New Lockdown Diary

NOW THAT THE MORNINGS ARE GETTING LIGHTER EARLIER, BIRD WATCHING'S MIKE WEEDON IS ONCE AGAIN HEADING OUT ON HIS BIKE AND ON FOOT FOR SOME MORNING, PRE-WORK EXERCISE. HE ALWAYS HAS HIS BINOCULARS WITH HIM, AND HE MAY JUST SEE AND HEAR SOME BIRDS WHILE EXERCISING. SO, IT IS TIME ONCE MORE FOR MIKE WEEDON’S LOCKDOWN DIARY (all photos by Mike Weedon)

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Wednesday 30 June

I had the day off today. Why? To go to Bempton Cliffs RSPB in the hope of seeing the Black-browed Albatross which has been there for the last day or so. After an hour or so of no albatross action, it appeared out of thin (and mizzly) air and showed off and on for the rest of the day. I was in position to watch it perching among the Gannets at the east part of the reserve and saw it in flight several times. It is truly a brilliant bird.

Sadly, there is no room to put any photos on this page, to check out the new Responsible Birding Diary for some of those...

Tuesday 29 June

Once more I was at Deeping Lakes at 6.30am. I had only just arrived when my friend Will Bowell also turned up. Before I had scanned the east pit properly, Will had already spotted a rare bird, especially for the time of year: a White-fronted Goose. These birds are less than annual in the Peterborough area and nearly always found in winter.

The best I could muster was a Green Sandpiper and a Teal. At Baston and Langtoft 'wader pit' there was a drake Ruff plus 4 Redshanks and three Teals.

Monday 28 June

I got up reasonably early this morning and hit Deeping Lakes LWT. The clear highlight were a couple of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits which had popped in for a feed. It was around this time last year, we started to see a bit of a movement of Black-tailed Godwits through the Peterborough area. They don't normally stay long, though, it seems, as 'my' godwits were not there a few hours later, I am told.

Sunday 27 June

I paid relatively brief visits to both Deeping Lakes LWT and Baston and Langtoft wader pit, today. The best I could muster was a single Ringed Plover at the latter. At the former site, I saw a Red Kite come down to near the edge of the east pit and pluck something fluffy (furry or feathery, I don't know) from the long grass. It was a bit amorphous, so may already have been a dead mammal or baby bird (gosling or gull?). The kite was chased off by gulls.

Later I popped over to Maxey-Etton pit to see if the Turtle Doves are still coming to the feeding 'hard stand'. They are, and I had good views of four adults there, including one purring bird. I am slightly surprised there appear to be no juveniles yet.

I will post a photo as soon as I am able to. We are experiencing some technical issues uploading images to the site at the moment.

Saturday 26 June

I went to bed quite late (after midnight, anyhow). I was just admiring a Swallowtail Moth on the kitchen window (big, pale greeny yellow and very butterfly-like) when I heard a horrible sound. It was a sort of strangled quacking, quite loud and quite disturbing. The quacks were interspersed with pained moans like a Grey Squirrel was in terrible pain. I tried to get some sound recordings, then dared myself to venture out with a head torch. I was scared.

Anyhow, what I found were a couple of Hedgehogs, which had presumably been up to some sort of amorous or at least territorial activity. It wasn't the usual snorty sniffy noises I have heard before: much more scary!

Friday 25 June

It was a quiet day here in the office (ie our house). I didn't even get to spend much time in the garden, pootling. Out there, there is a notable lack of Swifts compared to previous years. It is probably partly to do with the fact that they are not nesting in the roof of the house two doors dow (where they were last year), which is a bit worrying. It may just be that Starligns were still in 'their' space when the Swifts arrived (it was a very odd spring). I hope it is not something more sinister.

Thursday 24 June

I popped up to Deeping Lakes LWT this evening to see if any wader passage was going down. It wasn't, but Owen, the young Oystercatcher has grown considerably again! He (or she) now has no fluffy feathering at all and looks very like a slightly smaller adult. Even its wings are almost fully grown, and it flew a short way to avoid an angry Common Tern which was trying to sit peacefully on its eggs when the Oystercatcher family got too close. The Black-headed Gulls have some new chicks, there, too.

At Baston and Langtoft pits, there were four redshanks (two juveniles) and at Teal worth noting. Otherwise it was very quiet there, this evening.

Wednesday 23 June

My dear wife Jo and I went to check out the reports of 'carpets of orchids' at a little local nature reserve called Swaddywell, run by the Langdyke countryside Trust. Carpets was perhaps going too far but there were very good numbers of Pyramidal Orchids and plentyof clusters of Bee Orchids, and a few Common Spotted Orchids). These are always great flowers to admire!

Tuesday 22 June

At lunchtime, I sat in the garden with a cup of tea. I was treated to the first foraging raid by a Long-tailed Tit family, this summer. The whole garden was filled with the 'see see see' sounds of the little pom pom on sticks. The chocolate cheeked youngsters though full sized were still begging the adults to feed them and the poor adults looked very worn, especially around the head, with the effort of constant foraging for little insects.

Also in the garden were yellow-faced juvenile Blue Tits (also the first of the year in the garden), and young House Sparrows begging their parents, with quivering wings. Despite these avian riches, though, my highlight was a little dancing moth (going up and down constantly) which I could see instantly was one of the longhorn moths. It was only about 1cm long, but its antennae looked to be at least 4cm long! it stopped dancing briefly for a rest on a dock leaf and I took some photos. Apparently (I looked it up) it is Nemophora degeerella, aka the Yellow-barred Long-horn. New for the garden!

Monday 21 June

This morning was crazy. I was out in the field at 3.50am, an hour before the sun rose, looking at a Caspian Tern which had roosted overnight at the Baston and Langtoft 'Wader Pit'. This is precisely the pit where I found a Caspian Tern in mid-July 2017. To give you an idea of how rare this bird is, these two are the only ones I have ever seen in the UK.

It was found after dark last night by local patch watcher and great bird finder Josh Jones, who reported it after 10pm. He said it appeared to go to roost and was still just visible at 10.30pm!! So, I figured I would get there early before it left. I wasn't first on the scene, though as another Peterborough lister, Paul Bolton beat me to it and had relocated the tern.

What a beauty it was and so reminiscent of the 2017 experience, though I can't claim any find glory for this current bird. A grand total of four of us were gathered when the Caspian Tern took flight at 4.20am and powered south, never to be seen again (some 25 minutes before sunrise). Sometimes, it worth getting up early!

Later in the day, I revisited the site, where there were a Ringed Plvoer, Little Ringed Plover and a single Dunlin. To confirm that return passage (ie wader migration south from the arctic breeding grounds) seems to have started, I also saw a Ruff flying over (in the morning) and had my first Green Sandpiper for several weeks, at Deeping Lakes LWT. Autumn is here on this the longest day.

Sunday 20 June

Again, I was at Deeping Lakes this morning, but apart from the ever-growing Oystercatcher chick there was little to report. Owen (as he is called) as almost lost his fluff now, is distinctly black-and-white and with a red bill and his wing feathers are so well developed that he even briefly took off and flew a few inches!

After leaving that site, I decided to explore the area around Back Lane Deeping St James where a probable (and extremely rare)Black-headed Bunting had been singing during the week. There is a bridlepath/footpath around the back of the site, following field edges between Deeping St James and the small village of Frognall. It was very bird rich around there (for farmland), with Sky Larks, Yellowhammers, r=Reed Buntings, House (and probable Tree) Sparrows feeding there and gathering food for youngsters and even a Turtle Dove flew by.

Talking of gathering food for youngsters, I nearly trod on a damp juvenile Sky Lark, crouching on the muddy path. I hope its parents found it later...

Saturday 19 June

I toured around the Deepings are this cloudy morning. Starling numbers are building slightly, but there is still no elusive Rose-coloured Starling among them. I guess you just have to be very lucky... There were some new Great Crested Grebe babies along the river. At Deeping Lakes LWT wast pit the grebes seem to have lost their chick (presumably eaten by a gull!) and are starting to nest again. The baby Oystercatcher is growing almost visibly in front of you and chenges dramatically every time I see it. The best bird here though, was a Hobby which came dashing past the east screen of the east pit. What great birds.

Friday 18 June

It rained a lot today, again. So, I wasn't out and about much. The highlight was a singing Blackcap in the garden for the first time in a while. Otherwise, it was the usual fare.

Thursday 17 June

There was a bit of a major downpour last night and it was raining a bit this morning. Luckily, it hasn't flattened some of our garden's taller herbaceous plants. Included in these are some teasels which are now getting to ridiculous heights. Here is a ropey selfie I took to show one which has reached about six foot five inches in height!

Wednesday 16 June

My dear wife Jo is away for a bit helping a friend who has just had a tiny new baby. But she kindly came home and lent me the car so I could do a spot of early morning birdwatching pre-work. So, it would have been rude not to. Anyhow, in the end, I didn't wake up particulalry early, so instead went along the 'Deeping High Bank' area near Crowland (a small town north of Peterborough), in the hope of finding a Rose-coloured Startling among the flocks of Starlings feeding in the fields in that area. We Peterborians are living in hope that the national influx of Rosy Pastors (as they are sometimes called) will touch our lives.

Instead, the highlights were Marsh Harrier and several Yellow Wagtails which seem to enjoy the same areas the Starlings do. Also, further west at Deeping Lakes LWT, the single young Oystercatcher is growing at a remarkable rate. It now looks black and white (though still fluffy) and has a largely reddish bill ( a few days ago it was grey with a black bill).

Our garden is absolutely with insects, particularly hoverflies and other dipterans (true flies). At lunchtime, I saw my first Meadow Brown (butterfly) which came and landed briefly near the pond.

Tuesday 15 June

The cheeky sparrows are still trying to pick off the damselflies as soon as they emerge from the garden pond! Some of our flowers are reaching mad heights. We have teasels measuring more than 6-feet in height and Stinging Nettles approaching the same height! Here is a sort of campanula (only about 4-feet high!)

Monday 14 June

Naturally I was back at Glapthorn early this morning, hoping for a return of the Golden Oriole and perhaps a bit of singing... The only singing of great note was the continuing presence of the Turtle Dove, which I was told is virtually unheard of by the regular watchers in this wood!

At lunchtime, lazing in the garden, the highlight was a briefly visiting female Banded Demoiselle, a spectacular insect which is only a very occasional visitor to our garden.

Sunday 13 June

The main news from today was of two reports of a male Golden Oriole at a site in the far west of the PBC area, Glapthorn Cow Pastures, Northants, north of Oundle. In the evening I went with my friend Hugh Wright to check out the site. There were no orioles, but the habitat there is amazing. The smallish wood is famed for its Black Hairstreak population and it draws butterfly watchers and photographers from across the whole country. It was butterfly watchers which saw the oriole, apparently. Anyhow, the highlight was a loudly purring Turtle Dove near the entrance.

Saturday 12 June

It was another scorcher today, and my birding was a bit minimal, with highlights being a few Corn Buntings at a site in south Lincolnshire, near Crowland and the continuing survival (and amazing growth rate) of the young Oystercatcher at the east pit of Deeping Lakes LWT.

Later, I went to ditch between oat fields on the outskirts of nearby Deeping St James. Yesterday, a friend of mine, Jake Williams had found a reed Warbler in that same ditch which was singing an exceptional repertoire of mimicry, almost like a Marsh Warbler, but including extenisive more conventional Reed Warbler song. The habitat was more typical of Marsh Warblers' and the bird was very loyal to a particular tiny patch of small willows. However, it seems that this was just an atypical Reed Warbler.

Friday 11 June

Today, the Bird Watching editorial team had a bit of a photoshoot, initially at Eyebrook Reservoir (on the Leics/Rutland border). Almost immediately, an Osprey came in for a spot of fishing, and it got a big one! ANd as it flew off, presumably to either eat the fish itself or feed it to its youngsters or partner, another Osprey appeared to fish the reservoir. Absolutely amazing. It only took a little over half an hour to reach the reservoir, so, in future, even though it is outside the official Peterborough area, I may check out one or two rare birds that turn up there...

Later we popped over to Bedford Purlieus to continue the shoot. Back on familiar ground, in the official PBC area, and in Cambs. The highlights here were both floral: a magnificent field of flax flowers and thousands upon thousands of poppies; and a single spike of flowering Fly Orchid.

Thursday 10 June

There was a partial eclipse of the sun (by the moon of course) this morning. I tired to get some photos. Here is a shot of the pin-hole camera effect created by tiny gaps between the leaves of one of our trees, with the light projected on our shed door; and one of the sun taken directly (not easy without being blinded!).

There was a bit of an emergence of damselflies in our garden today. Unfortunately, the local House Sparrows cottoned on to this pretty quickly and were catching and eating them almost as soon as they emerged from the pond!

Wednesday 9 June

At lunchtime, I spent a bit of time sitting around enjoying the woodland glade that is our garden. The clear highlights were a couple of larger dragonfly (ie not damselfly) species. The first was a type of chaser, and I was expecting it to be a Four-spotted Chaser, but it didn't have the right spots. So, I believe it was a Scarce Chaser, which is backed up b the broad orange band at the leading edge of the fore-wings. Scarce Chasers breed along the River Nene, which is at its closest 1.5km to the south of our garden. But, it could also have come from our pond, having survived with the vegetation I pinched from a fen water system (which has Scarce Chasers), last year. The other dragonfly was a large 'hawker' type which I suspect was an Emperor Dragonfly at this time of year, but it whizzed by too quickly to be sure.

