Birds of 2012 – Page 5 – tonydavisonphotography.com

Attenborough – A Local Nature Reserve – 11th March 2012

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Mar 112012

Attenborough - A Local Nature Reserve - 11th March 2012

At the crack of dawn this morning, we were watching and listening to a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, drumming away and really knocking hell out of some dead ash trees. It was a superb morning, clear blue skies and bright spring sunshine. The celandines and primroses were out and bluebells are well on their way, shooting through the leaf litter. Spring Wood is not far from my home and is superb for woodland birds. All three woodpeckers, plus Nuthatch & Tree Creeper can all be seen here relatively easy, provided one puts in time and is patient. A Curlew […]

Early Morning “Gos” and “Haws” – 26th February 2012

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Feb 262012

Early Morning "Gos" and "Haws" - 26th February 2012

Derbyshire is blessed with some terrific birds. We may not have the coastal areas, mudflats and sea cliffs, but we make up for that with wild rugged moorland, peak dales and river valleys. These habitats harbour some excellent birding opportunities. With patience, local knowledge and a little bit of luck, Derbyshire’s specialists will eventually give themselves up. What a treat…. The weather looked perfect for a morning’s “Gos” watching but before that, Hawfinches had been showing well during the week at a traditional site. The “Crack of Sparrows” is the best time to see them, before the […]

A Twitch for a Welsh Yank – 19th February 2012

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Feb 192012

A Twitch for a Welsh Yank - 19th February 2012

A first winter male American Common Yellowthroat was discovered last week in fields at an unpronounceable Welsh Village in Gwent called Riwhderyn (I believe pronounced something like Ruth Derran ). Nevertheless a very nice and friendly village and a totally unexpected place to find a “Yankie Passerine” in February. The bird had obviously managed to overwinter from last autumn. A superb morning and setting and very soon this stunning little bird was performing to a well behaved crowd of birders. So far a good candidate for bird of the year. The last one I saw was in 1997 on […]

A Gull Masterclass Day – 18th February 2012

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Feb 182012

A Gull Masterclass Day - 18th February 2012

I discovered that Martin Garner was running one of his successful Gull Master Classes at Stubbers Green, near Walsall, West Midlands on 18th February, so I decided to register and join in the fun!! I was not to be disappointed. (Further information at http://birdingfrontiers.com). Martin has a unique way of passing on his knowledge and expertise when it comes to gull identification. After an initial intro to the party of 10 enthusiastic birders, we were soon staring down our telescopes, picking out various 1st winter & adult Large Gull species. The idea of the day was […]

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