Tis a good good week!!!

Spring or Autumn, then Portland is the place to be.
Christmas is a very different story.. you need to be here.. Newbury / Hungerford.

We had a Glossy Ibis deciding to become 'tame' and pose for pictures..
Then http://www.berksbirds.co.uk/ mentions a Great White Egret in Great Shefford.. and then... then a bloody Dipper in Welford!!!
This is West Berkshire... not the West Country!!
If this week carries on - it will be a Dodo or Phoenix next??

So I turned up at Welford, expecting a blank, cos that is usually how it goes..
Got chatting to a guy with a camera lens as long my arm.. he was aiming it at a house by the River Lambourn.. wondered if I should chat to him.. He could be a 'pap'?..
But he is on the Dipper.. it isnt on the river and has popped over a fence and is in someones garden!
I look, I dont see.. this is my motto for the year?? Then someone opens a window in the house and it pops up on a fence.. If you didnt know better, you'd say 'Blackbird!

That was a 10 minute look. Apart from when Im with Tim or Joe, I never see the target so quickly.. so with the shots taken and light fading, I headed to Great Shefford and the GW Egret..

No Birders, Twitchers or even cars in the site it was reported at.. Not good..

Now a life lesson.. when its cold.. take gloves!!!

Stood on the roadside, scanning a field that is white with snow, looking for a bird that is white as snow.. I was beginning to guess that result..

Then.. hey presto.. or hey dodo... or whaever the saying is..

I finally spot what I'm looking for.. Stood way off in the distance, I walked along the road to try and take a picture of a white bird against a background that wasnt white as snow..

Whilst in Great Shefford, I was lucky enough to meet a Birdwatcher.. one of those people who can actually identify what they see.. This chap told me that there was a Jack Snipe on the bend of the river.. a quick look through the 'bins' and yep.. a Yeartick and no. 144....

Target was 100 at the start.. 2 new ones in a week and the boy went away happy.

On a roll, and needing beer, I decided to go through Hungerford and look for Waxwing..

Got very excited in what turned out to be a Redwing.. oh well..

A local MEGA!!

Two Hundred and Twenty Years..

Apparently its been that long since a Glossy Ibis has frequented these parts.. An African bird that was feeding in a snowy river!

Couldnt be much further from home, could it...

This one has been in around the Freemans Marsh area of Hungerford for around 10 days..

Tried to see it before, but in true Chris style, always seem to arrive just after theyve flown off..

Not today :o)

Its beginning to look a lot like . . . . . . . .

Embarrassed to say that Ive only just got around to putting any bird food out in my new place..

Within 5 minutes - the first visitor appeared..

Not the best of shots due to dirty windows, but haven't uploaded anything for a while, so thought i would..

WAXWING! Just one... but... finally!!

I have to say a big thank you to Tim, as it was his spot, and he drove,

but we finally got us some Waxwing action..

Only one, in the trees next to the road in Turners Drive, Thatcham - but its a much needed Yeartick and really.. its a pride thing too.. as every other fecker seems to have them in their gardens etc.

Happy Days... except that I didnt take my big lens,

so these are cropped, resulting in a loss of quality.

Hey ho.. we still got us a Waxwing :o)

More old shots.. The Rooksbury Kingfishers.

With no adventures recently, I thought I'd add a few old shots.

This Kingfisher was often present at Rooksbury LNR in the winter months.

Most days you would see at least one around the former Trout Stew Ponds.

There was usually a branch or two in the way, so clear shots were difficult, but here you can see a fish about to be consumed.

An adventure locally...

With rain forecast for mudday, I thought id go off and take a few more Autumn pics..

I remembered one place that looked amazing from the past.. A track down to a farm lined with Sycamore Trees. Too Late!!!! Most leaves off trees.. D'oh!

So carried on to Lambourn to catch up with people at my old work, when I remembered this old Watering Hole that is left when the River Lambourn dries out. Plenty of Finches and Pipits bathing..

Plus half a dozen Yellowhammers, that I needed for my Facebook A-Z of Birds Album..

So I went away happy.

After a quick nip to my old work, it was still sunny so I thought Id head out to Raptor Alley..

A long road that has farm land and telegraph poles on each side for 4 miles (near Woolley and Chaddleworth)...

From my days of cycling around there, I knew this area was a hotbed for Raptors...

Buzzards, Kestrels and Kites have made this home and I doubt you would never see at least 1 of each, anytime of the year..

And happily snapped this Red Kite.. One of 3 that were circling there.. and one of a dozen I saw in the space of a few miles..

I recognise Lucky when I see it.. ;o)

After Raptor Alley, I headed to Dinton Pastures near Winnersh..

A Bittern had been repeatedly reported at Lavills Lake LNR on http://www.berksbirds.co.uk and I need this for my YEARLIST.

I sat there for 2 hours or more.. Local knowledge folks. You cant beat it and it saves you from freezing you 'arris' off!!!

No Bittern, but I have a better idea of when to go now.

Whilst there I snapped a very brave Little Grebe.. Normally a shy bird, but someone forgot to tell this one!! And of course.. you cant go anywhere near water without seeing Cormorants these days..

A cold, but goooood day..

Everybodies favourite Season?

A day off so hit the local pathes for a bit of Birding.. all quiet, apart from some Grey Partridge at Bucklebury, and a Year tick.. so I was happy in the end.

Then drove back towards the Discovery Centre and had a quick walk in an Autumnal wood.

Stumbled across these monster toadstools. . .

These Deer live in Englefield Park..

Owned by a certain MP for West Berkshire...

I used to go there as a kid and walk around the Park.. might have to apply for permission and get a few Deer shots.

The sunbathing Fox...

Headed to Hengistbury Head near Christchurch after Brownsea, hoping to find some passing Migrants... (not the Polish type).. It was dissapointing... a few Stonechat, but the North wind had probably helped them well on their way all week.. Anyhoo. A quick check over a Gorse bush found this stunner.. bathing in the Sunshine.

Beautiful Brownsea..

Managed a quick trip to a few places today..

First stop was Brownsea for Spoonbill and Avocet for the year list..

Ticks achieved.. and the real attraction of Brownsea is the Red Squirrels.. .

plus took some pics of the graveyard..

A walk around Greenham on the last day of Summer.

Cormorant on the Tern Raft at Lower Farm Gravel Pits.

(Great Crested Grebe in front and Shoveler behind)

Common Sandpiper

Green Woody with Meadow Pipit in front at Greenham Common.

Wheatear.

Stonechat.

Some old shots, rediscovered.

Rooksbury Lakes

Sunflowers in Boxford

A penny for your thoughts?

Morning mist.