Tuesday 8 June

There are more than one Common Blue Damselfies in the garden today. Again, I wonder if these were transported to our 'big' pond as juveniles (or even eggs) when I translocated some plants (and some water) from a local fenland site to our pond, last summer. Part of the whole inspiration for that bit of translocation was to replace the oxygenating plants which have died off over the years in the pond (which was first dug in spring 2007). And this plan has worked far better than I had hoped. The oxygenating submerged plants are thriving, as is the associated fauna (with an explosion in pond snails particularly apparent). But, there is also a total absence of annoying duckweed which had carpeted our pond in the last few years (and prevented me seeing any of the activity beneath the surface). The water also appears to be correspondingly crystal clear. It is all good!

Monday 7 June

Our Speckled Wood is still going strong in the garden. Just needs a mate... The other highlights of a brief tea break were singing Blackbirds (including one bird which drifted into a very complex subsong) and a singing Greenfinch, which at one stage produced a fast buzzing call almost like a scolding Wren. Greenfinches seem to be making a bit of a comeback recently, although this may partly be observer bias owning to putting out seed in the garden, which has meant we have seen more of them here than in recent (seedless) years.

At lunchtime, I pooped out to sit in the garden again for a while. The highlight was a bit of an emergence of damselflies from the big pond, including a lilac-coloured Common Blue Damselfly I saw, which is unusual in our garden these days. There was also a Large Red Damselfly posing on the uncut bits of the lawn.

The garden is filled with insects at the moment, mostly beyond my ID skills. I photographed a sawfly, which I believe (after a quick search online) is one of the species in the genus Arge, but if anyone knows better, please let me know...

Sunday 6 June

I had a relatively quiet day, wildlife-watching wise today. I spent a relaxing while in the garden staring at the newts and their baby efts in the pond and seeing if anything extraordinary flew over. The young Great tits visited with their parents, but bird wise it was a little quite. In the afternoon, I popped down to March Farmers a viewpoint of the Nene Washes to check for anything rare like a Purple Heron or even a Rose-coloured Starling. Alas, nothing of the sort appeared, the highlight being a husky booming Bittern, I wonder if this is the same husky boomer who has been at this site for the last half a dozen years...

Saturday 5 June

While I was out and about last night, news came of a couple of Rose-coloured Starlings being seen yesterday in the south Lincs part of the Peterborough area. There has been quite an invasion of these pink and black beauties into the country, recently (But I have never seen a summer adult). So, I was up reasonably early, checking out the scene where they had been seen with Starlings yesterday. I eventually found about 30 Starlings, but no 'Rosy Pastors'. There were lots of yellow Wagtails around, but little else to get too excited about.

So, eventually I gave up and went to Deeping Lakes LWT. The Oystercatchers still have a fluffy baby, Eggy the young Egyptian Goose is nearly full sized now, and there were a pair of Ringed Plovers which almost looked like they wanted to try breeding. Most intriguing wer 2 Goosanders. Both red-headed birds, they looked slightly different from each other, suggesting one was an adult female and the other a younger bird. I wonder if they have bred nearby?

Also at DLLWT, I saw my first Banded Demoiselles of the year.

Friday 4 June

I spent the evening at a site south of Peterborough in the fens. Even when it was still light at c9.15pm, Woodcocks were roding. I had great views of a croaking, squeaking male as it flew overhead. They are amazing waders! The other main reason I was there was for owls, specifically to listen to them after dark. And it was a great success, with a several adult Tawny Owls and the odd baby calling; adult female and squeaky-gate baby Long-eared Owls and the odd Barn Owl screech. Superb stuff.

Thursday 3 June

Another lazy start for me today. But the garden is still providing some fun. In fact it is looking splendid at the moment, and the birds and insects are appreciating it, as the amphibians with Smooth Newts and a few Frogs on show at the 'big' pond. A Large Red Damselfly was laying eggs in the pond and another damselfly which looked bigger emerged then disappeared into the vegetation. Could it be an early emerald damselfly of some type?

At lunchtime I photographed a Holly Blue sunning its underwings on a leaf. And also a Blue Tit which came quite close to me to preen. The baby Great Tits are now just about the same size as their parents and only really told apart by their duller colours (especially the yellowish white cheeks).

Wednesday 2 June

I took the morning off from getting out early. After all, it is the start of the relatively quiet season, isn't it? Well, that could be used as an argument, but around the UK at the moment there are great birds like Bee-eaters turning up all over the place and we are surely at the start of another major Rose-coloured Starling 'invasion'. Really, I was just having a mini-lie-in after yesterday's very early start. So, my wildlife activity has been mainly pottering in the garden during brief tea breaks.

There are some interesting invertebrates in the garden at the moment, including a few spiders which I don't remember seeing before. A couple are at the pond: one with very long legs in line with its body has made a web about four inches up from the water surface between two emergent plants. Another is standing on the surface of the water, using the surface tension like a Pond Skater.

A Speckled Wood (butterfly) has been patrolling and sun-bathing, the first of the year. Our garden in some ways is like a woodland glade, with mixes of shade, dappled sunlight and full sunlight, which Speckled Woods are fond of. So, it is not too surprising that these woodland glade butterflies are in our garden just about every year.

No Bee-eaters or Rose-coloured Starlings have flown over, yet...

At lunchtime, I dawdled a while in the garden, watching the comings and goings of the Speckled Wood and a pair of Holly Blues, exploring various bushes. Overhead, Swifts were screaming around, and for a short while they were joined by a single Sand Martin, which is a surprisingly rare bird in the airspace above us (I have only seen them less than five times in 20 years). Also overhead, were a Buzzard and a very high red Kite, both drifting north-westward.

Our 'big' pond is very clear at the moment, and clear enough that I could see the first Smooth Newt 'eft' (ie tadpole) that I can remember ever seeing in the pond (which I dug in 2007)! I tried to get some photos, but am not sure if they are publishable. Actually, I am rather pleased with this one...

Tuesday 1 June

I started early today at the lovely 'rewilded' site south of Peterborough called the Great Fen, near the village of Holme (which, incidentally, has the lowest pub in the UK, some 9m below sea level, I believe). The Great Fen's meadowland and ditches produce a soundscape which is surely like the olden times. The air is full of a positive racket of Sky Lark song, liberally mixed with the jangling songs of several Corn Buntings and plentiful Sedge Warblers, and the odd Cuckoo call. It is really a great place to start the day.

Monday 31 May

It has been a bank holiday, today, and I had a bit of a lazy late start. Eventually, I went down to March Farmers (the eastern viewpoint over the Nene Washes). I decided to do a bit of a 'mini-sit' for an hour. A mini-sit is one of our 'inventions' at Bird Watching: it is like a Big Sit, where you spend 24-hours restricted to birding from a tiny area, but over a much shorter time period. In the hour I spent I recorded 49 species of bird, the highlights being a booming Bittern (heard), Marsh Harrier, Cetti's Warbler and three Hobbies. There were also Red-eyed Damselflies (new for the year, for me) on the large waterlily leaves in the ditch called Moreton's Leam.

So ends a relatively quiet May for developing my Peterborough area year list (not helped by persistent cold, wet weather). Still I added 7 birds to my PBC year list, taking my total to slightly outrageous 185, a total I didn't reach last year until 8 November!

Sunday 30 May

In the morning I visited a few sites, including the Etton/Maxey complex where there were no passage waders, but Turtle Dove visiting the feeding area, again. I had a pleasant wander around a place called Star Pit next to what was until very recently the main municipal rubbish dump, on the east side of Peterborough. It was mainly Reed Warblers, Cuckoos and the odd Pochard and Cetti's Warbler, but it was very pleasant to enjoy the warmer weather, which brought out my first emerging Four-spotted chaser dragonflies of the year.

In the evening (at dusk) I visited one of those sites which have scarce breeding birds. It is another fenland site, and there were several calling Water Rails, at least 3 booming Bitterns and best of all, the whip-like call of a Spotted Crake. There are fewer than 30 of these 'whipping' males heard across the UK each year, so it is one of our rarest breeding birds. But they are regular near Peterborough in very small numbers (a bird I usually have on my year list through the heard-only route; and one which I have only actually seen twice, locally).

Saturday 29 May

Having decided not to mention a site where rare breeding birds are present, yesterday, today I visited one where I will name the place as well as the birds. The birds in question are Cranes, which are very rare breeders in the UK, with fewer than 50 pairs. But, one of their known nesting sites is the Nene Washes RSPB, and the Society publish the breeding figures each year. From the viewpoint at Eldernell, it had already been reported by birdwatchers that it is possible to watch a pair of Cranes feeding a fluffy youngster. So, I have few qualms about mentioning the fact that I watched this baby being fed today!

The rusty youngster stands about as tall as the 'bustles' of the parents, and is largely hidden in the long grass a couple of hundred yards north of the Nene Way (the raised bank which serves as a viewpoint over the washes). Also here were plentiful Marsh Harriers and a single Great White Egret, the first I have seen since the very start of May.

In the evening I watched my beloved Chelsea FC becoming Champions' League winners, so all in all, a very good day!

Friday 28 May

This evening I decided to take an expedition to a fenland site I have visited many times before but I won't name, owing to the scarce breeding birds there, which I will name (it is never a good idea to publicly report the location of scarce or rare breeders). The birds in question on this occasion are Long-eared Owls. I heard a female LeO calling only a couple of hundred metres from where I had parked. In case you don't know, female Long-eared Owls call (or 'sing') a single moaned hoot, which to my ears sounds like the flight call of a Collared Dove. Indeed, as it was only 7pm and broad daylight, I initially ignored the call as a Collared Dove, before realising there aren't any Collared Doves at this site!

Other highlights at this nature reserve were 6 Ringed Plovers, a single Dunlin and lots of Yellow Wagtails. There was also an exceptional number of Cuckoos around; several calling males, the odd calling female (the bubbly Whimbrel-like call) and a few birds seen flying about. I was even able to watch a female (identifiable by the brown barring on the neck) feeding on caterpillars on the outskirts of the site.

Later, I explored the site a bit, further, and in one area heard two baby Long-eared Owls begging (the begging call is famously like a squeaky gate!). All in all a pleasant spring evening.

Thursday 27 May

On Monday I said that thought or garden Great Tits had failed to fledge any youngster owing to the cold weather this spring. However, this lunchtime, as I was sitting in the garden, I was delighted to see a pair of Great Tits accompanied by two begging youngsters which are now almost full grown. So, it appears I must have missed the juveniles leaving the nest box (easily done) and was hasty in assuming failure, when it has actually been a successful spring for our local Great Tit pair. In fact, I think they have done better than last year, when only one juvenile seemed to survive departure from the nest box.

Other bird news from the garden, is there are plenty of juvenile Starlinds around and screaming Swifts overhead. The Blue Tits don't seem to have youngsters, and one of the adults has no tail!

Wednesday 26 May

I cycled down to Ferry Meadows CP first thing this morning, but it is a pretty quiet period at the moment. Highlights were a very small Muntjac deer fawn (I don't think I have ever seen a fawn of this species before), Kingfisher and a calling male Cuckoo. Part of the motivation for continuing to visit the country park at this time is a hope that a Little Tern will pass through. But no luck, yet...

Tuesday 25 May

It was another quiet day wildlife-watching wise, for me, today. I woke up too late to cycle to Ferry Meadows and later, it was all a bit rainy for cycling around. it really has been a ridiculously and worryingly rainy May. It is also stupidly cold, considering it is nearly June. I have been wearing multiple layers including a big puffer jacket to go out at all. In May! Still, my pond is looking great at the moment, with the first Frog-bit leaves coming to the surface (they are like mini water lilies). The water is very clear, and it is easy to see the many Smooth Newts in the pond getting up to their newty business.

Monday 24 May

We are doing a 'no-mow May' and the garden is looking splendid for it. Come June I am not going to give the lawn a full mow, but rather mow some curvy paths around the lawn and through the area with more varied herbaceous plants. Despite providing food for the birds and as much food for insects as possible, I suspect the cold weather may have killed off the baby Great Tits which were squeaking in the nest box on teh garage wall near our kitchen. The cold spring has, unfortunately, been devastating for many nesting birds, especially songbirds. These are unstable and troubling times.

Sunday 23 May

Naturally, I was tempted to go and watch the Turtle Doves near Etton, this morning. Up to four birds were feeding together on the hard stand feeding station. Nearby, the flooded field which had waders on yesterday had 5 Ringed Plovers, 3 Dunlin and 2 Little Ringed Plovers (so things are thinning out somewhat).

Saturday 22 May

I started today at Deeping Lakes LWT and comfortably the highlight was hearing a purring Turtle Dove, my first at this site, this year. Later, I popped over to the Etton-Maxey pit complex. My primary aim was to check out a concrete 'hard stand' where the local conservation body (Langdyke Trust) have been putting out special food for the local Turtle Doves. They have declined massively in the 20-odd years I have lived in Peterborough, and the area around the Maxey Cut (a short-cut artificial channel of the River Welland between Stamford and Deeping Lakes, Deeping St James).

My plan was to park near the hard stand with the window down, camera ready and see what turned up. It didn't take long before skittish Stock Doves and Linnets appeared on the hard stand for the feed. Then came Yellowhammers and finally, I got sensational close up Turtle Dove action. It seemed to be just the one pair repeatedly visiting, with the male puffing out his chest and purring at his mate, while pursuing her on the ground (in the manner of flirtatious pigeons of all types!).

Eventually, I left the Turtle Dove feeding and checked out the local pits for waders. At one flooded stubble field there were 7 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plovers and 2 Little Ringed Plovers and on the gravel-islanded pits a couple of spring Sanderlings.

