Well you’ve got to twitch a Cattle Egret when it’s right on your doorstep! A post went out on social media on 30th January, stating that a Cattle Egret was in a sheep field at Staunton Harold Hall, ten minutes from where I live, but unfortunately in Leicestershire by a couple of miles! So the morning of 31st January, I decided to go and look for it. Well I scoured the fields and areas where I thought it might be and couldn’t locate it, or any sheep for that matter. I did find 2 Red Kite, a Raven, five Nuthatch […]
A male Black-throated Thrush had taken up residence at Tophill Low Nature Reserve, near Bridlington in Yorkshire. I had been meaning to go and see this bird, and eventually timing and a suitable day all fell into place. Along with a good photography pal, we made the journey on 16th January. A cold but bright and sunny morning, ideal conditions. Some great year ticks fell in place. After a distraction on route to look at a mixed party of 70 Whooper and 4 Bewick’s Swan, we arrived at Tophill Low just as the site was being opened up for the […]
As the Waxwings were staying site faithful to Hassop Station, near Bakewell, I simply had to go back for a second time around. So I revisited the site on 15th January, and this time it was a week day, so wasn’t as busy as the first trip in late December. It was also a good excuse to get Waxwing on the year list for 2024, you never know if it will be another five year wait for an invasion year to come around again. There were still good numbers on site, in excess of a hundred birds, and the weather […]