#indoorstoomuch

With a low sun and the Ferruginous Duck always on the move i seemed to be staring into the sun everywhere it went. The Scaup was still there along with a look a like Tuftie. There has been a lot of discussion about this bird; most seem to be in agreement that its a Fudge with a lower peak due to moult.

So after heading back from Aveley Bay freezing Saturday afternoon ( 2x Short Eared Owl, Marsh Harrier, Snipe) i made decision to head back Sunday morning for a wander along the Rainham part of the Thames. Later that evening a text comes in from DDL advising he was going to Grays to see if he could score a London Tick by way of a Little Auk. Along with most i hadn't failed to notice the volume of them along the east coast from Norfolk to Kent so decided that as it would be a Life tick i would tag along. Arriving at The Wharf Pub just inside the London area still at 7am, it was -2 degrees. We scanned the area time and time again; clouds of Woodpigeon, flocks of Filedfare and streams of Starlings  were in the skies. The usual gulls plus a single Yellow Legged Gull. Shortly Dave says "what's that in line with the big pylon" and shortly after we were both on a Little Auk. We stayed for another hour or so in hope of more, i was hoping for a Razorbill and al...

I've been wanting another longer distance twitch for a while now and it couldn't have been better with a mega Craig   Crag Martin  in Chesterfield. So all week its been flitting around the Crooked Spire in the town center and disappearing time after time. Roosting where; nobody new. That was until yesterday when Chesterfield played Oldham at home and a birders brother picked it up in the stands whilst watching the game. So myself and Martin headed up making our decision that if it hadn't been seen at the spire by the time we got there we would head for the stadium. The pager highlights it at 7.53am flying around inside the ground and we were approx half hour out. As we arrive Martin picks out a small group of birders pointing, after an initial flap as to where to park we pretty much dumped it and legged it across the street. BOOM, from car to bird in 3 seconds. Blood pressure back to normal we spent the next hour here as the bird effortlessly flew in, around and ov...

I have spent the last 5 days up in Wells with all the family as it was half term; this allowed me to get out on the odd morning in the local areas and it didn't turn out that bad for an hour or so's birding here and there. Highlights being: Wells:  Still lots of Goldcrests  everywhere you look. My first Fieldfares of the autumn with a lot of birds arriving over night (Wednesday/Thursday) and taking their usual spots in and around the scrub south of The Dell, south of the main track. Knot out on the mud in the harbour entrance and a huge swirling mass of Golden Plover opposite the harbour masters office for all to see in town. Holkham: An early start arriving just as it got light, i headed down the main track towards Burnham managing to find a Firecrest amongst the throng of Goldcrests. I was secretly hoping to find a Yellow Brow or Pallas's Warbler that had held on may be from a couple of weeks ago.....wasn't to be. However some great views of Barn Owl in t...

During the week more and more information about lots of ticks for me in Wells and Holkham. Finally mid morning on Saturday i (and the Mrs) made the decision to go. We headed up late Saturday enjoying the evening in Wells Harbour. The following morning i headed into the woods. Even at 7.30am the car park was filling with birders. Now i can honestly say i like Wells Woods but today i really didn't. Yes i got great views of the Red-flanked Blue Tail but come on it was like an episode of The Walking Dead, you know when they do a panoramic shot of the fields and woods and its awash with Zombies aimlessly walking about. Zombies popping up from anywhere, behind bushes, brambles and trees but this time holding Swarovski. courtesy of whoever makes The Walking Dead I didn't last long before i started to get fed up; with little news coming from Holkham i decided to head there for the Isabeline Shrike. Initially not showing but eventually i refound it. Then onto the 2...

Spent an our walking our only paddock, no more small paddock no more top paddock just The Paddock after the decision was made to scrape and dig for aggregate in the Top Paddock closing into until they over fill it in with landfill and provide us with yet another hill, more of a mound in this case. Anyway, The Paddock didn't hold much; a lot of Goldfinch, one Redwing and one Goldcrest. Later a Snipe, just a little to far for my camera but great views none the less.

Yesterday afternoon after seeing a tweet from Bradders, it had been confirmed that the Phal at Vange was indeed a Wilsons. Luckily i had time to spare so after gathering my gear i was en route within a few minutes. The rain steadily got worse and it was awful by the time i arrived. After finding a couple of birders, they immediately put me on the bird - lovely stuff. Courtesy of Lee Evans Courtesy of Lee Evans Courtesy of Lee Evans

I spent about an hour at the Valley last weekend on both Saturday and Sunday late afternoon. Saturday gave up a Wood Sandpiper which is a good patch tick; although there has been a few this year already, i didn't have the camera so no photos but i did hear it calling as well as it flew periodically. Up to about 8 Green Sandpiper and 6 Snipe - all distant Also a wander around Aveley Bay and Ferry Lane - Common Sand, Ferry Lane.

What can i say - TWO MEGA'S, ONE DAY - Stonker! No photo's i didnt take any

I left with Paul & Martin and headed to Thursley in Surrey. I was looking forward to this. A chance to rid the outstanding list of Dartford Warbler finally and also get to see my first Nightjar. Of course i didn't go and see the local daytime bird at the Middlesex filter beds that showed for all very well all day, i wanted to do it the hard way; midges, more midges, bug spray, an hour plus in the car each way and dark nigh-time skies. We arrived and took a wander looking for initially Dartfords finally though ending up with some great views of my first Tree Pipit , a good few other birds all singing in the area. I think in the end i saw 4 but others were singing in the distance. It was to be about the Nightjar so we headed back to find our spot and wait it out, it was going to be promising with Paul and Martin hearing the first churning bird whilst we were on the Pipits. We made our stand and waited..... Luckily Paul hears a Dartford Warble...

Well as the name of the blog suggests - i don't get out much; however yesterday afternoon (bank holiday Monday) after a call from Martin i decided this is a bird i really wanted to see. In addition it would also be lifer for Dad and we were at my parents finishing off a BBQ. I've seen one of these before, it was the ridiculously close bird at West Canvey Marsh in September 2013 and was a juvenile so a stunning male was a must. Martin had left before us and had located the bird within 5 minutes of his arrival, shortly after we arrived and sure enough after a few minutes was on it. Great bird with some decent views, very mobile and fully aware of us at all times as it made its way around the scrub.

Well it was that time of year again where my parents and some friends go on a homage to Titchwell for some "birding". On a few occasions now i have joined them for one of their days at Titchwell. So my itinerary normally is to head up to Norfolk and arrive at Holme for about 11 and join them in the evening. Then spend the following, full day, with them at Titchwell. Choseley This year was slightly different as my little jaunt was luckily at the same time as 8 Dotterel had taken up residency at the fields around the drying barns at Choseley. I arrived and along with a couple of others were on them immediately, 5 in view, not great views though, but its a tick. I would come back again for another try. Life Tick! Holme So without delay i headed to Holme. I was there by 11.30ish and before getting out of the car had seen about 25 species on the NWT drive to the reserve centre. I was told of singles in the form of Turtle Dove, Ruff & Cuckoo. The Ruff ...

A quick morning stroll here and lazy afternoon walk there, a total of 71 species over 3 days. Probably birding for about an hour and half a day. Highlights were watching Barn Owls close over the fields. Marsh Harriers over the same. The first Swallow of 2015. Med Gulls seemingly everywhere now around the roost at the Lifeboat station and in the flooded fields behind Pinewoods. Plus quite a bit of plastic as well.... Feeding Hoodies Feeding Smew and Bar Heads Non plastic....