Friday 21 May

The weather was grim today. After work, I decided to brave it though, to go and see a couple of Sanderlings that have been on a smallish gravel pit with small gravel islands, by Etton, 10 minutes drive from my Peterborough home. It has generally been a very poor spring for wader passage around here, but we have done quite well for Sanderlings, particulalry at the Etton pits. They are great little birds, at their finest in spring plumage.

Thursday 20 May

Readers of my regular Weedon's World column in Bird Watching magazine may have distant memories of a tale of a Quail I told several years ago. In a nutshell, at the my mother died (in July 2005), I was very close to a singing Quail in a field beside Bedford Purlieus (an ancient woodland in NW Cambs). My sister Alison called me to let me know my mother had died and almost as soon as I got off the phone, I saw my first ever Quail in the UK, flying off across the field. Now, it turned out that at that precise moment, my older brother Graham was photographing a Quail in his garden in Toddington, Beds.

So, Quails have a bit of legendary place in our family lore, emphasised further in summer 2013 when my three siblings (and our families) all met at my other brother's house in north Somerset, to celebrate Chris and Ali's 50th birthday (they are twins, of course). We Peterborough Weedons camped in the garden, and in the early hours of the morning, I was woken by the song of a Quail from a nearby field.

Anyhow, this is a long-winded way of saying that yesterday was my mother's birthday (shared with her twin sister, my late Aunt Wendy). And it happened that a Quail was heard a little east of Peterborough yesterday. So, naturally, I went along to Thorney Dyke/Knarr Fen to have a listen. And I am pleased to say that my project was successful, with several 'wet-my-lips' outbursts from the reported field, as the sun set.

Later, when it was properly dark, I visited a site where a (nationally very scarce) Spotted Crake was singing its advertising call of repeated 'whip' sounds. Again, I was successful in my mission, and Spotted Crake becomes bird number 184 on my Peterborough area year list. To put this in some sort of context, it wasn't until 27 October last year that I reached this total. So, it could be argued that I am curently more than five months ahead of last year's curve.

Wednesday 19 May

The Egyptian Geese were once again in place on Gunwade Lake, Ferry Meadows CP, this morning. More exciting though was the family of Otters, who were out fishing in the open water of the lake. At one stage Mama Otter caught a huge eel and her two cubs (nearly the same size as her, now) helped her carry it to the shore, to eat.

They are great fun to watch, and on a couple of occasions, 'porpoised' through the water at high speed. I tried to capture a distant photograph of this behaviour...

Back home, the garden highlight today was a Holly Blue, my first of the year, sitting on some Dogwood leaves.

Tuesday 18 May

It was like Noah's Ark at Ferry Meadows, this morning. The scarce birds were all in twos (pairs, more precisely). These were a pair of fly-over Shelducks, a pair of Egyptian Geese, now on Gunwade lake and the shore near the café, and a pair of Oystercatchers on the T-shaped pontoon dock by the café.

Apart from the usual crowd of about 40 Swifts, there was not much else to report, today.

Monday 17 May

I was back on my bike this morning and once more at Ferry Meadows CP. The highlights were as follows: a pair of Egyptian Geese (scarce in the park, and only my second record this year), flying NW over Gunwade Lake; the family of three Otters; a singing Grey Wagtail; Pied Wagtails gathering lots of insect food, presumably for youngsters on the nest; and a Little Egret on Heron Meadow.

The lowlight was seeing a pair of Carrion Crows pecking at something which was wriggling. As I got closer, the crows flew off a few yards and a Canada Goose gosling got to its feet and ran to its mother. I feel not in the slightest bit guilty for going against the 'Attenborough philosophy' of non interference (which I think is only for the telly, really... ).

Back home, a Blackcap was once more singing in our garden and a Large Red Damselfly was perched on vegetation on our 'big' pond.

Sunday 16 May

I tried to rid myself of depression brought upon by watching Chelsea lose their second FA Cup final in successive years, I went back to Deeping Lakes LWT this morning. I whiled a way a pleasant couple of hours staring at the east pit. There was a Ruff there still (a rather scruffy male) looking a bit sleepy, as yesterday. Also present was a Little Ringed Plover, and both waders were flushed from their favourite island when a Red Kite came swooping down to see if it could pinch some gull chicks or similar. A pair of Oystercatchers saw it off. In the distance, I could see a pair of Hobbies joining a large flock of Swifts to harvest the newly emerged St Mark's Fly boom.

A little later I visited a 'secret site', where a pair of Mediterranean Gulls are sitting on eggs within a Black-headed Gull colony. This could be the first confirmed breeding in the Peterborough area for some years, and it is the first time I have seen Med Gulls sitting on eggs locally. They are still very rare breeders around here, hence the secrecy.

Saturday 15 May

I popped up to Deeping Lakes LWT this morning. The Egyptian Goose gosling I call 'Eggy' is still going strong, I am pleased to announce. The 'best' bird, though was a male Ruff. Nearby, on a bit of farmland not far from Crowland, along a road called Renews Drove, a few Corn Buntings were singing away with their jangling songs; one of the great songs of agricultural land!

In the afternoon I went 'twitching' to see a dark-bellied Brent Goose which had been found swimming on Gunwade Lake Ferry Meadows CP. It was bird number 121 for my FMCP 2021 list.

Friday 14 May

I was back in position at Ferry Meadows CP, again, this morning. It was a case of 'same as usual', there with most of the usual suspects in their usual places. There were some nice highlights in a Kingfisher or two, Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler singing at the odd red Kite, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Thursday 13 May

Instead of going to Ferry Meadows CP this morning I drank my waking cup of coffee in the garden enjoying the comings and goings of the birds. The most notable things were a singing Blackcap (for the first time in a few weeks) and adult Starlings feeding juvenile Starlings, already out of the nest. It seems they have young on the wing very early this year, which at least means they will have vacated the neighbours' roof space in time for the Swifts to occupy it as usual (the Swifts have only returned to the neighbourhood in the last couple of days).

Wednesday 12 May

This morning, I was of course at Ferry Meadows CP. But on this occasion it was for spot of filming for the BW Spring 2021 Birdfest (which will be over the long weekend coming up Fri-Sun). Before I went down there I did a spot of 'twitching', heading north to Deeping Lakes LWT to see a Turnstone which my friend Will Bowell had just found (it was about 6am). Turnstone was the commonest remaining wader which I was yet to see locally, this year. They are scarce but regular passage visitors to the Peterborough area in spring and summer (when they return from the arctic breeding grounds). They really are great looking waders (most waders are in spring!). Tis was bird number 182 for my Peterborough area year list.

At Ferry Meadows the highlights were a mixed singing Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff (I think the first I have ever heard), and my first Cuckoo in the country park, this year. A Grey Heron was 'showing well' by the little pontoon bridge at the connection between. Overton and Gunwade Lakes. FMCP does close-up herons very well, which is brilliant for all the non-birder visitors, especially.

Tuesday 11 May

There were three clear highlights in my pre-work session at Ferry Meadows CP. Firstly, and bestly, the family of Otters (Mama and two youngsters) came swimming across Gunwade Lake in glorious early morning sun. I put myself in position and waited for them to reach my side of the lake...

And closer they did get! In fact they were almost too close to photograph. The mother, at one stage almost leapt vertically out of the water to have a good look at me before leading her cubs to the 'resting holt'.

My second highlight was a year tick for FMCP, a Hobby (119 for the park). And finally, a pair of Oystercatchers flew over Gunwade, looking for somewhere to land. These big, black-and-white waders with carrots for bills have been quite scarce in the park in recent years.

Monday 10 May

Back to work today, and so I cycled to Ferry Meadows CP, pre-work, where I haven't been for a while... I added Common Sandpiper to my FMCP year list (118), but the real highlight was when a bit of nasty cloud passed and brought with it a single first-winter Little Gull (with a hint of pink flush on its underparts), which stayed for all of five minutes before heading off high to the east.

It is remarkable how a bit of seemingly nasty weather can produce great birds out of nowhere! As usual, if I wasn't in the right place at the right time, I would have missed this bird over Gunwade lake. The same story happened with Kittiwake, 2 Sandwich Terns, and adult Little Gull and an Osprey, earlier in the spring...

Sunday 9 May

It was an altogether drier and less windy day today, and it even got a bit warm, later on! I went on a wader hunt at Woodwalton Fen. I saw 2 Greenshanks, 9 Ringed Plovers and 2 Dunlins. The grass on the west side was covered in newly emerged St Mark's Flies (which I always think of as Hobby food!). I finally saw my first dragonflies of the year, in the warmth of today, with a few newly flying Large Red Damselfies.

Saturday 8 May

Today was the day of the Global Big Day, when birders across the world report what bird delights they have seen. Unfortunately, it was also extremely rainy and windy (windy from the SW) here in the Peterborough area, which made birding tough. It was a good day for wader passage across the country, and I spent an annoying amount of time chasing a potential year tick Turnstone. But a combination of rain, wind and the bird not showing led to a big 'dip'. So, I braved the elements and tried to find my own waders in the rain at Martin Pit, Etton.

I found a flock of 12 Dunlin flying around (then flying off west) then a single Dunlin on the sandiest island. A little later this was replaced by a new-in Sanderling. A Common Sandpiper found the lone Dunlin and they, too flew west.

A bit later still, what as presumably the same Sanderling met up with a new group fo 3 Dunlins, and i got great views, before they too headed off west.

Friday 7 May

I had another session at the pits near Etton, just north of Peterborough this morning. It was a case of more of the same, with 4 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers and a Greenshank being the best of the waders on Martin Pit. But thanks to the power of the local WhatsApp group, news came out of a Spoonbill on some small scrapes by Baston Fen, and I whizzed along to tick this bird for the year. Spoonbills are always great, but particularly so when they are feeding rather than sleeping. This bird was feeding!

While I was there, I also watched a Whimbrel, and heard tell from another birder that a Quail had been heard form a few hundred metres away, at Baston Fen. I mounted the bank there, n the later afternoon and within ten minutes said Quail started calling 'wet-my-lips'. Peterborough area year tick number 181.

Thursday 6 May

I went on a bit of a tour of the Deepings area today. Easily the best action was at Martin Pit, Etton (the pit with the waders), where there were 3 Sanderling, 3 Ringed Plovers (of the passage subspecies tundrae), Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover.

Wednesday 5 May

I had a change of tactic birding wise today, and decided to take a cycle around some woodland between the Bretton area of Peterborough (where the BW offices were in the noughties) and the village of Marholm. The aim was to try to see Hawfinch. But, needless to say, I failed. The most interesting thing I saw was a Great Spotted Woodpecker entering an old woodpecker hole and throwing out all the nesting material a pair of Blue Tits had lined it with! The Blue Tits were not best pleased!

Tuesday 4 May

I was back in the saddle again, so to speak, today. I chose March Farmers as my first port of call. The Cattle Egret was still near the car park there, and the tree Whimbrels I found a few days ago were still present. Otherwise a Hobby was the highlight. My poor knee is going to need a few more days to recover from a lot of recent waling, I think....

Monday 3 May

Today, was mainly a day for recuperation after yesterday's exertions. I stayed home all day. The highlight, wildlife-wise, was hearing Great Tit babies squeaking in the nest box outside our kitchen on the garage wall.

Sunday 2 May

So today was The Day, the Big Day, the annual spring 'bird-race', when Hugh, Will and I tried to beat out record of 126 birds seen in a 24-hour calendar day. Here is a potted version of where we went and the highlights. We met at 2am at Eldernell (Nene Washes) and bagged Bittern, Water Rail and Tawny Owl before heading south to Woodwalton Fen. Here, we ticked the likes of 'roding' Woodcock (roding is the croaking/squeaky display flight), a couple fo calling Mandarins, reeling Grasshopper Warblers and a fly-over Little Ringed Plover, way before dawn. It was still cold, but not very cold, and cold enough that hardly any Sedge Warblers were singing. Most striking, though was the number of Cetti's Warblers we could hear: at least 10 of them singing at once!

We went out to the west bank to look for and listen for waders as dawn broke and the sun thought about rising. For some reason, at this stage the temperature dropped by several degrees and it became extremely cold; frost started forming on our coats and tripods and our optic lenses became unusably misted up! But we fought the cold and came away with Whimbrel, Greenshank, Ringed Plover and a flock of 11 Dunlin, which dropped in at first light.

We left Woodwalton Fen on about 50 species and drove north and west, ticking Wheatear and Corn Bunting on the way to a Peregrine nest stake out, and then a traditional Little Owl spot. Then we went to Castor Hanglands, for woodland birds and Nightingale. Siskin was the highlight here (plus another Grasshopper Warbler). Then we got a message from our friend Josh Jones that he had found a singing Firecrest at Langtoft (a bird which Hugh had never seen in the Peterborough area). So, we broke the Big Day rule and went twitching!

This possibly coast us one or two species at CH, but the views of the male Firecrest were incredible! While in the Baston and Langtoft area (south Lincs), we checked the pits and added a few species, including Tree Sparrow and Grey Partridge. At Deeping Lakes LWT we hit the milestone 100 species with Egyptian Goose and were pleased that the drake Scaup showed. The Deeping High Bank Fieldfares were also in place and with added House Martin and Hobby we were on 108 at Etton/Maxey pits.

Here we also got Turtle Dove, after some effort and things were starting to slow up badly (as they always do). We mopped up the CEGB reservoir Little Gull and by this time I was nearly a broken man with exhaustion (a combination of too little sleep, a very sore knee and too much walking yesterday). But we still had our trump card of the Nene Washes ahead.

