Jan 302024
 
First Moth Trap of 2024

Mild conditions on 28th January persuaded me to run an overnight moth trap. Return was just 1 Pale Brindled Beauty, slightly disappointing. Nevertheless, the earliest date that I’ve ever recorded a moth in my garden in 20 odd years of moth recording.

Jan 252024
 
A Rare Visitor from the Taiga Forests of Siberia.

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 […]

Jan 252024
 
Further Encounters with the Pink Punks

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 […]

Jan 032024
 
Invasion of the "Pink Punks"!

During this winter 2023-2024, the UK has been the host to an invasion of Bohemian Waxwings (Aka, Pink Punks due to the account of their Pink Crests). A rather large flock gathered at Hassop, near Bakewell, providing superb opportunities to see these birds at close quarters. The flock, around c300-400 at its best, but regularly around 200 birds, was quite a sight and one of the largest in Derbyshire for many years. We paid them a visit on 29th December 2023, and I was able to obtain some pleasant photographs, as they were making frequent visits to a hawthorn bush […]

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