Priory Gannet 14/11/2011

I'm sure there will some better images out there. Here is my digiscope effort as the bird swam close to the north shore. While I was there it also flew round a few times and was seen to perform two shallow angle plunge dives (or crash landings?)

Gannet

Two more shots of the juvenile Gannet found at Priory CP by Tony Gill, 14th November 2011.  The upper shot was taken by Dave Kramer, and the lower shot by Steve Blain.

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser on The Pillinge, MVCP, 13th November 2011

Slav Grebe

Slavonian Grebe, Broom GP, 13th November 2011.  Check out its call below!

Slavonian Grebe at Broom GP by Steve Blain

Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull, Quest pit, 13th November 2011.  The lower shot, although poor, shows the wing-tip pattern typical of Caspian Gull, with broad white tips to P10 and P9, shafts of white (or 'tongues') in to the black, and a black band on P5.

Black Redstart

Black Redstart, Devon Drive, Biggleswade, 12th November 2011.  A nice surprise while having a bacon sarnie for lunch!

White-fronted Geese

Four of the ten White-fronted Geese in fields north of Broom GP, 9th November 2011

Leucistic Golden Plover

Leucistic Golden Plover, fields north of Southill, 6th November 2011

Garganey

Garganey, Blunham Lake, 1st November 2011

Mute Swans

These two colour-ringed Mute Swans were at Blunham Lakes on 1st November 2011.  They were both originally ringed on The Embankment in Bedford.  772 was ringed on 11th March 2011 and this is the first time it's been seen away from the ringing site.  984 was originally ringed on 15th July 2011 and has been seen at Priory CP on 10th September, before turning up at Blunham.

Many thanks to the BTO, and Mike Reed in particular, for the information above.