JW

Blue-winged Teal

Blue-winged Teal, Ouse Washes RSPB, 23rd April 2011 © Chris Went
'It was doggedly chasing off a drake Shoveler, indicated by the waves left by the strokes of his quarry's feet.' CW

Turnstone

Turnstone, Grafham Water, 22nd April 2011 © Mark Hawkes
'Usually found on the dam, this was unusual as it spent the evening feeding on the boom.' MH

Greenshank

Greenshank, Feb Drayton RSPB, 21st April 2011 © Nigel Sprowell
Found by Nigel on the new scrape by the bridge.

Dotterel

Dotterel, Wardy Hill, 21st April 2011 © David Hopkins

Waxwing

Waxwing, Cambridge, 21st April 2011 © Gregory Mellor
This time feeding around the Mitchams Corner/Springfield Road area.

Kestrel

Kestrel, Fowlmere RSPB, 21st April 2011 © Gregory Mellor

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler, Paxton Pits NR, 19th April 2011 © Garth Peacock

Pied Wagtail

Female Pied Wagtail, Grafham Water,19th April 2011 © Garth Peacock

Nightingale

Nightingale, Paxton Pits NR, 19th April 2011 © Garth Peacock

Blue-winged Teal

Drake Blue-winged Teal, Ouse Washes RSPB, 19th April 2011 © Alan Wadsworth
'I went to see this American vagrant at the Ouse Washes yesterday and was fascinated by its aggressive display behaviour towards a female Shoveler. Aggressive in the sense that it was competing for her with four other male Shovelers and appearing to be winning! When on the ground or in the water, I could get no clue as to why it was even close in the competition, but took a few, slightly distant, photos.
Then a Sparrowhawk diving at something else nearby (a Lapwing? - I had no time to notice) spooked them all into flight for a few seconds, giving me a chance to see the Blue-winged Teal in all its glory. I was too surprised to do anything other than enjoy the moment in my binoculars, but realised I had missed an opportunity! I kept my camera close and fortunately, rewarded by patience, was given a second chance to capture the bird in flight.
It was only when I studied the images on the camera display that it dawned on me how similar the plumages are of these two interacting species. It goes a long way to explaining the behaviour I witnessed.
I enjoyed regarding the ‘six bird’ image afterwards as a fly-by by the Blue Arrows!!'AW

Blue-winged Teal

Drake Blue-winged Teal, Ouse Washes RSPB, 19th April 2011 © Ben Green
'..beautiful afternoon today- the light really picked out the subtle tones in the head. lucky enough to have the teal come as close as it could in the channel in front of the hide. it obviously has a liking for the larger lady.' BG

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler, Fowlmere RSPB, 18th April 2011 © Gary Thornton

Blue-winged Teal

Drake Blue-winged Teal, Ouse Washes RSPB, 18th April 2011 © Richard Bayldon

Nightingale

Nightingale, Paxton Pits NR, 18th April 2011 © Ian Tulloch

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat, Fowlmere RSPB, 17th April 2011 © Matthew Mellor

Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting, Fowlmere RSPB, 17th April 2011 © Gary Thornton

Blue-headed Wagtail

Blue-headed Wagtail, Wicken Fen, 17th April 2011 © Andrew Knights
Found on Bakers Fen.

Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail, Wicken Fen, 17th April 2011 © Andrew Knights

Grasshopper Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler, Grafham Water, 17th April 2011 © Mark Hawkes

Wheatear

Wheatear, Maxey Gravel Pits, 16th April 2011 © Peter Beesley

Blue-winged Teal

Drake Blue-winged Teal, Ouse Washes RSPB, 16th April 2011 © Mark Hawkes
From Welches Dam hide - a real Cambs rarity.

Waxwing

Waxwing, Brampton, 16th April 2011 © Tim Fryer
'Part of 20+ flock seen by John Lindell and others' TF

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit, Little Gransden, 14th April 2011 © Adrian George

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier, Woodwalton Fen, 14th April 2011 © Adrian George

Mute Swan

Mute Swan, Woodwalton Fen, 14th April 2011 © Adrian George

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff, Little Gransden, 14th April 2011 © Adrian George
A popular photographic subject this month.