13 Sept 2021 - Green Warbler, Albatross and Gannets at Bempton + White-tailed Plover!

Mark Thomas caught and ringed this fabulous Green Warbler - this brilliant picture by Paul Coombes, is a gazillion times better than most of us saw it in the field...it was elusive, to put it mildly.  

also at Bempton was the fabulous Black-browed Albatross...

And on the way home, the White-tailed Plover was an amazing third grade a rarity of the day!

23 August 2021 - Glossy Ibis at Porth Hellick, St Marys, IOS

I didn't expect to be cleaning Glosssy Ibis wings and tail when I entered the Stephen Sussex hide at Porthellick...but that's Scilly birds for you. Great work by the local lads getting the bird back out within minutes - nice one!

19 June 2021 - Dainty Damselfly walk at SBBOT

A great trip to Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory to see the Dainty Damselflies that were discovered there last year. I missed this species in north Kent a few years previously, so this was a very welcome opportunity to catch up with this little, and probably overlooked, gem.

Also on site was a great |Red-veined Darter and a Scarce Chaser - a great day! 

28 May 2021 - Moths at St Margarets (Cryptic Fern gen det)

 

1 May 2021 - Surrey with Doug

 

30 March 2021 - Oare Marshes

 

28 March 2021 - Walrus at Tenby, Wales

WALRUS!!!  I travelled solo overnight to be in Tenby at dawn... Clambering out of the truck, the news was positive - the Walrus was still present! Its incredible to think I've seen a Walrus in UK waters.

10 January 2021 - White-fronted Geese (4 x first winter) at Bradbourne House, East Malling

 

3 January 2021 - Black-necked Grebe at Cliffe RSPB

 

Turnstone at Oare Marshes: 2 Dec 2020

I popped in to Oare Marshes briefly in the hope of catching the waders moving on the rising tide. I failed! The sun was great: the tide was just right... then a front of cloud moved over and the whole event changed in a couple of minutes! Before my epic failure with the tides, I had spent a minute or two in the company of a Turnstone (which included my slipping on the algae-covered sea defenses...  

Turnstones, or Ruddy Turnstones s they perhaps should be known in this global communication correctness, has two subspecies with the nominate form Arenaria interpres interpres has a huge arctic breeding range from NE Canada, northern Greenland, northern Europe and Asia to Alaska. Birds that winter in the UK are from the NE Canada and northern Greenland area as the European breeders winter in West Africa.

So, this young chap has likely come from Canada/Greenland, nice. But is it young and is it a chap?  And looking at the paper by Meissner and Cofta, I'm still not 100% sure...

vast breeding range from northeastern

Canada, through northern Greenland, northern Europe

and Asia to northwestern Alnterpres

There is an 'f' in fog... Oare Marshes: 28 November 2020

Having enjoyed some fun wader photography at Oare Marshes KWT a week or so ago, I was eager to head back this weekend to indulge myself just that little bit further...

An early (ish) start would get me to Oare Marshes two hours before the incoming tide would cover the Point, overlooked by the coastal hide. Michael Fish said the weather would be cloudy with sunny spells and a 7mph breeze - perfect! Three green traffic lights in a row and I knew the ornithological gods were on my side - I was in for a treat!

REALITY ALERT: Why the f*** I bothered this morning I don't know! Michael Fish, or at least his 2020 counterpart, had got it very wrong... Far from being cloudy with sunny spells, we had f***** fog so f****** thick I couldn't see the f****** road, let along find f****** colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits or something more interesting...

Having published a few images recently in black and white, I must be honest - THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE ALL IN THEIR GLORIOUS ORIGINAL TECHNICOLOR - Enjoy!  (Note: I didn't!)

Waders in the effin fog!

Marsh Harrier in the fog...

Common Snipe - lost in the fog...

Red-breasted Mergansers (pair) - navigating in the fog...

Great Crested Grebe - trying to search for food in the fog...

Reed Bunting - Cheesed-off with the fog...

Reed Bunting - different from the one above, but light naff coz of the fog

Stonechat - almost looking colourful in the fog...

Miserable Robin

Gloomy Stonechat

Stunning Cetti's Warbler (in the fog)

Cetti's Warbler - crippling, but foggy, views...

Starlings by fog-light...

Drake Teal - honest...

Avocets - beautiful eh?

I bet John Clements is f****** glad he didn't 'exercise (birding IS exercise!) with me in the f****** fog today!

Note to self: the point at Oare Marshes KWT get covered exactly two hours before high-tide... Therefore, must arrive three hours before high tide in f****** future...!!!