A Brit abroad

Cold turkey

Ugh. Work deadlines and the increasingly pressing need to find a job for next year have left me with precious little time for birding - why do I always have too much to do in peak migration season? Today I decided I really needed a break from the computer screen, so spent a few hours birding around the university campus. 4 species of woodpecker were noted by call, though the only one that posed for photos was this feeding Green Woodpecker (Pic vert).

Jays (Geai des chenes) and Red Squirrels (Ecureuil roux) were busy caching acorns for the impending winter.

I spent some time around my favourite pond - Grey Heron (Heron cendre) and Kingfisher (Martin-pecheur) were unfortunately flushed by picnickers just before I arrived, so I concentrated my digiscoping efforts on the moulting Mallards (Canard colvert).

The trees around the pond were alive with tit flocks and many Chiffchaffs (Pouillot veloce) - the most visible sign of migration at the moment. The Crested Tits (Mesange huppee) were almost too close to digiscope!

While waiting for photo-ops with the above species, I snapped this flycatching Robin (Rougegorge familier) and a 'record shot' of a Goldcrest (Roitelet huppe) - not the easiest species to digiscope!

Back at my place, I enjoyed watching the local Magpies (Pie bavarde) come in to roost.

I may be itching to get out to the coast to look for rarities, but re-acquainting oneself with the common species is good for the soul!

Crakespotting

This weekend I returned to the UK for a job interview - I don't think I'll be offered the position, but a good excuse to visit the folks back home. On Saturday, Neil and I headed to Canvey Point for a high tide shorebird/wader roost where in recent weeks a White-rumped Sandpiper has been sporadically sighted. No sign of that, but a good assortment of species including Little Tern, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Grey/Black-bellied Plover and a few (Red) Knot.

Hopping around amongst the Spartina and Salicornia brought back fond memories of fieldwork on the other side of the world...

Here's a very easy 'quizbird' (answer at the bottom of the page)

Far too early on Sunday morning we headed up to Maldon to see a Spotted Crake that had showed up a couple of days back. This was only the second of the species I've ever seen (heard a few), and much, much more obliging than my 2 second glimpse at Grove Ferry many moons ago.

The supporting cast included a couple of Kingfishers whizzing past our ears, Black-tailed Godwits, Green Sandpipers and Avocet. All these photos were taken through Neil's scope which I managed to commandeer again - sorry Neil!

The quizbird is, of course, a Sandwich Tern.