Slavonian Grebe

Only had to wait five days to add another species to my area year list. I can't remember the last time I checked Bradley Fen so it was a stroke of luck to turn this up in my lunch break today. This used to be my WeBS count years ago when it was known as Drysides Pit and I found a Slavonian Grebe here once before on 18th Oct 1998. Crikey, that's ten years ago!

There were also a couple of Chiffchaffs and a couple of Goldcrests about.

Could this even be one of the birds we saw in Finland back in June?!

Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus

Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x32

Scaup, Holme Fen

Been checking the meres here at Holme Fen NNR for the past few weeks as the wildfowl numbers build up. Rewarded today with a first-winter Scaup on Jackson's Mere; not an easy species to catch up with - only one or two a year get seen in the area. This takes my 2008 area year list to 188.

Scaup Aythya marila


Digiscoped with Canon Powershot A640 and Leica APO77 x32

A couple from Cornwall

The Bluethroat was a Cornish tick for me and approached ridiculously closely. The 4x zoom on the A640 was all that was needed. The Kestrel was digiscoped.

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica


Kestrel Falco tinnunculus