November 1st to 6th 2011

November 1st
A poor visit to the pond producing 14 Dunlin on island, 2 Tree Sparrow in country park, Snipe over, Sparrowhawk and 50 House Sparrows.

November 2nd
Having spent 2 hours searching Eldernell and March Farmers, Cambridgeshire for Cranes with Dave and seeing virtually nothing we gave up and headed for The Big Chill on the A47 for breakfast a few miles away, just as we were pulling in to the car park 6 of the buggers were in the field opposite.
Next stop was the Ouse Fen RSPB Reserve where we had great views of the Rough-legged Buzzard along with 2 ring-tail Hen Harrier, 3 Marsh Harrier, 4 Sparrowhawk, Little Egret and 500 Golden Plover. Our final stop and the most frustrating was at Burwell where Short-eared Owls had been performing over the last few days including 9 the day before. Anyway we waited and waited and waited and waited and saw nothing.

November 3rd
Another poor visit to the pond only highlighted by good views of a Peregrine as it passed close while in the afternoon Napton on the Hill had 6 Goldcrest and in the Napton Reservoir area there were 2 Bewick’s Swan, 2 Brambling 4 Lesser Redpoll and a Barn Owl. Dave trapped yet another Dotted Chestnut.

November 4th
A rare visit this afternoon to Brandon Marsh produced.123 Golden Plover, 90 Shoveler, 2 Lesser Redpoll, 5 Siskin, 6 Snipe, Kingfisher, Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail and Great-spotted Woodpecker

November 5th
What was intended as a morning trip to look the Steppe Grey Shrike at Wall Farm Nature Reserve, Shropshire turned in to a mammoth day out with a diversion to see the Squacco Heron on the River Erewash, Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottinghamshire then a sod it we are going dash to the Yorkshire coast to see the Isabelline Wheatear at Spurn, east Yorkshire. I couldn’t help but smile on the way home knowing I wasn’t in the dog house as the rest of the crew fought off the “where the hell are you phone calls.” Other sightings today included Jack Snipe, Woodcock, Short-eared Owl, Hooded Crow, Little Auk, Pink-footed Geese, Arctic Skua, Guillemot, Puffin and Merlin.

November 6th
The pond was a little bit more active than of late with Curlew 2, Shelduck 5 on island, Gadwall 25, Goosander 4f & 1m, Meadow Pipit 20 and Golden Plover 7. Plenty of visible migration with 4000 Wood Pigeon, Starling 600, Redwing 100, Fieldfare 500 and Skylark 50 over in 90 minutes.
Unfortunately the rest of the day was poor with not a lot on Napton on the Hill apart from 7 Raven and Napton Reservoir had 3 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler and 35 Wigeon before these dick heads arrived.


Richard