05/09/2026 RSPB Freiston Shore Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire

Wyneck: Toady I was up early carrying out a GCN pit fall trapping survey and resuing toads of which afterwards I decided to drive over to Lincs to spend the rest of the morning with this little stunner.

Wrynecks are scarce autumn passage migrants in the UK, halting briefly to rest and refuel as they travel from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia down to sub-Saharan Africa. While they used to breed in Great Britain, they are now strictly visitors, making every single sighting a highly sought-after event.

By the time I arrived the bird had flown off, snot spooked or disturbed but perhaps to have a roost after feeding all morning. But, I didn't have wait too long before it was relocated on a nearby path. 

For those planning a trip, you might not have to hike very far into the reserve. The bird has been frequently reported right around the main car park and nearby ground foliage, proving that sometimes the best wildlife encounters happen before you even pass the welcome signs.

Unlike their cousin woodpeckers, you won't often find a wryneck drumming on high tree trunks. They are primarily ground-dwelling birds, feeding almost exclusively on ants.

If you get lucky enough to see one feeding, you can watch them use their long, sticky tongues to lap up ants from the gravel and dirt. Seeing one is easier said than done, however. 

Slightly larger than a sparrow, their intricate, bark-like grey and brown mottling gives them near-perfect camouflage against dry leaves and bare earth. They are famously "skulky" characters, often freezing or blending perfectly into the background when approached.

30/08/2026 Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire

Red-necked Phalarope: The August Bank Holiday weekend is usually a time for relaxing, but for Midwest and Warwickshire birdwatchers, it turned into an absolute scramble. A rare juvenile Red-necked Phalarope made an unexpected stopover at Kingsbury Water Park, triggering a massive turnout of local twitchers and wildlife enthusiasts alike.

According to local records, this stunning little wader represents the first recorded sighting of a Red-necked Phalarope in Warwickshire since 1988. For many local birders, it was a true once-in-a-generation local tick!

The juvenile bird took up temporary residence on Bodymoor Heath Water, specifically favoring the shoreline just a short walk from the car park south of the sailing club. What made this particular birding event so magical wasn't just its rarity it was the bird’s incredibly "confiding" nature. Showing absolutely no fear of the growing crowds, the juvenile phalarope spent hours swimming and foraging mere meters from the shoreline. 

At times, lucky onlookers with binoculars and long lenses found themselves practically face-to-face with the bird as it drifted within 4 to 5 metres of the bank.

The phalarope wasn't the only star of the show. Birders who spent the weekend staking out the lakes were treated to an all-around fantastic autumn passage, with sightings of a little gull and several common terns adding to the bank holiday tally.

This was my first time at Kingsbury Water Park and I can see why it has proven why it is one of the premier wetland hotspots in the region. Its a great little place. 

 

30/08/2026 Eastleach Martin, Gloucestershire

Long-tailed Shrike: They say you should never go back. In birding, returning to a mega-rarity you’ve already ticked can feel like a gamble. Will it show as well? Will the magic still be there? But when news dropped that the Gloucestershire Long-tailed Shrike was still holding down its territory near Eastleach I couldn't resist another go at it.

And better yet, the bird had successfully completed its moult, I knew I had to make the trip for round two. If you thought this Asian vagrant looked spectacular back in July, you should see it now. It is absolute perfection.

I saw the Fife, a 2nd record for the UK, this twitch was an adrenaline-fueled, chaotic scramble. The atmosphere was electric, and also saw this bird when it first turned up here, but let’s be honest the bird was looking a little worse for wear. Traveling thousands of miles off-course takes a toll, and its plumage was showing the undeniable scruffiness of a long journey and a pending summer moult.

Another biggest difference between my two visits? The sheer drop in atmospheric pressure and I don't mean the weather. Back in July, the feild margins surrounding Eastleach were packed with hundreds of birders, a sea of tripod legs, and a palpable, high-stakes tension. 

This time around, the frantic "twitcher rush" had entirely dissolved. Only a relaxed, companionable handful of birders remained along the hedge line. Without the massive walls of scopes and shuffling crowds, the atmosphere was incredibly peaceful. Better yet, the bird itself seemed totally relaxed in its well-established territory. With fewer eyes on it and no chaotic movements to spook it, the shrike put on an absolute masterclass in showmanship.

9/08/2026 Coquet Island, Northumberland,

Sooty Tern: The UK birding community is no stranger to summer surprises, but August 2026 delivered a twitch that that will live on in my mind, at least for decades. The drama began around 3 August 2026, when eagle-eyed observers on Coquet Island spotted something completely unexpected among the thousands of resident seabirds.

