Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Tuesday, March 21, 2023,
12:30PM - 5:00PM - Marsh harrier, 2 snipe, 2 avocets, 8 pintails, wigeon, teal, mallards, 2 shelducks, shovelers, lapwings, redshanks, grey herons, Canada geese, mute swans, nuthatch, blue tits, great tits, dunnocks, robins, blackbirds, redwing, song thrushes, jays, magpies, carrion crows, feral pigeons, woodpigeons and pheasants.
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Snipe
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Lapwing
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Robin
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, July 21, 2018,
2:00PM - 4:00PM - 2 dunlins, coots, shelduck, mallards, tufted ducks, common terns including chicks, black-headed gulls including chicks, great black-backed gull, cormorants, grey heron, Canada geese, great crested grebes, linnets, pied wagtails and starlings.
Dunlin
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, June 16, 2018,
11:30AM - 3:30PM - Birds seen included Colin the cuckoo, curlew, redstarts, stonechats, Dartford warbler, woodlark, jays, buzzards, blue tits, great tits, mistle thrush, reed buntings, goldfinches, chaffinches, green woodpecker and mallards. Nightjars churring and goldcrests were heard. Mammals seen included a female roe deer with c3 fawns and a fox cub. Reptiles included an adder under some gorse and many common lizards on the boardwalks.
Colin the Cuckoo
Male Redstart with leg ring
Common Liza...
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, April 22, 2018,
1:30PM - 7:00PM - Birds seen included curlews, ringed plovers, oystercatchers, Mediterranean gulls, black-headed gulls, herring gulls, shelducks, mallards, c3 wheatears, linnets, skylarks, buzzard, cormorants, great crested grebes and grey heron.
Male Wheatear
Mediterranean Gull
Flock of Oystercatchers
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Thursday, August 24, 2017,
10:00AM - 1:00PM - 1 sanderling, 5+ dunlin, 4 black-tailed godwits, 3 greenshanks, 4 common sandpipers, 10+ ringed plovers, 2 yellow wagtails, c20 pied wagtails, 50+ coots, 50+ great crested grebes, 50+ tufted ducks, 20+ mallards, 50+ Canada geese, c5 cormorants, 50+ black-headed gulls, 1 kestrel, 1 starling and 20+ common terns.
Black-tailed Godwit and Black-headed Gull
Yellow Wagtails
Waders including Sanderling, Dunlin and Ringed Plover
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Thursday, August 24, 2017,
7:00AM - 11:30AM - 20+ separate kingfisher sightings, 2 common terns, 2 kestrels, 1 grey heron, 5+ mallards, 10+ long-tailed tits, c5 blue tits, c5 great tits, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 3 mute swans, 2 cormorants and 1 jay.
Male Kingfisher
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Friday, July 7, 2017,
10:30AM - 1:15PM - 20+ swallows, 2 woodlarks, 2 tree pipits, 5+ stonechats, 3 mallards (on Pudmore pond), 3 treecreepers, 3 Dartford warblers, 1 kestrel, 1 buzzard, 2 jays, 10+ long-tailed tits, 3 great tits, 2 blue tits, 10+ goldfinches and 1 willow warbler. Chiffchaffs and goldcrests were heard, but no redstarts.
Treecreeper
Woodlark
Swallow
Stonechat
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, March 4, 2017,
10:00AM - 1:00PM - 10+ crossbills, 4 bullfinches, 1 siskin, 15+ blue tits, 15+ great tits, 5+ blackbirds, 10+ robins, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 3 song thrushes, 3 chaffinches, 1 goldcrest and 1 jay.
Crossbill
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, January 21, 2017,
11:30AM - 3:30PM - 1
firecrest, 6 goldcrests, c15 robins, 4 great tits, 3 blue tits, 2 mute swans, c10 coots, 1 great crested grebe, c15 black-headed gulls, 4 stonechats and 4 blackbirds.
Male Firecrest
Goldcrest
Coot on the frozen pond
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Monday, January 2, 2017,
10:45AM - 4:00PM - 3 water pipits, 3 snipe, 1 pintail, 25+ shovelers, 20+ mallards, 20+ tufted ducks, c10 grey herons, 20+ teal, 25+ wigeon, 2 green woodpeckers, 2 reed buntings, 4 blue tits, 4 great tits, 2 blackbirds, 3 robins, c15 cormorants, 20+ black-headed gulls, 20+ herring gulls, c5 great black-backed gulls, 4 ring-necked parakeets, 15+ pochards, 25+ lapwings, 4 great crested grebes, 3 greylag geese, 4 Canada geese, 30+ moorhens and 25+ coots. No bittern :(
Common Snipe
Water Pipit
Drake...
