Change of scenery with a visit to Doxey Marshes was well timed as a Whinchat came on just before I arrived. A dapper male & one of my favourite migrants. Also noted 2 Little Egret, 2 LRP, 6 Swift, 3 reeling Gropper, num Sedge Wblr. #staffsbirds
The 2024 report is dropping through letterboxes. Sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy it.
Having added Reed & Willow Warbler, Whitethroat & House Martin to the 10k over the last week I’d hit the 100 mark for the year. A trip to Highgate Common this am added 3 more; 2 duelling male Cuckoo, Garden Warbler & Bullfinch at last! 103 for the 10k year is already a record for April #ukbirding
64 species around Branston GPs this morning - Yellow Wagtail, Reed Warbler + Garden Warbler were year ticks. Also 2 Wheatear, Red Kite, 2 Mandarin + Yellowhammer.
Eclipsed though by my first Staffs singing Corn Bunting for 5 years at Fisherwick.
@staffsbirdnews.bsky.social
Pleasant afternoon at Furnace Grange Trescott-
2 plus White wagtail
5 plus Yellow wagtail
7 Wheatear in ploughed field.
Me and @kevin-clements.bsky.social
Min counts as the Wagtails were moving around fast and in and out the furrows.
@staffsbirdnews.bsky.social
That is class
Early morning I headed to the N Staffs Moors. The area around Blackclough Farm was excellent and produced at least 5 Ring Ouzels. A pleasure to spend time with this upland species. Also 12+Wheatear, bubbling Curlew and Red Grouse.
…and here giving it the full beans. Not sure I’ve ever seen one that showy at Upton Warren #worcsbirds
A stop-the-car moment to photograph this greeting to Nigel Farage on his rather unspectacular visit to Shetland today.
Apologies to any frogs offended. 🐸
Male Red-spotted Bluethroat
The singing Red-spotted Bluethroat showed fantastically at Swineham this morning #ukbirding #dorsetbirds
2cy male Pied Fly on a fence staring down its next snack. Note the combination of black and brown feathers in the crown
2cy male Pied Fly on a fence, showing moult contrast in the wing that allows it to be aged
Wheatear at the top of the garden oak tree
Willow Warbler on a fence before moving off down the hedgerows. Migration in action!
Spring stepped it up a gear at #salopobs this morning with this gorgeous 2cy male 💥Pied Fly💥 in the paddock by the garden (first non-nocmig record), 8 Wheatears and 3 Willow Warblers moving thru, and lots more of all three hirundines #ukbirding #migration
Despite being in Disney, bins never far from hand. Regular birds such as Pied-Billed Grebe, Turkey & Black Vultures, Red-Tailed & Red-Shouldered Hawks, RB Gulls, Common Grackles, Palm Wblrs all easily seen. Way better however was on return to hotel where we saw 2 Swallow-Tailed Kites & a Bald Eagle
The magic of Magic Kingdom kept us enthralled today.More Florida regulars including point blank views of Anhinga.Surprising were 33 Cedar Waxwing as we waited for the Haunted Mansion.Best of all was a lifer with a Wild Turkey on the road as we left & a presumed roost group of 15 Swallow-Tailed Kites
A slightly more relaxed day today with a visit to Disney’s Epcot Centre. A great educational experience for Dave & more birds for me. Many confiding birds,but best being dark morph Short-Tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle,nesting Anhinga & sev heron/egret sp,a few flocks of Cedar Waxwing, male Baltimore Oriole
Today was spent at Universal Epic Universe. It was certainly epic and Dave was mind blown in Nintendo world using his Mario band to full effect. Not many birds today but more Cedar Waxwings which are clearly on the move in good numbers
After the business of the theme
Park, we spent an hour late afternoon by the hotel pool so Dave could play. I checked the small pools and was chuffed to locate a Florida speciality with a drk Mottled Duck. Also seen Anhinga, DC Cormorant, Great Egret, Tricoloured Heron and 20 Cedar Waxwings
On walk from hotel to dinner, this drk Mottled Duck showed rather well paired to a female Mallard
Another day of theme park based activity, this time at Universal Studios. Lots more memory making for Dave. For me, Bald Eagle, tame Ospreys and more Cedar Waxwings
A brilliant day. We left Orlando area and had a morning at Gatorland. Sev nesting heron, egret, ibis & stork sp showing down to a few feet. The swamp walk produced a lifer with 3 Great Crested Flycatchers. Also, 5 yank wblr sp, Rufous-Crowned Kinglet, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens etc
A few more shots from Gatorland today
After Gatorland we moved on to Helen & Allan Cruickshank reserve. 9 Florida Scrub Jays showed down to feet. Obviously used to people feeding them. My main endemic target seen within minutes. Happy days ☀️🍻
Arrived at Cocoa Beach late afternoon yesterday. As the family rest early morning, I visited the tiny Maritime Hammock Preserve 2 mins from the hotel. Plenty of regular coastal stuff seen, but by far the best was a lifer with a superb singing Blue-Headed Vireo which showed down to 10 feet!
After a late breakfast, we had a little explore of Cocoa Beach area. Plenty of Brown Pelicans, Mag Frigatebirds, Am Royal Terns, Laughing Gulls, nesting Ospreys, a few wader sp made a v pleasant walk. Better were a pair of Mottled Duck on a puddle & 2 Sandhill Crane over.
Short video of the singing Blue-Headed Vireo from Cocoa Beach this morning.
An awesome 4 hours from dawn at Hal Scott Preserve. 6 lifers & cracking views of all : 3 Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers, 4 Brown-Nuthatches, 10 Eastern Bluebirds, Sedge Wren, 6 singing Bachman’s Sparrows, Swamp Sparrow. Also Mottled Duck, 3 Bald Eagles, 6 Wild Turkey, Belted Kingfisher, sev Pine Wblrs etc
Brilliant prolonged views of 3 Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers at Hal Scott Preserve this morning.
At least 6 singing Bachman’s Sparrow at Hal Scott Preserve this morning. A localised and secretive species
A few more shots from the fantastic Hal Scott Preserve this morning
After breakfast we took a short drive to the Manatee Sanctuary Park at Port Canaveral. We fortunately got brief views of a Manatee quite closely. A few birds seen including Roseate Spoonbill, 2 Least Terns, & the ubiquitous Ospreys & Pelicans.
