Local Floods and Egrets

The Thame flooded again while we were in Madeira and the water levels are just going down now. The flood plain is alive with birds. Over the last couple of days I've checked out lower Cuttlebrook, the Ickford Bridges, Shabbington Fields and Ickford fields, just a few viewpoints in a pretty extensive area which is mainly inaccessible.  Highlights have included Curlew (back on the breeding ground already), Cattle Egret, Great Egret and waterfowl in the flooded fields including Gadwall, Wigeon and Teal. Also good numbers of Fieldfares. 

Cattle Egret with Little Egret (above and two pics below) at Ickford Bridges

Great Egret at Shabbington Fields 

Curlews at Ickford

Treecreeper at Cuttlebrook- also had two local patch ticks- Gadwall and Reed Bunting (the Reed Bunting is in the estate SUDS) 

Floods at Ickford Bridges (above and below) 

From the Archives - Northern India 2007

I've been sorting out my World List and trip photos on my hard drive recently and been going through photos from a trip to India in 2007, before this blog. Seems a shame to have these good memories and photos buried on my hard drive so thought I would do a retrospective mega post on the trip. Photos digi-scoped (before DSLRs). 

Full trip Report on Surfbirds HERE.

The trip was a recee for a Tropical Birding tour with Sam Woods. I did a few of these with Sam- good times!

BIRDS

Asian Green Bee-eater

White-breasted Kingfisher

Bay-backed Shrike 

Brown Fish Owl- mega! 

Jungle Owlet

Indian Roller

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Mottled Wood Owl 

Lesser Adjutant

River Lapwing

Painted Sandgrouse

Great Barbet

Blue-capped Redstart

Siberian Stonechat

Black-throated Accentor

Crested Kingfisher

Paddyfield Pipit

Indian Vulture

Indian Bushlark 

Painted Snipe 

Brown Shrike

Rufous Turtle Dove 

Streaked Laughingthrush

Brown Wood Owl 

Chestnut-eared Bunting 

Black-chinned Babbler (thanks Ed for id, I'd forgotten what this was, Ed has just got back from India, trip report HERE)

Grey-breasted Prinia (thanks Ed for id)

Pallas's Fish Eagle 

Himalayan Black-lored Tit

White-rumped Vulture

Large-tailed Nightjar

Indian Peafowl 

Bar-headed Goose 

Crested Honey Buzzard 

Black Kite at the Taj Mahal 

Long-tailed Shrike 

White-browed Wagtail 

Masked Wagtail (personta). Also had White-faced/Amur Wagtail (leucopsis) and White Wagtail (alba/dukhuensis) 

Hodgson's Wagtail (alboides)

MAMMALS

Bengal Tiger

Female Nilgai

Samba Deer

Spotted Deer (Chital)

Hanuman Langur

Rheus Macaque

PEOPLE

A few shots of the fantastic colourful and supercool people we met on the way. 

This could be 1000 years ago

Me (above and below on the Indian sleeper) 

Sam Woods in action (above)