Mealy to add to the redpolls

no sign of the Arctic Redpoll today on Waters' edge but two Mealies including this very nice male--note the rump pattern, colouration of upperparts, underpart streaking etc

Lesser

the number of Lesser Redpolls on Waters' Edge has increased to 15----note the undertail pattern and general colouration

forest birds 29.3

several Crossbills in the forest with females collecting moss for nest linings suggest that there may be record numbers breeding--a local woody and the first adder of the season which only posed for the single shot!

up close exilipes

the Waters' edge Arctic Redpoll proved rather more obliging this morning posing down to 4m witht he 300mm lens but in pretty dull light so ISO 400 was needed---

Northern male

this male Wheatear at North Killingholme posed for the camera prior to the day deteriorating into heavy rain --at one stage it perched on the wall just 6m in front of my car possibly using it as protection from the gusty wind

wildfowl

my obsession with Pochard is getting into spring fever again---also here a close up of the WEdge Pink-foot

spring buds

at last some signs of spring breaking forth

RK, RU, BW, DN

mixed wader flock and car transport Killingholme pits

elusive redpoll and migrants

the Arctic Redpoll remained elusive to the point of not being seen all day but when I had a quick walk around mid afternoon there it was in with the Lessers again in the usual alders---flushed by the local male Sparrowhawk they quickly disappeared again though---also on site today Brambling (first record for the year), 3 Sand Martin, Chiffy, a nice male Northern Wheatear and a Common Buzzard over

spring air wildfowl action

the longest established Waters' Edge Mute Swans having a bit of courtship and a mixed flock of Gadwall and Shoveler

Arctic poll

after a rarity free winter I came across an Arctic Redpoll on Waters' Edge this morning--I managed to flush the bird from the path side without seeing it while doing a BBS; it perched facing me at about 5m and my camera was in the bag; then it promptly flew off about 70m to the other side of a pond and when I got round there it had disappeared---fortunately it then joined up with the 10 or so Lesser Redpolls and 40+ Siskins on the park and it showed on and off for most of the day in the alders and also on the paths and under the trees where it spent quite a bit of time feeding and being very inobvious--also the first Chiffchaff of the spring on the park today and the fourth Long-tailed Tits nest this year a park record

finer points of redpolls

these shots give an impression of the width of the white rump, the single streak on the longest undertail coverts and the fine streaking on the upper breast

doves fight over high rise des res

these three Stock Doves were having a real battle royal over occupancy of this nest box on Waters' Edge---two birds set to in a boss on top and push you over the edge battle then the third bird came out of the box to investigate and flew up appearing to join in--the struggle continued for a few minutes before transferring to the top of an adjacent post and then all three flew off