02/06/2022 Loch Grudie, Strath Brora, Highlands

Short-toed Snake Eagle: Wow, just wow! 

OK the picture is rubbish, a burry mess of pixels and heat haze, but this represents another of my UK firsts for me, and one hell of a brilliant bird. 

Osprey: With news being slow to come out due to the bird being first sighted during a vantage point bird survey, presumably due to the sensitivity to the project and clients involved I was just happy that news was put out in full with location details. 

We moved pretty quickly once the bird was pinned down and began to be regularly seen coming out of a roost in a plantation woodland on the far side of Loch Grudie. 

Black-throated Diver: Leaving at 1am and arriving at 9.30 Steve T and I bumped in to yong Oscar Puls and then traversed the steep hill toward the watch point together. Out of breath and sweating we arrived with seconds to go before the bird lifted off out of the tree line and took to the sky, before flying around and out of site. 

We waited for it to return before time got the best of us and were forced to leave, but despite the short views of the bird and the long journey home I had a smashing day. 

A good laugh in car with a top bloke and a day spent with several fishing osprey and a black-throated diver. Very nice indeed. 

01/04/2021 Lightshaw Flash, Wigan

Osprey: I spent an hour this morning at leightshaw Flash, it's only down the road. There were a pair of garganey present, presumably the same pair I photographed earlier this week at Pennington Flash. I was also treated to an unrung osprey flyby from the canal heading towards Penny.

A brief but very pleasant morning despite the change in the weather. 

18/04/2020 River Ribble, Preston

Osprey: This magnificent bird of prey has spending much of its time on the motorway bridge over the M6, close to the Brockholes nature reserve.  It's not unusual to get passing ospreys during beginning of Spring at Brockholes, but its exceptional to see one sitting right alongside the motorway traffic and 44 ton lorries as it fishes from the bridge.

Before I get lampooned by the Corona-police,  I did not travel specifically to see this bird,. I was delivering essential supplies to Dawns 90 year old grandmother who lives alone in Carnforth.


This was *not* a specific twitch.






When I arrived there was no sign of the bird and thankfully no other birders, it appears that folk are adhering to the lockdown restrictions. I then relocated the bird down stream rooting on a fallen tree.

The bird remained here for some time before flying off up river toward the M6 motorway bridges. I was thrilled and hot on my heels behind it.

I see ospreys most yaers, mainly during the passage to their breeding grounds and its only when you see them up close and personal you really get to appreciate how stunning these birds are.

As promised the bird landed on the bridge and the motorway as the traffic roared past and started to eye up its lunch.









There are no records of nesting ospreys in Lancashire since the mid-18th century, since George the 3rd st on the throne - more than 250 years ago. So I'm sure lost of local birders and the Wildlife Trust, the guys who manage Brockholes will be getting excited that there is a long staying bird in the area.

Aa side note, Brockholes is currently closed to the public during the lockdown and under lockdown regulations, photography and bird watching are not considered “essential travel” but if you are taking your daily exercise down near the River Ribble then keep your open for this little beauty.

Stay home. Stay safe.

04/07/2014 Norton Marsh, Warrington

Osprey: Another after work trip but this time with Dawn. I was hoping to see the bird perching on the fence posts however when I arrived it was miles away feeding on a fish and guarding it from several scally Magpies.

I went back the following morning as Phil Oddy reported the bird going to roost at around 9.30pm, I arrived at 6.30am, but alas the bird still remained on the far side of the marsh.

After feeding this back to Tom at the Cheshire Wildlife Trust it was really good to be involved with some reactive media reporting. Tom was able to get this in the Warrington and Runcorn press.