Chat-trick
Saturday 15th October 2011 Chris Parnell's records today: one superb Whinchat, 1 Wheatear, 4 Stonechat the highlights today, plus 24 Wigeon, 2 Teal , and smaller numbers of Shoveler and Pochard. I think this is the first time that 3 chat species (Stonechat, Whinchat...
Vis Mig Marvel
Friday 14th October Tons of birds around this morning - saw 61 species in 2 hours, which is seriously good. The Visible Migration season is in full swing, and was respectable even at Longham, where it's usually dire. For those who don't know, Visible Migration (Vis...
Marvellous, sensational…
11th October 2011 ...life-changing? Well, not quite. But a Yellow-legged Gull is a good bird for Longham Lakes, and this afternoon's visitor was only the 4th record, as far as I can tell. It was a good individual, too, a first winter with a good heavy bill, dingy face...
Almost the latest…
4 Sand Martins at Longham Lakes today were almost the latest recorded here, but there was 1 stray on 13th October 2004. At least 100 Swallows passed south-east today in the two hours between 10.00 and 12.00, and there were a few reasonable birds around: a Bullfinch,...
Flush of late Wheatears
Tuesday 4th October 3 Wheatears beside Longham Lakes (above), and still 20 Shovelers (Chris Parnell).
Siskin Bonanza reaches Longham
Wednesday 28th September Siskins have been in the news recently, with record numbers being seen on visible migration watches in Scotland and elsewhere, even from late August. Well, these small finches have now reached Longham Lakes, with a flock of 20 this morning in...
Crowded Airspace
Monday 26th September 2011 It would be hard not to describe today's short visit to Longham as astonishing. It began well at 2pm, when I heard the familiar croak of a Raven over Hampreston Fields and looked up to find it mobbing an Osprey high above, my second of the...
Records tumble in the weed
Coot are not always the most talked-about birds on local patches. Very common, dull in colour and presenting no identification challenge, it is very easy to ignore them. So let's hear it, just for once, for a record-breaking Coot count on Tuesday 20th September. There...
A Bumper Morning and other recent records
Ringing at Longham on Thursday morning (September 15th) was superb, both in numbers and variety. The scarcest bird was probably a single Garden Warbler, but there were also no less than 27 Chiffchaffs, 22 Blackcaps and 14 Meadow Pipits among the 78 birds ringed during...
A surprise in the ringing nets
Redstart was an unexpected find in the ringing nets at Longham Lakes this morning. There were also a few Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Reed Warblers.