Weekend in Essex

Had a mini holiday in south-east Essex with Simon. Highlights included Glaucous Gull, Slavonian Grebe, Ring-billed Gull, Great Northern Diver, Purple Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gulls, huge flocks of Knot, Marsh Harriers, Ruffs, wintering Greenshank and Caspian Gull.

More at Non-Stop Birding X.

I do actually have a job

Okay I don't actually bird non-stop and do have to work. Luckily I work at least two days from home so can keep an eye on Beddington Farmlands from the office window:-)

All of my work is in the environmental sector under the company name Little Oak in which I am a partner. We mainly do tree work, grounds maintenance and also landscaping. Most days are pretty routine but we had a particularly challenging job recently removing a giant of a Beech tree which had unfortunately succumb to the fatal and dangerous pathogen Meripilus giganteus.

More on this here:
http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/

By the way, that is not me in that photo. Shamefully I am the office boy in Little Oak.

SCAUPS- Beddington Farmlands

Sea ducks arrived at Beddington today in the form of three Greater Scaup. There was one 1st winter male (top pic left) and two female types. In photo one and two the female on the right is more an adult female type and the other bird perhaps a younger female.
Pic 3 shows an adult male Tufted Duck and the three Greater Scaups in flight. Note the heavier build and longer bills of the Greater Scaups.

This is only the 6th record for Beddington and the first since 2002. The first record was a pair on February 2nd 1947 but then not recorded until 1991. Three records were of singletons and the 2002 record also concerned three birds.

A quiet day at Beddington Farmlands

One adult Mediterranean was all John, Gary and I got for an afternoon gulling. This little fella kept us company.

The 'Beddington Farmlands Observatory'

Finished my feeding station today. In addition to this set up (pic), I've got fat balled trees and some ground feeders. Will see what turns up. As it is in a communal garden probably the local vandals.

The tipping face at the farmlands has moved so this is now the view (digividscoped) from my bedroom window.

COLLINS BIRD GUIDE 2nd Edition

What a near -master piece. The inclusion of the Azores?- 3rd edition maybe?

Also good to see our team's small contribution with Caucasian Snowcock, where on visits to Georgia on reconnaissance expeditions several observers including ourselves noticed that the majority of field guides depicted a rather rusty looking image of this (then relatively little studied) bird, whereas in the field they appeared closer to Caspian Snowcock. The ammendments have been made and what a great plate of an incredible bird.

Needless to say, this book is a stunning piece of work- the genius being the ability to present seemingly infinite data into a beautiful, concise, accurate, accessible and understandable presentation.

Caspian Gull- a Beddington Farmlands Speciality

Another nice morning going through the gulls. We had 1 1st winter Mediterranean Gull, 2 1st winter Caspian Gulls and 2 adult Yellow-legged Gull.