Smew and a Bewick's Swan

26 Dec - a fine fairly mild Boxing Day. A quick check on Swillbrook at CWP gave good views of a drake and 4 redhead Smew on pit 46, but light too poor for photography. A Water Rail also heard there.
A drive over to the upper Thames in Oxfordshire then gave a county tick for Oxon, a Bewick's Swan with the Mute Swan flock at Chimney. I managed a distant record shot. A Peregrine cruised west, and a single Snipe flew over calling.

Bury Down and the Ridgeway

22 Dec - an afternoon visit to Bury Down in Berkshire gave good views of a ringtail Hen Harrier as it hunted over an adjacent stubble field and the associated large finch flock, which included at least 4 Bramblings - and towards dusk at least 3 Short-eared Owls appeared over the gallops - at times perching in the open, as well as floating low over the ground looking for voles.

Sawbills arrive

22 Dec - after the recent cold snap, a morning visit to CWP revealed Goosanders scattered around several of the pits, totalling 14 birds - there was a female Red-breasted Merganser, a very scarce bird in CWP, with the flock on pit 46 - a smaller bird with an indistinct neck ring, a slight crest and a slender upturned bill. Also there, 3 redhead Smew flew in briefly then flew off again.

Caspian Gull at Dix Pit

13 Dec - Hundreds of gulls at Dix pit in calm, sunny conditions - no sign of the 1st-winter Iceland Gull early afternoon, but several adult Yellow-legged Gulls with clean white head and prominent mirrors on wingtips - also an immature, probably 2nd-winter Caspian Gull, fairly dark mantle, distinctive head shape with slender bill, dark eye, almost completely black primary tips. See photo.

Cattle Egret at Fretherne

9 Dec - As part of the current national influx, a Cattle Egret was found at Fretherne in Glos and I saw it late afternoon with 12 Little Egrets, feeding in a damp field - dumpier, shorter-necked than the more elegant Little Egrets, with a yellow bill and green lores.

A week in Egypt, November 2007

19-26 Nov - a week at Luxor in Egypt, courtesy of Pulse magazine travel prize! A few days based by the Nile, excursions to see amazing temples and ancient sites, also lots of birds around the River Nile and islands, and adjacent irrigated farmland. Highlights included Crocodile Island, where I joined a boat trip one morning with local guide Abdul Youssef - birds here included Little Green Bee-eater, Nile Valley Sunbird, Marsh Sandpiper, many Herons of eight species, Little Crake, Glossy Ibis and Black-shouldered Kite. The marshy areas along the riverbanks held White-tailed Plover and Senegal Thick-knee as well as wintering palearctic waders such as Greenshank, Temminck's and Little Stints, Spotted Redshank and Ruff. Marsh Harriers and Black Kites hunted the riverbanks. Further south at Aswan and through the desert to Abu Simbel, African Pied Wagtail and White-crowned Black Wheatear were seen.
A fantastic place to combine birds and history, amazing to see carved temples 3-4,000 yrs old, and feel the ancient images of Egyptian life reflected in the Nile today and its waters giving life to the landscape.

Photos; Abu Simbel
Sunset on the Nile
Black-shouldered Kite
Philae temple
White-crowned Black Wheatear
Little Green Bee-eater
Glossy Ibis
Senegal Thick-knee
Little Egrets
Squacco Heron
Purple Heron
Pied Kingfisher
Crocodile Island, Luxor
Karnak temple
Rameses statue, Luxor

White-tailed Eagle at Cholderton

1 Dec - a morning visit to the Cholderton estate, on the Hants/Wilts border, in sunny conditions and the immature White-tailed Eagle was seen soaring immediately on arrival. Its huge size dwarfed the other raptors mobbing it, including a Peregrine and several Buzzards. Also seen - Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Red Kite.

Bramblings

15 November - an afternoon visit to Witcombe beechwoods in sunny weather gave views of approx 10 Bramblings with Chaffinches in a mixed flock. Surprisingly elusive high up in the trees, rather than feeding on the beech mast, and fairly flighty. Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Jay, Coal Tit and Buzzard also seen.

