Dunstable Sewage Works

Had a lovely couple of hours at the sewage works on a bleak, damp Sunday morning 14-06-2015. I stayed in the hide for a couple of hours watching the many families of Sedge and Reed Warbler flitting in and out of the reeds on the scrape.

Other birds of note as viewed from the hide on the scrape and visible ponds, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Buzzard, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Reed & Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Blackcap,Wren, Dunnock,Blue, Great & Long Tailed Tit, LB-BG, Black Headed Gull, Heron, Pied & Grey Wagtail, Coot & Moorhen with many offspring, Little & Great Crested Grebe, Mute & Whooper Swan, Gadwall at least 2 broods, Tufted, Mallard with brood of 6, Shelduck, Canada Geese.

Not bad for a dreary wet morning.

Osprey, Ouzel & Redstart all in a Day Out & About in Beds 11-04-2015

Started the day at Blows Downs and with the help of Mick Price got onto a rather distant Common Redstart in the Paddocks and a couple Ring Ouzel on the Chalk Pit Slope, I was just about to get a half decent close up shot of the Ouzel when it was flushed off the top of the bush in front of me by a low flying Red Kite so that was the end of that. I then got a call from Carolyn & Malcolm Hawkes re the possibility of an Osprey at Eversholt and dived down there late on 5 ish to try and get a look.

Again the bird was still on site but again quite distant but an Osprey in Beds all the same.

All in all a very good day all around, the photo's are not the best as everything was so distant but its not everyday you get Redstart, Ouzel & Osprey on the same day in Beds

Dunnock

Dunnock, Willington, 28th March 2015

Dunstable Sewage Works 06-10-2013

Once again the first Sunday of the month visit arrived today, unfortunately for the 4th month in a row the fishermen were on site when we arrived, so there were not many birds on the ponds 1, 2, 3 & 4. I can also report that due to a huge effort by Rob Dazley and a few helpers the scrape has now been fully cleared and will from hear on in give everybody in the hide fantastic views of the scrape and ponds to the side, well done to all those who have put the effort in, it is a great improvement. Unfortunately not too much water in the scrape today as it needed to be dry to enable all the works, but next month should be fine.

My bird list today is as follows, Kestrel, Buzzard, Magpie, Jay, Crow, Jackdaw, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bulfinch, Meadow Pipit,  Reed Bunting, Coot, Moorhen, Water Rail, Grey Heron, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Black Headed Gull, Kingfisher,Teal, Pochard, Blackbird, Song & Mistle Thrush. Some photo's from the Hide enclosed

Lovely morning at Dunstable Sewage works which is open to all Birders 08.00 to 12.00 on the 1st Sunday of every month. Bit short on water birds and waders as the Anglers were in when they shouldn't have been, but overall achieved 34 species seen this morning by me notably, Kingfisher, Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Wren, Dunnock, Pied or White Wagtail which was hawking for food, I couldn't work out which so posted a photo so any help appreciated, Common Whitethroat and lots of very noisy Reed & Sedge Warblers, there seem to be loads more Warblers on site this year than last. The Water Rail was heard on many occasions but didn't appear, I also got a report from 3 very reliable sources that we had a Turtle Dove flyover but as usual I missed that one.

White Or Pied???