2017 starts with some local birding

cattle egrets, Warblington, 2nd Jan 2017

snow bunting, Hill Head, 2nd Jan 2017

sanderling, Eastney, 3rd Jan 2017

sanderling B6 RWYB, Eastney 3rd Jan 2017

purple sandpiper and sanderling (probably B6 WWWW),

Southsea Castle 3rd Jan 2017

A couple of year ticks to see out 2016

The birding year ended with a self found bittern (Botaurus stellaris) at Burton Mill Pond, West Sussex on the 14th December. Found during a sunset bird-watch from roadside; and seen flying into roost in the reeds just metres from the viewing platform on the NE corner of the dam crest. I returned at dawn with camera in hand, but the bird was not re-located even as the light progressed. A patch tick for me, and as far as I could tell the only bittern being reported in West Sussex at the time?

A filthy twitch to Hill Head, Hampshire on the 28th enabled confiding views of the female snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) which had been present since the 14th of December. The bunting gave stunningly close views allowing photographers within feet of it.

Snow bunting, Hill Head 28th December 2016

This bird was a Hants tick and helped to stem the disappointment of missing out on the pair of snow bunting widely observed at Southsea sea front - one of my home patches - during November. I completely failed to see them at the time due to work and travel commitments.

A return to Burton Mill Pond at dusk on the 29th December produced an albeit brief second encounter with the local bittern.

Speyside and the Cairngorms Day 4 - the big hill and all it's birds

The final day was given up to Cairn Gorm (1244m) himself. Taking the eastern "windy ridge pathway" from the base station up onto the shoulders of Sron an Anaich. Meadow pipits (Anthus pratensis) and signs of red grouse showed above the station. Then we ascended into the boulder fields to look for the last big names on the list.

Around 700 meters a dull silhouette on the skyline eventually revealed itself to be a ♀ ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus). The views were poor and when we got up to where it had originally been seen needless to say the bird could not be relocated.

Hitting the first line of ski fencing we turned south and immediately bumped into a pair of ptarmigan showing to within 10 feet.

Somewhat surprised by the apparent tameness Ian reassured us that this was often his experience of the birds.  Stopping for lunch we watched the birds for a little while.

The rest of the walk up to Ptarmigan Station produced only a fleeting glimpse of an unidentified dark bird as it dropped from the fence to ground and disappeared.

At Ptarmigan Station we met the family we had shared the pine martin hide with the night before. They were heading for Mull the next day for the first time. Envious but gracious a few prime birding sites were shared with them.

Leaving Sam and Vicky in the restaurant, and under strict instructions to get to the top and get straight down with "no messing about" - Ian and I headed for the summit 20 minutes away. We took 15 minutes and bought ourselves some "messing about" time.

A ♀ snow bunting walked circuits of the summit cairn whilst we took in the views, chatted to the locals and posed for those summit shots.

The return descent to the car park signalled the end of the "study tour" - and having phoned to arrange to meet the hire car officer, we drove back off the mountain to return to Inverness.

Just as we passed the lower car park, Ian with his pair of sharp eyes and a bucketful of serendipity spotted a ♀ capercaillie on the road side verge. We had the last big bird on the list! Stopping to try and get better views and a photo opportunity the bird flushed and flew off into woodland canopy.

The final tally: Four days on the hoof; 84 birds on the list (6 personal "lifers", capercaillie, snow bunting, ptarmigan, ring ousel, parrot crossbill and crested tit); 12 mammals: bottle nose dolphin, common seal, roe deer, red deer, brown hare, rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), red squirrel, wood mouse, badger, pine martin, and a roadside dead otter .. with a "probable" Scottish wildcat.

And a handful of dips: dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) to much snow on the summits still? Red throated diver (Gavia stellata), redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), red grouse, peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and mountain hare. A single and early spotfly (Muscicapa striata) was apparently present at Loch Ruthvan car park on Day 1 we did not get onto it.

All photographs courtesy Ian Loyd