To complete the quintet little owl was also logged near Angram Farm at first light; so we’ve now had all the owls in the last two weeks (within 2 miles of the reserve at any rate!) – and still not a photo of any of them! I see Tony did manage a nice fieldfare though in his valiant efforts here…
The white-front flock reached a peak of 65 on Sunday – thanks to HVWG for this pic:
This had shrunk to around 46 over the last couple of days but I see birds are being logged at nearby High Eske too. Thanks to Ian Traynor too for these images:
Smew has been showing again well at Watton too – HVWG pic here – there is a suggestion this could be a young male:
Ian also got this pic:
And likewise of the curlew present too:
As too did HVWG:
Also on Watton yesterday were a little egret, and an otter apparently giving great views at 2:30pm in front of the hide. Luckily for the foxes the hunt today was on the east Hull bank!:
Amongst Ians’s other pictures is this very wintry South Marsh East – for more of his work check out his Flickr page here:
Gracing this scene on Sunday was female goosander – by HVWG – and latterly seen on D res roost with 2 males yesterday:
Seen too have been up to three pintail each evening, and the colossal winds this evening brought the gulls in nice and close:
Before they were blotted out by a very heavy squall:
The previous night HVWG managed a couple of argentatus herring gulls (back centre on top pic):
A mediterranean was on O res yesterday; a change of venue returning 290 great black backed gulls the same night and 2 whooper swans on Sunday afternoon.
This is what I am now sure must be the last dragonfly of 2011 - a common darter on the 19th - one of the latest yearly site records - just outliving a migrant hawker last seen in the car park on the 17th:
On the other hand a wintry but welcome sight was the bittern showing itself again – thanks to Dave Ruffles for the pic – as he points out – it’s not quite a partridge in a tree; but then we are not quite in the festive season yet…
