A quick reminder of our next event.

Dec 4, 2025 7:30 PM

Winter warmer social
St Anne's Hall, Wendover

Our chance to actually see each other face to face! Four speakers with a focus on Bucks birding, with half-time tea and refreshments. Non-members welcome!

Current - Bucks (main one even though i now live in Lincs !) Shetland, Scilly and still have an old Norfolk one.

My pleasure mate - glad you loved it

We have stayed in Scalloway for the last 4 years and I have checked those bushes multiple times a trip - we found Barred Warbler last year and this year the Thrush :-) and a Bluethroat. Def worth checking more often.

It was my pleasure to see that face peering out of an Elder bush :-) and an even bigger pleasure when other birders started to arrive, so glad you connected and enjoyed what a stunning bird its is - can’t believe it’s still here today. Adrenaline will wear off soon :-)

Just listened to the song of a Sibe Thrush - it’s quite pleasant :-) it’s not singing on Shetland - in today’s weather, we hope it’s surviving :-)

I would move the 10k dot about 1/2k to the east if that were me ! Get all of both islands in …

Wow - so with a following wind, a few more rarities - potentially 170 on the cards … that’s bonkers

And over the next three hours I was able to wrack up 65 species including Spoonbill and Barn Owl. As well as the usual suspects (Avocets, Curlews and Oystercatchers)
Migrants were thin on the ground with Whimbrel, Common Tern, Swallow and Sand Martin the obvious ones. No Kestrel or Chiffchaff though

Better area ! Being on the opp side of the river to Frampton means that my vantage point should nest some decent species, little did I know that almost the first bird of the day at 05:35 was to be a fantastic Purring Turtle Dove in the paddock next to the garden! Fabulous.It was then focus time 2/3

A Purrfect Morning
The last time I did a big sit, was November 2020 during the 2nd lockdown when all around the country we gathered in our gardens for a few hours each week to see what we could see.
I decided to do a big sit this morning (the day after my Birthday) as I have moved to a slightly 1/3

A sunset over a garden

Tales from the Bank - Day #264.
What an evening, 54 Corn Buntings into the Saltmarsh roost, Barn Owl posing in the Paddock, Avocets, Curlews and Oystercatcher trying to out call the Greenshank that flew around for 5 minutes TewTewTew’ing and the sunset. Of Carlsberg did April Birding #ukbirding

Tide is high …
I wasn’t just holding on, I was basking, the recent spring high tides and the glorious weather have meant more sojourns on the bank. The Avocets are back (and took rightful place as the 100th species in or over my garden in the last 8 months)
The river is alive with spring.

#ukbirding - an incredible thread from one of the finest Birder-Storytellers of my generation.
Relive the past glories of our wonderful hobby and try not to think of the fact that as a minimum most of these birds were over 35 years ago … I salute you @markgolley.bsky.social thank you.

Mate, what a trip down memory lane, @hasanalfarhan2.bsky.social sent me the link y’day and said, “you saw some of these”
I did and I have now re-seen them in my minds eye, I would have been there with you on many of those first days, apart yet together over that shared love of the bird. Thank you.

Back on bank…
8 days away is too much, a road warrior these last few weeks, it was great to be greeted by a pair of Med Gulls over the garden calling. A Song Thrush in full pelt (we have only seen a single Song Thrush over the winter) Oystercatcher and Curlew in full display. Missed it #ukbirding

Life on the Bank … it’s been an incredible few days with enormous skies and brilliant sunsets and the birds, Barn Owls most mornings, Merlin today and the first Chiffchaff back on territory - what’s not to love #ukbirding

A short walk… to the car today along the bank produced Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatcher all calling and a brilliant Barn Owl (this was Browny - there is also Ghost, an almost pure white one that also hunts this stretch) Bank Bliss. #ukbirding

Today I am mostly seeing …
Golden Plover, and Brent Geese, few Curlew over and piping Oystercatchers back displaying at the end of the garden.
If Carlsberg did morning Coffee … (I appreciate they don’t) but not a bad start to the day. #ukbirding #hobholeobs

That’s a whole different world of pain :-) can’t help you there :-)

Same here (50% hearing loss in both ears) - this is a great tool to help, my one is in the garden and runs 24 hours a day, really helps if I think I heard something go over and then check a minute later in the live feed and get it confirmed. Good luck.

Ah sorry Jonny - all my fault - I got a Puc a few months ago and loving it, so very keen to spread the word. Sorry to cross the wires.

That’s what I meant - see consummate professional :-) thanks Steve

@stevedudley.bsky.social - not clever enough to link stories into posts yet (or even know what the right words are :-) ) could you link the discussion story for Puc #ukbirding

A flyer for a shrikebitdingtours.com trip to look for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at RSPB Middleton Lakes

Fancy some drumming this February? Join us via shrikebirdingtours.com #ukbirding

Loved reading this mate - awesome effort from an incredibly passionate birder. I hope 2025 is equally bird packed !

2 P for me and C at 65% - Great Bittern is basically Trees moving and the Green Sandpipers are Dunnocks. Which is annoying as I have had Green Sandpiper over the Garden!

Today was sponsored by Gurgling Brent Geese, Pinking Pinks, Bugling Curlews, sipping Meadow Pipits and a swirling maelstrom of Starlings over the Garden. Hope your day was also bird filled with sight and sound. #ukbirding

Just on the slim chance that anyone is aware of anyone magically acquiring a new pair of binoculars or you see them offered for sale .... my Leica Ultravid 10 x 42 binoculars were stolen from a hide at WWT Slimbridge on 11 December. The serial number is 1593393. #BirdingGear

Its not just the confidence setting, it’s also the probability setting that is responsible, I lowered the confidence level on purpose as while it picks up the annoying anomalies, it was ignoring Redshank (which is a daily occurrence)