A the washes we added such Big Day beauties as Crane, Garganey, Whooper Swan, Pintail, Cattle Egret and Ruff. We were on 125 birds for the day!

In the evening, we ticked a Merlin along the revisited Deeping High Bank and finally a Barn Owl at Baston Fen, heard calling at night: 127, a new record! Time for bed.

Saturday 1 May

Today was a day of further reconnaissance for tomorrow's Big Day. The field that held Whinchat a few day's ago (at Etton), now had 2 male Wheatears, and the pit with m=wader habitat nearby had Greenshank and Dunlin and Little Ringed Plovers, all of which will be useful to have tied down, as it were... I popped over to Deeping Lakes, and saw Ringed Plover there (difficult locally, this spring) as well as confirming the presence of the long-staying drake Scaup. Along the Deeping High Bank, I saw what may have been a Merlin (but it flashed by so quickly I wasn't certain) as well as confirming that there were about 75 Fieldfares still present (they should have departed by now!).

I later took a drive out east and confirmed the presence of Tree Sparrows at a site called Cross Guns, on the banks of the Nene, north of March Farmers. The garden of one of houses there is one of the only sites I know in the PBC area for Tree Sparrows, and luckily, the bird feeder was covered in them!

I also popped down for a recce at Woodwalton Fen. Good birds there included Whimbrel, Dunlin, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers and Greenshank (all in the floods from the west bank) and a fly-by Raven. I also saw a male Blue-headed Wagtail (probably a 'Channel' Wagtail, which is a paler headed version which is thought to be a hybrid between a Yellow Wagtail (the UK subspecies) and the continental Blue-headed Wagtail (hence the 'Channel moniker).

Friday 30 April

I spent most of the morning on the Nene Washes, today. On Sunday, 2 May, I am going to be doing a 'Big Day' (24-hour 'bird race' with the intention of seeing/hearing as many birds as possible) with a couple of friends, Hugh W and Will B (in multiple cars for Covid-restriction reasons). So, the plan was to do a bit of reconnaissance, today. The best birds I could find were a group of three Whimbrel at March Farmers, feeding on the grassy area south of the bank of the Nene Way, and north of the counterdrain, which runs east-west. Other highlights included Great Black-backed Gulls and a juvenile Peregrine (both tricky on big days).

Passage waders at March Farmers also included Ringed Plover, Greenshank and Ruff, but all the recent Great White Egrets have disappeared, annoyingly!

In the afternoon, I went to check out a first-winter Little Gull which has been at CEGB reservoir in southern Peterborough since yesterday. There was also Common Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail there, which may prove useful on Sunday.

Thursday 29 April

It was a Castor Hanglands sort of day for me, with hopes of Tree Pipit and Wood Warbler prominent in my year listing mind... Highlights of an early morning stroll included a couple of Ravens, half a dozen Lesser Whitethroats, Marsh Tit, Nuthatch etc. But it was Nightingales which were the stars of the show. In addition of at least half a dozen singing males, I was lucky enough to see a couple of birds feeding completely in the open. Nightingales are notoriously shy, and rarely show in full view. At one stage, both birds fed alongside eachother while a third sang no less than 5m away from them!I don't think I have ever seen Nightingales as well as the views I got this morning.

In the afternoon, I saw few good birds, but I did see my first Turtle Dove of the year, at Maxey, which is bird number 178 for my Peterborough area year list (29 new birds in 29 days of April).

Wednesday 28 April

My friend Hugh Wright has two youngsters and likes to get his birding done early, before they wake up! At 6am, I got a message from Hugh that he had found 4 Sanderlings (PBC 175) on the 'wader plateau' of Martin Pit, Etton. Naturally, I went up to see these spring-plumaged beauties. Sanderlings are unusual in appearing to have an intermediate plumage between the pale grey/white of winter and the orange, spangled breast and upperparts of breeding plumage. These were in the in that subtle grey and spotty plumage.

After enjoying these birds, I went south to Ferry Meadows for another attempted Arctic Tern vigil. Arctic Terns had been reported leaving sites to the south-west (in Northants) and heading north-east. So, it was worth a punt. Instead, I FMCP year-ticked Oystercatcher and Swift, and also had a couple of Shelduck over (scarce at FM)

I later went home for lift duty for my dear wife Jo, but was soon messaged to say a lovely male Whinchat was just south of the village of Etton, 10 minutes drive away (and perhaps a mile from the Sanderlings!). I got there in time to get a few views before it flitted away agains the strong wind (PBC 176). I decided to got to Deeping Lakes for another search for Arctic Terns, and had a report that 12 ATs had flown over Etton a few minutes before I arrived!

I had no luck at DLLWT, so went back to BLGP where 3 Black Terns were providing splendid entertainment, but I was hearing about more and more Arctic Terns elsewhere (which I always feel I have to see before the end of April!). Luckily, my friend and former BW editorial staff member Chris Jones let me know he had perhaps 20 Arctic Terns at CEGB reservoir in Peterborough. And, luckily, they were still there giving great comparisons with a similar number of Common Terns flying with them (these are similar birds, but the differences are much clearer when they are side-by-side). So, Arctic Tern was bird number 177 for my PBC year list; 28 birds in 28 days)

Tuesday 27 April

I thought a morning at March Farmers on the Nene Washes was a good idea, today. It turned out to be pretty productive. I walked a mile or so east and half a mile east and in that time amassed a good total of 70 odd bird species. Highlights included: Curlew, 1, flying east, Spotted Redshank, 1, only heard (not seen), a drake Garganey, 25 Ruff, 30 Dunlin, 7 Greenshank, and c70 late Fieldfares.

Later in the day, rumours were circulating that it may be a good day for Arctic Tern passage across the country, so I cycled into Ferry Meadows CP for a look. I had no luck on that front, but a lot of luck on arriving at Gunwade Lake, just as an Osprey (PBC 173; FM 115) was flying quite low over the middle of the lake and along its length. I just managed one respectable 'record shot' before it departed.

I waited a while for the Osprey to return, but was eventually tempted to go twitching after a Black Tern at BLGP wader pit. And what a beauty it was (174 for year list and 25th new year list bird in 27 days).

Monday 26 April

Today was the first of a couple of weeks I have booked off, with the sole intention of doing some local birding (during the busiest time of the Peterborian bird year). I started back at Deeping Lakes. The Grey Plover was still present, but after calling 10 times and bathing, it departed east at 7am. A couple of Cattle Egrets are hanging on around the reserve, and feeding with the nearby sheep, just to the east of the entrance. There were still 3 Greenshanks on the east pit, too.

I took a bit of a drive along the Deeping High Bank (a road following the River Welland) past Crowland and up towards Spalding. I was surprised to encounter a flock of 50 odd Golden Plovers still about, as well as 150 Fieldfares (the cold weather presumably holding up their migration back to Scandinavia and Russia etc). A pair of Grey Partridges was a nice treat.

Later, I received a message that a Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' at Ferry Meadows CP, so I cycled down there. I added two birds to my PBC year list: Lesser Whitethroat (171) and the Grasshopper Warbler (172 PBC, 114 for FMCP). In the evening I was back at Martin Pit, Etton, where the Wood Sandpiper showed very well, as did about 30 Yellow Wagtails and a single female White Wagtail.

Sunday 25 April

Deeping Lakes seemed as good a place as any to start another cold April morning. So, I arranged to meet my friend Will B again there for a bit of a dawn vigil. By the time we arrived our friend Hugh Wright had already left the scene having found the best bird of the early morning, with a Grey Plover on the east pit. 3 Greenshanks were also about, and Scott the Scaup was still on The Lake (it has been present since the winter and now looks splendid), on e of more than 60 species I racked up before I got a call from Hugh, who had a Wood Sandpiper at an obscure, but soon to be famous, pit just north of the village of Etton (technically called Martin Pit, these days after its nesting Sand Martins).

Will and I went along to 'twitch' the Woody and succeeded, but not before I had year ticked Common Sandpiper (168, Wood Sandpiper was 169). The local gravel extraction company is planning on refilling this large pit with waste gravel, so are draining it rapidly with a pump, which has not only revealed more islands, but exposed a rectangular, gravelly 'plateau' just above the water line, covered in puddles. Judging by the amount of waders using it to feed, this is also covered in invertebrate food.

There were at least 7 or 8 Little Ringed Plovers, a couple of Ringed Plovers, 3 Common Sandpipers, a few Green Sandpipers and a couple of Greenshanks: amazing for this part of the Peterborough area and reminiscent of a site called Etton-Maxey Pits some 15 years ago (now to mature and shrunken to hold waders).

Later that day, I tried to check for Arctic Terns at CEGB reservoir in south Peterborough and added my 170th bird for 2021 with a couple of Swifts (21 in 25 days).

Saturday 24 April

Today I started at a site called Castor Hanglands NNR, just west of Peterborough, and a site mixing, scrub, open grassy meadows and ancient woodland, which the local Victorian poet John Clare (from nearby Helpston) knew as Ailsworth Heath, I believe. It is renowned for its woodland birds and particularly, these days, for its Nightingales.

And the latter did not disappoint, with about 9 males in song. Some were quite close together, giving the impression that they were 'new in' and hadn't yet sorted out their territories. Nightingale was bird number 165 for my Peterborough area year list, and was followed later in the morning by number 166, a fly-over Greenshank at Baston and Langtoft pits (BLGP), 'wader pit'.

I soon moved to the nearby Deeping Lakes LWT where I had been yesterday, and found a remarkable 8 Greenshanks there! And though there were no Little Gulls on The Lake, there was my first Mediterranean Gull of the year (167), a lovely black-hooded first-summer bird, found by my friend and DLLWT patch worker, Will Bowell. So, 18 new birds in 24 days.

Friday 23 April

I was up at Deeping Lakes LWT in the north of the Peterborough area, this morning, for a bit of filming of short videos for social media for BW, about Little Gull and Black Tern migration. Having completed the first one by the east pit, to the accompaniment of a pair of flirtatious Little Ringed Plovers, the video crew (me on vocals and ugly mug, Jake Kindred on expert filming, and BW art editor on reflector holding duties) moved to a new location for the Little Gull video at the big lake, there, called The Lake. I was amazed to find 18 Little Gulls there as if by magic! 16 were pristine adults and 2 first-summer birds. Unfortunately they were a=out of JK's video range and also disappeared within a few minutes!

After Jake and Mark left the scene, another two black-hooded adult Little Gulls came and started searching for insects with the Black-headed Gulls, quite close to where I was, on the south shore.

In the evening, I added a calling Cuckoo to my Peterborough area year list, now a respectable 164 birds, which is a much higher total than I have ever had at this date. I finished March on 149 species for my PBC year list (13 more than my previous end of March record) and set myself a personal challenge of 30 new year list birds from the 30 days of April, as I have tried before in recent years. So, I am on 15 new birds from 23 days.

Thursday 22 April

I always think of this date as Arctic Tern day. But the weather was too clear, too cold, even too still for such migration action. I did rack up more than 55 species at Ferry Meadows before work, though, with the highlight being three new in Garden Warblers singing their hearts out to claim a bit of space for a territory. FMCP does exceptionally well for Garden Warblers, and I expect many more. The only warbler I expect each year at FM that hasn't arrived yet, is now the Lesser Whitethroat, but they will appear in the next few days, I think.

Wednesday 21 April

I slightly over-slepped (by an hour, actually, not getting up till a slovenly 6am). Hence, I missed out on two juicy Ferry Meadows 'finds' for the year, brought in by the slight easterly winds. Both were found by FM's most loyal and committed birding visitor, Don Gardener, who invariably beats me into the park, anyhow, so would probably have got the finds regardless of me sleeping late. Firstly, there was a female Common Scoter, and secondly a beautiful adult Little Gull, complete with perfect black hood and lovely dark underwings. Sadly, as the wind increased, so the gull departed. I am sure there will be more in coming weeks. Common Tern numbers have jumped to at least 9 birds, today.

Tuesday 20 April

It was very similar again at Ferry Meadows CP, in the morning, with still only 3 Common Terns on the lakes. A new 'tern raft' has been put out for them, as inevitably, soon numbers will be boosted and this may help encourage them to bred. They tried a few years ago (on the raft), but it appeared that Otters got in and raided the nests (either that or gulls).

At home I had my highlight of the day, wildlife wise, with my first Orange-tip butterfly of the year. It was a female flying around the garden looking at our Garlic Mustard plants and even feeding on the tiny white flowers. Garlic Mustard is one of the main larval foodplants for Orange-tip (my favourite British butterfly), so I hope they lay eggs.

Monday 19 April

There was much promise from the foggy start at Ferry Meadows CP (which sometimes produces drop-in birds). But no luck. The best on offer today was a new wave of Sedge Warblers into the country park (FMCP year tick number 107). I counted 6 of these maestros singing their hearts out.

Other than that, I had to make do with 'normal' fare like Kingfishers chasing each other around and more singing Blackcaps than you could count! The park is an exceptional place for these common but delightful warblers.

Sunday 18 April

I was back at March Farmers again this morning to enjoy more of the glories of the place. The highlight for me was seeing the two red summer Bar-tailed Godwits (probably yesterday's birds). Bar-tailed Godwits are my favourite wader!

Afterwards I went south to Woodwalton Fen NNR, which has reopened after some severe flooding. The highlight there was a Hobby catching insects off the west bank of the reserve (over some rewilded farmland called Darlow's, which is part of the Great Fen complex). This is the earliest Hobby I have ever had in the Peterborough are by a full five days.

