Slav

This Slavonian Grebe smacks of deja-vu.  A summer plumage bird turned up in mid-May last year at Priory CP, before moving to Pitsford Res to spend the summer.  I suspect this bird, currently at Stewartby Lake, is the same individual on a return visit - it just needs a few more weeks to really look smart.

GWE

 

This Great White Egret was a relief to see. It is just the second record for Bedfordshire after a ten minute visit from presumably the same bird on 1st January 2012. Well played Nick Cook and Richard Bashford for pulling this one out the bag! Your next pints are on me.  Radwell Lakes, 6th April 2012.

Lovely Philippines

I'm slowly getting round to adding bits from my recent Philippines trip - there are a handful of videos which I will upload to the IBC, and I will put any photos on Flickr.  Above is a Lovely Sunbird.  More to follow...

Black Reds

Black Redstarts are one of my favourite birds, and these two turned up today just outside my office window at The Lodge.  I think they are probably a female and immature male.

bogged down

So, why the long pause between posts?  I’ve been to the Philippines, which was fun but hard birding, and mostly bogged down with sorting out 2011 records for Bedfordshire currently.  I’ve also been trying to finish off a conversation piece on ‘hooded’ Yellow-legged Gulls, and I might write more on eastern chiffchaffs after seeing another interesting bird at Marston Sewage Works last weekend.

I’ve also been embroiled in three new blogs; A Beds self-found year-list competition, a patch year-list competition “the weakest list”, and a moth year-list competition “i-moff” – take a look.