A few hours at my local patch produced a couple of year ticks and some good photo opportunities. Three Gadwall, a few Fieldfare and a Song Thrush moved my patch year list on to 50. I decided to spend some time at another local site, to try my luck with a few more photos, before […]
Saturday 24th January 2015, and I spent a day birding with Ian & Richard at various sites around Colwyn Bay and the Dee Estuary. Colwyn Bay has held several Surf Scoter in recent weeks and we were hoping to see these rare sea-duck amongst the vast flock of Common Scoter. Unfortunately our timing wasn’t quiet
Rutland Water never fails to provide a wide variety of winter Wildfowl. Only just over an hours drive from home, so a great place to pick-up a few “Year Ticks”. Today, Sunday 18th January, was no exception, with plenty of ducks and grebes and other waterfowl on offer. Smew can be difficult to year tick,
A visit to North Norfolk early in the year really kick starts the year list, and Sunday 7th January was no exception. We arrived at Titchwell early morning with plenty of common ducks and waders on view, including a small flock of wintering Avocet. From one of the hides a number of Shoveler were giving good
My first visit of 2015 to my local patch. A great morning with bright sunshine and blue skies. A total contrast to the Trent Valley, where it was thick fog, hampering our search for the local Great Grey Shrike. So a few common birds for the year – Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Jay,
We spent a day at North Shields Fish Quay, Northumberland on Saturday 3rd January 2015. The fish quay is a great place for “White-winged” Gulls during the winter months and we were not to be disappointed. Two 1st winter Glaucous Gull, a 2nd winter Iceland Gull and a “Viking Gull” (Glaucous x Herring Gull Hybrid)
A Little Bustard was discovered in flight over fields near Bridlington, East Yorkshire on 31st December 2014. The bird was relocated in a Kale field and remained in the field till dusk and triggered one of the biggest “Twitches” for sometime. Fortunately, the Little Bustard, an immature, as still present on 1st January 2015 and was
A Blyth’s Pipit was discovered in rough ground on an Industrial Estate near to Pugney’s Country Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire on 8th December 2014. A most remarkable find of this medium sized pipit from Mongolia and adjacent regions. Blyth’s Pipit is a rare vagrant to Britain with most recent records being from the Isles of
