31/08/2021 Hornsea mere, East Yorkshire

Arctic Tern: Take a look at this stunner, lacking pigment within its feathers making it pure white this leucistic Arctic tern was a sight!  It stood out like a beacon even from the otherside of the mere.

The bird has taken up residence at Hornsea Mere for a few weeks now, joining the increasing numbers of little gull feeding on the newly emerging lake fly. 

When I arrived the bird was nowhere to be seen, not resting on the jetty or feeding over the water,, not a sign of it. 

Local bider Nick Lawman was also searching and scanning the water for the bird.  

Not before long I pointed it out as it was hawking close to the reeds on the far side of the mere, the bird also came over and rested on the jetty albeit for a very short time. 

Chatting to Nick we decided to rent a rowboat and take the opportunity to get a little closer to both  the tern and the little gulls. 

The boat rental can be done card or cash at the cost of £5 each and is manned by two of the nicest blokes. 

Little Gull: Hornsea Mere is famous for its little gull roots with thousands of birds attending at anyone time and many remaining throughout the day. There was still over 200 birds present while I was there mid morning.

Over the next few weeks, thousands of these small charismatic gulls make their way down the North Sea from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and the Baltic.

So we headed out on to the open water, I rowed out not in a particularly straight line, slow and steady we made it over to the side where we last saw the tern. 

Not long after we arrived we drifted into the shallows and had to use the ores to push ourselves back out onto the water.  

The tern reappeared and put on a magnificent display as it flew up and down the front of the reeds before whizzing right past our boat and across the mere out of sight. 

The little gulls were also busily feeding around our small boat. With a couple of smart looking juveniles and even a near full summer plumage adult sporting a near perfect back hood. 

They were plucking flies from the top of the surface of the water, hawking right in front of us. 

I didn't realise how difficult it would have been out on the boat, sure physically rowing the boat was difficult and tricky but that I did expect. But the wind was affecting the water and the boat was bobbing up and down which made it particularly difficult to hold the camera steady!

Nick rowed back, and in all fairness he did a much better job of it then I did. Faster, straighter and he didn't find it all that difficult to turn the boat. 

I have to say I really enjoyed this mini-adventure, OK the photography opportunities weren't great and it was much more difficult than either of us originally anticipated, but we did get closer to the tern and the gulls. 

Big thanks again to Nick whos rowing silks were just the ticket and allowed me to get some extra snaps of the gulls on the water. 

Arctic Tern: If you chose not rent a boat then it's worth waiting alongside the jetties as the gulls rest on here throughout the day and the tern can make an appearance here too. 

19/04/2017 Elton Reservoir, Bury

Garganey: Elton Res is a place I rarely visit, the last time I was back in May 2014 when there was a showy Black Tern on the res.

The Manchester Bury & Bolton Reservoir, commonly called Elton Reservoir, is located near the A58 Bolton Road in Greater Manchester, about 3 km south west of the town of Bury and is a well watched by birders.

This time I was heading over straight from work in order to photograph the drake Garganey that has been showing superbly for the past couple of days.

However when I turn up the bird had become quite flighty, when I arrived the bird was on the canal getting before flying back over to the flooded field, due to a passing dog walker.

Despite the bird being flighty and with some field craft I was able to get close enough without unsettling it and got some nice images, albeit not as good as some images I have seen of the bird.

Still its not everyday you get close to a Garganey, typically they stay distant at p;laces such as Carr Lane Pools and Leighton Moss where I have seen them before.

Little Ringed Plover: While I sat and watched the bird on the edge of the flooded field I also saw a LRP drop in. This bird didn't stay long and after a quick feed flew off.

Little Gull: The Gargenay wasn't actually on Elton res but a small flooded field in the same area. Best accessed from Bury Road in Radcliffe then down on Within's Lane and walk up past Cocklestorm Paints. Here there is a canal towpath, and there are small floods on both sides of the canal.

Once I had my fill of the Garganey I moved on to Elton Res itself where I caught up with the Little Gull that has been on the res for a while now.

This was an adult bird with striking black under wings and white upper parts and tail.

The bird was showing incredibly well at the North end and was happily feeding on insects from the top of the water.

After watching the gull for about and hour I soon gave in to hunger and moved on. I followed the public right of way over the sheep fields and back towards Bury Road.

