Month: September 2013

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Freiston and Witham mouth 10/09/2013

Trevor Lee

Freiston and Witham mouth today.10/09/2013. Well, with another free day, the thought of knot going birding was hard to swallow, so I headed to the wash again to get a bit more of my favourite hobby. I took a swift walk to the Witham mouth hide hoping to get there before the rain set in. I had to duck down next to the building to get out the wind and took terns between seawatching and wader watching. Hungry as a gannet, I bolted down my sandwich and got on with a bit more birding. Really glad I didn’t see a shag, because I don’t know how … Continue reading Freiston and Witham mouth 10/09/2013

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More MSTW goodies.

Trevor Lee

MSTW 09/09/2013 Had a little look this morning which turned into almost a whole day affair. Lots of small passerines around, following a cool night with a bit of rain. A treecreeper was with a large tit flock, just up from the car park. A second treecreeper was with another tit flock along the riverside. Eight species of warbler noted, ringer KB having a very busy morning. I’m grateful to him for driving to find me to show me this cetti’s, which Keith deduced to be a juvenile female. We were only just discussing that they’d been quit for a … Continue reading More MSTW goodies.

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Marston Lifer.

Trevor Lee

Marston 07/09/2013 Site rarity. OK, OK, it’s only a nuthatch, but it’s very unusual to get one here. Trev tells me there have only been one or two previous records. When I pulled up at the car park this morning a couple of birders I’d never met before were about to leave. They were Terry Barnett and Roger Favell from the Deepings area. We chatted about what they’d seen and what Marston was like in the days they used to visit regularly, when Curlew sandpipers, little stints and the like were regular visitors.We were stopped in our tracks by a nuthatch calling strongly from … Continue reading Marston Lifer.

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Secret Mission to Rutland

Trevor Lee

I was asked by a leading camera company to help assess a new camera yesterday that has yet to be announced to the market. I spent a great deal of time examining and testing the camera and had little time for birdwatching but did grab a few with my Canon. Not allowed to publish anything from the new camera yet. Not a lot around except about 10 Little Egret and a Hobby that was around for a while (lots of Dragonflies). This shot of a hobby is hugely magnified: David Continue reading Secret Mission to Rutland

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The Wash (again).

Trevor Lee

Fri 06/09/2013. Witham mouth, Freiston shore. A much cooler day with birds a few birds about.Some impressive wader gatherings on the mudflats. Wigeon were flying in,can’t believe it’s that time of year already. Highlights from today. Bar-tailed godwit. Rough estimate 5,000 on the mud, seen from cut end. Redshank. Rough estimate 2,000 on the mudflats. Curlew sandpiper. Eight on the reservoir at Freiston. Spotted redshank. One flew over the reservoir. Greenshank. One on reservoir, three on saltmarsh. Whimbrel. Several flyovers during the day. Merlin. Male on post on grassland, Freiston. Marsh harrier. Over saltmarsh at Freiston. Peregrine. One over wet grassland. … Continue reading The Wash (again).

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5th Sept 2013.

Trevor Lee

Area 51 this afternoon. Not for the first time this summer my highlight was a butterfly, not a bird. I was looking at some linnets through the bins when a clouded yellow flew across my field of view, perhaps forty metres away. I followed it for a minute but lost it as it flew away, with me going ‘a over t’ as I chased it. No sign of any whinchats or wheatears this time. Plenty of linnets and goldfinches around and a large gathering of corvids (c300 rooks and jackdaws). Continue reading 5th Sept 2013.