Being away for half of the month I had to rely a lot on the trail cameras for the goings on in my reserve this month. Plenty of red fox action as usual and some teal which are only occasionally sen on the reserve.

A dismal moth of moths at home (well two weeks, I was away the other two), nothing trapped at home, shocking weather and only two winter moths seen in Cornwall on a toilet block. However in Australia I had some excellent moths including a Hercules but still trying to identify most of them.

A nice selection of local mammals fallow deer, muntjac deer, grey squirrel, common shrew, Chinese water deer. Including a nice wood mouse in my house which was returned to a local hedgerow.

With nothing planned, not much about in the UK I headed to the Netherlands for the Spectacled Eider. Le Shuttle and overnight drive to Den Helder, I got a few hours sleep before taking the ferry to Texel. Only a few other cars were present and a dozen or so people headed to look at first light. We spread out looking for the eider and more people had joined the search, I was a little further up the coast when it was reported near the cars and headed back to see the stunning Spectacled Eider. It was still very dark and the bird not very close so it was record photo time. I watched it for a while before heavy rain forced me back to the car, and most others had already gone. I drove around a bit and saw plenty of nice birds Spoonbill, avocet, redshank, lapwing. I headed back to the mainland and searched unsuccessfully for the Baikal Teal Nr Alkmaar, then headed to Groene Jonker reserve. It stopped raining and the sun had appeared from nowhere which made finding the bufflehead very difficult as did the presence of a couple of thousand other ducks and the fact that it was a female. It took a while and got a brief view before all the ducks took flight and as time was getting on I headed off. I did find a lesser white fronted goose in a goose flock near Rotterdam and I had just time enough to get to Noorder Krammer to see the wintering greater flamingos. before I had to head back to Calais. A good day with 8 geese species, 16 duck species, and a whole host of other birds, just one roe deer.

I met up with James Hunter and we headed off for a days birding in the Fens, but first stop was the tip. At the pools we had a Chinese water deer but no Glaucous gulls. We couldn’t find them on the tip either but a few Caspian gulls and a Leucistic Greater Black Backed Gull. The Nene washes produced Tawny, Short and Long Eared owls another Chinese water deer and some Ruff, cattle egret. At Deeping lakes we could not fine Glossy ibis or Little owl, but Long eared owls and a goldeneye of note and several goosander on the river. Last stop was at Willowtree Fen which produced a nice selection of birds coming to roost Goosanders, Marsh harriers, including the Leucistic bird, whooper swans and a Bewick’s swan in amongst them. But eventually a couple of cranes appeared, but the main flock were spotted as they flew in. A Barn owl finished off a nice day out, even if the sun never put in an appearance.

I drove overnight to Cornwall arriving in the layby at 5am parked up between to vans and lorries which by 8am had departed the infilling cars made it look like people had parked badly due to the different vehicle sizes. About 9am the first sighting of the booted eagle occurred and it showed for a while but a little distantly until it was lost to view. Satisfied I headed to Sennen Cove, here along with a small group of very friendly and helpful birders we had a great session birding Bonaparte’s and Iceland gulls plenty Chough and rock pipits and even gannets feeding offshore. I popped into Penzance, at the swimming pool at least 30 purple sandpipers were roosting on the rocks, latterly joined by a flock of Sanderling. Blac throated and great northern divers off shore were a bonus. I headed back to the eagle as there had been another report but it had gone again with no sign of it for a while, so I headed off for a late lunch. With no further sign by mid afternoon I headed home.

Steak Pasty – Phips, Hayle – 10/10 Chips – Highlanes Fish & Chips, Hayle – Chips - 7/10