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, December 4, 2016,
12:45PM - 3:00PM - 5 redpolls, c100 redwings, 2 fieldfares, c10 blackbirds, 1 song thrush, 30+ tufted ducks, 6 shovelers, 10 pochards, 30+ coots, c20 mallards, 3 cormorants, 3 grey herons, 1 kingfisher (flew past with fish in beak), 2 coal tits, 3 blue tits, 1 great tit, 3 robins, 3 pied wagtails and 1 jay. Sadly I missed the long-tailed duck - it was seen the day before and the day after!
One of many Redwings
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Monday, October 10, 2016,
1:00PM - 4:00PM - 2 great spotted woodpeckers, 10+ goldcrests, 1 jay, 3 chaffinches, c50 redwings, 2 robins, 15+ long-tailed tits, 5+ blue tits, 5+ great tits and 1 green woodpecker. No ring ouzel :(
Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Friday, August 26, 2016,
I enjoyed the Birdfair and some birdwatching of course over at Rutland Water. I only visited the Lyndon Nature Reserve and I saw 3 new species for me, which were Osprey, Tree Sparrow and Ruff. Other bird species I saw, bringing the total to 40, were green sandpiper, little egret, greenshank, grey heron, great tit, blue tit, greenfinch, goldfinch, robin, blackbird, hobby, red kite, cormorant, mallard, Canada goose, greylag goose, mute swan, great crested grebe, little grebe, coot, moorhen, tuf...
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, August 6, 2016,
10:00AM - 12:45PM - 1 oystercatcher, c15 common terns, 50+ black-headed gulls, 30+ great crested grebes, 100+ tufted ducks, 100+ coots, c10 linnets, c15 pied wagtails, 2 lapwings, 50+ mallards, 8 cormorants, 30+ Canada geese, 2 Egyptian geese and 1 grey heron. I didn't see the black-necked grebes :(
Terns, gulls and duck with chicks and eggs on the tern raft
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Wednesday, March 30, 2016,
12:00PM - 3:45PM - 3 snipe, c10 yellowhammers, 1 shelduck, 20+ shovelers, 4 teals, 20+ mallards, 2 gadwalls, c15 tufted ducks, 20+ coots, 10+ moorhens, 3 mute swans, 3 reed buntings, 2 green woodpeckers,17 greylag geese, c20 Canada geese, 2 Egyptian geese, 1 buzzard, 3 little grebes, 4 great crested grebes, 13 cormorants,1 grey heron, 1 song thrush, 3 goldfinches, 2 chiffchaffs, 3 robins, c5 blackbirds, c5 blue tits, c5 great tits and 2 long-tailed tits. Other wildlife includes rabbits and ma... Continue reading ...
Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Wednesday, February 24, 2016,
10:30AM - 2:00PM - 1 great spotted woodpecker, 1 little egret, 10+ goosanders, 3 nuthatches, 4 goldcrests, 3 reed buntings, 10+ pochards, 50+ tufted ducks, 6 shovelers, 20 wigeon, 10+ cormorants, 2 grey herons, 20+ blue tits, 20+ great tits, 20+ long-tailed tits, 2 chaffinches, 5+ goldfinches, 25+ lapwings, 10 Canada geese, 2 great crested grebes, 1 wren, 5 robins, 1 pheasant, 5+ black-headed gulls, 2 moorhens and 1 red kite.
Nuthatch
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, February 7, 2016,
Beddington Farmlands - 11:00AM - 1:00PM - 1 shelduck (drake), 8 shovelers, 6 teals, 10 mallards, 15+ coots, 5 moorhens, 5 redwings, 10+ grey herons, 5+ lesser black-backed gulls, 50+ black-headed gulls, 3 herring gulls, 15+ lapwings, 4 great tits, 3 blue tits and 1 mute swan. Other wildlife include a fox.
Shelduck and Gulls
2:00PM - Ate a burger at Ockham Bites. Watched
blue tits, robins, goldcrests, chaffinches and dunnocks in the trees.
Dunnock
Papercourt Meadows - 3:00PM - 4:30PM - 1 Short-ear... Continue reading ...
Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, January 30, 2016,
RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch is this weekend. Spend an enjoyable hour of your time to watch and count the birds in your garden.
My results:2 blackbirds, 3 blue tits, 3 collared doves, 2 dunnocks, 2 goldfinches, 1 great tit, 3 greenfinches, 3 house sparrows, 2 robins, 5 starlings and 2 woodpigeons.
I have had blackcaps, redwings and song thrushes in the garden over the past week, but just not when it counts!
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Male Greenfinch
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Monday, December 21, 2015,
10:15AM - 12:30PM - 10+ yellowhammers, 2 fieldfares, 20+ house sparrows, 100+ starlings, 2 green woodpeckers, 2 jays, 1 kestrel, 5 chaffinches, 4 blue tits, 1 great tit, 2 long-tailed tits, 3 skylarks, 3 ring-necked parakeets and 1 robin.
