27th September 2009

This Peregrine spent at least 2 hours perched on a pylon near the access track. Enough time for Phil Candlish to come over and see it too. Thanks to Phil for letting me use his 600mm lens to take this photo.

26th September 2009 - Leach's Petrel!

I was at home in Abingdon when I got a text saying Pete Smith had found a petrel on Stewartby Lake. As I hadn't seen either of Storm Petrel or Leach's Petrel on the lake, and I love seeing seabirds there I was very soon in a taxi heading for Milton Keynes where I was picked up by my parents and taken to the visitors centre. I was very relieved that the petrel, which by then had been confirmed as a Leach's, was still present and hadn't been chased off or killed by the gulls. The bird was being harassed by gulls most of the time it stayed on the lake and it eventually left shortly before sunset. What was presumed to be the same bird was seen the next day at Wilstone reservoir near Tring, Hertfordshire.

19th September 2009

A Snipe diving in towards the reeds by the pond in front of the cafe.

A Kingfisher between wetlands 3 and 9.

A Green Sandpiper on the pond in front of the cafe.