My visits to PaxtonNR has been a little scarce recently so was good get up there today in the sunshine Rewards were my first Hobby of the year 4 Little Ringed Plovers & a Nightingale Also 5 Reed Warbler 5 Whitethroat 9 Garden Warbler one each of Lesser Whitethroat & Sedge Warbler plus 70 Sand Martin

In China several years ago connecting with Silver Pheasant wasn't easy But in Thailand a few weeks ago they were strolling along in the middle of the road

Home after a week on Portland It was hard going at times but Portland isn't just about the birds Its the one place I feel at ease with life The whisky helps too Year ticks included Manx Shearwater Great Skua Garden warbler Common scoter Whinchat Redstart and Grasshopper Warbler

Last 2 days on Portland suggest fortunes may just be turning in my favour Redstart Garden Warbler & Winchat all newbies for 2026 As was Common Tern at Lodmoor The weather also improving so hopefully the end of the week will bring rewards for the toil to come

Portland not exactly buzzing today so an off island visit to Lynch Cove for the Bonaparte's Gull was in order The bird was showing well close to the shoreline and a couple of hand held scope photos were taken Just record shot some might say

Standing at my favourite spot on Portland on my first full day of the week Its good to be back

Migrants on the up at PaxtonNR with a few more species entering the notebook today - 12 Willow Warbler 31 Chiffchaff 22 Blackcap 1 Swallow 1 Nightingale 80 Sand Martin 4 Sedge Warbler and 1 Whitethroat In the alders were 9 Redpoll proving winter hasn't perhaps completely gone

The private hides in Thailand's National Parks allow great views of many great birds Like these Pied Hornbills

With reports of a Cuckoo at Fowlmere last few days I've used a bit of valuable liquid - petrol - to get myself up there And - dah dah - I now have Cuckoo on the year list

Connecting with Spoon-billed Sandpiper is always special After seeing two in China back in 2017 I was delighted to see them again in Thailand a couple of weeks ago Photos was taken by tour participant Andrew Souter

Chhifchaff (28) Blackcap (10) & Sand Martin (40) still the only migrant I have seen at PaxtonNR this year Still a few Redpoll about but Goldeneye appear to have departed - at least from the southern end

RSPB HQ at Sandy can feel l a bit devoid of birds at times but with effort there's usually something to pick out Today's effort revealed 40 Redpoll in the alders 3 Siskin 4 Red Kite & 2 Sparrowhawks overhead 13 Chiffchaff & a single Blackcap plus Nuthatch Goldcrest Jay Raven Coal Tit & Mistle Thrush

Left Cliffe RSPB reasonably happy after 5 hours round the main loop My first Wheatear and Little Ringed Plovers (2) of the year Other migrants noted were 5 Chiffchaff 3 Sand Martin & 2 Blackcap The best of the rest included 165 Avocet 110 Redshank a single Greenshank & a Marsh Harrier

Thought I'd have to wait for my spring visit to Portland for my first Wheatears of 2026 but I was wrong I've just got my first of 2026 at Cliffe RSPB Always good to see a Wheatear

A tad chilly at Cliffe RSPB this morning Blue skies overhead suggests it will warm up but I hope it does so quickly Feels a little quiet with few migrants so far but on the plus side also few people

Ramping up my PaxtonNR visits as Spring approaches An increase in migrants was evident today with 26 Chiffchaff (up from 19) 6 Blackcap (up from 2) & 20 Sand Martin (up from 12) Winter has not left us yet though as 8 Redpoll quickly moved through the tree tops and a few Goldeneye still remain

An early singing Willow Warbler at Fen Drayton this morning In the scrub near Ferry Pool Other migrants around Ferry Lagoon were 7 Chiffchaff & 2 Blackcap Also 4 Oystercatcher A Bittern was booming near the car park Ducks included 95 Shoveller 5 Goldeneye & 11 Pochard @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Migrants at PaxtonNR today were 19 Chiffchaff 12 Sand Martin and 2 Blackcap Also a Green Sandpiper Oystercatcher 22 Goldeneye 17 Wigeon 100 Tufted Duck 2 Red Crested Pochard 4 Cetti's Warbler a Little Egret and 2 Red Kite

After the excitement of Thailand its back to the mundane Not that I would describe PaxtonNR mundane Its cold a tad breezy but I can hear chiffchaffs in the distance Its good to be back

Words cannot describe the depth of gratitude I have towards @naturetrek.bsky.social for reuniting me with the optical equipment I stupidly left behind in Bangkok 7 days ago I thought I would never see them again Thanks to Simon in the UK The ground agents in Thailand and Oliver for lugging it back

Back from an amazing @naturetrek.bsky.social trip to Thailand With help from the local and naturetrek guide a great deal was noted but still only scratched the surface of the bird species this amazing country has to offer Great to see leopard elephant gibbons and giant black squirrel too

Not hard to pick bird of the day on day 13 in Thailand - Silver Pheasant

Today in Thailand I saw an elephant Oh yeah I nearly forgot about the Spot-breasted Eagle Owl

Day 11 in Thailand was a wader day Great Knot Kentish Plover Lesser & Greater Sandplover made up the bulk but there was also c25 Nordmann's Greenshank a single White-faced Plover 2 Malaysian Plovers & at least 4 Asiatic Dowitchers The day finished with a Black-capped Kingfisher

Kalij Pheasant

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush

White-crested Laughingthrush

Blue-bearded Beaeater

Day 8&9 in Thailand has been full on in temps around 35dc Birds aplenty eg Crimson & Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Large Scimitar Babbler Hume's White-eye Yellow-bellied Warbler Two-barred Warbler & Silver-breasted Babbler Today's highlight though was bumping in to a Leopard around 6:30pm Brilliant it was

Some birds in Thailand over last 7 days have been great Some have been cracking Some have produced high fives and big smiles Only one has resulted in all of the above That accolade goes to Spoon-billed Sandpiper Two of them They were all the above and more Cheers!

Giant Nuthatch

4 Mrs Hume's Pheasant all before 7am! They were cracking birds Pity I couldn't get photos as it all happened to quickly Others seen on day 6 in Thailand included another Giant Nuthatch Yellow Breasted Bunting Red Throated Pipit Bamboo Partridge Long-tailed Minivet and Brown-breasted Bulbul

White-browed Scimitar Babler

Chestnut-vented Nuthatch

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher

Siberian Rubythroat

It was deja vu on day 5 in Thailand Early start very hot & great birds which included Long-tailed Shrike Slaty-blue Flycatcher Giant Nuthatch Rufous-backed Sibia Slender-billed Oriole and Black-throated Bush Tit as well as the four shown below

On a day that started at 5am the highlights on day 4 of my Thailand adventure were Silver-eared Mesia a very distant Pin-tailed Green Pigeon and Mrs Gould's Sunbird

Thailand day 2 A Large Hawk-cockoo was almost my bird of the day but a Hodgson's Frogmouth beat by a country mile Also seen today Rain Qail Oriental Pratincole Black-winged Kite Indochinese Bush Lark Hill Prinia Little Pied Flycatcher Stripe-breasted Woodpecker & Rufous-winged Buzzard