With the better weather forecast for Norfolk that was our destination for the day one count. Starting with Barn Owl and ending wit a lovely Grey Male Hen Harrier we had a cracking day. Shore Lark at Holkham, Twite at Thornham, Snow Buntings at Salthouse and Cattle Egret at Stiffkey were the four main targets […]
Slightly east of Bridgeport and south of Stratford lies a magnificent wildlife venue called Long Beach. The Snowy Owl above (image 1) was photographed at Long Beach in December 2017. With adjacent Pleasure Beach it is noted that they comprise more than 25% of Connecticut’s remaining undeveloped beachfront property. The Dunlin with Sanderling above (image […]
Most people know Prince Edward Island (PEI) for Anne of Green Gables, red soil and potatoes. I can confirm that all of these things exist on the island (especially the potatoes, they are everywhere!), but it was the Prince Edward Island birding that really excited me. In August there are shorebirds galore, mixed warbler flocks, […]
At the beginning of August I like to visit a favourite wader roost near to Southport. Around this time the waders are beginning to return from their Arctic breeding grounds. A couple of weeks ago there was a favourable tide and I was looking forward to a return to the coast hopefully to catch up […]
We were up at 05:15 to the sound of screaming Saker Falcon, packed our bags and after a quick coffee headed back up Barig Mountain at 06:00 for a last try for Hodgson’s Bush-chat. After climbing the steep grassy and rock strewn slopes of the mountains in the vehicles we parked at the summit and […]
This week has seen a mini influx of Waxwings in Norfolk so with a rare day off work I picked up the Jims and headed north. We arrived at the Coastguards hut Cley for first light and I quickly picked out a single Little Auk flying West close into the shore line and managed to […]
Out on the local reserve at Titchwell, Norfolk on the tide line there were some small groups of Sanderlings and one or two Turnstone. In one of the groups I spotted a bird sporting a number of rings and flags on its’ legs. Intrigued by the rings and keen to find out a bit more about the bird, I contacted the International […]
The weather has seemed downright weird to me this rainy season in southwest Florida which is not to imply that it has been any less than uncomfortably humid. The rainy season has not been anywhere near as predictable as it is supposed to be in Florida. And for the first time in nearly 11 years […]
We decided on a trip to Reculver this morning despite knowing we could encounter trouble with the M20 being closed. We set off at 5am and arrived at Reculver towers around 6.30am. With a pound in the pay and display we set off along the sea wall for the mile or so walk to Coldharbour […]
The Whimbrel that had been reported daily at Carlos Pointe for nearly a week prior to my visit was of course not guaranteed to be there. The Whimbrel was difficult to identify as it was found to be loafing with its bill hidden in its right wing while surrounded by Marbled Godwits and Willets. The […]
A free Saturday morning on 6th August and I couldn’t resist the pull of Pennington Marsh but a few beers the night before meant a slightly later start so I wasn’t in the car park at Lower Pennington Lane until 08:00 by which time the dog walking hordes had descended. I wandered a short way […]
An early May visit to Little Estero Lagoon south of Fort Myers Beach was very rewarding with a walk of the beach beginning at the Wyndham Garden Hotel. The north lagoon was active with wading birds like I had never seen before at this location. There was a feeding frenzy underway the likes of which […]
Birds are the planet’s superheroes, built for survival. The ice of Antarctica doesn’t faze them. Nor does the heat of the tropics. They thrive in the desert, in swamps, on the open ocean, on sheer rock faces, on treeless tundra, atop airless mountaintops, and burrowed into barren soil. Some fly nonstop for days on end. […]
