During the past few weeks, gull numbers at Staunton Harold Reservoir have increased. Around 200 or so Black-headed Gull ( it is thought that birds from Poland arrive into Britain in large numbers during post breeding dispersal) and up to 7 Yellow-legged Gull and 3 Caspian Gull. Caspian Gull is an uncommon visitor to Staunton […]
Friday morning 7th of August 2020 my wife and I decided to spend an hour or so at the local patch, Staunton Harold Reservoir, South Derbyshire. At around 9:42 as I was scanning the far side of the reservoir, a stunning Great White Egret suddenly flew into my field of view and landed on the
I’ve said this many times before, but Frampton Fen is one of my most favourite RSPB Reserves. There’s always a good selection of species and plenty of birds to go through. A Caspian Tern had been seen on several occasions in recent days to my visit, but alas it wasn’t at the reserve on my
A juvenile Lammergeier from the re-introduction program in the alps arrived in the channel islands during mid-May, having spent sometime wandering across Belgium. It wasn’t long before it was discovered cruising over the West Midlands on the afternoon of the 26th May. An hour later it was seen heading north over the A50 in South
A first summer Laughing Gull, a rare visitor from North America, was discovered at Belvide Reservoir, in Staffordshire during the late afternoon of 28th June 2020 and was still present on the morning of 30th June 2020. I decided to make the trip and was watching the bird for 2 hours in the afternoon. The
I spent a few hours on 28th June at Willington Gravel Pits. A surprise sighting was three summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits that circled the reserve and then headed off towards High Bridge Gravel Pits. A couple of Little Egrets briefly, a pair of Oystercatcher and a pair of Common Terns were feeding 2 small chicks.
In recent weeks there has been an invasion of pink starlings from South-eastern Europe. The Rose-coloured Starling, or Rosy Pastor, has arrived into Britain in unusually high numbers and one or two have made it into my home county of Derbyshire. The Rosy Pastor, is very attractive, especially as all the birds that have arrived
A pair of Garganey were found early morning at Willington Gravel Pits in South Derbyshire. Only a few miles from home, I decided to pay them a visit and I wasn’t disappointed. Although for most of the time they were just at the extremities of my camera lens, I managed to get a few half
