More Scottish Images from April 2009 . . . .

Two male Ring Ouzels were noted at Cairngorm on the 9th, one was also present on the afternoon of the 3rd. Numerous Red Grouse were seen at close range throughout the trip & provided pleasing photographic results in good light.

A few Crested Tit shots from Forest Lodge, Abernethy . . . .

Some Scottish Highlights . . . .
I caught up with a fabulous pair of Ptarmigan in the Cairngorms last week which were very approachable and looked stunning in the snow & late afternoon sun - my first British tick of 2009 & a long awaited one! I will update my blog with more Scottish highlights on my return to Suffolk  from Scotland at the weekend . . .

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Dutch on the Deben . . . 

A very high tide late morning combined with stormy grey skies and broken sunshine tempted me down to the Deben estuary in Woodbridge this morning. I enjoyed photographing Turnstone at very close range and noted one bird sporting a metal ring, colour ring and coloured ring tag on its right leg! On closer inspection, and using my photographs I was able to read the metal ring number (Z044951) and tag (CCT) and see that the bird was from Holland! I have now forwarded on the details through the BTO website and look forward to learning more of this controlled individual in weeks to come.

Spring on the Heath . . . Suffolk

I spent the morning on a local heath watching numerous Woodlark, Common Crossbill & Dartford Warblers. In the afternoon I got a garden tick as a Common Buzzard flew over and headed towards Melton at around 5pm. Yesterday saw another fabulous garden tick, when Phil spotted a flock of 19 Waxwing from the Kitchen at around 4pm (very glad I was also about at the time - this might have been a difficult garden blocker!!). Our tiny terraced abode is beginning to get quite a list!

Monday Med Gulls . . .

And again today . . . 

Siskins at the Suffolk Feeding Station . . . . 

Waxwing Wednesday - 25th Feb

There were still 20+ Waxwings in Rendlesham today. Yesterday morning numbers reached a notable 50+. Also of note - we managed to catch & ring another 10 Waxwing in Rendlesham yesterday, taking our 2009 total to 21! We actually caught 12 birds, but 2 were already ringed. One had been ringed by us in Rendlesham and the other by us in Kesgrave in January. . . .