Male chaffinch
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, November 15, 2015,
10:15AM - 12:15PM - 1
great grey shrike, 1 red kite, 2 great spotted woodpeckers, 4 meadow pipits, 10 coots, 3 tufted ducks, 3 great crested grebes, 10+ black-headed gulls, 1 wren, 5+ blue tits and 10+ long-tailed tits.
Great Grey Shrike
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, October 4, 2015,
10:45AM - 13:00PM - 2 great spotted woodpeckers, 1 green woodpecker, 1 nuthatch, 4 stonechats, 1 kestrel, 1 goldcrest, 2 jays, 2 willow warblers, 20+ house martins, 6 coal tits, 8 long-tailed tits, 7 great tits, 6 blue tits and 6 robins. Many pheasants were heard. Unfortunately no crossbill or firecrest.
Robin
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, August 23, 2015,
12:45PM - 14:45PM - 1 tree pipit, 1 Dartford warbler, 8 stonechats, 3 kestrels, 15+ coal tits, 5 great tits, 5 long-tailed tits, 3 chaffinches, 2 goldcrests, 2 willow warblers and 1 wren.
Juvenile stonechat
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Thursday, July 23, 2015,
9:20AM - 11:15AM - 5 bullfinches (1 female, 4 juveniles), 10+ linnets, 3 greenfinches, 4 goldfinches, 6 green woodpeckers (1 juvenile), 3 stock doves, 1 treecreeper, 4 long-tailed tits, 7 great tits, 3 blue tits, 1 jay, 3 chiffchaffs, 2 willow warblers and 5 robins. Other wildlife include rabbits, grey squirrels and butterflies.
Comma butterfly on my shorts
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Thursday, May 28, 2015,
10:00AM - 15:30PM - 2 little ringed plovers, 4 common terns, 20+ lapwings (including 3 chicks), 3 reed warblers, 8 pochards, 3 shovelers, 4 gadwalls, 40+ tufted ducks, 20+ mallards, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 1 green woodpecker, 1 jay, 20+ sand martins, 20+ swifts, 1 song thrush, 5 grey herons, 1 cormorant, 3 chaffinches, 3 goldfinches, 6 great tits, 4 blue tits, 1 wren, 3 robins, 2 ring-necked parakeets, 20+ moorhens, 40+ coots, 5 mute swans, 10 Canada geese, 2 Egyptian geese, 1 great crest...
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, April 19, 2015,
11:30AM - 14:00PM - 4 whitethroats, 6 linnets, 6 skylarks, 4 reed buntings, 1 sedge warbler, 1 blackcap, 1 kestrel, 1 mistle thrush, 1 jay, 6 chaffinches, 2 goldfinches, 15+ blue tits, 15+ great tits, 6 mallards, 1 mute swan, 2 wrens, 1 robin, 2 blackbirds, 3 cormorants and 1 coot. Many pheasants could be heard.
Male whitethroat
Male linnet
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, March 22, 2015,
10:00AM - 11:45AM - 2 water pipits, 10+ meadow pipits, 2 skylarks, 5 reed buntings, 10 chiffchaffs, 1 kestrel, 3 song thrushes, 4 redwings, 1 pheasant, 3 greenfinches, 15+ goldfinches, 2 goldcrests, 6 blue tits, 5 great tits, 5 long-tailed tits, 7 robins, 5 blackbirds, 1 wren, 2 dunnocks, 1 ring-necked parakeet, 2 moorhens, 1 mallard and 2 Canada geese.
Male reed bunting
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, February 22, 2015,
12:00PM - 13:45PM - 1 great spotted woodpecker, 4 nuthatches, 4 goldcrests, 15+ blue tits, 15+ great tits, 8 long-tailed tits, 1 coal tit, 2 robins and 3 blackbirds. Jays could be heard. There was 2 grey squirrels as well.
Robin
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, January 17, 2015,
12:00PM - 14:00PM - 1 kestrel, 2 stonechats, 2 little grebes, 4 pheasants, 10 goldfinches, 1 wren, 5 long-tailed tits, 10 blue tits, 7 great tits, 5 cormorants, 1 grey heron, 5 mallards and 4 blackbirds. There was also a fox.
Male stonechat
Red fox
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Wednesday, December 31, 2014,
11:00AM - 13:00PM - 6 stonechats, 25+ chaffinches, 12 redwings, 1 buzzard, 1 jay, 1 green woodpecker, 6 robins, 4 goldcrests, 4 coal tits, 8 great tits and 7 blue tits.
Buzzard sitting in a tree
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Saturday, November 29, 2014,
9:00AM - 10:20AM - 5 black-necked grebes, 1 red-breasted merganser, 1 great northern diver, 3 goldeneyes, 30+ wigeon, 9 gadwalls, 50+ tufted ducks, 15 great crested grebes, 2 little grebes, 50+ coots, 30+ lapwings, 4 mute swans, 3 cormorants, 30+ black-headed gulls, 10 pied wagtails and 20+ starlings.