Wheatear: It was here I stopped a male Northern Whaetaer foraging around the sheep, a nice bird to pick up and end the day with.

22/03/2017 Pennington Flash

Little Gull: Sitting in front of the Mac and doing paperwork, email and a little business promotion on a dank, drizzly day sucks, big time!

So when news came through that there were four adult Little Gull at Penny I was quick to log out, sign off and grab my waterproofs.

Upon arriving at a packed Horrocks Hide the four birds were way out in the bay opposite the sailing club, but in no time they came a bit closer.

When they did come closer I left the hide to gain a better vantage point for taking pictures. All four birds were following each other across the flash and were actively foraging with their distinctive hawking behaviour.

Unfortunately the weather got worse and I was soon drenched from head to toe. Nevertheless I was really pleased to be out and pleased to catch up with the quartet.

All birds being adults had their distinctive dark, blackish undrwings, white upperwings and white tails, however they the didn't have their black hoods just yet.

There has been a really nice selection of gulls at the flash this winter and it was nice to end it with a new Pennington Flash species.

I could have watched them all day, however my paperwork wasn't going to do itself so after about an hour I headed home to dry off and continue working.

20/03/2017 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Little Gull: Often when I blog about BMW I tend to say how great the place is and how it is one of my favourite places, well today's no exception.

Like that of the 'Cheers' theme-tune BMW is one of the few places I can go where everyone knows my name. It is full of familiar and friendly people who stop and chat, which for me is the beauty of BMW.

Over the last few days a 1st winter Little Gull has been reported from Marsh Covert hides bridge screen and has been showing well.

I don't often see many Little Gull's and it is a real treat when I do. I think they are pretty cool dainty birds and nice gulls to connect with.

Like the reports were suggesting the bird didn't disappoint and was showing well, giving the small group of spectators a chance to see it's 'W' pattern across it's wings, black tail band and it's faint dark secondary barring.

The bird even took a break from time to time and sat on the water in between tern like foraging and chasing Black-headed gulls.

This image shows the birds under wings quite nicely, as adults and juveniles are very distinctive and quite different. Juveniles have white under wings while the adults have black under wings and lose their back barring across their backs and wings and turn white.





I was told that the bird has been seen on and off for a few weeks around BMW and Burton Point before settling on March Covert pool. If you haven't seen one in a while I would highly recommend a trip down to BMW before it disappears.

07/08/2013 Titchwell Marsh RSPB

Ruff: Our next stop on our second day in Norfolk was to the very excellent Titchwell RSPB nature reserve.

The ting with Norfolk is that the birding is ace! From the number of waders to the species it draws and Titchwell was no exception.

Lapwing: One of the first birds we saw was a female Marsh Harrier cursing over the vast reed beds. The scrapes were full of waders, Ruff, Lapwing, Black wits, Green Sands, Wood Sands, Spotted and Redshank but the highlight for me was very close views of a Little Stint.

Little Ringed Plover: (juvenile) I bagged another new tick with two female Red Crested Pochard which I believe breed at Titchwell.


This LR Plover was happily feeding right in front of the hide.

Sparrowhawk: All of a sudden all the waders lifted off the scrape as out of the corner of my eye came a female Sparrowhawk clutching what looked like a Starling.

Spoonbill: We decided to make a move and head back to the car for the long journey back up north when we stopped on the causeway looking over the scrape and spotted this elegant Spoonbill passing over.

Little Gull: We also spotted a single Little Gull sleeping on the scrape, this picture shows the difference in size between the Little Gull near the waters edge and the Black Headed Gull at the to of the picture.





We had a great trip birding and twitching around Norfolk where I bagged six new lifers which were Night Heron, Nightjar, Roller, Red Crested Pochard, Little Stint and believe it or not Common Scoter - on a brief sea watch but I'm hoping for better views one day as they were miles away. I will definitely  be back for more excellent Norfolk birding soon.

09/03/2013 Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB

Little Gull: More gull action to be had at Burton Mere with this great little gull making an appearance.

This was an adult in winter plumage, see the little black bill, black spot behind the ear and no black cap.

This picture shows its white wing tips really well and the dark under side of its wings which are all distinctive characteristics of this the smallest gull in the world.