Pink-footed Geese, Radwell

Nice to find - lots moving in the midlands yesterday.

Med Gull

Med Gull, MVCP, 6th February 2010. A fairly petite bird, so possibly a female?

Some interesting Crossbills

Lee Evans comments:

"These two female-type crossbills were seen very well at Jackdaw Hill, Lidlington, recently. My attention was drawn to them by their very low guttural sounds and melodic phrases - typical sounds most commonly made by Parrot Crossbills!

Both birds had a large head and evenly-thick mandibles, with no overlap/crossing of the bill tip. They were most likely Common Crossbills of the eastern form, breeding in European Russia.

Best wishes

Lee"

Many thanks to Robert Chapman for the accompanying images.

Stockgrove Country Park - Marsh Tits etc

Stotfold corn bunting flock

Just part of the flock yesterday

Great Northern Diver

Great Northern Diver, Stewartby lake, 30th January 2010

Stotfold.

Great sight to see so many buntings, the air was full of their calls. And the merlin kept them moving about on quite a few occasions, great to watch the dogfights.

Eversholt.

Shame the Goosanders didnt hang around for longer. The siskin flock numbered close to a couple of hundred, with just one redpoll seen.

Broom.

Record images of the Black necked grebe.

Caspian Gull

2nd winter Caspian Gull, Stewartby Lake, 24th January 2010

Blunham Scaup 20/1

Not the best of photos but then it's me behind the camera!

Stotfold Corn Buntings

Part of the flock at Stotfold - I put a grid over this shot and counted. I got to 499! Neighbouring trees had good numbers in so 700 is probably an underestimate.

Some more visitors to our Clifton garden this year

All were again taken through the closed window. The Tree Sparrow is really just a record shot to prove it was there. I got better shots here in Feb 2009

Bittern at Stewartby Lake

Two more photos of the Bittern found by Neil Wright at Stewartby Lake. The first photo was taken by Martin Green and the second one by Neil Wright.

Bittern

Bittern, Stewartby Lake, 17th January 2010. Found by Neil Wright just a few yards from the busy main track around the lake, this bird seemed oblivious to our presence.

Green Woodpeckers

Male (top) and female Green Woodpeckers trapped and ringed at Beeston

Taiga taiga!

You always have to scan the goose flocks just in case. What a flock this one was today!

Brent and Pink-foot

Smew and Great Northern Diver at Stewartby Lake

Record shots of the male Smew and Great Northern Diver at Stewartby Lake. Photos by Martin Green

Luton Garden Yellowhammer 15Jan2010

Just to show what can come into a suburban garden as a result of the weather we have been having over the last month. A nice surprise and garden tick while working from home. A wide angle image of the bird in context with the snowman and some of my feeders just for fun as well.