My dear wife Jo and I took a walk through the spring flowers of Thorpe Wood and Bluebell Wood not far from home, enjoying the wonderful spread of Bluebells, Wood Anemones, Lesser Celandines, dog violets and Primroses. On the way back I got a phone call telling me a Little Gull had turned up at Baston and Langtoft Wader Pit (where I had had the Whimbrel on Friday). Naturally, after dropping Jo off, I was twitching again. Luckily the first-winter Little Gull was still present, though it was flushed into flight by a Herring Gull and I believe it departed east soon after. just in time for year tick number 162 for the Peterborough area for me...

Saturday 17 April

I started the day nice and early at the Nene Washes, east of Peterborough, the jewel in our local birding scene. The area at March Farmers has got to be one of the best places in the country to watch birds at the moment! I parked and walked up onto the bank (the Nene Way) to view the flooded fields, packed with birds and immediately counted 7 Great White Egrets feeding in those fields. A Bittern flew by! Marsh Harriers were yelping their sky-dancing call far overhead.

A few hundred metres to the east, there were 2,000 brick red Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits. A Whimbrel called and I watched it fly off to the east. Then I saw a female Bar-tailed Godwit fly in from the east and joining the Blackwits. A Marsh Harrier flew over, causing the mass of Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal and Pintail to roar into the air like an aeroplane. The godwits soon followed, but soon settled, revealing that there were some 200 Ruff (of all colour patterns) with them, plus about 30 Dunlin. Soon, I picked up a second and third female Barwit, then two gloriously red summer males came and fed with them.

Oh, and I added singing Reed Warbler to my year list.

Friday 16 April

This morning (which was milder than most recent mornings) I went searching for yesterday's Redstart with my friend and huge Redstart fan, Don Gardener. Sadly, it was not still around (or if it was, it was not letting on). We went back via Gunwade Lake at Ferry Meadows for a quick check for Little Gulls. I was looking at a couple of Common Terns when Don said "Mike, isn't that a scoter". I dismissed his bird as a Coot, before realising that it was a drake Common Scoter, only a few yards from the terns (now sitting on a buoy).

In the evening, after work, I 'twitched' a Whimbrel (a year tick) in the north of the Peterborough Bird Club recording area, at Baston and Langtoft 'wader pit'. It had been reported as badly limping, but I was surprised to find that it was walking and feeding normally without a hint of a limp. After a few minutes, it departed, heading north.

Thursday 15 April

Today was an exciting day. I found a male Redstart at the Castor Mill end of the Ferry Meadows/Nene Park complex. It betrayed its position in a very nice looking 'Redstart hedge' by its 'hooeet' call (very like the call of the Willow Warbler). Eventually I could see it flying along he hedge, flashing the gorgeous 'fire tail' as John Clare would say... I had to cycle back home soon after, but I was able to get the news out to local birders and it seems that at least half a dozen of them 'connected' with my bird after I departed.

In the evening I went north to a place called Tallington to see the male Ring Ouzel which had been found there the previous day. It was a spectacular and quite obliging individual, providing the best views I have had of a Ringo for a few years. It was eating worm after a worm in a field occupied by many other thrushes: Mistle Thrushes, Blackbird, Song Thrushes and a Fieldfare (plus a handful of Woodpigeons and Starlings). The Mistle Thrushes and Blackbirds were clearly gathering multiple worms (like Puffins and Sand-eels), to feed young at the nest, while the ouzel (being a bird on passage) was consuming them on the spot.

Wednesday 14 April

One price you pay for seeing 'too many birds' before the end of March is not seeing anything new in the first part of April! Well, that is how it feels, any how. The conditions at Ferry Meadows were very still and pleasant if a tad cold. The glassy surface to the water meant that picking out Otters was easy (we do ridiculously well for Otters), as they left long wakes across the undisturbed surface. There was the usual mother and two cubs, but Mama was fishing in a different part of the lake from the young siblings.

At one stage the two came quite close to the shore, then turned and swam through the reflection of the weird and ugly sculpture called The Pyramid, which dominates the north shore of Gunwade Lake.

I pointed the mother Otter out to a bloke who was sitting chatting to a lady over a cup of Thermos coffee. We had an amusing conversation as follows...

Me: See that over there: an Otter.

Bloke (having watched the Otter for a while): What is it you said it was?

Me: An Otter.

Bloke: Oh, I thought you said octopus!

The other highlight for me was seeing a pair of Common Terns arriving back on Gunwade Lake for the first time this year. They announced their arrival by calling then settled on a buoy and displayed before a spot of preening. Great birds, welcome home.

Tuesday 13 April

It was another pretty cold morning, with not much change on the bird front. What was probably yesterday's Common Tern was still on Gunwade Lake, Ferry Meadows CP. The local Black-headed Gulls were giving it a bit of grief, presumably as it is a bit of a newcomer and a stranger, so needs 'testing'.

I got a tad overenthusiastic about a couple of Meadow Pipit on the area called Coney Meadows, for two main reasons: they were consistently perching in trees and they both had rather poorly defined flank streaking. But try as I might, I couldn't change them into Tree Pipits, which are very scarce spiring and autumn passage migrants in the Peterborough area. I am yearning for the cold weather to stop, to encourage a little bit of proper migrations, and the delivery of the likes of Redstart, Little Gull and Arctic Tern to the park!

I wouldn't turn my nose up at a Ring Ouzel, either!

Monday 12 April

I was back at Ferry Meadows this morning and it was absolutely freezing, with a thick frost. needless to say the birding was challenging. However, as the ice started to melt, I saw only my second Common Tern of the year. The other bird of note was my first singing Whitethroat of the year. This takes my Peterborough area year list to 157 and my FMCP year list to 103.

Meantime, back at our house and garden, the Great Tits are definitely nesting in the box outside our kitchen window again. And at least one pair of Robins are looking like nesting near the house, too. I suspect Blackbirds, Dunnocks and Wrens are also trying to nest in the garden.

Sunday 11 April

I started the day back at the Ring Ouzel fields of Conington, but had no luck. Perhaps the ouzels had moved through in the clear night. I did find another nice male Wheatear at a nearby horse field. And this was to prove to be the highlight of my morning's birding. Otherwise, the best thing was discovering the nest-site of a pair of Peregrines, which appear to be settled on eggs. I have suspected they were trying to nest at this (secret) site before, but had not seen the birds actually sitting or 'changing the guard' before.

Saturday 10 April

I started the day off at Eldernell on the Nene Washes, a little east of Peterborough. I was mainly aiming to look for Redstarts, and worked a favourite Redstart hedge near the car park very hard for them. I still think it is too early (and the wind too unfavourable) for them at the moment. Instead the highlights for me were three singing Sedge Warblers.

A little later I was very pleased to add my second year year tick of the day, with a ring-tail (female type) Hen Harrier, to the NW of the car park. I took a bit of a stroll eastward along the Nene Way and racked up a decent 75 species of bird, despite the very cold conditions, dominated by arctic winds.

Later, I popped down to March Farmers (a couple of miles east of Eldernell) and added very little to my day list, apart from a pair of Wheatears, which were very pleasant. Here is the male

In the early evening I went down to Conington to see the pair of Ring Ouzels reported there. I saw what I believe was a male. Such great birds! However, the sun was dropping quickly and the ouzel disappeared into a hedge, perhaps for the night.

Friday 9 April

It was another cold morning at Ferry Meadows CP, with very little bird activity. Easily my highlight was an extended view of the Otter family (mother with two cubs) out fishing on Gunwade Lake. The views were distant, but that meant the Otters were undisturbed and just got on with fishing and playing and a bit more of each. It seems the mother is still teaching her youngsters to fish, and she had to get them in line occasionally while they mucked about in class!

At one stage, Mama caught a decent fish, and all three went in to shore to share it. After a while, it seemed the mother left the two babies to rest (under cover somewhere) while she continued fishing. I could watch these creatures all day!

Thursday 8 April

Finally, I have added another local year list bird, with a single House Martin skimming over Gunwade Lake, Ferry Meadows. Interestingly, I first picked it up because it was being chased by a Black-headed Gull, which is unusual behaviour! Willow Warblers are now singing in the park (which was cod but much warmer than yesterday), and I counted five. Also a Piar of Egyptian Geese were a Nene Park tick for me (found by my friend Don Gardener at Castor Mill), taking my 2021 FMCP/Nene Park list to 101 birds.

Later, news came that there was a (European) White-fronted Goose at Ferry Meadows CP, on the partially flooded damp fields known as Heron Meadows. How could I resist? After a quick cycle down there, slowed down by the large number of families visiting the park for the Easter school holidays, I relocated the goose, very close to the main path, feeding with a few Greylags (and despite its closeness looking somewhat nervous). Naturally, I photographed it.

White-fronted Geese are less than annual in the country park. I am not certain of the age of this bird. Usually, when they have white foreheads 'fronts', they are called adults. But the black belly barring seems a little less extensive than would be expected from most adults, so I wonder if this bird is in its second calendar year. I need to read up on this.

Those belly bars, the small size (compared with Greylags), the pink bill and orange legs, and of course the white 'front', are all distinctive for White-fronted Goose of the European aka Russian subspecies (Greenland breeders have orange bills and darker necks, and are much rarer in this part of the country, wintering mainly in places like Islay in the Inner Hebrides)..

Wednesday 7, April

It was extremely cold this morning (and pretty cold throughout the day). And there was very little reward for braving the chill with a trip to Ferry Meadows. Perhaps the best thing I saw was a party of about 50 Sand Martins flocking in the sky, looking at first like migrating winter thrushes! Mowt birds were not even singing it was so cold!

Tuesday 6 April

As I headed out to FMCP this morning, my rear tyre went suddenly flat and I was forced to return home. I soon found that it wasn’t a puncture, but a leaky valve, and a bit of tightening restored it to normal. By now it was too late to cycle to the park, so I went to an even closer nature reserve called Boardwalks and Thorpe Meadows, near Peterborough rowing lake.

Here I heard my first Willow Warbler of the year, with one singing tentatively by the River Nene. Nearby a Cetti’s Warbler was shouting less tentatively!

Monday 5 April

I spent most of the Bank Holiday at good old Ferry Meadows in extremely cold conditions. Why? A Sandwich Tern had been found on the previous evening, and I was checking it was still present (at first light) as well as hoping for some photographs. It was perishingly cold.

Indeed at one stage it snowed quite heavily for about an hour, while the tern sheltered on its favourite buoy (number 5) on Gunwade Lake. Later, when the sun came out I got some fairly decent flight shots as it patrolled the edge of the lake. It wasn’t a year tick, but it was a rare opportunity to see an inland Sandwich Tern up close an personal!

The morning session was also livened up by a family party of three Otters fishing on Gunwade Lake. I have said before how lucky we are to have regular Otters in such nmbers around Peterborough and particularly at FM.

Sunday 4 April

Easter Sunday saw me back at Langtoft West End Pits, hoping for better views of the Ring-necked Duck. A friend of mine had seen the Kittiwake at first light (pre-sunrise!), but he was the last to see it (at 6.25am). About an hour later the American duck reappeared and I got some pretty good scope views.

Later in the morning the Weedons went for a walk close to home at Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, where the wildflowers were spectacular, particularly the Wood Anemones. A Nuthatch was singing and plenty of Blackcap males were in good voice. We even found a Honey Bee colony in a fallen tree trunk.

I went birding again later, and enjoyed two Cattle Egrets at Deeping Lakes and a trip once more to the Nene Washes brought another Grey Plover and a pair of breeding plumage Black-necked Grebes, which are gorgeous birds! The news was kept somewhat secrets as this is now the breeding season and they are rare breeding birds (though their chances of success there are remote to say the least)

Saturday 3 April

I had an early start driving along the Deeping High Bank (the road along the River Welland near Crowland, Lincs). Easily the highlight was a pair of Grey Partridges which were flushed by a tractor and flew over the river and nearly over the bonnet of my car!

At nearby Deeping Lakes, the Grey Plover was still present. In the afternoon a message came on our local WhatsApp bird group that a female Ring-necked Duck had been located at Langtoft West End Pits, also in south Lincolnshire. I went to try to see this bird, but it had been flushed and was out of sight. So, I hung around scanning through trees over the various tree-lined pits in the complex. I was very surprised when an adult winter Kittiwake appeared in my scope view, picking insects of one of the lake’s surface!

Later on the way back to the car, the Ring-necked Duck was easy to see on the pit nearest the road, with Tufted Ducks, but the sun had set…

Friday 2 April

Being Good Friday, today was a Bank Holiday, so I went a bit further afield than my usual pre-work trip to Ferry Meadows CP. My first stop was just north of Whittlesey by the River Nene at the Dog in a Doublet sluice. Here, a Cattle Egret was enjying the flooded field edges, and was soon joined by a couple of Great White Egrets (both species are becoming very regular around Peterborough).

I then went to Eldernell (which is a place with a car park on the south side of the Nene Washes, which offers good views from the raised bank called the Nene Way. Here there were another five Great White Egrets and I could see the odd Crane and Marsh Harrier.

Later I paid a visit to the first-winter Ring Ouzel at Conington, and later still popped up to Deeping Lakes LWT, which had a lovely winter Grey Plover and my first Yellow Wagtails of the year (8 of them, of which 7 were males).

