Wild bird populations in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, figures show, with nearly half of species in decline. Figures produced by leading nature conservation bodies for the government show that average populations across 132 native breeding species fell by 19% between 1970 and 2025, with farmland birds and seabirds […]
Tag: Firecrest
Let’s go to Dungeness
I had arranged to meet the Jims this morning but had no plans set on where we’d go so at 5.30am we discussed a plan and with nothing really jumping out as a target I uttered the magic words “let’s go to Dunge” and then we were off. 7am and we were looking over the […]
Great visit to Wallasea Island
Sometimes a days birding can deliver very little and then sometimes days like today come along where it all seems to go right. A Barn Owl as we pulled into the track to the reserve followed by two Short-eared Owls hunting at first light then a male Merlin flashes across us and sits out on […]
Amazing Firecrest fall at Dunge
Wanting Bluethroat for a year tick we headed down to Dunge this morning arriving just after first light. We found the gorse bushes alive with Firecrests and I mean alive, simply dozens of the little gems feeding frantically after the long crossing. A few Goldcrests flitted around with them and a couple of singing Chiffchaff […]
The Levante winds of Spring – Spain 2017
I lead a tour group from the the US Audubon Naturalist Society in April to southern Spain. We had a great time apart from the awful windy weather. The famous Levante wind just would not stop for almost the whole eight days. We did however have a great time, saw lots of birds and other […]
Firecracker
What a bird and what a way to start my day. Switched my phone on in the morning to see message from James – ‘Firecrest singing in my garden!’, accompanied by a stunning photo. I have seen many Firecrests before, including the one and only (to date) in Israel, but never managed to get a […]