Bulgaria- Day 3

Top to bottom: Long-legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Starlings over the Party HQ, Starlings under the monastery, Dylan.

Biggest surprise of today was finding Black and Red-throated Diver on Kaplinka Reservoir (didn't expect them here). Could not find the Black Woodpeckers at the monastery but lots of Hawfinch and Crossbill up there, Marsh/Willow Tit (those things confuse me) and Syrian, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers. Saw a Lesser Spot near the reservoir.

Bulgaria- Day 2

Spent most of today on Paul's eco home farm. A couple of Crossbills going over and the odd Syrian Woodpecker in the trees. More eco stuff here:
http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/

Last times I was in this part of the world:
Bulgaria-Turkey-Syria-Jordan
http://peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
Eastern Turkey
http://peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

Shipka- Bulgaria

In Bulgaria now visiting family and squeezing in a wild goose chase later in the week. I had a walk in the agricultural land west of Shipka with the old man. It was a classic eastern european agro-ecosystem with large flocks of Yellowhammers, Corn Buntings, Skylarks, Tree Sparrows, Starlings and smaller numbers of Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Linnet. Hen Harriers, Ravens and Common Buzzards were dotted about the landscape and the odd Long-legged Buzzard was on patrol. There was also Syrain Woodpecker in the walnuts, Crested Lark on the tracks and Sombre Tits in the orchards. Well I say Sombre Tits (pic 3) - did not know they had pale secondary panel and always thought the head and bib looked browner than these birds- they looked odd- i thought they were Willow Tit at first but the bib is far too big?. A showy Great Grey Shrike was the bird of day complete with mouse larder.

A blinking Common Crane was on the lake today at the farm!!!!!! http://dodge007.blogspot.com/2010/12/lads-ive-got-fckin-crane-here.html

http://devilbirder.blogspot.com/2010/12/local-crane.html

More from Bulgaria here: http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/

WINTER WONDERLAND

Top to bottom (Snow Bunting, Yellowhammer, Common Buzzard, Wigeon in Beddington Park, Teal in Beddington Park, Snipe in the canal and Green Woodpecker in the park)

That was a perfect day. Always wanted to see Snow Bunting at Beddington and to find one in the snow was simple poetry. It was in the company of three Yellowhammers (another good Beddington bird), a couple of Reed Buntings and 80+ Linnet. This morning I walked the canal and flushed 4 Jack Snipe and 8+ Snipe. Back at the hide we had a Common Buzzard go over and also a trickle of migrants including 20+ Redwing, 6 Fieldfare, 3 Skylark, 50+ Woodpigeon, 8 Cormorant. There were 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Goldcrests.

As nearly all the water was frozen and the wildfowl have all migrated I decided to check Beddington Park Pond which never freezes. Sure enough some of the ducks were hiding out there with 2 male Wigeon (adult and first winter) , 20+ Teal and a male Gadwall- all rarities for the park. Also in the park there was a bird wave of 10+ Long-tailed Tit, 4 Goldcrest, 1 Coal Tit, Blue and Great Tits, Treecreeper and Nuthatch.

Twitch pics here: http://peteralfrey.blogspot.com/2010/12/winter-wonderland-x.html

and Roger's account here: http://dodge007.blogspot.com/

Waders on the Move

I braved the elements with the troops (poor souls are still out there) to witness some interesting visible migration. 450-500 Woodpigeons (pic 4) looked lost- mostly heading north, some east and some flocks circling. The highlight of the day was a shorebird arrival with 1 Grey Plover (pic 1), 3 Ruff (pic 2) and 5+ Redshank (pic 3) coming in, onto the frozen lake. Also one Little Egret, 3 Skylark, one female Wigeon, 10+ Snipe, 2 Lapwing, 20+ Shoveler and 5 Teal. Presumably all the wildfowl are on the Wandle and Beddington Park Pond as there are only a few areas of open water left at the farm.

Bedddington Farmlands Nightlife

With this snow it's almost as good as day light out there tonight (11pm). Click on photo to view properly.

It's cold out there......

I tried to beat the system today by sky watching from the window instead of standing in the freezing cold. It didn't work! I missed 14 Bean Geese, 3 Grey Plover, 2 Goosander, 60+ Lapwing, 100+ Fieldfare and 50+ Skylark.
I am now knitting some thermals to prepare for tomorrow.

Grippage here:
http://dodge007.blogspot.com/2010/12/full-of-beans.html