9 out of 10 cats prefer ....

Inspired by recent picture mistakes on popular rare bird photo web pages I set about creating my very own Whiskered Tern at Broom GP. Nine out of ten birders prefer the real thing but the tenth is apparently happy whatever ! Photoshop your own rares today !

Storm clouds gathering

All eyes looking out for Whiskered Terns today after a record flock of 11 present in Derbyshire for the past few days started to break up and head south, not today but with one only 15 miles up the road in Cambridgeshire then maybe tomorrow !

The birds keep coming

April 25th - another good morning of migration, Whimbrel present at first light, passage Black-tailed Godwit (in from north) and Marsh Harrier (female east) and a sub-ad Yellow legged Gull.

Today also produced the first Swifts of the year(8), two Common Sandpipers and the Common Terns had increased to 22 birds.

A little bit more excitement !

Good migration today 24th April, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits (a single present at 0630hrs and three in at 0750hrs), 7 Little Gulls (4 ads, 3 1st summer), a Greenshank and best of all a fly through 'willow the wisp' Little Tern - present for just 1 minute at 0723hrs ! - identical to the bird in 2007 on April 26th at 0730hrs.

Blyth Thomas-Atkins

Born 2.25am April 23rd 2009 (9lb2)

A short video clip taken an hour after birth

Coot ripples

clock-work orange !

Like magic - first day of sunshine after April 17th each year

Broomscapes

click to enlarge

more early starts

Pics from recent Bedfordshire sessions, 1st summer Mediterranean Gull April 18th, Little Egrets April 17th, Black Tern April 16th.

Broomites

The regular early morning migrants - Matt, Frank, Martin and Steve


The late student arrival - Dan and Ed, yawning and stinking of booze !
see http://dansbirdingblog.blogspot.com/

A day not to be mist

Low cloud, mist and drizzle brought a bonanza of birds to Broom GP today, In total 5 Sandwich Terns, 3 Arctic Terns, 9 Common Scoter and 22 Black-tailed Godwits !

Good Friday Meditation

2nd summer bird hanging around with the bhg's at Broom GP this morning

Super duck

One of two drakes present with a duck at Broom GP on April 7th

Patchwork

The Buckton recording area

Raw

This 2nd CY female Peregrine appeared low over Broom GP and caught a Lapwing with great ease before plucking and eating it in situ for 20 minutes.

Early spring passage at Broom

Black-tailed Godwits - 3 flew east on April 5th

Little Gulls - a minimum of 8 birds on April 6th

"Shoes off if you love wednesday"

Lets be having you !

Norwich 0 Wednesday 1

Gråsiska in the net

A 1st yr female Common Redpoll caught in the garden, a small group of Redpolls have wintered in the garden and several of the males are now in full song and display flight !