16/07/2020 RSPB Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire

Caspian Tern: I love my job, I get to spend much of my time out in the field surveying and often it takes out to parts of the country that at times are host to scarce and rare birds.  Giving me an opportunity to go and see them.

So, after working within an hour of Frampton I nipped down to see the Caspo. 

When I arrived the bird had just flown off 'typical' but after a relatively short wait entertaining myself with views of a summer plumage curlew sand the tern appeared.

Caspian terns are famous for their huge carrot like bill, they have a large bill that is mostly bright red in adults, becoming dark near the tip, with the extreme tip  yellowish (only apparent at close range).

These birds are proper massive a real beast, especially next to a common tern. They are the largest of all species of terns with its 1 metre wingspan, it is similar in size to a black-backed gull.

This was my second UK Caspian tern and showed rather well, definitely worth the post-work detour.

12/07/2020 Howden Moors, Upper Derwent Valley, South Yorkshire

Lammergeier: I've been waiting and praying that this freakishly awesome bird got pinned down to one location and a location it was faithful too.

My prayers were answered.

This birds movements have been at best irregular and at worst fleeting and many reports have come from non-birders which simply adds to the birds mystery. Thankfully the bird has stellted down in the south-eastern Peak District and had taken up an old raven nest site as it regular roost.

Although to get here you have to embark on a epic hike up and over the moors, though the peat bogs and down the water filled valleys, this grueling walk took me nearly two hours!

A two hour slog during the fisrt light of the day had its upsides as well as its down. As soon as I started the incline I heard and had a glimpse of a nightjar, always a welcome sight. The sun rise over the rollings moors was stunning, however the down side was the sweating, the breathlessness, the aching legs muscles and the muddy,wet, soddern feet. 

But each and every step was well worth the pain, as not only was the bird at its regular roost sight when I arrived and after a long wait watching it poop and preen it eventually decided to leave.

This was equally as breathtaking as the hill climb as the huge bird flew directly towards the onlooking crowd and circled above us before gliding off out of view.  Never in my life had I thought I would see a wild Lammergeier in the UK in such a way.

The birds origins still remain somewhat sketchy as it is thought to be the offspring of a reintroduction programme so as a 1st generation bird it is deemed non-tickable by some and the BOU. In any case this is one bird that will stand out in my memories, simply suburb.

08/07/2020 A Roadside Verge in Derbyshire

Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum): My favourite UK orchid, it looks like it has arrived from outer space, alien. This impressive, large orchid lives up to its name, the flowers have petals and sepals that form the 'head' of a lizard, while the divided lips look like its legs and long, twisting tail!

Astonishing!

Another bizarre and weird feature this orchis is that they smell strongly of goats, yeah thats right goats.

Lizard orchids are massive, they stand at around 115cm that's around 45 inches, it's a monster of an orchid. It bears numerous greenish purple flowers, which are densely clustered.

This particular specimen is still in good shape, some of the long twisted lobes were browning but on the whole it was still standing strong.

It's likely that the wetter end to June and the start of July has helped the plant keep it good condition. This year I have been having some bad luck with orchids but for the opposite reason, summer seemed to arrive early and there was a prolonged dry spell that impacted a lot of orchids across the country.

According to the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI), the lizard orchid is restricted to the south and east of England.

Populations occur in Kent, Sussex, Somerset, Devon, Gloucestershire and the North and South Downs. In fact, one of the most impressive populations of this rare and beautiful plant is on the Open course, Royal St George's Golf Club at Sandwich in Kent.

Take a look at that. The extremely long (central lobe of the labellum is coiled inside the flower bud and unrolls and twists downwards like a streamer when the flower opens, this can reach 30 to 60 cm in length.

This Derbyshire lizard orchid is on the edge of its range in England and numbers have fluctuated over time, probably due to climate changes and habitat loss.

Habitat loss and climate change aren't the only major threats to wild orchids a fate suffered by many orchid species due to their incredible flowers is the mindless and selfish act of picking them, collecting them.

Having such a rare and spectacular plant this far north has made this individual in somewhat a celebrity with many orchid enthusiasts and nature lovers make  pilgrimage each year to see it. This was my second visit to the roadside verge. 

 I've also read that the earliest population recorded in the UK was lost, wiped out back in 1641 due to a widening of a road. This surely must be the first recorded damage caused to rare wildlife by road improvement.

In fact, as incomprehensible as it may seem, it appears that, if our present government has its way, further loss to our already rare wildflower meadows may soon be seen!

04/07/2020 RSPB Bempton Cliffs, Flamborough

Weasel: A superstar and grippingly good black-browed albatross turned up on the East Yorkshire coast. on Thursday at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, near Flamborough.

Well to say I was excited would have been an understatement to have the chance to see one of the best birds I just had to give it a go. So thanks for my boss Howard Fern who gave me to green light to go (I owe you one mate) I headed up Friday morning.

The bird had been seen fisrt thing before flying off, and appeared again around 11:30 am, but the lucks was conspiring against me as by the time the bird came back I was still 20 minutes away.

By the time I arrived the bird had gone, I waited all day but it never made an appearance and I even went back the following morning and again bird decided not to show up, it had gone, this was a mega dip!

I'm pretty wounded by this in all honesty, a txt off the right people or if I was more prepared in the morning I might have made it in time.

Still, and it was hard to get my head out of the depressive fog there was a nice supporting cast to keep me occupied between long bouts of waiting around for the albatross to turn up.

This family of weasels were the highlight, watching them chasing each other and avoiding the corvids as they weaseled in and out of their burrows on the cliff edge was joy to witness. 

Puffin: Bempton is always a good play to see puffins,  these charismatic little birds were nesting right beside the main watchpoint that the albatross was last seen and were many folk congregated in anticipation but ultimately despondency. 

Gannet: The one thing these large twitchers enable me to do is to catch up with some cracking birders and local folk, at one point it felt more like a social then a twitch. Although the social distancing left a lot to be desired, I guess it would be hard at such a place anyway.

Long-eared Owl: The birding highlight was this LEO,  that has been frequenting the ares for a few weeks now it wasnt here on the Friday but was kind enough to come out on the Saturday.

Great Skua: Another highlight was this great skua that spent much of its time on the hunt and we even witness it catch a kittiwake, kill it and eat it on the sea.

It's going to take some time to get over this one, sure you have to be in it to win it, you have to make the effort when you can.

Gannet: I think there are a lot of lessons to be learnt, in time for the next mega bird!