Sitting amidst the UK's only nesting colony of Roseate Terns was an elegant, jet-black and pristine-white adult sooty tern. Sooty terns are pelagic, tropical oceans dwellers. They are built for the warm waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, making this lone individual thousands of miles away from home. 
 

Twitching a rare bird is never easy, and this tropical visitor chose to play hard to get. Shortly after its initial discovery, the bird vanished. Despair rippled through the community as early twitchers "dipped" out, fearing the bird had flown back out to the open ocean as quickly as it had arrived.  

But the ocean had other plans. In true dramatic fashion, the Sooty Tern made a triumphant return around 10–11 August 2026. As news broke that the bird was back on the island, the twitch was officially back on. Catching a glimpse of this ocean wanderer required some serious logistics. Coquet Island is a strictly protected RSPB nature reserve, meaning landing on the island is completely prohibited to safeguard the nesting seabirds.Because of this, the only way to see the bird was from the water. 

Local boat operators in the nearby harbour town of Amble found themselves overwhelmed with sudden demand. Hasty evening charters were organised, and standard public cruises were packed to the brim with birders armed with telescopes, binoculars, and heavy camera gear, all hoping to get close enough to the island's shoreline to spot the celebrity guest. This was a lifer for me and a day I won't be forgetting any time soon.

29/08/2026 The Great Orme, Llandudno

Dotterel: There is a very special visitor spending time on the rocky cliffs of North Wales right now, and it is causing quite a stir in the birdwatching community. If you take a walk up onto the limestone pavements of The Great Orme in Llandudno, you might just cross paths with a beautiful, juvenile Eurasian Dotterel.

First spotted in late August, this lone young wader has chosen the dramatic headland as it's temporary home, delighting local wildlife photographers and nature lovers alike.

Dotterels are true mountain specialists. They spend their summers breeding in the high-altitude Arctic tundra or on the highest, windswept mountain plateaus of Scotland, like the Cairngorms. 

But as autumn approaches, these hardy little birds begin an epic seasonal migration south toward the warm winters of North Africa.S

So, why has this particular youngster touched down in Llandudno? The vast, exposed limestone pavements and short turf of the Great Orme perfectly mimic the alpine habitats these birds love. 

It provides a vital, historic refueling station where they can rest their wings, forage for insects, and build up the energy required for the long journey over Europe and the Mediterranean.

If you are lucky enough to track the dotterel down, you will quickly notice its most famous trait: its incredible, fearless nature. Dotterels are renowned for being exceptionally "confiding." Because they breed in remote areas with very little human contact, they lack the natural wariness of other waders.

If you sit quietly on the turf, this little traveller will often go about its business completely unbothered by your presence, offering breathtaking, close-up views. Of course, this can make finding them a bit of a game of hide-and-seek! 

Their speckled autumn plumage acts as a masterclass in camouflage, blending so perfectly with the grey limestone and dry grass that they can look exactly like feathered stones until they move.

Whether you manage to catch a glimpse of the Orme’s special guest this week or simply admire it from afar, let’s wish this tiny wanderer clear skies and safe passage on its long flight south to Africa.
 

08/07/2026 Crail in Fife, Scotland

Long-tailed Shrike: Is this the ultimate prize for UK twitchers? This fierce, predatory songbird is native to South and Central Asia, making it a legendary "mega" vagrant with just one official sightings in British history. 

When one of these rare visitors accidentally lands on our shores, it triggers a massive nationwide "twitch" as hundreds of enthusiasts rush to catch a glimpse of a true once-in-a-generation spectacle.

The first record of this species in the UK was in  November 2000, when a first-winter bird was discovered at Howmore on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. It was officially accepted onto Category A of the British List by the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) in 2004. 

Often nicknamed "butcherbirds," shrikes are fierce apex predators among small birds. They hunt from high, exposed perches like telephone wires or bushes, gliding down swiftly to catch insects, small mammals, lizards, and other birds on the ground. They are famous for their unique habit of impaling uneaten prey on thorns or barbed wire fences to store it for later consumption.

07/06/2026 Caernarfon Harbour, Gwynedd, Wales

Western Reef Heron: Twitching history was officially made this weekend. 

On Saturday, 6 June 2026, the British birding community was sent into an absolute frenzy. The UK’s first-ever Western reef heron was discovered on the coast of Gwynedd, North Wales.

