Hooded Merganser (fem) at Alvecote Pools, Warwickshire today. Fully-winged, wary and scoffing voraciously all day. It also doesn’t appear to carry any leg rings.
#peakybirders #patchbirding #localpatch #ukbirding 🪶
A lovely souvenir of a recent trip to Cornwall to see a rare ROSS’S GULL. No birder in their right mind would ever tire of being in the company of such a species.
Massive thanks to Theresa Owens for sharing her talents.
#peakybirders #cornwallbirding #ukbirding 🪶
A mooch around some secret spots locally with my Great Uncle this morning. The wild Daffodils were out in force in a few of the private areas we gained access to. I also had my first Brimstone butterflies of the year.
#peakybirders #localpatch #patchbirding #daffodils #wildflowers
Both HUME’S WARBLER & Yellow-browed Warbler just a few miles from home so far this year. RIDICULOUS. Another great find by Rich Walker! #peakybirders #warwickshirebirding #ukbirding 🪶
‘Peaky Birders Curry Night’ followed by doggin’ and ‘jarrin’ on the Chase…. hence the smiles. #ukbirding #peakybirders #cannockchase 🪶
The quest to obtain every bird species I’ve seen in Britain, in pin badge form. Here are 125 of some the rare and scarce ones. #peakybirders #peakybadgers #ukbirding #birdpinbadges #birdcollector 🪶
During turbulent times, art and nature help to calm my anxiety. Fresh back from the excellent Ferrers Frames in Derbyshire; ‘Hooded Crows’ original by Daniel Cole, ‘Cross Crow’ woodcut print by Tim Wayne and original ‘Llŷn Peninsula Chough’ by Kim Atkinson. 🪶 #peakybirders #ukbirding #birdart
Stunning views of a DARK-BREASTED BARN OWL (Tyto alba guttata) in Lincolnshire this morning. Close encounters with any Barn Owl are always special but add to the fact that this continental subspecies is extremely rare in Britain, it made the occasion even more thrilling. 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders
The highly mobile Great Grey Shrike on Cannock Chase early this morning. It was seen to catch and eat a lizard at one stage. 🪶 #ukbirding #ukbirds #peakybirders #staffordshirebirding #butcherbird #phonescoping
We nailed all three regular breeding British woodpecker species at Middleton Lakes RSPB this morning. Here’s a mega scarce male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming away. You can just about hear another in the background. 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders #peakypeckers #woodpecker #phonescoping #warksbirding
The first ‘Peaky Birders Curry Night’ of the year. Quality scran, top company, plenty of birding nostalgia and copious amounts of laughter. 🪶 #peakybirders #westmidlandsbirding #ukbirding #currynight
Urban birding style. Territorial Lesser Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull numbers are building up in Birmingham. More importantly, I had my first ‘City Centre’ Raven, carrying nesting material over the office last week. 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders #0121birding #urbanbirding #birminghamuk
I woke up in Cornwall yesterday, had two work appointments in Devon and finished the day birding the patch in Warwickshire. I also squeezed in an early morning stroll around Saltram, near Plymouth to ‘year tick’ Mandarin (#156) and Ring-necked Parakeet (#157). 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders #CatCbirding
The Cornish PACIFIC DIVER (#155) proved a challenge today in choppy conditions. It eventually showed well off Jubilee Pool, Penzance this afternoon. Other quality species included 6+ Great Northern Diver, Velvet Scoter (#154), Iceland Gull and 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphin. 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders
BEASTIE BIRDERS - ‘Scoping For Your Right To Party’ - left to right: Dave G, MCJ and Adrockpipit. 🎤 🎶 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders #beastiebirders #sabirdtage #nosleeptillrooking #intergullactic #birdymovin’
