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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Cambridgeshire Birding (1 Viewer)

Matthebirder said:
Grafham Water 2 Feb; female Scaup still off north end of dam/Marlow car park associating with the Goldeneye mainly. Now a pair of Goosanders at the west end. The regular 2w gull Caspian Gull still off the dam, it will come to bread if you can attract it to a feeding group of gulls. A few close up shots obtained, also a Yellow-legged Gull joining in. https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/49478105538/in/album-72157712463187667/
Click to expand...

Nice images of the Caspian Gull Matt. This appears to be the same bird that has now been (almost) resident for 2-years now (arriving as a juvenile in August 2018).
 
Thanks, I was fairly convinced it was the same bird as it does appear to be tolerant of people and the fishing boats. Most of the time it follows the Cormorant rafts if anyone wants to find it. There are very few dead fish this time of year so it has to actively steal them. I saw it plunge dive almost Gannet like well below the surface and catch a live fish. Bread certainly works if you can spare a sandwich or two....
 
Grafham water 8 Feb; female Scaup still with Goldeneye flock off Marlow Carpark. The Caspian Gull 2w and Yellow legged Gull still off the dam. Still 1 or 2 Common Sandpipers but not together.
 
Grafham Water 9 Feb am only ; reservoir closed due to safety issues so only viewed from a safe area overlooking the western half. Female Scaup had joined the Goldeneyes off the fishing lodge.
 
Grafham Water 15 Feb; Female Scaup still off the dam plus the resident 2w Caspian Gull off the Fishing lodge this morning, roosting on the boom. Two Pintail and the lone drake Goosander.
Of more interest was most probably X90A Yellow ring plus metal ring - 'Hybrid' Caspian Gull; the bird seen in July 2019. I can almost see the 'X' but certainly 90A and it has a metal ring on Rt leg above the joint as did the juv hybrid X90A Yellow. Compare the two here, the two photos with the railings from July; the other two today. I only saw it briefly from Mander at midday and didn't see the rings until afterwards whwn reviewing the images.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/albums/72157713122005321/with/49539415806/
Additional shots here; https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/49538919348/in/album-72157712463187667/
With Caspians being reported in large numbers I do wonder if some are hybrids?
 
Grafham Water 16 Feb: Female Scaup in usual place at north end of the dam with Goldeneye. Common Sandpiper on the dam. The regular Caspian Gull 2w at the Fishing Lodge again then again in the gull roost. Male and female Goosander together again.
 
Grafham Water 22 Feb; female Scaup still at north end of dam in very rough waves. The usual Caspian Gull 2w getting a taste for bread; should have it feeding from the hand soon....
Common Sandpiper not restricted to the dam now that the water is quite low. A leucistic Black-headed gull in the roost from the dam.
 
Grafham Water 23 Jan; female Scaup still in same location off north end of dam; a probable different 2w Caspian Gull resembling the regular bird; thought it odd as it didn’t come to the bread!
 
Grafham Water 29 Feb - female Scaup still off Marlow Carpark. Three Common Sandpipers at Mander Carpark.
Both of the resident Caspian Gull 2w present although not together they seem to avoid each other; both will now come to bread. Difficult to separate but one has white on outer primary and several spots under the tail (Bird 2); the original bird has all dark outer primary and only one spot under the tail (Bird 1) I will try to label all the photos..... Also the 1w hybrid 'Yellow X90A' still present, also will take bread, easy to identify if you see the ring but hard to see without photos.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/49601117383/in/album-72157712463187667/

Correction X90A was ringed in summer 2018 so must also be 2w not 1w
 
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Grafham Water 14 Mar; Caspian Gull 2w (identified as Bird 2) seen during the morning and afternoon. Also, most likely the same Yellow ringed hybrid still present (ring not read though). A 2w Caspian in the very limited gull roost.
 
Buckden Pits : 27 March evening, Great White Egret seen from car while driving home from work on A14 , some of us still have to work but at least we can legitimately bird watch en-route....
 
Fantastic record Mark; lets hope it liked the look of Grafham and includes the place on its circuit : might have to dig the bike out!
 
13 April 2020 -- couple of weeks into the 'Lock Down' no visits to Grafham for me; just hope the resident birders are fit and healthy and managing to cover some of the public bridleways and footpaths, particularly along that north shore that is very public and 'open' I imagine(?) judging by the bridleway use in my parish! Hope you can fit in at least some of your permissible exercise and find some good birds; please post out the news still it helps to relieve the daily boredom and hopefully keeps the birdnews people in business....

My parish of Great Stukelely is turning up some good birds on a local level and certainly allowing some 'en-route' photography still. Permissible I guess if you class lugging a 6kg weight around your neck as arm muscle exercise!

Today, a Raven finally on the parish list ; two Wheatears have been present for at least 3-4 days in the fields by Prestley Wood (noted for the ancient monument). More interesting it is a Stock Dove hotspot and also had a Grasshopper Warbler last week one evening. A couple of Curlews are present (again) in the Alconbury Airbase, potentially of great interest. Buzzards and Red Kites are numerous and a huge sky can be watched from this area. Some Raven vs Carrion Crow photos here for anyone interested; I still find them tricky to id.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/49768578533/in/album-72157713833980676/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/albums/72157713833980676/with/49758030411/
 
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Matthebirder said:
13 April 2020 -- couple of weeks into the 'Lock Down' no visits to Grafham for me; just hope the resident birders are fit and healthy and managing to cover some of the public bridleways and footpaths, particularly along that north shore that is very public and 'open' I imagine(?) judging by the bridleway use in my parish! Hope you can fit in at least some of your permissible exercise and find some good birds; please post out the news still it helps to relieve the daily boredom and hopefully keeps the birdnews people in business....

My parish of Great Stukelely is turning up some good birds on a local level and certainly allowing some 'en-route' photography still. Permissible I guess if you class lugging a 6kg weight around your neck as arm muscle exercise!

Today, a Raven finally on the parish list ; two Wheatears have been present for at least 3-4 days in the fields by Prestley Wood (noted for the ancient monument). More interesting it is a Stock Dove hotspot and also had a Grasshopper Warbler last week one evening. A couple of Curlews are present (again) in the Alconbury Airbase, potentially of great interest. Buzzards and Red Kites are numerous and a huge sky can be watched from this area. Some Raven vs Carrion Crow photos here for anyone interested; I still find them tricky to id.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/49768578533/in/album-72157713833980676/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/avesandmore/albums/72157713833980676/with/49758030411/
Click to expand...

Hi Matt,

Sadly all the car parks and footpaths are locked up pretty tight. Extra fencing has been placed across the gates to stop people entering the cycle tracks and car parks. I've not been there for weeks now, and Colin is only able to walk a small area near Sailing Club. Who knows what we have been missing! With non-essential car travel also banned, I have also not even tried to get there recently. I've had to settle for garden birding only (Osprey, Avocet, Common Scoter, Peregrines, Water Rail and Black Redstart the highlights so far.... which is almost better than Grafham, of late!)

Stay safe,
Mark
 
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