For years, British birders have looked longingly at European records, wondering if or when this coastal specialist would ever cross the Channel.

 Now, the wait is over. 

This historic "mega-rarity" has already drawn hundreds of excited observers to the northwest Welsh coast, all eager to catch a glimpse of a true ornithological milestone.

To put this into perspective, the Western Reef Heron is traditionally native to the tropical coastlines of West Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Southern Asia.

While the species has been slowly expanding its footprint northward into Spain and Southern France over recent decades, a leap all the way to North Wales is unprecedented. Once the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) officially reviews and accepts the documentation, this individual will officially secure its spot as a brand-new addition to the British List.

Having arrived back from birding in Cyprus at 4.30am and having Autumn wake me up at 8am I managed to fit in a mid-afternoon power nap. Only to wake up to my mega alerts on my phone going mad!

The dark morph is the most iconic and easily recognised version. The bird is wrapped in dark slate-grey or blue-grey plumage. The dead giveaway is a clean, bright white patch strictly confined to the chin and throat.

If you are heading out to Gwynedd to try and tick this monumental bird, timing is everything. Because both sites are highly tidal, the heron's behavior and proximity to the paths change dramatically depending on the water levels.

Keep your eyes glued to real-time tracking services like the BirdGuides App for up-to-the-minute coordinates before you set off!

Don't miss this! It's a first for Britain.

18/04/2026 Hardwick Hall Country Park, Durham

Iberian Chiffchaff: When Kris got in touch saying he was keen to life tick this rare annual vagrant I couldn't resist Only recently separated from common chiffchaff on the basis of DNA and its distinctive song. 

These birders birds resemble common chiffchaff, but generally appearing brighter yellow-olive, often with a longer-billed and longer-winged look similar to a willow warbler.

It's all about their song, its a primary indicator, differing significantly from the common chiffchaff, described as a faster, more musical, and multi-part song.

As we approched the area where the bird had been previously spotted we could hear the birds song. The Iberian Chiffchaff’s song is more complex and musical than the simple "chiff-chaff" of its common relative, typically following a distinct three-part structure. 

It begins with several slow, rhythmic notes that transition into a series of rising "swee-swee" sounds, before finishing with a characteristic fast-paced, dry trill on a single pitch. This hurried delivery is further distinguished by its call—a soft, downslurred tseeeu—which contrasts sharply with the rising huit call of the Common Chiffchaff.

 

08/03/2026 Blyth South Harbour, Blyth, Northumberland

White-billed Diver: My third white-billed diver (WBD), and the best one I've seen so far, the one that came the closest and showed the best!

WBD's are rare winter visitor to the UK, with around 20 to 30 birds recorded annually, primarily off the coast of northern Scotland, including Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, and Moray. 

WBD's are the largest of the UK divers, distinguished by a massive, pale, ivory coloured bill.  Breeding adults have black-and-white checkered backs; in winter, they are paler than great northern divers with a light, "fluffy" rear end 

There appears to be a bit of an influx of these bird this winter, with several in Scotland and along the East Coast in recent weeks.

 

28/01/2026 Newlyn Harbour, Cornwallhave not

Ross's Gull: A round trip to Cornwall, there and back in a day with Kris for company to see this gull. I know gulls evoke a wide spectrum of emotions and imagery, ranging from the nostalgia of coastal, seaside life to frustration regarding their difficulty to ID. But this gull is Top of the Pops.

These small gulls are a very rare Arctic winter visitor to the UK, with sporadic sightings mostly in northern Scotland, Shetland, and the east coast of England. 

These small, pink-tinged gulls are highly sought after by birders, often appearing between November and January. These are small, dove-like gull with a wedge-shaped tail, often with a pinkish breast (in breeding/sub-adult plumage), small black bill, and red legs.

Kris and I set off from Wigan at 2am arriving in Newlyn for around 9am were Kris saw the bird fly out of the harbour not long after we arrived. We had to wait another 2 hours for it to come back before getting better views. 

Formerly known as the Cuneate-tailed gull it is now known as the Ross's gull, is named after the British naval officer and Arctic explorer Sir James Clark Ross. He procured the first specimens of this species in June 1823 while exploring the Melville Peninsula.

The gull spent some time on the roof of the nearby Lidl, before feeding around the harbour entrance and in the harbour itself. This was one of my top targets on BUBO, but I have not had much chance of twitching one as they are becoming incredibly rare in recent years.