Thursday 1 April

The weather was sensationally warm and still yesterday. Real T-shirt weather. Not so today, with a bit of a strong north-easterly breeze requiring a woolly hat and gloves, plus many layers. At first things were no promising at Ferry Meadows. Then as if by magic, at just after 8am, two Sandwich terns appeared over Gunwade Lake! Within a couple of minutes they had continued their journey east (presumably to the nearest coast).

Interestingly, I later heard that two Sandwich Terns had flown east over Stanwick Lakes, Northants at about 7am. Now, Ferry Meadows is north-east of Stanwick, but it is also on the River Nene, so if the Northants terns flowed the path of the river they could cover the 20 odd miles in about an hour (if they flew at an average 20mph, which seems reasonable). I will have to keep an eye on records from that part of the Nene valley in future to anticipate further FMCP arrivals…

At lunchtime, I headed down to ‘twitch’ a pair of Common Scoters found this morning at one of the Fletton Brick Pits (LB1) in southern Peterborough (less than 10 minutes in the car). These are great sea ducks which occasionally (roughly annually) appear on waterbodies in and around the city. Mostly, they are resting after migrating at night (and sometimes being forced down by rain or fog), but these two were not only diving to feed but also indulging in a bit of tail up, head-bobbing display which I will presume is courtship display.

Anyhow, two great bird species added to the year list today, neither of which I saw last year!

Wednesday 31 March

Today was weird: it was the first day I have been back into the Bird Watching office since more than a year. The idea was to clear all the stuff from round my desk, and I met up with Matt, Mark and Nicki from the editorial team so we could all clear the books, hard drives and whatnot from around our 'workstations'.

Matt said he would be calling in to Thrapston, Northants on the way home to look for a Glossy Ibis which has been hanging around there. As it happens, as I left the office, a message came up on our local bird news group (WhatsApp) to say a Glossy Ibis had been found at Eldernell, on the Nene Washes. So, naturally, I took a detour to add this bird to my year list (could it have been the Thrapston ibis?).

Eldernell was sensational. Even from the car park, it was riddled with long-legged wading birds. These included the ibis (which was flushed into flight by a Marsh harrier or three at one stage); 28 Cranes; at least 4 Great White Egrets; 20-odd Little Egrets, and arguably the best of all, a male Bittern feeding in a field right in the open, giving wonderful scope views.

I say ‘male’ Bittern, as it had bright blue lores (the skin in front of the eyes). It was really wonderful to watch it feeding for an extended period.

Tuesday 30 March

This morning was all about one bird: Common Tern. My first of the year dropped in for less than a minute at 8am to Gunwade Lake, Ferry Meadows CP, before powering off west along the River Nene. FMCP's three lakes are all within a meander of the river, and many birds (particularly terns and the odd wader) takes a short-cut across the lakes, and terns often drop in for a quick bathe and feed before moving on.

At lunchtime, the stars of the show were in our sunny back garden. Lots of solitary bees of a few species (I think) were enjoying the excess quantity of dog violets we have out this year. They were joined by a few Dark-edged Beeflies, including this couple, in the process of making baby beeflies...

Monday 29 March

The number of Sand Martins is remaining consistently high at Ferry Meadows CP, with perhaps 100 birds present. Other than them, a few singing Blackcaps and the usual singing Chiffchaffs, it was business as usual in the park. At home, I am delighted to say I have heard the first singing Blackcap for our garden, this year. Also, there has been a mini-emeregence from hibernation of Peacock butterflies, with two or three of these lovely insects flitting about and sunbathing. They really are great-looking insects!

Sunday 28 March

I was back checking the Nene Washes again, today. But rather than cycling all the way down the nature reserve, I looked east from the south side of the River Nene, near the Dog-in-a Doublet pub, just north of Whittlesey on the B1040. I scanned through all the ducks I could see, hoping for a Green-winged Teal. Instead I found a drake Garganey, which was my first sighting of one of these scarce (but regular around here) early spring migrants. Nearby, I could see at least three Great White Egrets. I did a short video for BW the other week where I talked about some early migrants which first turn up before April. These were: Chiffchaff, Wheatear, Sand Martin, Garganey, Little Ringed Plover and Sandwich Tern. I am currently just short of Wheatear and the difficult inland treat of Sandwich Tern. Still, a few days to go...

Saturday 27 March

Despite the windy weather, I thought a cycle down the Nene Washes RSPB reserve was a good idea, early in the morning. My legs didn't agree by the time I cycled back (into the strong westerly wind). It is wonderful down there, though. Highlights included at least five Great White Egrets and a flock of 25 Cranes. We are very lucky in the Peterborough area in that Cranes are around here throughout the year. That doesn't stop them being very special birds, and always exciting, particularly in flight.

Friday 26 March

Every morning it is tough waking up to go out for 'pre-work exercise' birding (although the clocks go forward at the weekend, so we will 'lose and hour's sleep' but at least come Monday I won't have to wake up at 5am. Still, you have to be in it to win it, and by getting up early every day I have massively increased my chances of finding something good at Ferry Meadows. This morning, my reward was a pair of Ravens, doing roll displays over the Heron Meadows area, as they flew north. Ravens are massively increasing around Peterborough as breeding birds, and this area is arguably the most reliable in the whole of Cambridgeshire for the giant crows. But I have only seen them at Ferry Meadows about half a dozen times ever (including the two sightings this year). So, that was a good start!

In spring migration news, there were about 30 Sand Martins feeding over Gunwade Lake FMCP, this morning, plus several singing Chiffchaffs and a singling Blackcap. I think the next summer visitor will probably be Willow Warbler, or perhaps Common Tern. We'll see...

Thursday 25 March

Summer is here! I saw my first Swallow today. I heard a brief buzz call of 'hello' as it swept past my right shoulder and started feeding low over Gunwade Lake, Ferry Meadows CP. It really is heartwarming to see these lovely birds back 'home'. It was joined by four Sand Martins feeding over the lake for the next half hour or so, then vanished, on its merry way. Swallows are diurnal migrants, so I can't really blame it for continuing its journey.

In other news, a Great White Egret flew roughly north over the east end of the same lake, soon after the Swallow had left. this is the third I have seen at FMCP this year! The final (slightly odd) highlight for me, this morning ,was a Collared Dove which came down to drink at the edge of Gunwade. This was FM year tick (for me) number 95.

Wednesday 24 March

Ferry Meadows CP was largely 'quiet' this morning, with little action to get excited about. It was looking like a single Sand Martin over Gunwade was going to be my highlight. But as I looked out over Overton Lake on the slow ride home, I noticed more hirundines. At first I wondered if they could even be Swallows. But a longer look revealed there was a flock of some 40 Sand Martins over the lake, the first substantial arrival of these great little summer migrants.

And as I approached Bluebell Bridge (the little suspension bridge over the River Nene) I heard a brief snatch of song which made my eyebrows raise. Sure enough, a few seconds later, a male Blackcap popped into the open for a few seconds. They are back! Or at least he is, my first anywhere this year, and bird number 93 for my FMCP year list.

At lunchtime, I popped out in the garden to top up the feeders and check the ponds. It is great to see the little black embryos developing in the frogspawn in our 'main pond'. I look forward to having hundreds of tadpoles.

Tuesday 23 March

Mammals have been the main theme for me, last night and this morning. Last night, I saw my first Hedgehog of the year, in the garden. It was quite a small one and I don't remember seeing this individual last year. I was out last night listening for birds flying over (migrating). Apart from a few Redwings, I think the clear skies meant the rest, if they were flying at all, were too high to hear.

This morning my favourite Otter family (with two youngsters hanging out with their mother) were giving extended views at Ferry Meadows CP. As is usual, the local Black-headed Gulls gave away the Otters' presence!

The Red-throated Diver was last reported there on Saturday, and was certainly not on show this morning. Instead the bird highlights were a couple fo Sand Martins. I still await my first singing Blackcap, but it will be any day now...

Monday 22 March

This morning was first Covid vaccination time for me. Perhaps in anticipation of this, I woke up at 2.30am and went downstairs. I put a coat on top of my dressing gown and a bobble hat on my head and went into the garden for a bit of a night listen. Already Robins and Blackbirds were singing and a few gulls were calling and flying about (do they never sleep?). The only sign of audible migration were a few Redwing 'tseep' calls. Last night, lots of people tweeted about hearing fly-over Common Scoters, so I was trying to get in on the action. I think I was a bit too late in the night, though. Perhaps I will try again tonight (from about 9pm), if the AZ jab has not made me feel ill...

Sunday 21 March

Things were a bit bonkers in the Peterborough area today. Satellite tracking revealed that of the young White-tailed Eagles released on the Isle of Wight was spending some time in the morning at one of the sites I visited a lot, last year, Deeping Lakes LWT. Later it was seen by some friends of mine over the Nene Washes, a little to the east of Peterborough, before flying off strongly to the south. Needless to say, I saw not a hint of an eagle. I had to satisfy myself with the usual array of garden Chaffinches and Greenfinches.

Saturday 20 March

I took a slightly longer morning trip out to some local woodland which is where I had Lesser Spotted Woodpecker briefly earlier in the year. At 7.20 I heard the first call of seven made by a beautiful male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, which remained loyal to a couple of trees for at least 20 minutes, allowing some of the most prolonged views I have had of this species in recent years. If the don't call (or drum) you would hardly ever see them!

Friday 19 March

It was business at usual today at Ferry Meadows CP. Once more the Red-throated Diver was having a nap out in the middle of Gunwade Lake and once more an Otter was out fishing at the other end of the same lake.

Thursday 18 March

Guess where I was again this morning. Correct, Ferry Meadows CP. There was not much new to report but I mustn't grumble as the Red-throated Diver was back on Gunwade Lake (if you recall it flew off early yesterday morning). And I also saw a couple of Otters on the same lake, so despite the cold it was pleasant enough. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in Bluebell Wood and there was still a chorus of Redwings. The other thing of potential note was a seeming increase of Lesser Redpolls around the park. I wonder if there could be something a bit rarer among them (a Mealy or even an Arctic, would be very nice!)

Wednesday 17 March

It was a bit more 'birdy' at Ferry Meadows CP, this morning. Lots of larger gulls were moving through heading east again, including my first Great Black-backed Gull in the park this year. The Red-throated Diver was still on Gunwade Lake, though it took a bit of time before it 'suddenly' appeared. About two minutes later, it scampered over the surface and took off, circling round a couple of times before heading strongly south-east. It may have gone for good, but then again, it may return, as it did on Monday. Only time will tell.

Last night, I heard several 'seep' calls from overflying Redwings above the garden And the first bird I saw this morning was a Redwing probing our lawn, like a Song Thrush (at about 5.45am). But there was still a good number of Redwings in the park, and they were once again chorussing like so many Starlings. A few groups of 20-odd fieldfares were starting their migration north for another bit of spring 'vis mig' (visble migration).

On the flooded fields of Heron Meadows there are a few pairs of Common Gulls in lovely summer plumage, which will soon be heading to Scottish moors or further to breed. I counted 41 Snipe on the floods this morning, the biggest count so far.

Tuesday 16 March

Amazingly, after yesterday morning's flamboyant departure, the Red-throated Diver returned to Gunwade Lake at Ferry Meadows and was seen in the mid-afternoon! It was still present this morning and was the main highlight from the park. Otherwise, there was a nice party of c15 Lesser Redpolls feeding in cover and on the ground on the edge of LynchLake, presumably on fallen Alder seeds. Also Kingfishers were being quite noisy; and there was a hint of a passage of large gulls (mainly Herring Gulls) heading east.

Back home the chief highlight was the number of Chaffinches now in the garden, reaching a whopping 17 at one stage. I am still hopeful for a Brambling...

Monday 15 March

There were three key birds of action for me this morning at Ferry Meadows CP. Firstly, having relocated the Red-throated Diver, I saw it taking the air and climbing higher and higher before departing the park altogether. Secondly, I once again saw a mother Otter with two babies. And finally I had really close views of a Weasel. Such great animals!

Other highlights included a flock of 7 Sand Martins descending, and the odd Kingfisher.

Sunday 14 March

I was back at FMCP this morning and eventually relocated the diver. Interestingly I met a photographer who showed me a photo of the bird he had taken in the country park on Tuesday 9 March, which would coincide with when this diver went missing from CEGB reservoir. I did manage one or two photos, but nothing exceptional. Here is a composite of some flapping action.

Saturday 13 March

It was a very busy morning for me at Ferry Meadows (once again). I got an early call from my friend Don G saying he what he thought was a Red-throated Diver on Gunwade Lake, there. So, I whizzed down as fast as I could (considering the immense strength of the wind which was making the lake look like the North Sea (at least the diver would feel at home). Luckily, the diver was still around, and I am sure it is the same bird I have seen a few times at CEGB reservoir in the SE of the city (just three mies away from FMCP).

I hung around to watch the diver and perhaps take a record shot. And I was lucky enough to see a first-winter Kittiwake arrive and circle around Gunwade a few times before disappearing (after only a few minutes). Kittiwakes are pretty scarce in the Peterborough area and this bird was only the fifth I have seen in more than 20 years! It was also the second time I have seen a first-winter bird here int he area, and the second time I have 'found' a living Kittiwake (I have also found a couple of dead ones!).

This bird was doubtless displaced from the sea by the very strong westerly winds we have had in the last day or so.

After the Kittiwake left, I stayed in the park for a few hours waiting for the sleepy diver to come close enough for a photo. While I waited, I saw a raven fly across Gunwade and a Peregrine came hunting behind me. Both were FMCP year ticks for me, and my park (= patch) year list now stands at 91 birds.

