Yesterday was my birthday but I couldn’t go birding. So today I cashed in on my birthday credit, and went out with James (AKA The Driver), Dave, Phil and Will to Burnham Overy Dunes. Weather was looking good and we hoped to find Norfolk’s first Sibe Accentor. But when we got there we started complaining […]
Tag: Robin
Bonaparte’s Gull at Oare Marsh AGAIN!
Work took me to Kent today so a quick trip to Oare Marsh was on the cards.I arrived at lunch time and Napoleon was sitting pretty just by the bridge on East flood a few yards from the road. He was in the company of hundreds of Black headed gulls and Black-tailed Godwits but was […]
How Cold Is It?
The cold earth slept below; Above the cold sky shone; And all around, With a chilling sound, From caves of ice and fields of snow The breath of night like death did flow Beneath the sinking moon. The wintry hedge was black; The green grass was not seen; The birds did rest On the bare […]
Winter Robin is Back!
On Friday afternoon, before the big snowstorm started, a robin showed up at my window. When I opened it to throw a few raisins on the porch for him, he swiftly flew to the work surface on the side of the barbecue grill that’s right next to the window. That’s where I fed a winter […]
Spring Birds in Winter
Remember the polar vortex winter we had last year? This robin came to my window every cold morning of it with his feathers so puffed up he looked downright chubby. I fed him raisins for breakfast straight through until spring. He’s back! He (or so…
Juniper Gorge-fest 2014
We have a pretty good sized juniper (not sure of the species) in our backyard that produced a TON of berries (cones, rather) this season. The Yellow-rumped warblers have really enjoyed this. So have the cedar waxwings and robins, but the butterbutts (yellow-rumpeds) own this tree, no questions asked. I’ve enjoyed watching them go absolutely […]
Birds and frogs of Bowra Sanctuary
A sudden cold snap in Sydney this weekend provided a good reason to stay indoors and to catch up on some trip reports. In May 2012 I had the opportunity to visit AWC’s Bowra Sanctuary in southern Queensland for a few days. Bowra is an internationally known hotspot for Australia‘s threatened birdlife. The 14,000 hectares […]
Rufous Bush Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes)
The Rufous Bush Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes) is one of my own personal favourite summer visitors. Over the last twelve years living on The Strait of Gibraltar I’ve often had the opportunity to watch and photograph this very special passerine. These birds are often difficult to find and do require some patience to wait and listen […]