Staffordshire ‘ghetto birding’ continued. At Chasewater this evening, the adult Iceland Gull (#150) was picked out early on in the roost. Other highlights were a couple of adult Yellow-legged Gull (#149) and an adult Mediterranean Gull. #peakybirders #winterbirding #westmidlandsbirding #gullroost
An afternoon of Staffordshire ‘ghetto birding’. Highlights at Whitemoor Haye included Slavonian Grebe (#148), a couple of juvenile Whooper Swan and a trio of adult Whooper/Bewick’s Swan over. It was then over to Chasewater….. #peakybirders #winterbirding #westmidlandsbirding
After spending nearly 5 hypothermic hours, shivering away on the edge of the Bristol Channel, the LEAST SANDPIPER (#147) finally flew in at 3pm. This was only my 2nd sighting of this species in Britain. My first was in Staffordshire back in 2002. 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders #winterbirding
After dipping the female KENTISH PLOVER (#146) several times at Burnham-on-Sea over the past few winters, we finally connected this morning. The mosaics were created by the Romans around 69AD. 🪶 #ukbirding #peakybirders #winterbirding #somersetbirding #burnhamonsea #yearlisting
At least 3 Jack Snipe were present on the patch today, along with 55 Common Snipe. Other species included 6 Goosander, Pochard and 2 Great White Egret. The only new species for the year was a sad, solitary Yellowhammer (#132) in Seckington. #peakybirders #patchbirding #thermalbirding #alvecotepools
A walk around the local woods this balmy morn’ produced a few extra ‘year ticks’. A couple of roosting Woodcock (#103) were picked up with the thermal and a singing Mistle Thrush (#104) was finally located around the village. #peakybirders #warwickshirebirding #winterbirding
‘Operation Jaundice’ successfully completed. The vocal male AMERICAN YELLOW WARBLER in Kent eventually showed well to the crowd today. It’s a little Christmas miracle! 🪶 #ukbirding #megaalert #winterbirding #kentbirding #britishbirding #peakybirders
Another day of local mooching started at Alvecote Pools this morning and ended at Whitemoor Haye with a male AMERICAN WIGEON. The wigeon became only my third sighting in Staffordshire following a male at Blithfield in 1998 and a female at Belvide in 2006. 🪶 #peakybirders #ukbirding #staffsbirding
My run of bad birding luck has finally ended. The SCARLET TANAGER (first-winter male) eventually showed well in the late afternoon sunshine in West Yorkshire. 🪶 #peakybirders #megaalert #ukbirding #ukbirds
Shetland 2024: A final total of 107 species. Highlights towards the end included PADDYFIELD WARBLER, LANCEOLATED WARBLER, PALLAS’S GRASSHOPPER WARBLER and ARCTIC WARBLER. Thanks to Mark Rayment for the Pechora Pipit and Arctic Warbler photos. 🪶 #ukbirds #shetlandbirding #autumnbirding #peakybirders
At last a proper ‘MEGA’ up here on Shetland. We all enjoyed decent views of Scotland’s first ever EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER yesterday. Other recent highlights include Rose-coloured Starling, Golden Oriole and Little Bunting. #ukbirds #ukbirding #shetlandbirding #peakybirders #autumnbirding
URGENT HELP REQUIRED: Does anyone know how to put the ‘squeak’ back into a birder’s old squeaker? So far I’ve tried old grass heads, bran flakes, ground-up vitamin tablets and deodorant (Sure for Men). None have worked. 🪶 #peakybirders #shetlandbirding #autumnbirding #ukbirding #ukbirds
That’s me done with work for TWENTY days. Bring on those rarities, scarcities and falls of migrants! 🪶 #ukbirds #autumnbirding #peakybirders #ukbirding #britishbirding #birds
That time of year every birder loves! A pretty decent time down at the patch this morning. 2 Great White Egret, 6 Little Egret, 4 Lapwing, Golden Plover (over), Snipe, 3 Common Sandpiper, Red Kite & Hobby. 🪶 #ukbirds #ukbirding #patchbirding #alvecotepools #warksbirding #autumnbirding #peakybirders
