16/06/2021 Undisclosed Site, Lancashire

Long-eared Owl: Such a marvelous sight and such a privilege to observe these shy and elusive birds on a site that I've been monitoring.

Listening carefully and following the sounds of their sharp squeaking whistle, reminiscent of a squeaky gate. Their begging call rings out from within the pine plantation, but pin pointing them as they sit still, camouflaged is still a challenge. 

LEO's will breed between February and July with the female staying with the eggs and chicks all day and only taking a few breaks at night. The male hunts and brings food to the female and chicks until the brood are independent. 

I was also lucky enough to get a glimpse of an adult bird hunting over the moors, it was great to see it flying deep into the pines to feed its young, then flying off back on he hunt for more food. 

The chicks still can’t fly when they leave the nest and instead walk out onto neighbouring branches. Their parents will provide for them until they become fledglings and learn to fly and fend for themselves. 

11/06/2021 Singleton Avenue, Horwich, Bolton

Rose-coloured Starlings: This is a rare visitor  for anyone's garden feeders but even more rare with it being a garden in Greater Manchester!

This summer has seen an invasion of rosy starlings after large numbers have spread west through Europe and across the Channel Islands over the past few weeks. 

Weather where they are typical found has been much more unpredictable, possibly its has been much hotter than usual or like here in the UK their summer started off much colder May and into June. A combination of this could have stimulated the birds to overshoot their breeding grounds and push westwards through Europe. 

With this individuals settling in a garden near Bolton. 

The bird spent a lot of time within the garden itself, out of view, presumably feeding on some food on the ground. But from time to time, and with a spot of patience the bird appeared upon the fence. 

The bird was fiercely defending the feeder, chasing away all the other starlings and was unwilling to share. 

I hope the feeders get topped up soon, there wa plenty of activity with other starlings, wood pigeons, blackbirds and house sparrows all making a dent in the food. 

I've already topped up my own feeders and places dozens of fat balls around my own garden hoping i too can get as lucky as the redsitnet of this garden,I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  

06/06/2021 Sleekburn, Blyth, Northumberland

Red-necked Stint: This weekend just gets better and better! 

After yesterday successful twitch to Ham Wall I was quite looking forward to a long lie in, but then news broke that of a red-necked stint in Northumberland on the River Blyth. So I set my alarm for another 2am start and off I shot for fisrt light. 

I made good time and soon had a phone call of Mrak Payne who said it was still there at 5am, I arrived at 5.15am of which the last 15 minutes was a tense and stressful ride. 

Europe has no more than 30 records of red-necked stint with the UK playing host to only seven records, now eight including this individual and before this one it had been almost eight years since the last record. 

So needless to say when the news came out yesterday evening, it got peoples blood pumping. 

Typically just after I left the bird decided to land within 10ft from a few lucky birders who drove to a more favorable viewing area on the opposite side of the river.

So these blurred smudges that I took today through the scope just don't do the bird justice, in real life it's a belter. 

Special thanks to top bloke Paul Baker for lending me his image, great work mate. 

05/06/2021 Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset & Bristol

River Warbler: Well this was a turn out for the books, a baby free saturday, minimal negotiations with Dawn a 2am start and I've just added river warbler to my list. Absolutely brilliant. 

The bird performed brilliantly, singing in full view and constantly returning to the same persches in the same small area. 

River warblers belong to the Locustella family of warblers, the same as grasshopper warbler, but unlike their more common counterparts these are large, rather nondescript warblers, lacking the grasshopper scaling and with a dark a plain brown back, faintly streaked breast, and pale belly. The tail is rather long and full with a pale-tipped undertail. 

These birds are harder to come by then some folk realise, the last twitchable bird was over 11 years ago and the Wigan bird was back in 1995, well before my twitching days. 

02/06/2021 Saltwick Nab, North Yorkshire

Lesser Grey Shrike: After a couple of bad weeks of back to back dips I was relieved to have finally broken my bad streak by ticking the little beaut and adding a new bird to the list. 

When I arrived there bird was being pretty elusive and the small group of birders who made it one site before me were standing and waiting while looking on the hedge were it had spent most of the previous day. 

Eventually it was relocated to another hedge in the vicinity and was showing really well, if a little distant. 

The bird looks very similar to its cousin the great grey shrike and acts very similar too. But there are a few subtle differences. 

The shrike has a distinctive black face mask and long tail. Down the back runs a jacket of military-grey feathers and around the white brest is a pink flush. 

Very nice indeed. 

The species breeds no nearer than northern Spain and is more at home on the arid steppes of Asiatic Russia or the bush-dotted pasture of Romania. It is, in truth, mostly African, living eight months a year by hunting beetles or grasshoppers among the thorn scrub and drylands near, or south of, the Kalahari.

But the bird seemed just at home on the East Yorkshire cost of Whitby, amongst the hawthorn hedges, bramble scrub and newly sprouting cereal crops.