I paid another visit to the superb woodlands at Calke Park, South Derbyshire. The Red Deer are now in Rut and there was one very obliging Stag posing well during the morning. Bird wise not a great deal at Staunton Harold Reservoir of note, but in Calke Park, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, […]
“Red-breasted Snipe” is an old name for the North American Dowitcher, split into two species, the Long-billed Dowitcher and the Short-billed Dowitcher. The Long-billed Dowitcher is a more regular visitor to Britain and one of these smart waders has been frequenting the tidal creek and small coastal pool at Saltfleet Haven in Lincolnshire. I managed
On Thursday 2nd November 2017 a Cory’s Shearwater was found at Rutland Water, Leicestershire. Unfortunately I didn’t discover the report on my pager until well into the afternoon, too late to get to see it that day. So I went on Friday 3rd November, thoroughly expecting to Dip on the bird. Sure enough, despite spending
I am quite fortunate to have Calke Park on my doorstep, a National Trust Park that holds some excellent ancient woodland and is a good stronghold for Marsh Tit. Personally I think it is probably one of the best places in Derbyshire to view this species. Marsh Tit is described in the “Birds of Derbyshire” as
It is not often that I have “Twitched” a rare bird in Wales, but today was an exception as there has been a male Rock Thrush taken up residence in a quarry near Blaenavon, near Abergavenny in South Wales. Rock Thrush is a rare vagrant to our shores from southern and eastern Europe and should be
Always good to see our common birds, so here are a few portraits. Tree Sparrow – This bird is still around with the local House Sparrow flock. Maybe the only one left in the area – Tony Davison© House Sparrow – male – Above 2 images – Tony Davison© Chaffinch – Above 3 images – Tony
A juvenile Long-tailed Skua has been site faithful to the golf links at Goswick in Northumberland. The bird has been frequenting the greens and the fairways of this stunning golf course, particularly the 4th, 7th and 8th holes. We visited the course yesterday (Sunday 15th Oct 2017), an epic 12 hour day and just under
Arctic Warbler is a vagrant but annual visitor to Britain. It is a less than annual visitor to the east coast of Yorkshire, so when one of these leaf warblers turns up close to home, it is well worth the effort to go and see it. The species breeds in northern Scandinavia, eastwards to Siberia
