Rare day out of Norfolk, visiting Deeping Lakes and Eyebrook Resr. Best ever views of Long-eared Owl - 8ft away and out in open (seen from hide). Also Short-eared and Little Owls, Peregrine, 70 Whooper and 3 Bewick's Swans, 11 Goosanders, all 3 egrets, 3 Smew, 14 Red Kites, 2 Stonechats #ukbirding
4 long-eared owls at Deeping. Lifer! Tick tickrty tick.
Another trot around chilly Chew Valley Lake this morning. Still failing to find unusual grebes but cracking views of pair of scaup and roosting cattle egrets starting to show breeding garb.
Alongside much Mousie randomness, I also added a few “Incoming” woodcock pilot prints to my Etsy shop this afternoon. I wondered why I wasn’t selling any….turns out I hadn’t actually made it available!! 😂 #birds #woodcock #illustration
www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1...
Happy to be added - local patch is Cross Plain and Wavering Down.
Massive away win for the little fella.
Finally made it to Steart. Luckily Least Sandpiper still hanging around with good (if distant) views and bonus Little Stint too. Good numbers of curlew and dunlin on the estuary, seen from wall common. Nice to meet @stephmurphy.bsky.social along the way.
Don't let the impressive sunset fool you - weather in north Devon was horrid for last 2 days and hardly any birds seen. Thank goodness for friends and wine to offset the disappointment.
Amazing scenes on Goswick Beach #Northumberland as crowds gather around newly-uncovered 100 metre long Ichthyosaur #fossil #dinosaur @alnwickgazette @BBCNews @NEE_Naturalist
Great views of adult female Merlin perched up at Greylake first thing today
An immature Surf scoter in Broadsands bay #Torbay this morning also off shore in challenging conditions 4 Great N &1 Black- t Diver 4 MedGulls and 150 Common Gulls, 1 Great crested Grebe.
Little bits of joy in the woods today - tree creepers, nuthatch , GSW, 20+redwing and usual selection of finches and tits in mobile mixed flock. Green woodpecker on the lawn when I got home was Brucie bonus. Nothing special, rare or twitch-worthy but still worth celebrating.
Rainbows were pretty good too
Few days away for some brilliant birding in Dumfries and Galloway, with a side trip to the wirral en route. Loch Ryan was a revelation - winter plumage black guillemots, divers, grebes, geese, plenty of sea duck (long tailed, scoter etc), waders. Will be back!
Garden bird of the day - firecrest! Thrilling or what....
Am I overly ambitious hoping for YBW by end of the week?
Miserable, wet, grey...but garden coming up trumps with goldcrests, blackcap and stock dove. White Egret in paddock behind the house too. 16 species so far but not inclined to get outdoors when I can semi hibernate for the day.
300 yards of local river has been particularly rich in birds this week. 36 species and counting - must be cold on the hill as unusually flock of linnet and 3 stonechats present today.
BN Grebe with 4 scaup at cheddar this morning. Quite a few meadow pipits furtling around too.