Lesser Scaup

10 November - a morning visit to Woolhampton in Berkshire gave good views of the drake Lesser Scaup, diving actively with a flock of Tufted Ducks. Black bill nail, finely barred grey back and slightly peaked head all diagnostic. Earlier, the Bearded Tit heard but not seen Farmoor in windy conditions.

Cotswold Water Park - raptors

1 November - a late afternoon visit to pit 68d at Waterhay produced a Peregrine with prey flying over at 4.15, a female judging from the bird's large size - then at 4.30 a ringtail Hen Harrier(photo)flew in and around low over the reeds, and presumably roosted in the reedbed. A welcome return from the one seen a couple of winters ago. Also Cetti's Warblers heard, and a Water Rail seen briefly and 2 others heard. A wonderful red sunset reflected in the water amongst the vegetation.

Port Meadow, Oxford

3 November - another mild sunny day. A morning visit to Port Meadow, Oxford - the Spotted Redshank (photo)seen well on the floods, longer bill and legs than Redshank, overall a slightly larger bird. Also 3 Ruff and at least 30 Snipe, and close views of c250 Golden Plover(photo).

White-rumped Sandpiper at Kenfig

1 November - a visit to Kenfig Pool in Glamorgan gave good views of the White-rumped Sandpiper that has been present for a few days. Attenuated shape with long primary projection, supercilium, breast streaking, shortish black legs. Confiding but quite inconspicuous on the muddy shoreline, and for a change within the range of the Canon 350D with 400mm lens and 1.4x converter.

Long-billed Dowitcher

27 October - The Scillies were fogbound, so the highlight was excellent views of the juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher at Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham - the north end of the Exe estuary in Devon. Seen very well feeding, preening and in flight - white oval on back, plain wings and tail, dark underwings. Snipe-like in profile. A good selection of waders present - Greenshank, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper as well as Curlew and Redshank. the above photo is a record shot from the internet.

Spotted Sandpiper at Lisvane

21 October - a morning visit to Lisvane Reservoir, nr Cardiff, gave excellent views of a juvenile Spotted Sandpiper, feeding actively but confiding at times. Shorter-tailed, slightly shorter-legged than Common Sandpiper - legs brighter yellow, and pinkish bill base. The plain tertial fringes on the wing could be seen. In flight, the white wing-bar only just extends onto the secondaries.

White-billed Diver at Selsey

13 October - a visit to Selsey Bill, West Sussex, gave good but distant views of a summer-plumaged White-billed Diver - extremely rare on the south coast. It was diving actively, but when on the surface, through the 'scope, the distinctive "banana bill" could be seen, together with the dappled upperparts and neck ring. A couple of Mediterraneam Gulls also around the beach.

Buff-bellied Pipit at Farmoor!

9 October - a lunchtime dash to Farmoor in the rain gave brief but good views of the American Buff-bellied Pipit identified there the previous evening! Seen feeding on the causeway - buffish underparts, small bill, dark pink legs, pale lores, slightly smaller than accompanying Rock pipits.

Farmoor again

6 October - another quick visit to Farmoor produced some reasonable photographic opportunities - juv Little Stint, juv Dunlin and a Rock Pipit.

Flamborough Head

4 October - excellent views of the Brown Flycatcher at Flamborough Head this morning, seen perched up in the sun - a potential first for Britain. Also there, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Merlin hunting the stubble field and Redwings and Bramblings overhead. Then, a couple of miles up the road, the Isabelline Shrike was also seen well around the coastal scrub at Buckton.

Spitsbergen, 27 June - 4 July 2007 - part 4

Woodfjorden

Monaco glacier, Woodfjorden

Moffen Island, 80 deg N, Walruses hauled out

pack ice, north coast Spitsbergen

Glaucous Gull, Alkefjellet

Spitsbergen, 27 June - 4 July 2007 - part 3

Alkefjellet cliffs and Brunnich's Guillemot colony

Blue Fulmar in the pack ice

Images of the pack ice, 79 deg N

Little Auk colony, Fuglesangen

Polar Bear, watched for 2 hours on Albertoya island