Back Twiching

Went to Worth Marshes in Kent on Sunday with Martin Blow to see the Eleonora's Falcon and to be honest I could'nt belive how well it showed - cracking views.

After we went along to see and hear the Sardinian Warbler at South Foreland that JP found - another great find for Jamie. All in all a good afernoon out meeting old friends and dusting off the cobwebs from the camera.

Brent Geese

Saturday morning along with the NTGG team I helped colour ring Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Blue House Farm Essex as part of the ongoing project.

We only took a small catch at the time but glad we did as the geese wasn't coming to the catching area all day. So while we waited we enjoyed good views of Red-breasted Goose, Peregrine, Barn Owl, Marsh Harriers and a very smart male Merlin.

Grey Partridge

Another farmland survey using the thermal imager with PRO produced 20 Woodcock,6 Grey Partridge and good numbers of Skylark. We ringed 2 Grey Partridge, 2 Skylark, Stockdove, Redwing and a Fieldfare.

Thermal Imager

On the 5th and 11th of January I went out with PRO and PH surveying farmers fields at night with the thermal imager. Good numbers of birds were using the fields including 28 Woodcock, 12 Grey Partridge, 35 Skylark, 12 Fieldfare over both sessions. A small sample of birds were ringed 2 Woodcock, 4 Skylark and 1 Fieldfare.

images taken with the iphone

Turnstone

Thought I would update the blog as it's been a while. Here is my favourite lastest image of a group Turnstone down at Southend-on-sea pier last Sunday afternoon on a very cloudy day.

Thermal survey

After navigating the M25 last Friday afternoon I finally made it Matt Prior in Swindon to do a thermal imaging survey on three farms on the Marlborough Downs. As before we checked the farmers fields for Skylark and Corn Bunting. We ringed 12 Skylark and 1 Corn Bunting the latter was was the 100th to be coloured ringed for Matt's project! 2 Barn Owl and a Kestrel was noted and 2 stunning Adult Tawny Owls were ringed.

image by MP

Skylark

Corn Bunting Thanks to Matt for letting ring all the birds.

Shetland 2021

Since arriving back from Shetland a few weeks ago I thought it's time I better update my blog. I joined Paul Hawkins, Andy Lawson, Martin Blow and Tony Brown from the 1st - 8th October for my first ever visit. As a group we done well finding our own birds with Little Bunting (PH) Greenish Warbler and Common Rosefinch (AL) and I chipped in with a Red-eyed Vireo! That was a amazing moment for me and the group.

And if you add in the list of birds seen over the week plus 3 Otter and the Monarch Butterfly and the Aurora Borealis you can see, we really did had a fabulous week. 2nd October * Red-backed Shrike * Woodchat Shrike * Eastern Yellow Wagtail 3rd October * Semipalmated Sandpiper * Shorelark * Little Bunting * Olive-backed Pipit * Western Bonelli's Warbler 4th October * King Eider * Red-breasted Flycatcher * 2 Red-eyed Vireo 5th October * Olive-backed Pipit * White-billed Diver * Radde's Warbler 6th October * Rustic Bunting * Greenish Warbler 7th October * Common Rosefinch And 10 Yellow-browed Warblers, Jack Snipe, Pied and Spot flycatchers. RBF

Rustic Bunting

Wheatear

Monarch Butterfly

Otter