By the start of December bird migration is over and, with the exception of parties of Redwings, Fieldfares and (this winter) Waxwings roving the country looking for food, birds were settled in their winter quarters. However, the weather continued unsettled, with cold weather at the start of the month followed by warmer but also wetter and windier weather later. On one of the sunny days (in between spells of rain) on the 6th I visited St Albans, where I had hoped to add Firecrest (seen on the previous two days in Verulamium Park) to my year list. Of course, the Firecrest had gone but I did get a brief glimpse of the female-type Black Redstart (that had also been reported on the previous two days) on the Cathedral roof, whilst on the other side of the Cathedral one of the resident Peregrines was sunning itself and looking sweet and innocent above a pile of feathers of some of its victims. Back in the park, a male Kingfisher was fishing for Sticklebacks in the stream that runs alongside the lake and had drawn in a few bird photographers as well as many onlookers who stopped to admire it. I failed to get any photos of it fishing, but managed a few decent shots of it perched in the surrounding trees and bushes.
Peregrine on St Albans Cathedral, 6 December
Male Kingfisher, Verulamium Park, St Albans, 6 December
I visited Broom Gravel Pits (near Biggleswade, Beds.) on the 12th, where a large flock of Lesser Redpolls was reported to contain one or two Common ('Mealy') Redpolls. Common and Lesser Redpolls are regarded as separate species by some (including me) but as a single species by others. Looking, as always, to expand my UK bird year list, I searched for Common Redpolls in a flock of around 20 Lesser Redpolls, but was unable to find any convincing candidates. Nevertheless, I did take the opportunity to get some ok pictures of the Lesser Redpolls, feeding in (mainly) Birch Trees.
Lesser Redpoll, Broom Gravel Pits, 12 December
Having 'dipped' on a number of rare bird species in the previous few weeks, I set off for Staines Reservoirs (Middlesex) on the 14th, where at least one Black-throated Diver had been present for several days, with a degree of pessimism. On arrival, I set off across the causeway that separates the north and south basins where, on my last visit some years ago, I had seen an American Horned Lark (a great rarity). I soon saw at least two Black-necked Grebes, close to the causeway on the south basin, but the north basin, where the diver had been reported, appeared to be devoid of birds. I could see a bird watcher with a telescope at the far end of the causeway, but they disappeared as I approached - and still no sign of divers. Suddenly, as I approached the west end of the causeway, I noticed a Great Northern Diver (also reported here for several days previously) behind me, close to the causeway, and shortly afterwards a Black-throated Diver appeared, swimming towards me from the north western end of the north basin. Within a couple of minutes the two birds were almost together, and seemed to associate with each other for around five minutes, sometimes coming within 50 feet of me. Despite the extremely gloomy weather, necessitating the use of a high ISO and wide open aperture, I managed to get a few decent photos of the birds (below) and my best ever views of both species, albeit in their drab, winter plumage (both birds were juveniles). This has to rank as probably my best UK bird watching experience of 2023 and, combined with my failed November 'twitch' for the Pallid Swift, illustrates perfectly the highs and lows of a bird watcher's life.
Black-necked Grebe, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December
Black-throated Diver, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December
Great Northern Diver, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December
Black-throated (left) and Great Northern Divers, Staines Reservoirs, 14 December
On the 23rd I went on my last bird watching trip of the year of any note, visiting Snettisham, where I finally connected with Waxwings near the RSPB car park, and RSPB Titchwell, where I did some photography on the beach. The highlight here was a Purple Sandpiper, seen alongside a Turnstone and a Knot at Thornham Point, on a day when 15 wader species were seen.
Purple Sandpiper (Left-hand Bird) with Turnstone and Knot, Thornham Point, 23 December
Waxwing, RSPB Snettisham, 23 December
I finished the year with a UK (for this year, just England) list of 231 bird species, the same as in 2022. However, that might have been 232 because, whilst we were visiting my brother and his family in Lancashire on the 30th, Marsh/Willow Tits were visiting bird feeders at Sale Water Park along with the four commoner tit species. One bird in particular looked like a Willow Tit (in an area where this species occurs). However, the only bird that I managed to photograph on a dull, wet day was very likely the very similar Marsh Tit (image below).
Marsh Tit (I think), Sale Water Park, Manchester, 30 December
