Last Wednesday, business at the RSPB’s Minsmere reserve’s Bittern Hide was consistent. The hilltop shelter, which views out over a wide expanse of heath, freshwater pools, and reed beds extending to the Suffolk coast, was filled with more than a dozen birdwatchers. Marsh harriers whirled overhead, and a bittern would occasionally fly across the scene. […]
Tag: Woodlark
Colin returns to Thursley Common
I heard that Colin the Cuckoo had made the epic return journey to Thursley Common so I thought well if he can make it so can I so I jumped in the car drove the 70 miles round the orbital and arrived at the Moat Pond car park for 6.30am this morning. (tiny effort compared […]
Birding Highlights of 2017
The birding wasn’t bad with ten lifers eventually plucked out following a very slow start. January saw Pine Bunting added and then the next tick didn’t come along until 11th June when the Elegant Tern was found down at Church Norton. In July I manged to get on the Marsh Sandpiper at Cliffe Pools in […]
Thursley Common
I finally gave in today and drove down to Thursley Common in Surrey to spend some time with the returning Cuckoo that’s taken a liking to having his diet supplemented by the locals. The merits of feeding it I’ll leave for others to debate but although I took no food with me there was a […]
Conservation ecologists know no boundaries
Sorry for the recent slow rate of new posts. I am very busy with fieldwork and have little time to blog. Anyway, in recent days we worked both in Alentejo and in an adjacent section of Extremadura, near Olivenza. It is interesting to witness conservation issues in different colours and flavours. I can’t wait to […]
A good year for Crossbills
It would appear to be a good Crossbill year with sightings now regular in certain parts of Suffolk with this in mind I visited a drinking pool they have been visiting and with patience I was rewarded by several visits from up to nine Crossbill. A Jay and several Siskin also visited the pool and […]
Catching a few ticks in Tuddenham
Saturday saw me going solo down at Elmley while the Jims enjoyed Vange Marshes Stilts. I had good but brief views of a day flying Barn Owl, a Peregrine hunting the marshes with several Buzzards and Marsh Harriers. Hares were putting on a show and the mating rituals of Lapwing and Redshank were in full […]
More of the stunning Bluethroat
I took the plunge today and drove the 100 miles to the Willow Tree Fen in Lincolnshire in the hope that the sun would shine and the bird would show. On arrival I parked in the small car park having set the sat nav to postcode PE11 3JH . At 7am I was sitting on […]