Friday 10/1

Returning home decided to go via Orlestone Forest as the weather was dry and sunny. Did not venture far as from the Car Park but managed Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Great Spot Woodpecker, Coal Tit and Goldcrest.
Tried for the Short Eared Owl on Littlestone Golf course with no luck
Total species 31

TUESDAY 8/1

A couple of hours free and it was not raining so decided on a quick Sea Watch at 11 am.  With a low sun and a strong wind the Patch was awash with birds. Kittiwakes were present, guillemots sitting on the sea, Red throated Divers and Brent Geese flew by. A reported Caspian on the beach was not located by me. No Gannets were present.
There was a few Naval vessels sailing by, one was huge and it was not until it was nearly out of sight that I realised it was an Aircraft Carrier.
Returning home via the reserve managed to see the Black Throated Diver on the new diggings and alongside the road.
Only 23 species but 6 were new for 2014.

Thursday 2/1/2014

Unlike yesterday today was wall to wall sunshine no wind and a reasonable temperature. Caldicott Lane gave up a flock of Bewick Swans arrived at the reserve to find a very busy car park . The hides were all full but did manage 5 Chiffchaff 3 Goosander 2 Red Head Smew and Pintail over to Arc where there was 2 more Smew 5 Goldeneye and surprise surprise a pair of Red Crested Pochard outside the hide the male looking stunning in the sunshine. Total species 44.

1/1/2014

After opening a bottle of 1966 vintage port on New Years Eve with friends awoke with a headache which lasted all day along with gale force winds and driving rain which also lasted all day. Not a great birding day.  Managed a couple of hours in the rain in the afternoon to get a total of 29. A small flock of Yellowhammers was a welcome sight. Dungeness gave Little and Great White Egret and a Marsh Harrier  .

Isle of Mull

With my Doctor giving me a short Chemo holiday a last minute decision we decided on the Isle of Mull as we have never been in winter. Lots of snow on the way up and temperatures of minus 4 and from our Hotel in Oban we could see plenty snow on Ben More. Next morning woke to a glorious day wall to wall sunshine and 11 degrees. Ferry over to Mull was on a mill pond calm sea even managed to see  2 Porpoises. The next 3 days were the same so all snow melted and spotting life on calm waters was easy. Day 2 we had a total of 8 close up Otters others could be seen at long distances. These included a Mum and 2 Kits which were very happily playing along the beach even catching a crab and bringing it onto the beach for the Kits to rip apart. Noted that the adult shows a tail on diving but the 2 youngsters did not. As we decided to return to our house Val spotted a Sea Eagle coming down the valley so we stopped and waited as it flew slow and low over the car a great day.  Day three gave more Sea Eagles and male Hen Harriers ( no females seen)  and Otters, finished the day down at Grasspoint expecting Sea Eagles but an adult Golden Eagle displayed wonderfully probably the best views I have had of this beauty.  Day 4 dawned cloudy with the odd showers which remained till we left the Island . Today we passed one of the Sea Eagle nest areas and found 3 eagles sitting in the forest further on at another regular Sea Eagle Spot we spotted a large shape on a road side tree, Pulling up we saw a Sea Eagle dozing in the tree showing its huge bill. Essential I know but view was spoilt by the Tag attached to the wing. Waited in the car and ate our lunch and after 45 minutes the bird was still there even getting out and getting right up to the tree did not disturb it.  Total number of birds recorded was 64 good birds seen were Merganser , Gooseander, slav grebe, whooper swan, Great Northern diver ,Raven ,Peregrine and tawny Owl outside the house .Bird numbers down on what we get in early summer and with the roads to ourselves birding was more pleasant.
Not many red deer seen and we wanted a mountain Hare which eluded us.
A great break with a nice house and stunning sunny weather for the first few days made it special.  

SUNDAY 17/11

Decided on another trip to HEMPSTED FOREST to try for 3 different Crossbills. Managed to leave home at 9am but got lost on the way there and wasted a lot of time getting back. Arrived to find 10+ people with the same idea as me and was told that should have been there 10 minutes earlier.
Most people left and I heard the call of Crossbills and 6 landed in the Oak tree one was a stunning male Parrot Crossbill a first for me. After a few minutes of preening the birds were disturbed by a Peregrine which flew casually round the edge of the woods and stopped in a close by Pine tree.
The six birds flew to distant trees and eventually flew back over our heads but the number was now 10 birds. According to a photographer one of the 10 was a Two Barred Crossbill. I decided it was time to leave as it was one better than last visit with 2 kinds of Crossbill ( better luck next time) . The Peregrine was still in the Pine tree showing very well and would have been bird of day if not for the Parrot Crossbill and Common Crossbills.

Wednesday 13/11

Phil Sharp and I had not seen the 3 Crossbills in Kent and decided that today will be the day we tried. After meeting at Sissinghurst at 10 am we drove to the Forest , arriving we were told that 10 minutes earlier the Common and Parrot Crossbill were showing well. After a short while there was a fly over of Crossbills which landed in a nearby tree. Scope gave good views of Common Crossbill and what was possibly a Parrot Crossbill.
After an Hour + flyovers were observed but no great views. After all other birders had left we were lucky to have 5 land in the tree in front of us including a stunning male. No sign of Two Bar or Parrot. The woods were devoid of birds only Great Spot , Blue / Great Tit and Pidgeon , Robin flyover Fieldfare.  Considering the date 2 Butterflies and 2 Dragonflys were seen. Return back over the marshes I found the first Bewick Swans of the winter at Midgley Drying sheds.