Friday 12 March

The best action of the day once more took place at Ferry Meadows CP, a couple of miles from our house in Peterborough. There was a report of a Cattle Egret and a Curlew having been seen on Heron Meadows in the afternoon. The Curlew had gone by the time I arrived, but the Cattle Egret remained. This is only the third time one of these scarce herons has appeared in the park. I got one or tow photos as it flew off, having been flushed by a Red Kite.

Thursday 11 March

Boy, it was windy this morning. And rainy. But at least it wasn't too cold. There were times when I seemed to completely stop on my pedal down to Ferry Meadows! Ant there was very little wildlife action to show for my efforts. One gull was 'interesting', as it looked somewhat like a Black-headed Gull, but with black wing tips with white mirrors (so a bit like a small, pale Common Gull).

In the garden, the drinking pond was supplied with even more frogspawn, and the Chaffinch flock has reached 10, while the Collared Dove 'flock' has reached a new high of five birds.

Wednesday 10 March

The weather was far to rainy and grim for me to brave Ferry meadows by bike this morning. So, I waited until lunchtime and a bit of a break in the downpour and cycled there. What do I have to show for it? Just a group of three (still very early) Sand Martins chasing insects of=ver the flooded Heron Meadows area. Perhaps the extra winds tonight and tomorrow will deliver something extraordinary, like a Kittiwake, perhaps. I will try to get out first time to scour the area for seabirds blown off course...

Tuesday 9 March

Of course, on such a fine, sunny and relatively mild day, I was down at Ferry meadows CP, almost for first light (well less than 10 minutes after sunrise which was at 6.30). A Dunlin was reported yesterday afternoon on the partially flooded area called Heron meadows and presumably the same Dunlin was there again this morning. It was sharing its muddy wet habitat with plenty of ducks and gulls as well as at least 31 Snipe. At one stage, a Moorhen decided it didn't like the Dunlin (for no obvious reason) and spent about 10 minutes chasing it around and making it fly, then repeating the whole procedure. very strange.

Other highlights from a lovely couple of hours in the park included encountering a family of three Otters (mother and two very playful youngsters). Also, a Great White Egret flew over heading east (these are even rarer than Dunlns at FMCP, though it is a close call, these days). A couple of Chiffchaffs were singing and I heard my first Yellowhammer in the park, this year.

Tomorrow is said to be very rainy, so I may not succeed in making the early start... But then again, bad weather often delivers good birds!

Monday 8 March

I really must get up earlier in the mornings. I got a text at 6.55am (just as I was about to cycle to Ferry Meadows CP) from my friend Don, to say I had just missed a Curlew over the park! Grrr. I did later find a young drake Red-crested Pochard there, which is quite a scarce bird in the this part of Cambs. I saw my regular 'mother' Otter as well this morning (which is always special). And finally, there was a Sand Martin flying about again over Heron Meadows.

The Frogs have started laying spawn in our smaller 'drinking pond' again. So, I transferred it to the bigger pond, as the tadpoles will have a better chance in this larger, more stable environment.

Sunday 7 March

You may recall that a couple of weeks ago a Red-throated Diver was found at CEGB reservoir a few miles from our house in Peterborough. Well, last weekend it was seen flying off. SO, it was a bit of a surprise when it was refound on the same lake this morning. Naturally, I went along to enjoy this wonderful bird. It spent much of its time asleep, which I hope was owing to it having caught a big fish, rather than it being unwell. I love divers!

Saturday 6 March

We have got even more frogspawn, today. And the best news is that it is in the 'big pond' rather than the drinking pond. This is the first time in several years that Frogs have laid their spawn in this pond. Meantime, the Chaffinch flock in the garden has built to at least nine individuals coming down at a time. My hope is that the flock will reach a critical mass to draw down a Brambling! Only twice on 20 years have we had a Brambling land in the garden.

In the late afternoon, I was able to get down just beyond the Millennium Bridge along the River Nene, which is on Peterborough's Green Wheel and so not too hard to cycle to. A friend of mine, while walking his dog had found seven Barnacle Gees and a White-fronted Goose and later a Knot, all in the same flooded field not far from that footbridge. So, I was able to see these great birds, of which the Knot was the star!

Friday 5 March

Otters featured once more at my local country park, Ferry Meadows. I saw an adult, which swam across one of the lakes and disappeared. When I searched where I thought it would appear, it had quite a small youngster with it, so this area (about which I won't be more specific) is possibly a holt, where the mother leaves the youngsters while it goes off to fish.

Other highlights were a pair of Wigeon mating (something I don't think I have seen before, and a single Sand Martin, chasing insects over the flooded area known as Heron Meadows.

Thursday 4 March

There was a slight pulse in the number of Chiffchaffs in the park, this morning (Ferry Meadows CP, that is), with a group of three together in the same bush at one stage. Otherwise, it was business as usual, really, despite feeling very 'birdy', with moisture and gloom in the air, which is often a sign of good birds turning up.

Wednesday 3 March

Ferry Meadows CP turned up 'the goods' today. Firstly, there were a pair of Shelducks on Overton Lake (scarce in the park). Then, I found a Ruff on the flooded fields called Heron Meadows, which is the first I have ever seen at FMCP (which I have been visiting for 20 odd years). Also, above the Ruff, 3 Sand Martins were catching insects. These are some of the earliest Sand Martins I have ever recorded in the Peterborough area. Other signs of spring were a singing Chiffchaff and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Tuesday 2 March

It was cold but fog-free at Ferry Meadows CP, this morning, first thing. The conditions were certainly better than yesterday morning. I had a few highlights, as follows: 3 Cetti's Warblers (in various parts of the park); my first singing Chiffchaff of the year there; another chorus of singing Redwings; a Kingfisher carrying a fish to s suspected nest site; a (park year tick) Redshank flying around looking to land on Heron Meadows; 24 Snipe on Heron Meadows; and displaying Great Crested grebes, including one female which is paler than usual and I believe is the bird I photographed as a chick in 2012.

Monday 1 March

Spring is here, and to celebrate this momentous occasion, the weather has turned cold, foggy and a bit miserable. At least it was this morning, when I cycled down to Ferry Meadows CP. The best bird(s) I encountered was a flyover, calling Golden Plover, which sounded like it was circling around Heron Meadows, but never came into view through the 'low cloud' . The other highlight was the number of Redwings in the country park, including one group of birds which were all singing together, like Starlings do when gathered in trees. This happens every year in the early spring, prior to these wonderful northern thrushes departing to their true breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Russia.

In our garden, the number of House Sparrow on the lawn reached 20 together this monring, a new 'modern' record. I wonder what the eventual peak will be.

Sunday 28 February

To celebrate my father's 85th birthday, my dear wife Jo and I took a walk together along the south 'bank' of the River Nene, the river which runs through the heart of Peterborough. Jo was able to see her first Great White Egret in the Peterborough area, a species which is becoming increasingly frequent around here. I remember in the early 2000s doing a competitive bird race around here and our teaming texting all the other teams to let them know that we had seen a Little Egret (as we didn't want them to miss out on such a scarce bird). Great White Egrets are now probably more numerous here than Little Egrets were then and Little Egrets are now much more commonly seen than Grey Herons. I wonder how long it will be before local birders hardly glance at GWEs like we do at Littles!

Saturday 27 February

Despite being a beautiful, sunny and (later on) unseasonally warm day, I did not venture too far today. The highlight of my wildlife activities was probably a Small tortoiseshell butterfly. Just the second butterfly I have seen all year (after a Brimstone in our garden the other week), Small Tortoiseshell is one of a small group of butterflies which overwinter in the UK as adults in hibernation (the others being Comma, Peacock, Brimstone and occasionally Red Admiral). Our lesser Redpoll was still present, feeding on seed on the lawn. It has still not brought any of its friends to visit us!

Friday 26 February

Another day, another diver! A Red-throated Diver was found by former Bird Watching subeditor (now Today's Golfer editor), Chris Jones, while walking his dog at CEGB Reservoir, Peterborough. Luckily that is only about 2.5 miles from my house, so was an easy 'twitch' (without going too far from home for exercise). It was a real beauty and seemed to cover every inch of the egg-shaped lake in search of food (it reminded me of a floor gymnast having to cover every part of the mat!). At one stage it came very close, and though the light was low, I managed some shots.

And talking of red on the breast and whatnot, our now regular Lesser Redpoll was back on the lawn, this morning. I wonder if it will ever bring any friends...

Thursday 25 February

It started quiet again at Ferry Meadows CP, this morning. There were Green Woodpeckers calling and the odd Kingfisher whizzing by to keep interest going. Then I spotted an Otter (probably the same one I had last week), which eventually came swimming very near the shore of Gunwade Lake and simply disappeared!

As I was cycling back through Bluebell Wood, a Ring-necked Parakeet called, a flock of Redwings were feeding on the adjacent golf course and a flock of about 25 Lapwings flew over. With a Dunlin! The latter is a scarce species in the country park, so a welcome FMCP year tick!

Tuesday 23 February

There was not much happening at Ferry Meadows CP, so it was a day when I turned more attention to garden birdwatching action. Chaffinch numbers soared to 6 individuals, while Greenfinches peaked at 3 individuals. Gradually, the finches are getting to realise there is free and easy seed in our garden! Best of all, finch-wise, was a very pink male redpoll which was feeding mainly on the lawn, several times during the day. Oddly, male redpolls can be the hardest to pin down to species, owing to their general lack of distinctive markings. This one was quite pale and had me thinking Mealy (much more ambiguous in real ilife than in photos!). Eventually, though I resolved it as a bright and rather pale headed Lesser Redpoll, the much commoner redpoll in the UK in general, and certainly around here in Peterborough.

Tuesday 23 February

The great birds are still appearing at Ferry Meadows CP. Only a day after the departure of the Great Norther Diver, more goodies are coming to take its place as the main attraction. This morning, just as I was about to leave the house to cycle down to the park, I got a call from my friend Don Gardener (perhaps FMCP's most dedicated birder), saying he had just found an Avocet on Overton Lake. These are very rare birds at FMCp, with only one previous record about 10 years or so ago, of three swimming on Overton Lake. Needless to say I cycled as fast as I could to see if I could get to the Avocet before it departed. But as I arrived, I saw Don and he told me that it had flown off, low in the direction of Gunwade Lake. So, of course, I cycled round there and checked the small gravel beach, but to no avail. It seemed like I was too late.

However, as I scanned the open water to see if anything else was around, my binoculars came across three Avocets swimming tightly together! These three hung around together, always swimming (Avocets have partially webbed feet so are relaxed swimmers) apart from a few time swhen they were troubled by the local Black-headed Gulls or the Mute Swans coming too close.

They were still present when I left. I also heard that I missed a couple of great birds in the park this morning: a calling Brambling and a couple of exceptionally early Sand Martins!

Monday 22 February

I was back on my bike and down at Ferry Meadows CP, this morning. The Great Northern Diver was still present on Gunwade Lake. I say 'was' advisedly, as it flew off just before 8am. It circled round the western end of the lake a couple of times then flew off strongly south-west. I was, however able to grab a photo of its departure.

Also at Ferry Meadows this morning were a nice little flock of Lesser redpolls (nothing rarer) with the odd Siskin, near Lynch Lake, on the edge of The Mound, in Birches. A Kingfisher was making a lot of noise near the pontoon bridge over the connection between Gunwade and Overton Lakes, and a Little Egret was working the ditches of Heron Meadows. Song Thrushes were in great song, as well as a few Chaffinches. Spring feels very close...

Sunday 21 February

I started the day in a nearby wood on the search for Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. These little woodland tiddlers are just about hanging on in the Peterborough area, but sadly, we are going to lose them in the next few years, in all probability. Anyhow, I couldn't find any of them, though there were a few Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming and the distant calls of Green Woodpeckers (which don't drum). Despite the mild weather the LSWs were not calling either. I think a return in March is in order, when there will probably be more noise from the little peckers.

Saturday 20 February

I took a bit of a cycle along the 'Green Wheel' the cycle path which roughly encircles my home city of Peterborough, today. But my main aim was the stretch of the track which passes along the River nene, a little east of the city, between the Fitzwilliam and Millennium Bridges. I was rewarded by relocating the two Red-breasted Mergansers which are still using the river for fishing purposes, and the nearby flooded fields as an escape every time a walker, dog-walker or cyclist came by (the river is very narrow along this particular straight cut). Also present on the edge of the floods was the second-winter Iceland Gull which has been present (in the Peterborough area) since the end of December. It seemed to be mainly trying to pick worms from the wet grass. The floods also held lots of dabbling ducks, including dozens of Pintails, which are always great to watch.

Friday 19 February

My thighs and hamstrings are starting to notice the return to cycling to Ferry Meadows CP! I used to do this cycle and beyond to work every day and thought nothing of it. But I need a bit more training to get these tired old muscles back to their old, 'prime' form. Anyhow, I am delighted to say that the Great Northern Diver was present on Gunwade Lake still (for its third day). It really is a splendid bird and seems to be doing very well at catching fish. Yesterday, the fish it caught was so big it had difficulty swallowing it on the surface while the gulls were on the attack for an 'easy' meal. today, they, the Roach (I think) was a tad smaller and the gulls didn't bother.

Also in the park were the usual two Goosanders and I also saw a couple of the Stonechats on the edge of Gunwade Lake, when I cycled round to try to photograph the diver. The Song Thrushes are belting out some great songs at the moment, and I also saw a Mistle Thrush on the edge of the golf course on the cycle home. Finally, I must mention that a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in Bluebell Wood, which sits on a raised area just above the Nene looking over the plain of the rest Ferry Meadows CP (which sits within a meander of the river).

