Kendons 2007 UK year list (1 Viewer)

The kids and I popped up to Gloucester/Wiltshire for the day. The first stop was Ashleworth Ham in Glos hoping for the Water Pipits that had been there recently.
Unfortunately you couldn't see your hand in front of your face as it was so foggy. We waited for an hour but it got worse rather than better. We moved onto Stank Lane looking for one or both of the Great Grey Shrikes that are there. Some other birders had seen one earlier. We quickly gave up as even if there was a Great Bustard we would not have seen it.

Next stop was the Cotswold Water Park on the off chance that we may see the Ringtail Hen Harrier. Luckily there was no fog. I always get lost there even with my map.After about half an hour of driving aimlessly and turning the map sideways and upside down I stopped at a lake which might have been the right one. Unbelievably after about five minutes the Hen Harrier flew right across the lake and started quartering the bank.

221 Hen Harrier

We moved onto a place called Harnhill and in particularly the phone box at Harnhill as it is good for Tree Sparrow. Tree sparrows are rare where I come from and would be a lifer. I wondered into the field by the phone box and waited. Again after five minutes a male Tree Sparrow appeared on top of the hedge, quickly followed by another.

222 Tree Sparrow

Back to Ashleworth yesterday for the Water Pipits. Unlike last Sunday it was a clear day so eventually we found them. No sign of any Shrikes though

223 Water Pipit

Had a cracking birding weekend in Norfolk. We started at Salthouse on Saturday morning. We got there and it was bright and sunny,then within 5 mins fog came down and we couldn't see further than 5 metres. We were about to give up and move on when another birder found a small group of Snow Buntings

224 Snow Bunting

We then got a message to say that the Pom Skua was viewable from a track just up the road. We went along but again we couldn't see it due to the fog. We were about to give up when it flew over our head and landed right in front of us

225 Pomarine Skua

We moved onto Morston Quay looking for Twite but with no luck so we had Breakfast in a tea shop in Cley.

We went back to Salthouse hoping for better views of the Pom Skua. We got back round to Beach Road just as a group of Lapland Bunting flew in.

226 Lapland Bunting

Next we moved onto Welney to look for Whooper Swans, which were easily seen grazing in the fields around the area

227 Whooper Swan

On Sunday we went South, we saw a small party on Common Cranes at Horsey and then moved onto Cantley for Taiga Bean Geese. Again these were easily seen

--- Taiga Bean Goose

Finally we popped into Dingle Marshes in Suffolk where we had excellent views of a Penduline Tit

228 Penduline Tit

A Red day today, well both new year birds today started with red. Also it brings me up to the target that I set myself for the year.

Firstly we went down to Cheddar Reservoir and after moving around to get the light behind us we picked up the

229 Red Necked Grebe

We moved onto Chew for the Red Throated Diver, which gave us the runaround for an hour or so but we eventually nailed it at the spot where we originally started

230 Red Throated Diver

One more from a weekend in Cornwall that was hampered by appalling weather

231 Green Winged Teal

Finished an exam early at college. Do I go back to work or go to Slimbridge ???

232 American Golden Plover