Ouse Fen Birder

A bit surprised when a Glossy Ibis walked out at cell 10, RSPB Ouse Fen this morning: I’d already been waiting 90 minutes to confirm the identity of 5 Ringed Plovers and a juv Little Stint. Amazing how birds hide away there.

Birds from RSPB Ouse Fen and Fen Drayton Lakes on 18/09/2025

A few bits and pieces from birding around RSPB Ouse Fen and Fen Drayton Lakes yesterday: (clockwise) Whinchat, Whinchat flying, distant pair Cranes, adult Caspian Gull, Glossy Ibis (one of two).

Grab of train cancelled email

Just watched the superb Yes Minister where Hacker accepts the job of Transport Supremo, tasked with developing an Integrated Transport Policy - so no surprises when I awoke to find my train was no longer stopping at the station I’d bought a ticket for!

Flock of Sanderling with a Ringed Plovers, Dunlins and a Little Stint

Just back from a few days at RSPB Snettisham, recording a remarkable 25 species of waders. Love the place!

Mike Carr and Richard Thomas

Wonderful to meet my old mate Mike Carr at RSPB Ouse Fen recently: good job he recognised me as I didn’t recognise him. It must be more than 30 years since we last met and both of us are showing a few miles on the clock @mike-carr.bsky.social

Bird behind LT is a juv Common Tern - gingery on mantle, pale reddish bill base. Ringed bird in flight looks like adult Common Tern - angle and light makes bill look short and redder than others in pic but Arctic wing pattern would be much neater.

It flew over the Wash at RSPB Snettisham a short time later: about 10:00 I seem to recall. Heading west

Same bird? A 2CY Arctic Tern I videoed on 27th July at RSPB Snettisham

White-rumped Sandpiper

Video grabs of White-rumped Sandpiper at RSPB Snettisham this morning. It appears the individual pre-high tide (l) is different to the one post-high tide. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Showing again 11:50 off old jetty then flew south with 2 Dublins, landing near Oystercatcher flock

Adult White-rumped Sand showing well on mud in front of benches RSPB Snettisham 10:40 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

@birdguides.bsky.social

Lovely White-rumped Sand on the falling tide at RSPB Snettisham today. Also yesterday’s Pec Sand still on the pits - it is a different bird to last week’s bird

Lovely White-rumped Sand on the falling tide at RSPB Snettisham today. Also yesterday’s Pec Sand still on the pits - it is a different bird to last week’s bird

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper from Shore Hide RSPB Snettisham this evening. Fairly sure it’s not the same individual last reported here 3/8 but will compare photos when I get an opportunity. @birdguides.bsky.social

I’m guessing there wasn’t much happening in the penalty box then.

Blink and you miss it: the Zitting Cisticola at Walberswick yesterday.

Apparent display today between the Caspian Gull (left) and Lesser Black-b Gull at RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes. Let’s hope they don’t hit it off!

Adult Dunlin with colour ring

It’s fascinating to find out where birds have been: this Dunlin at RSPB Snettisham on Sunday had been colour-ringed in 2024 at Ynyslas National Nature Reserve, Wales

Flock of Black-tailed Godwits including an unusual pale (leucistic) individual

A leucistic Black-tailed Godwit at RSPB Snettisham yesterday

Update: visiting my Dad again in late June and there was a female and two Mandarin chicks on the River Wear

Wood Sandpiper

Lovely juv Wood Sandpiper at Lockspit’s Mere, RSPB Ouse Fen this afternoon

Dacia dashboard showing 907.7 miles on one tank of diesel

907.7 new record for one tank out of my 2014 Dacia Stepway 1.4 diesel - and the low fuel light hadn't even come on! Quite a bit of M6 crawling in traffic too. I reckon 1,000 miles from one tank may just about be possible www.facebook.com/DaciaUK ?

Brilliant car: 105K and still going strong.

Hurrah - Steve Reed has announced a ban on lead although it’ll take several years to be fully in place.

At last some straightforward political common sense in this increasingly mad world where the human race appears hell bent on its own demise

Close up of Siberian Rubythroat, singing male

It doesn’t matter how often you see one - Siberian Rubythroats always bring joy. This one in Hokkaido, Japan

Close up of Bonin Whiteeye

The legendary Bonin Whiteeye: curiously for many years it was considered a honeyeater! The island it inhabits is remote - but the dozen tubenoses we’ve seen so far en route make this one of our best birding trips ever.

Bid for bins — Oriental Bird Club The Oriental Bird Club is offering you the chance to bid for Swarovski binoculars in an online auction that begins on 14th May and will run for 10 days on eBay.   To make a bid, go to the...

Bid for bins - starting soon!

The Oriental Bird Club is offering you the chance to bid for Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars + a Wild Nature Accessory Pack in an online auction that begins on 14th May and will run for 10 days on eBay.

Details: www.orientalbirdclub.org/club-news/20...

Visiting my Dad in Durham and a walk along the river produced this male Mandarin - a County tick for me

And in the late afternoon, an adult Kittiwake over cell 10, RSPB Ouse Fen was an even better year tick bonus!

3 Arctic Terns, RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes

Some of the 7 Arctic Terns that dropped into Ferry Mere, RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes at 09:30 this morning: they only stayed about half an hour @birdguides.bsky.social