Lady A's

Lady Amherst's Pheasants, Beds, 31st December 2010. Unfortunately a shocking image but perhaps the last of their kind left in the UK? These two are on a private estate without any public access, so please don't ask me where!

Back garden Bittern

This is about to go on Barry Nightingales garden bird survey form. Bittern, Langford, 29th December 2010. Thanks to John and Maureen Seal for their hospitality and outstanding views from their bedroom window! More shots can be found here.

Water Rail and Wood Duck, Langford River

Stewartby Lake - Smew

This redhead Smew was found (I think) by John Lynch near the Stewartby Lake gullwatch. The above two photos were taken by Neil Wright and I took the following short video:

Radwell's Bewick's

Two of the three Bewick's Swans with approximately 175 Mute Swans. 414 Wigeon on the small patch of water nearby.

Mandarins Castle Mill Lock 26th December

2 of the 4 Present on the river by the lock, before they disappeared into the channel by the Gravel bank

Redwing Elms farm Industrial Estate. large numbers of Redwings present but sadly no Waxwings.

December 26th 2010 - Stewartby Lake

More Bitterns....

The above is a video-grab from the following video taken at the Marston corner of Stewartby Lake. I will hopefully be able to slightly darken the video when I get back to Abingdon to make it look more like the video-grab...




Also seen today:

Cetti's Warbler, male Pintail, Water Rails and Little Egret - all in the Marston corner of Stewartby Lake. I missed two Bewick's Swans that were seen on Stewartby Lake, probably whilst I was trying to video the Bitterns...

Robin

These lovely Robin shots were taken by 15 year old Will Cook at Mowsbury Woods. They would make a great Christmas card!

Stewartby Lake - White Xmas...

A Little Egret standing in the marston corner of Stewartby Lake. Here is a video of the egret:

http://vimeo.com/18170953

This Water Rail walked passed me at the marston corner of Stewartby Lake. Photos and video by Martin Green.

Bittern

One of the five Bitterns currently at Stewartby Lake today. Several were seen taking sprats put out specifically for them by Neil Wright and Roy Nye. 24th December 2010

Stewartby Lake - Bittern, Scaup & RL Partridges

Another video grab of a Bittern at Stewartby Lake - sorry, but they are just fabulous to watch...

And here is some video of the Bittern:

http://vimeo.com/18158768

Two Red-legged Partridges in my parents garden. About 10 metres from the edge of the MVCP, but they evaded my attempts to persuade them to move on to the park and give me an MVCP "photo-tick"... :-(

Two Scaup on Stewartby Lake.

Photos by Martin Green.

Stewartby Lake - Bittern & Pintail

Another Bittern video-grab, getting better, with a fish this time... :-)

Male Pintail in the stream outlet in to Stewartby Lake.

Assorted birds on the ice at the scrapyard corner of Stewartby Lake. Photos by Martin Green.

Stewartby Lake - Bittern

A rather poor quality video-grab (from an equally poor quality video...) of a Bittern on the edge of Stewartby Lake. The Bittern was trying, unsuccessfully, to intimidate a Grey Heron. Hopefully, I will get better video and photos over the Xmas Holiday, but at least I've got something already... :-) Video-grab by Martin Green.

Brogborough Brambling & Sparrowhawk

Brambling

Sparrowhawk

A Brambling and Sparrowhawk in Neil Wright's Brogborough garden. Photos by Neil Wright.

MVCP - Coal Tit, Fieldfare and Jay

Coal Tit at the Stewartby Lake gullwatch -the 3rd of three MVCP "photo-ticks" for me in three days... :-)

Jay - near the Pillinge hide.

Fieldfare -near the Pillinge. (digiscoped). Photos by Martin Green

MVCP - Common Buzzard digiscoped video

This video of a Common Buzzard was taken from the far side of wetland 3 at about 300 yards range. I was using my Canon S95 compact camera attached to my Nikon ED50 scope via a universal adaptor:

http://www.vimeo.com/17900547

Video by Martin Green

Some lovely Waxwings

Until this morning I hadn’t seen a Waxwing for years; usually I can’t be bothered to twitch them when there’s an invasion and then end up not seeing any. I did hear one calling somewhere near my house the other week, but didn’t see it, and there doesn’t seem much chance of another one round here as all the rowans have now been stripped bare by thrushes and Starlings.

So, given that I’d been thinking that I ought to make an effort this time, plus the fact that Mrs Llama wanted to see a Waxwing, news of a flock of 100+ in Loughborough for the last two days seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

Most of the flock had buggered off by the time we got there, but we did see about 30, initially in flight and then perched in some trees for about half an hour. They were slightly too distant for any really good photos, and mostly hidden by branches, but these were the best of about 150 shots I took (all heavily cropped, and in some cases edited to remove annoying out of focus twigs!). Just in case you hadn’t seen enough Waxwing photos on the Internet recently....

 

MVCP - Goosander and Dunlin (150th MVCP "photo-tick"!)

Dunlin on the Pillinge. (Digiscoped) I've just realised that my MVCP "photo-ticks" list was rather out of date, this was the 150th bird species I have photographed on the Country Park... :-) (Counting Caspian Gull...Which I do...)

Female-type Goosander on Stewartby Lake. Photos by Martin Green.

Waxwing

I just could not resist adding my own picture.

Waxwings

Just incase you haven't seen enough waxwings photos;


They are pretty hard to get tired of though - great birds!

Dan

Colour-ringed Waxwing

Colour-ringed Waxwing, Woburn, 5th December 2010. I have sent off the ring details. I wonder where it's from?

Jack Snipe

This bird arrived on the scrape just before midday, the first bird to take advantage of the thaw. Dunstable SW, 5th Dec 2010

Radwell White-fronts 5/12

Mealy Redpoll

One of the better looking Mealy Redpolls currently at The Lodge. 2nd December 2010 by Mark Gurney.

Edit - another image added (top), 13th Dec - to add to the debate surrounding this bird.

Woburn Waxwings

Just some of the Waxwings currently in Woburn, 1st December 2010 by Mike Neal.