Surprise Brambling

Having struggled to find any Bramblings at Burnham Beeches the previous day (but eventually managing to see a couple of males), I was surprised to find a female in my garden this morning!  It started picking up food underneath a feeder and later took food directly from the feeder.

It is over 10 years since I have seen a Brambling in the garden.  The photos below some of the ID features on a female.

Brambling - Showing the orange breast changing to a white belly.

Brambling - Showing two dark lines down the back of the neck.

Brambling - Part of the white rump is just showing.

Waxwings - At Last

Waxwings have been present in the UK this Winter for several months and more recently as close as Berkhampstead.  However news of three Waxwings along the Hughenden Valley came from my old friend Mike Bevan on 20th Feb, although they had apparently been present at the site for about a week (Glynswood, just off of Green Hill).

I arrived about 9:45 with no other birders around.  I explored the track that led away from the houses but no sign.  I wandered back towards a tall tree at the end of the track and heard the unmistakable calls of Waxwings.  Sat in the tree I had passed earlier were three Waxwings.  The light was not great and the birds were not very close so the photos are not great.

Waxwing - Glynswood, High Wycombe

Burnham Beeches

A very pleasant walk around part of Burnham Beeches with plenty of bird activity and song on a bright morning.  Lots of Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Greater Spotted Woodpecker activity.  I was surprised to find a flock of an estimated 200 Brambling with some Chaffinches in there as well.  Also of note were a pair of Mandarin and some Redpoll which were unseen but calling well in the treetops.  A flock of very noisy Redwings in the tree tops was probably 50 strong.

Mandarin -  Always keep your camera and binoculars in the car with you!  I had to back up, get to the camera from the car boot and drive forwards again to get this photo from the car window.

Brambling - Yes there are some in this photo.  At least seven along with a couple of Chaffinches.
Click on image to see full size.

Brambling - One more obvious in this photo but with another five at least on the ground with one or two Chaffinches.

Treecreeper - In full song this morning.

Caspian and other Gulls at Little Marlow GP

Caspian Gull - Rather distant and in poor light just before dusk.  A first winter bird.  
There were about 3000 Gulls on the sand spit.

Great Black-backed Gull - A regular visitor to the lake in the past few days.

The travels of the above gull since it was ringed in Jan 2015.
For full details click here.

Black-headed Gull - Yellow "T3XP" This individual was ringed in Poland.  Full details awaited.