21.An interesting December

Osprey or Rough-legged Buzzard?

It has been a good week for birds of prey, even if all has not gone smoothly. I'd never posted a rarity sighting on the Lincolnshire Bird Club website before but the sight of an Osprey's low and languid flight across the field towards my car was just too special - how was I to know it would start an argument? I was able to pull over, grab my camera from the back of the car and take a few quick shots, but it was disappearing rapidly and they were not great pictures.

Enhanced picture

Within a few minutes several members had replied and the consensus was that it was unlikely to be an Osprey as it was too late in the year. That was disappointing, and a little embarrassing, but I soon cheered up when it was pointed out that it was more likely to be a Rough-legged Buzzard. This is an infrequent visitor to Lincolnshire, with only a small number over-wintering in the U.K., and if that is what it was it was the first one I had ever seen. However, when I posted the photographs the disagreements started. There were members who supported me in my initial identification and urged me to stick to my guns and there were those who pointed out several features that ruled out Osprey. I must admit, I was sure it was an Osprey initially which was why I posted it, but having never before seen a R.L.B. I had no idea that there was another large raptor with so much white - and trying to identify a bird and avoid crashing the car is quite a challenge.

Grey seal pup

Two days later I was at Donna Nook to see the record number of Grey Seal pups that have been born this year (1500+). After taking a few photographs I made my way through the sand dunes and the sea-buckthorn in search of unusual birds, but apart from a large common toad crossing my path there was nothing of interest. As I was returning to the car park small birds scattered in all directions in front of me. Instinct made me glance upwards and I saw the cause of the disturbance - a Merlin flying low over the shrubs. I then watched for what must have been at least two minutes as it terrorised the bird population across a huge area of sand dunes, fields and hedgerows. It was never close enough to photograph properly but its dashing flight was unmistakable. Apparently most of the breeding population of Iceland comes to Britain for the winter but this one could have been from anywhere in northern Europe.

Merlin - library picture

The day before yesterday (the 18th December) the month's birding ended with one of those moments that makes the life of a solitary bird watcher worthwhile. The winter of 2012 was already becoming recognised as a 'Waxwing winter', one of those seasons when large numbers of these exotic birds from northern Scandinavia arrive in the U.K., but so far none had been reported near enough for me to make a special trip - not something I am particularly keen on, especially if it means joining large numbers of fellow birders, often in urban car parks.

I had intended to cycle about five miles to a stretch of the Lincolnshire foreshore where there was a good chance of seeing a flock of Snow Buntings, another winter visitor that I had seen a couple of times in the past, but I was only about half a mile from home when I found my very own flock of about 30 Waxwings. They were still in the area yesterday, gorging on hawthorn berries, and when it stops raining I shall see how much longer they are going to hang around. As far as I am aware they have not been viewed by hordes of twitchers, but as my sister has just told me that she saw about 30 Waxwings in Cleethorpes last week and forgot to tell me it seems that it really is a 'Waxwing winter' and there are more than enough to go round.