Winter hit our area with avengance this weekend (23-24th) and it is March, supposedly Spring. I have lived in this area of South Derbyshire all of my life and I have never seen weather like this since about 1963 and certainly not in March. It is more like Siberia at the moment and walking up to my local […]
A Lesser Scaup was found at Ogston Reservoir, Derbyshire (First County Record) yesterday morning (16th March). I got the news around 11am but unfortunately for me, I had other arrangements pre-planned and could not escape to see the bird. Never mind I thought, it's a duck, ducks usually stay for more than a day. No
Sunday 10th March birding at Rutland Water in a howling gale and snow storm! Spring has taken a backward step for the time being. Despite the snow and freezing wind chill, a few good birds were around but took some finding in the poor conditions. A winter plumaged Slavonian Grebe and a Black-necked Grebe were together
A bit of a mixed weekend birding wise. Saturday morning (2nd March) my usual early morning visit to SHRes. Not a great deal about, still three Goldeneye, also 64 Wigeon; 12 Pochard and 10 Teal were of note. A male Reed Bunting on the 1st March put me on 85 for the year. Still a few
On Saturday 23rd February 2013, a trip to the good old seaside towns of Scarborough & Bridlington on the North Yorkshire Coast. Both these sites can be good birding spots in the winter. Scarborough has a small winter colony of Mediterranean Gulls and at this time of year they are just begining to take on their
Despite some very cold nights recently, the day time temperatures this weekend reached a balmy 10 degrees and it was quiet spring like. One of the spring time spectacles, near where I live, are the snowdrops at the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Reserve of Dimmingsdale. In todays afternoon sunshine, they were quiet spectacular. Birding my
Early February has been productive so far at my Local Patch, Staunton Harold Reservoir. Patience and persistance seems to be paying off. 2nd February – 11 Red-legged Partridge, a year and a site year tick and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. Also several Yellowhammers visiting the feeder with regularity, which is pleasing as these birds are now
Sunday 27th January 2013 Glyn, Mike, Richard and myself caught a Ryanair flight from Standsted to Vasteras, Sweden. We set off in search of Sweden's Big 4 winter birds, Nutcracker, Pygmy Owl, Siberian Jay and the infamous Hawk Owl. We also expected a few more good birds to fill in the time and we were
