White Naped Wren-New Species!!

 I don't normally photograph Wrens when I catch them, but this one  had a rather neat white feather patch on its nape. No doubt a valiant attempt to become a new species!

I managed to get a photo of this Osprey as it circled over Thornton. I think it has what look like rings on its left leg. It might be a Rutland bird, but I await confirmation.
Other sighting of Spring migrants have included House Martin and Yellow Wagtail on the 10th April and Willow Warbler on the 13th.
Large numbers of hirundines were feeding in the cold northerly over the fields above Stony Bank. There were 18 Pied Wagtails, one a candidate for a White Wagtail and also 2 Meadow Pipits.

March and recent highlights.

 An adult Whooper Swan on the 24th March was a brief visitor as was

 this smart Bar-Headed Goose on April 4th. Perhaps this individual had decided to take the easy option and head for Thornton, rather than fly north over the Himalayas from wintering grounds in the Ganges valley! More likely an escapee from a collection. We have now had Black Swan and Bar-Headed Goose this spring, both popular exotics in the county.

Other species seen in March included Grey Partridge, 3 Shelduck on the 7th, and Red Kite on the 10th. On the 17th Redshank, Sand Martin and Meadow Pipit were recorded. A single Wheatear was seen on the 27th and the first Swallow on the 30th.
After seeing a fly through Common Tern on the 1st April, highlight later that day was an Osprey carrying a fish and flying north over the lodge. My first Common Sandpiper was on the 2nd feeding on the dam.

February Highlights.

Two juvenile Greater Black backed Gulls were present on the 6th. One has been in the company of Cormorants all month, with the aim of stealing a trout. On the 8th 40 Golden Plover was a good count and a single Red Kite was a fly through. During the snow flurries of the 11th a male Blackcap was in the garden and 26 Cormorants were on the reservoir.
The February Webs count on the 12th produced 143 Mallard, 27 Tufted Duck and 11 Great crested Grebes. Peregrines were seen on the 13th and 23rd, the latter date having two birds chasing each other as storm Doris struck.
During the unsettled and stormy weather of the 27th strange Mamma clouds were seen in the afternoon.

January sightings.

Highlights of the month were 2 Waxwings in Sharps Close on the 14th and an Antipodean visitor in the form of a Black Swan, 20th-24th. Not sure where the latter had escaped from.
Six Bullfinch were feeding on Himalayan Honeysuckle in the garden and a Little Egret was a fly over.
There were approximately 350 Lapwing on the 17th and a small flock of 18 Golden Plover were accompanying them. A flock of 61 Wigeon was a good count for the reservoir.
Other sightings have included Raven, Siskin, Redpoll, Water Rail, Yellowhammer and a displaying Sparrowhawk. The first frogs have also been seen in the pond and a single Peacock butterfly was an unseasonal sighting.

Little Bittern Bagged!

 I was very happy to eventually tick off the Thornton Little Bittern this week.

 Pity it was 62 years late and just the skin at New Walk Museum.

Thanks to Jan Dawson for giving me the chance to see it.

Dutch Black-headed Gull.

I managed to read the colour ring on a first winter Black-headed Gull at Thornton reservoir. The colour ring is white with a black code, EH9E. Having gone on to the European colour ringing site I was able to find the ringer responsible for this project. I emailed him and he quickly sent me the details on this bird.
The gull was rung as a nestling as part of the Griend project at the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands. Date Lutterop is the ringer and he was able to tell me that this gull had been rung on 30/06/2016. It has travelled 444km to spend the winter at Thornton. Date informed me that they ring hundreds of Black-headed Gulls and many of them winter in England.

Best of the Cape.

 Great views of Table Mountain.

 African Penguin at Boulders Beach.

 Southern Double collared Sunbird.

 Bontebok.

 Dad with the kids.

 White backed Duck

Southern Red Bishop.

 Southern Right Whale blow foreground, and Brydes in distance.

 Spotted Thick-Knee

 Cape Clawless Otter.

 Blue Crane.

 Robben Island.

 Cape Sugarbird

 Great White Shark

 Under water views of Great Whites was an amazing experience.