Tuesday 1 February 2011

WATER PIPIT still present

This morning’s visit to Wilstone was brief but fairly productive. I managed to nip into the hide before anyone turned up and heard, but didn’t see, a Green Sandpiper. Also saw Little Egret in the creek. Round by the jetty the female Goosander was still present and the WATER PIPIT put in an appearance – long enough to get some video but it soon moved on when more people started walking past.

This afternoon I was on chauffeur duty to Stoke Mandeville so after that I popped to Stratford Drive and easily located 30 Waxwing at the top of a tree there. Although reasonable photos were obtained they weren’t terribly co-operative so I tried at Eyre Close. The 14 Waxwings there were a lot more co-operative and hopefully some adequate pics will be the result. The birds there were sat at the top of shorter trees and were fly catching. Fortun ately like flycatchers they would return to the same perch so photography was easier. Also the birds there were less skittish.

This evening I bumped into Mike Collard and we both failed to see the Bittern in the cuts at Marsworth and the gull roost was mainly stood on the ice and so were closely packed and put the heads under their wings fairly quickly so no joy there. The last of the new roof for the hide was still being put on when I left! - Roy Hargreaves

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