In recent weeks I have discovered a large concentration of Little Egrets at my local patch, Staunton Harold Reservoir. Up to 20 birds have been present, (3rd largest flock in the Trent Valley so far this year) but there seems to be a consistent flock of around 15 birds sticking together. Fish fry must be […]
Saturday 29th October was spent in the North East – Skinningrove in Cleveland and South Shields in County Durham. A couple of good birds were on offer including one that I had not seen before, a sub-species of Black Redstart. A first winter male Eastern Black Redstart, of the race semirufus, had been faithful to the rocks
Well in all my years of birding, I’ve never known an autumn like this one. There has been an unprecedented arrival of Siberian vagrants right across the country from Shetland down to the Isles of Scilly and the birds keep arriving. I’m guessing that September and October will also go down as the best months
Saturday 17th September and another trip up to Hatfield Moors in East Yorkshire. A Juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper had been discovered on Friday evening and so it was an opportunity to see yet another North American wader close to home. Most British records of Buff-breasted Sandpiper are from Cornwall, Isles of Scilly or the Western Isles.
Saturday 27th August and Glyn, Richard and myself visited two of my favourite Lincolnshire Reserves, Gibralter Point and RSPB Frampton Marsh. Gibralter Point was very much a visit of nostalgia, as I first went bird watching here some 40 years ago, when I saw my first Snow Bunting. The reserve is very different today, with new
I found this new 2nd winter Yellow-legged Gull at my local patch, this morning (21st August 2016). Staunton Harold Reservoir is a good place to find this species especially at this time of year. Late summer, early autumn sees Yellow-legged Gull migrating into Britain and birds are returning to their favoured wintering areas. Often young
Sometimes when its quiet on the national birding front, it can be difficult to know what to do, if in doubt, fall back on some local birding. Thats exactly what I did on Sunday 14th August, spending a few hours during the morning at the Derbyshire Wildlife Reserve at Willington Gravel Pits. It’s usually difficult
In recent weeks the RSPB Reserve at Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire has been a haven for waders, with several notable species being recorded. So we decide to head off there for the day on Saturday 6th August. It was a hot day and not altogether conducive for photography. Anyhow, there was a good selection of