Wigeon (Female left and Drake right)
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Friday, October 31, 2014,
10:00AM - 13:00PM - 3 goldcrests, 1 buzzard, 1 kingfisher, 8 black-headed gulls, 1 cormorant, 2 great crested grebes, 4 coots, 1 mallard, 3 robins, 3 great tits and 4 blue tits.
Comorant and 2 black-headed gulls
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, October 5, 2014,
9:30AM - 11:30AM - 7 kingfishers, 50+ tufted ducks, 7 mallards, 1 pochard, 20 coots, 2 moorhens, 9 great crested grebes, 4 ring-necked parakeets, 5 great tits, 2 goldcrests, 1 nuthatch, 2 wrens, 3 long-tailed tits, 2 shovelers, 3 cormorants, 1 grey heron, 7 mute swans, 2 siskins and 4 robins.
Tufted ducks
Pochard and coot
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Wednesday, September 3, 2014,
9:30AM - 12:30PM - 1 green sandpiper, 5 reed buntings, 2 barn owls, 30+ lapwings, 4 little grebes, 6 great crested grebes, 5 teals, 10 mallards, 7 gadwalls, 20+ tufted ducks, 40+ coots, 15 moorhens, 7 goldfinches, 3 robins, 4 blue tits, 3 great tits, 1 grey heron, 5 mute swans, 7 Canada geese and 1 green woodpecker.
Green Sandpiper
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Tuesday, August 5, 2014,
9:30AM - 11:30AM - 1 Dartford warbler, 1 hobby, 1 kestrel, 10 stonechats including young, 2 whitethroats, 2 willow warblers, 1 green woodpecker, 6 goldfinches, 20 blue tits, 4 great tits and 1 coot. Goldcrest could also be heard. Many butterflies including gatekeeper, small copper and meadow brown. Mammals included 2 muntjac deer and a roe deer.
A distant male Stonechat
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Friday, August 1, 2014,
10:00AM - 13:00PM - 5 willow warblers, 5 blue tits, 5 great tits, 30+ long-tailed tits, 1 grey heron, 2 reed buntings, 2 hobbies, 4 green woodpeckers, 10+ greenfinches, 4 goldfinches, 2 song thrushes, 2 blackbirds and 5 wrens.
Juvenile Song Thrush
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Friday, April 18, 2014,
9:00AM - 11:15AM - 17+ blue tits, 14+ great tits, 2 coal tits, 7 robins, 7 blackbirds, 4 nuthatches, 3 treecreepers, 2 wrens, 3 chiffchaffs, 1 mallard, 1 jay, 2 buzzards, 3 ring-necked parakeets and 1 green woodpecker. I also heard pheasants and other warblers. Other wildlife include roe deer, field mice, brimstone, common blue, peacock and speckled wood butterflies.
A friendly robin
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Tuesday, April 8, 2014,
10:30AM - 11:45AM - 2 blackcaps (both were male), 3 great spotted woodpeckers, 1 chiffchaff, 2 jays, 4 chaffinches, 20+ blue tits, 15+ great tits, 5+ robins and 4 blackbirds. A nuthatch could be heard, but was not seen.
Unclear picture of a blackcap, but it is definitely a blackcap.
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, March 16, 2014,
10:30AM - 11:30AM - 3 buzzards, 4 jays, 2 cormorants, 1 mallard, 1 mute swan, 2 ring-necked parakeets, 1 redwing, 1 little grebe, 6 robins, 4 blackbirds, 10+ blue tits, 5 great tits, 1 chiffchaff, 3 goldfinches, 3 greenfinches and 10+ house sparrows.
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Sunday, November 10, 2013,
2PM - 4PM, 2 blue tits, 7 great tits, 7 Long-tailed tits, 10 goldfinches, 3 robins, 7 blackbirds, 40+ herring gulls, 5 lesser black-backed gulls, 3 grey herons, 13 mallards, 14 tufted ducks, 5 gadwalls, 6 teals, 17 lapwings, 1 song thrush, 20 cormorants, 20+ coots, 5 moorhens, 4 mute swans and 10 black-headed gulls.
14 Cormorants (roosting) at Spynes Mere
Lapwings and Gulls at Spynes Mere
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Posted by Thomas Mark Banks on Monday, October 14, 2013,
1 chaffinch, 15 blue tits, 10 great tits, 1 goldcrest, 3 beautiful nuthatches, 1 coal tit, 3 robins, 3 ring-necked parakeet, 1 buzzard and 5 long-tailed tits.
Other birds that are usually spotted there: Jays, great spotted woodpeckers, song thrushes, tawny owls, blackcaps and wrens.
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