Maldon

Hello viewers,


Just a quick post but I took a trip down to Maldon in Essex very near Heybridge yesterday. As usual it was very busy as it is the summer holidays but I still managed to see a seal in the Backwater! When I saw it I quickly got got hold of my camera and snapped away. As well as the seal I saw hundreds of black-tailed Godwits. It is defiantly a great place to go if you have children because there a great play area where they can play and you can then do some good birding.


Matthew. 

Black tailed godwit feeding

Seal

Seal

Weymouth 2011

Hello viewers.


I have just returned from a family holiday to weymouth which is very close to were they filmed the easter special of Springwatch at the Portland bird observatory. The town has a harbour were you very often see herring gulls rummaging through the rubbish bins in search for any food. In this case it is any fish and chips. On our holiday we visited RSPB Radipole Lake where we saw a verity of insects and butterflies. I think sometimes you see more insects than birds! We also visited portland bill and I saw gannets racing along the sky line.


A really enjoyable holiday which most days we spent on the beach and along the harbour.


Matthew Foakes

Urban Birding

Hi readers,

My family and I have just returned back from a days birding in the parks of London.  We decided to visit Regants park, as you may know, Regents park  has some ornamental  birds.  Although there are captive birds, there are also many wild birds.  It is also a good place to get a close encounter to birds you may not usually see.  Regants Park is also famous for its wild herons nesting in the surrounding trees of the park.  These are some of my best shots of the day.

Jamie Croft

Grey Heron

Canada Goose

Carrion Crow

Grey Heron

Scout camp to biblins site

From Saturday  to Tuesday we both went on a scout camp to possibly the most beautiful camp site in Britain. The journey took 4 long hours but the views were spectacular. As it was near Wales there was birds of prey souring every were. There was rolling hills and trees as far as you could see. On the first day we set up base camp and set of for a walk to Syman's yat. Here was a short section of rapids that we were about to go down the next day. A buzzard perching on a branch very close enabled us to see actually how big these enormous birds are.


The next day we canoed 10 miles on the river Wye. The river was so calm but still there was a current due to the various rapids at curtain points. As we were paddling, there was over 20 Mandarin ducks right next to us some even juveniles. After some hours we eventually arrived at the big rapids. As we waited at the top, our hearts were pounding, we thought to our selves would we make it out wet or dry? Either wouldn't have mattered as the sun was shining brightly. As we paddled towards the rapids the current draged us closer, the rapids chucked us a round like a rag doll but we made it out safely. The following day we went to peddelabike which is situated in a different part of the of forest of Dean. We hired bikes and set out along there challenging paths seeing more red kites and kestrels. As well as seeing blackcaps and nuthatches. To finish the day of we saw a kingfisher fly by where we was staying. It was a great holiday and defiantly go again.


Young Birders.

Norfolk

Last weekend for my dads birthday we went to two places in Norfolk. Pensthorpe and the Broads. The first day was the broads and we hired out an old looking boat that looked at if it was about to fall apart! We set of seeing great crested grebe and grey heron flew over. As my brother through some bread over for the the ducks another heron flew over. The birds where attracted by the bread and got some close views of mute swan and coot fighting.

The second day we went to Pensthorpe which is were spring watch was filmed a few years ago. we took a the opportunity to do a safari type tour around the the resurve seeing red legged partridge and skylarks singing high in the sky. We took a look at the scrapes seeing avocets, oystercatcher and common sandpiper.

It was a great weekend and would definitely recommend them to any visiting Norfolk.

Matthew Foakes

Heighbirdge Baison

Hi readers,

My family and I recently visited Haybridge Baison.  I was glad to see a pair of Avocets nesting on a small island near the bank.  This the second consecutive time the Avocets had nested at Haybridge,  unfortunately, in the event of last years beading season, the Avocets had an unsuccessful brood.  hopefully this time will be a success!  It was also good to see the black Headed Gull chicks had hatched well and are thriving on the vegetation at Haybridge Baison.  Here are my photos of the day.

Jamie Croft

Black Headed Gulls, with young

JC

Black Headed Gulls sitting on nest

JC

Avocet, incubating eggs

JC

Oyster Catcher

JC

Avocet, incubating eggs

JC

Black Headed Gulls with young

JC

Black Headed Gulls with young

Jamie Croft

Minsmere

Last week for my 13th birthday I went for a short break to the fantasic RSPB reserve Minsmere in Suffok. I started off the two days with a visit to the feeders seeing great-spotted woodpeaker and several house martins flew over. The to the first hide. It had to been the best there with fantasic views of avocet deffending their now fledged chicks all in front of your eyes. Barnacle geese scaring of intruding black headed gulls. The last hide on the hide on the scrape on the second day produced 2 splendid med gulls!!(They are actually beeding there!) In bittern hide there were 2 marsh harriers flying around with hobbies and kestrel. What really topped it of was the 4 bitterns seen. 3 flying over but one feeding in the reeds. On the way back to the visistor centre a treecreper was a real bonus. 

A fantasic 2 days birding and would definatly do it agian!

Matthew foakes