My birding year kicked off with a day at Rutland Water in Leicestershire. Some good birds were seen during the day including 2 juvenile Shag; a Red-necked, 2 Slavonian and 2 Black-necked Grebes; a Great Northern Diver; a drake American Wigeon; 5 Smew; a female Scaup; a Jack Snipe and a Snow Bunting. The year […]
At the end of December 2018, I spent a few hours at a local Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Reserve in the hope of capturing a few images of a Kingfisher. After a few hours of patiently waiting for the King to take up residence on a favoured perch, I managed to succeed in my quest. Rounding
A first winter Red-rumped Swallow was found hawking over the East Bank at Cley Marshes in Norfolk, on 6th December. An extremely late date for this species, but occasionally young birds do make late appearances. We watched the bird from around 08:50 till around 09:15 when a clear and sunny weather front moved in and
I’ve recently spent a few mornings with the cameras at one of my local patches. You don’t always have to travel vast distances to take your photographs. When wildlife is on your doorstep, take advantage of it. Light plays a major part at this particular site and one needs to get in the right position
A 1st winter male Pied Wheatear was found along the sea wall at Meols, on the Wirral on 4th November but news didn’t get out until 6th. The bird was very obliging giving stunning views and seemingly oblivious to close human presence. I managed to get to see the bird on the 9th November, which
Sunday 4th November and another day spent in North Norfolk. A second winter drake King Eider, although showing distantly, was favouring the sea off the lifeboat station at Sheringham and the probable Stejneger’s Stonechat was still being faithful to it’s favoured field at Salthouse. Both birds giving good scope views, but not so good for
I recently received a social media message advising me of the discovery of a rare plant on my local patch at Staunton Harold Reservoir. The Marsh Dock (Rumex palustris) the plant in question, hasn’t been seen in Derbyshire since 1976. So I checked out the plant on the internet, in order to know exactly what I
An “Eastern” Stonechat was discovered, a week or so ago, in fields at Salthouse in Norfolk. I decided to go and see this bird and managed to do that on Friday 26th October 2018. The identification challenge – is it a Stejneger’s Stonechat (a potential third record for Britain) or the more regular and less