Thursday 18 February

Of course, I cycled back to Ferry meadows CP this morning to see if the Great Northern Diver was still around. He was! I say 'he', but it is not easy to sex these birds. However, it seems to be a bit of a whopper (so probably male), comfortably competing with the Cormorants on the lake for the biggest fish-eating bird in the park

Biggest fish eater, though goes to one of the Otters which have been attracting much public attention in recent month in the country park. As it happens, there was one of these superb mammals, again this morning, in the diver's favourite feeding corner at the west end of Gunwade Lake.

The diver caught a large fish, but every time it surfaced to try to swallow it, it was bombarded by marauding Black-headed Gulls and dived with fish in bill. Eventually, it gave up and presumably swallowed the fish while underwater. I make that assumption, because soon after, it swam to the middle of the lake for a bit of a preen, digest and rest. That is when I photographed it being watched over by giant swans!

While I was cycling round to get a better look at the diver, a Great White Egret flew over. These birds are still scarce, particularly at Ferry Meadows, but increasing around Peterborough. A very decent year tick for the park. Also, round the north side of Gunwade Lake were at least three Stonechats, working their way along the fence line by the tarmac path.

Wednesday 17 February

Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough, very much delivered the goods today, justifying my continued cycle visits. The undoubted highlight was an adult Great Northern Diver. This is the first GND ever in the country park, but only the second I have seen in the county (Cambridgeshire), and the only adult.

But things got even better while I was watching the diver on Gunwade. First, there was a Smew nearby, and then, an Otter swam past! With the addition of a pair of Goosanders on the lake, this was an exceptional local birdwatching session!

Tuesday 16 February

It may be a lot milder, but the rainy weather prevented this fair-weather cyclist from heading down to Ferry Meadows Cp, this morning. So, it will be garden birding for me. Things started out well with at least 12 Woodpigeons and the usual mass of Blackbirds enjoying the seedy handouts.

Then I noticed that there wasn't a bird in sight. The reason soon became clear, a big, fat fluffy bird killer (aka cat) preening itself in the shelter of the hedge just by the closest feeder to the house!

It is now later in the morning (11.45) and I am delighted to announce that a male Greenfinch is on one of our feeders, munching the mixed seed. This is the first one we have had on the feeders since I put them out again in late January (after not feeding the birds for several years, because of our cat plague).

Monday 15 February

I cycled down to Ferry Meadows CP this slightly drizzly, low cloudy morning. It was much milder than the last few days, though. My rewards were a female or first-winter (redhead) Smew (on Gunwade lake; a scarce bird in the country park), and even better, a mother and two young cub Otters swimming close to the path on Overton lake. Rather than try to photograph them I just enjoyed watching them through my bins. A great way to start the day with a broad grin!!

Sunday 14 February

I took a cycle along the tow path of the Nene today, in the freezing wind. It was well worth it though. My first 'find' of the day was a delightful family of Otters (mother and three cubs) on the bank of the river eating fish, their presence given away by a couple of low Red Kites, presumably interested in stealing said fish! I absolutely love Otters, they are so playful and characterful. I managed a couple of record shots.

My next 'find' was an unexpected Cattle Egret feeding along the bank of the river. Like the other egrets these are not as rare or scarce birds as they used to be! Along the Nene east of Peterborough they are as often found way away from livestock as with it, curiously.

Finally, I 'refound' what I was looking for: a female-type Red-breasted Merganser on the Nene between the Millennium Bridge and the Fitwilliam Bridge. It was only the second RbM I have ever seen in Cambridgeshire. They have become very scarce birds in the PBC area in recent years. I photographed it eating what I believe is a poorly-marked Perch; certainly a real stomach filler!

Saturday 13 February 2021

Another frozen day, with the last of the Beast from the East 2 still affecting the region. I am told that the paths at Ferry Meadows are no longer as flooded as last week, so will be cycling there each morning again, come Monday. House Sparrows in our garden have reached uncountable levels, but I suspect that the record could of 15 has been beaten. Must try harder...

Friday 12 February 2021

Brrrrrr! It is very cold today, with an icy south-easterly wind freezing everything. The garden birds have responded accordingly with even greater numbers than yesterday. I popped out with some unfrozen water in a tupperware 'box', and tried to clear the edges of the ponds for drinking and bathing water (essential at this time). the evidence of some droppigns aroudn the edge of the ponds later showed that this may have had a positive effect.

A Goldfinch appeared on one of the feeders at the back of the garden and seemed very pleased to have found such an easy source of nutritious seed.

Thursday 11 February 2021

Garden bird counts are getting out of hand today! House Sparrows are up to more than 15 at a time and Woodpigeons 18 at once!! Blackbirds are repeatedly coming eight at a time and we have had two chaffinches (a pair?) on the lawn walking and hopping around.

The Robins which have been hanging around just outside our kitchen window are looking increasingly like they are thinking of nesting beside the house, outside the garage doors.

Wednesday 10 February 2021

Blackbird tensions are rising this morning, with some angry displaying from an adult male, rising up to full height to see off a junior bird from the seeds near our 'rose arch'.

Things soon settled down, on this cold and snowy day. Indeed, Blackbird numbers peaked at eight at one time. Woodpigeons also peaked at eight again.

Tuesday 9 February 2021

The numbers of birds in the garden are building and building in the colder patch we are having at the moment. They are calling it the Beast from the East 2, as the cold weather is coming from the continent (like it did in 2018 when the Beast from the East froze the nation). Already, many people are finding lots of dead birds, like in 2018, especially on the North Sea shores. But, it is not quite that severe around Peterborough, yet.

Still, the birds in our garden are appreciating the handouts (and of course some water in the liquid state, as provided by us). Today's peak count was five Blackbirds on the lawn at once. We have also had up to eight Woodpigeons and 10 House Sparrows, down scoffing seeds together.

I can hear the tinkling of Goldfinches, but they are not yet being tempted by our freebies... Perhaps tomorrow.

Monday 8 February 2021

There was a covering of snow in the garden, this morning. Not much, and very powdery, as it is so cold! As a result the birds have finally come to appreciate all the food out there, waiting for them. We have only been putting seed out for a little more than a week. So, far, we have had the following species come down for seed: Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker (the rarest by far), Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Starling, Magpie, Great Tit, Blue Tit and House Sparrow.

For some reason, not a single finch of any species has visited the feeders or food, yet. They are out there, especially Goldfinches, but so far, shunning the free meal.

Sunday 7 February 2021

Exactly 2 miles from my home is a disused bridge across the River Nene called the Fitzwilliam Bridge. It is about a mile from the Peterborough sewage works (which attracts gulls) and less than a mile from a local recycling plant, where gulls gather to eat people's bits of thrown away food, clinging to jars, bottles and cartons. So, it is a good place to cycle to (especially easy when the tow path isn't underwater), and accessible from the direction of that recycling plant.

Recently, some local birders have worked out that the local gulls will come to the water by the bridge, to thrown bread. In fact they come in their hundreds from miles around, possibly as bread, though not ideal, is better to feed on than sewage and tiny amounts of scrappage.

And recently, this bread has attracted three Iceland Gulls to the flooded fields and to the river here. On Sunday, I managed to lure in a juvenile (aka first-winter) and a second-winter to the river and got some pleasing photos.

Saturday 6 February 2021

I had one target in mind this morning: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. LSW is a scarce bird around here, the sort of bird I dub an 'elite'. There are very few places where they are hanging on, and there can only be a maximum of half a dozen pairs in the Peterborough area. Both spotted woodpeckers can be drumming from December (or even earlier, exceptionally), so I figured that the end of the first week in February would be early enough to search for Lesser Spots.

As it happens, the wood was sodden, the atmosphere beautiful (with plentiful Marsh Tit, Goldcrest and Treecreeper action; and lots of singing Song Thrushes), but the woodpeckers weren't drumming and hardly any woodpeckers were calling. I set myself a time limit of 10 o'clock. If there was no LSW action (calling, drumming or visuals), I was going to leave and come back later in the month.

But come 9.47am, a silent Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew right over my head and landed in a tree just a little away from the main path. I thought I was going to get great views and perhaps even some photos, but it vanished! I never saw it again. Still, wonderful to know they are still in the area of a traditional territory. I will be back later!

Friday 5 February 2021

It was a garden-watching day, today. It felt quite spring-like with the mild weather, the gnats dancing their lekking dances and the amount of vegetation already growing in our 'big' pond. But the highlights came from bird song. Firstly, once again a Blackbird was singing heartily at about 7am.

Secondly, and better still, a Great Tit was belting out the full 'teacher teacher' for ages this morning. We have a couple of nestboxes with holes big enough for Great Tits, and in the last couple of years they have succeeded in nesting in one fo the boxes outside our kitchen window (we have a sort of veranda affair out there).

Let's hope they succeed again this year. Oh, while I think about it, I did see a Red Kite outside, today, too. They are very regular in our neighbourhood these days. And one more thing, since we started putting seed out recently, the birds are getting the hang of it, and we saw a record 8 Woodpigeons together today, on the lawn.

Thursday 4 February 2021

It was crisp but sunny this morning, with a mist lifting off the River Nene at Ferry Meadows CP. It remains too flooded to comfortably cross Bluebell Bridge and enter the main section of the park. So, I decided to wander along the beautiful raised boardwalk which runs along on the Bluebell Wood side of the river. It really was glorious down there, with Song Thrushes singing all over the place, and Great Tits declaring that this is their time of year to dominate the woodland.

Back at Bluebell Bridge, two Kingfishers were once more fishing the murky waters from riverside trees now emerging from the river itself. What wonderful birds to watch on a sunny winter’s morning. They were always a little out of reach of my camera, but I will try to upload one or two photos later.

Wednesday 3rd February 2021

I dared to go back to Ferry Meadows CP, this morning. It was a mistake. The flooding has risen by two or three inches since a couple of days ago. It was way above my bicycle wheel axles and my feet were plunged into nasty, painful icy water as I tried to pedal through. So, I will bird on this side of the Nene from now on in the elevated Bluebell Wood.

This morning did have a couple of wildlife highlights, though: my first drumming Great spotted Woodpecker and a pair of Kingfishers hunting along the river, viewable from Bluebell Bridge. It is impossible to be bored of Kingfishers.

Tuesday 2nd February 2021

It was raining at first light this morning. That combined with the whole flooded Ferry Meadows CP situation meant I rolled over and had some more sleep. So my main wildlife activity will be garden-related, probably (unless I get out at lunchtime).

Garden-wise, we are at the start of a bit of a revolution, here. For the first time in years my dear wife Jo and I did the Big Garden Birdwatch. We used to do it regularly when the kids were young (and still lived here, rather than doing their studies elsewhere). And we used to put out plentiful bird food, on the lawn, in feeders and even on a bird-table for a while. But cats have become a real nuisance around here.

They are not just a pain for crapping in the garden, they also actively chase and kill birds. And there are loads of the semi-feral brutes in our area. In the last couple of days I have counted six different ones in our back garden, alone. So, I have been reluctant to feed the birds, if it means feeding the birds to the local cats.

But, Jo wanted particularly to do the Big Garden Birdwatch this year, and asked for it as a birthday treat (she is not very materially-oriented!). So, I naturally agreed. But thought the results could do with a bit of skewing to make us look good, so, I bought a load of bird seed, dug out the old feeders and, hey presto, we now have a garden full of feeders and with plentiful food for all comers.

Of course, the revolution won’t happen overnight. My mother would always remind me that “Christmas is on the same date every year” to mock my last minute attitude to present buying. And, yes, I know that Big Garden Birdwatch is on the last weekend of January each year. But, the birds only had two days of seeding before the big count. So, we did not expect miracles, and didn’t get them. We did see more birds from the kitchen window than we would’ve without the seed.

Here are the results (remember you can only count perched or landed birds, not ‘heards’ and flyovers):

Woodpigeon, 2,

Blue Tit, 1,

Great Tit, 2,

Robin, 1,

House Sparrow, 7,

Blackbird, 1,

Magpie, 1,

Carrion Crow, 1,

Dunnock, 1,

Collared Dove, 2

Anyhow, the revolution is starting to take shape, and we have a 2021 record four Woodpigeons out there as I type. And a Blackbird. The birds are eventually going to realise quite how much food there is out there and we will be flooded with them. Let’s hope the cats stay well clear.

STOP PRESS: A Great Spotted Woodpecker has appeared on our largest bird feeder! It was there less than 30 seconds and I have not seen it since. This is the first one I remember seeing in the garden for more than 10 years!

Monday 1st February 2021

I was not expecting what I found at Ferry Meadows CP, this morning. As I came down the hill from Bluebell Wood over Bluebell Bridge (the small suspension bridge over the River Nene), my bike plunged into water so deep it was above my axles! I saw it coming so hastily rolled my trousers up. But I had made the mistake of going out in Crocs, ‘fur’ lined Crocs, the water was icy and my Crocs were full of it, soaked in it!

The story was similar elsewhere in the park, with some absurdly deep parts meaning that the large Overton Lake had become one with the usually grassy Heron Meadows, in one great lake.

Anyhow, wildlife wise, the highlights were as follows: a drake Goldeneye on Overton Lake, a ‘year tick’ Ring-necked Parakeet heading into Bluebell Wood and, best of all, a preponderance of singing Song Thrushes. I must have heard about 20 of them singing their wonderful repetitive/non-repetitive songs.

Tomorrow, if I feel brave enough to go back to FMCP, I will wear wellies!!

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