On Saturday 7th January 2017, I spent a day with Red Squirrels in the North Yorkshire Dales near Hawes, not quite what I had in mind to kick start 2017. Wildlife photographer Simon Philpotts, from Wild Dales Photography, organised the workshop and I was very impressed with the way the day was managed. Despite some […]
So a new Birding Year begins and I’m already wondering what may turn-up during the next 12 months. I can’t imagine that it will be as good as 2016, but we can live in hope. I part chopped a couple of camera bodies that I wasn’t using any more and decide to treat myself to
A juvenile Surf Scoter was discovered at Rutland Water a few days ago, another rare sea duck on an inland water. I decided to go and see it this morning (30th Dec) as it was another opportunity to observe a rare scoter at close quarters. Juvenile Surf Scoter are simply dark brown with several small
The last few mornings I’ve spent birding on my local Patch at Staunton Harold Reservoir. The 2 immature Velvet Scoter are still around, giving occasional good views through the telescope, often they are some distance out on the water and can be difficult to locate. It’s great to be able to watch and observe these
The two Velvet Scoters, probably a female and a first winter drake, were still present today at Staunton Harold Reservoir, South Derbyshire. This morning, I was fortunate enough to be taken out onto the water in one of the local Yacht Club’s Ribs and was able to get a few good shots of one of
This morning, 16th December, I decided to call in on my local patch at Staunton Harold Reservoir, as I often do before heading off to work. The last few days I’ve not been able to visit, due to business commitments and customer appointments. I held out little hope for anything good, as most days its
As the Dusky Thrush was still frequenting gardens and fields around the small Derbyshire village of Beeley, I decided to go back on Sunday for another viewing, in the hope of getting some better images. This bird is proving to be very difficult to obtain a really good photograph, despite a number of good efforts
The autumn of 2016 will go down in UK birding history as one, if not, the best periods for the finding of rare asiatic birds in Britain. A continuous stream of mouth watering vagrants seemed to be endless throughout September, October and November. Then just as all the birders thought, that’s the end, a Dusky
