New Years Day with Martin Palmer Birding

Hi all,

had a day of two halves y’day – brilliant in the morning but tailing off dramatically in the afternoon. Thanks to directions from Stu Warren, I caught up with the Roger Hick’s Poppy Hill Farm Great Grey Shrike and left there at 1.25 with my day’s species tally on 73 then, in the next 3 hours, I visited Langford Mill, Gypsy Lane E + W, Broom Lake, lanes from Southill to Houghton Conquest, Quest ClP, Chimney Corner South ClP, Brogborough Lake and Stewartby Lake but only added another half dozen species ~ Long-tailed Tit, Greenfinch, Red Crested Pochard, Great Black-back and Goldeneye then Feral Pigeon on Kempston Keep as I passed by at dusk.

Nonetheless, a very satisfying day out – 5 raptors, 2 owls + GGS being one highlight; finding G N Diver and Scaup on Rookery North being another and getting some great views of the c60 strong flock of Lesser and Mealy Redpolls by Broom Village Pond being a third. Very satisfying were a small flock of 3 mixed bunting sp with Linnets at Pasture Farm entrance track south of Cardington. I totalled 79 species so (only) just pipped Roger’s tally despite covering a good few more miles.

I could, perhaps should, have had at least another 11 species to reach a magic 90 but I failed to find any Common Snipe, Jack Snipe or Green Sandpiper at up to 4 suitable sites I visited, neither, surprisingly, could I find any Red-legged Partridges, Stock Doves, Kingfisher or Bullfinches, nor any Egyptian Geese along Harrowden Lane nor the recent Pintail at Broom Lake.

My diversion to Poppy Hill and Langford Mill meant I didn’t visit The Lodge so I could have had Brambling, Siskin and, perhaps Raven and Woodcock there – there were none of the latter pair in suitable habitat I visited in the Old warden area. A walk along Meadow Lane/BSTW failed to produce the hoped for Chiffy and maybe Firecrest and I ran out of “passerine” time to visit MVMP or MSTW for e.g. Chiffchaffs, Stonechat and possibly Bearded Tit – also Water Rail. Overall finch numbers were very poor throughout the day – apart from the Redpolls -  and my only House Sparrows were a few in Southill.

My list is below – Roger, I wonder how many we got between us? Thanks to all friends I met out and about y’day and messages of sightings from Pip, Richard, Steve, Martin G, Stu W etc All the best to all for 2016,

Martin

1. Great Northern Diver
2. Great Crested Grebe
3. Dabchick
4. Cormorant
5. Little Egret
6. Grey Heron
7. Mute Swan
8. Greylag
9. Barnacle
10. Canada Goose
11. Mallard
12. Gadwall
13. Wigeon
14. Common Teal
15. Shoveler
16. Tufted Duck
17. Greater Scaup
18. Common Pochard
19. Red Crested Pochard
20. Goldeneye
21. Coot
22. Moorhen
23. Pheasant
24. Grey Partridge
25. Red Kite
26. Common Buzzard
27. Sparrowhawk
28. Peregrine
29. Kestrel
30. Lapwing
31. Golden Plover
32. Great Black-back
33. Herring Gull
34. Lesser Black-back
35. Common Gull
36. B H Gull
37. Carrion Crow
38. Rook
39. Jackdaw
40. Magpie
41. Jay
42. Wood Pigeon
43. Feral Pigeon
44. Collared Dove
45. Little Owl
46. Short-eared Owl
47. Green Woodpecker
48. Great Spotted Woodpecker
49. Skylark
50. Meadow Pipit
51. Grey Wagtail
52. Pied Wagtail
53. Great Tit
54. Blue Tit
55. Coal Tit
56. Long-tailed Tit
57. Treecreeper
58. Nuthatch
59. Goldcrest
60. Wren
61. Dunnock
62. Robin
63. Starling
64. Blackbird
65. Song Thrush
66. Redwing
67. Filedfare
68. Mistle Thrush
69. Great Grey Shrike
70. House Sparrow
71. Chaffinch
72. Greenfinch
73. Goldfinch
74. Linnet
75. Lesser Redpoll
76. Mealy Redpoll
77. Reed Bunting
78. Yellowhammer
79. Corn Bunting