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 […]
My wife and I spent our Christmas in North Norfolk. A few days away was just the tonic we both needed, and some good birds to finish off 2023. A detour was in order, via RSPB Frampton, for the very obliging Lesser Yellowlegs that seems to be over wintering at the site, and also gradually
A friend paid me a visit on 16th December to drop off Christmas Cards, just before he left, he picked up a Waxwing perched on a high Conifer tree at the bottom of our road. The bird spent the rest of the late morning feeding in a neighbours secluded garden. My neighbours kindly allowed me
On 13th December 2023 I made one of my regular visits to Foremark Reservoir, and whilst scanning through the Great Crested Grebes, I found a diver. At first I thought it might be a Black-throated Diver, but it was along way off and I couldn’t at this stage rule out Red-throated Diver. I put out
This winter period UK birders are enjoying an invasion of Bohemian Waxwings from Scandinavia. The first big invasion for a number of years. I’ve been fortunate to have photographed these birds many times in the past, and despite wanting to chase after these stunning creatures, I’ve been eagerly waiting for them to arrive closer to
Staunton Harold Reservoir, my local patch, in south Derbyshire, has had regular Great White Egrets since I found the first one for the site back on 7th August 2020. On 21st November 2023 I encountered an unprecedented 6 Great White Egrets, along with a minimum of 15 Little Egrets. I met up with a good
During the late autumn, a large number of Short-eared Owls arrived into Britain from Northern Europe. They appeared to be pushed across by unprecedented storms and probably a shortage of rodents in Scandinavia. Short-eared Owls are a regular winter visitor to our shores, but some large numbers were counted, especially in Norfolk, as they arrived
On 31st October I found 4 juvenile Shags at Foremark Reservoir. Part of an inland influx after the recent storms and the first record in the county since 2020. One bird was colour ringed with a blue DARVIC ring. I managed to discover that it was from a ringing scheme in Scotland. Unfortunately the bird
