Happy New Year

Happy New Birding Year to you all. Thank you once again for all your comments. They do mean so much, and remind me that people are actually looking and enjoying the posts I put on here. I hope to bring you lots more this year.

I started the year off nice and early. Well as early as the sun would allow. It's the worst thing about the winter months for me. I much prefer to be out at 5am and get a good few hours in before the world wakes up. Hey ho, roll on Summer. There were some really good birds around too, and lots of them quite local. That said, I headed to the Wirral to give the new year list a real boost. I started at Shotwick to tick a fairly long staying Long-tailed Duck. It's usually a bird I have to make a special effort for each year, so thought I'd get it out of the way early. 

I found it fairly quickly, on what was quite a substantial bit of water. On my way back to the car, I was escorted by a pair of Stonechats. Cracking little birds, and always a joy to see them.

Stonechat

The Long-tailed Duck on the right, with a Tufted Duck on the left. It kept it's distance, so no more than a record shot.

I headed up to Wallasey where there were reports of 5 Snow Buntings on the beach and dunes. When I arrived it was absolutely manic with people on the beach. I thought there was no way they'd still be around, but these were the most tolerant birds ever. They just took off and later a few feet away each time they were disturbed. Gloomy light by this time unfortunately, so the shots are not too good.

Snow Bunting

East Bank - Cley

I've been away for quite a while, but now I hope that I can once again post on a regular basis. I couldn't think of a better way to come back with a bird as smart and difficult to see as our Bearded Tit. I got extremely lucky a couple of weeks ago when I was looking for a Long-tailed Duck along the East bank at Cley Marshes in Norfolk. Suddenly from the reeds to my left I heard the call of a group of Bearded Tits. So I stopped and waited, and thankfully they all came out to play. I've never been this lucky with these birds. It's usually a fleeting glimpse as they skim over a reed bed and disappear out of sight. Not on this occasion though.

 

And this is the Long-tailed Duck. Unfortunately it stayed distant and was diving continuously, so made it very difficult to get any decent shots. This will do as a record shot though.

Long-tailed duck - Chelford

An inland rarity in Cheshire, within 10 miles from home had me twitching at the weekend. A drake Long-tailed Duck was at Lapwing Hall Pool in Chelford. Very unusual to be inland and at this time of year. An opportunity not to be missed.
I knew where the pool was, or at least I thought I did. Scanning the waters for nearly an hour and no sign. Very unusual. Having spoken to the land manager I needed to be a few hundred yards over the other side of the road, on a different pool all together. Lesson learned, check your map first.

Still, it was easy to spot when I did get to the right location. Shame about the dreary weather though, and that it liked to stay quite a way out on the water. Good views in the binoculars and scope but not great for pictures. Here are some record shots though.

A nice view of the long tail.

Long Tailed Duck - Crosby Marine Lake

One of two lifers so far this year, was a Long Tailed Duck at Crosby Marine Lake in Liverpool. (The other was a Bittern the day before). Last Sunday my friend Phil and I made an early icy and foggy start, and headed over to Liverpool. The forecast was for good light and no rain, so to be driving through the fog was not what we expected. Our positivity was telling us that it will be clear by the coast. Well it did clear and the sun shone, but the bird wasn't playing ball and was staying well away from us on the other side of the lake. A couple of times it drifted closer, but not close enough. The sun then disappeared and we had a torrential downpour.
Now both wet and cold (rather than just cold) it drifted a little closer with the aid of some very vocal people in a canoe. Sadly this was as close as it got, and these shots really are no more than record shots. I hope to see another one with better light one day. A nice looking duck all the same.

Long Tailed Duck 

Here together with a Goldeneye.