29/03/2014 Lake Vyrnwy RSPB

Goshawk: From Worlds End we headed down to Lake Vyrnwy, here we were on the hunt for a monster!

We walked almost the entire route of the blue trail which included a mammoth hill which almost killed me, I'm definitely feeling the big three zero approaching.

After a stringy,  possible sighting we again got lucky as we saw the bird fly through the forest then right over our heads before circling around above us for a few moments.

Chiffchaff: Other highlights we spotted from the blue trail included several chiffy's, Goldcrest and a pair of very active Raven.

Siskin: Lake Vyrnwy has a very busy feeding station where they position the feeders incredibly close to the windows giving us all some stunning views of some cracking birds such as Siskin and Coal Tit.

It was good to finally get a decent birding day in made better by the sun and the company, cheers to Matt Bett and Tanmay.

29/03/2014 Worlds End

Black Grouse: After a couple of quiet days birding I decided to make my own luck and started early at Worlds Ends famous Black Grouse lek.

I've never witnessed the lek here and I was not disappointed.

I counted 17 males however there could have been more lurking behind the grasses and heather. When we arrived these male birds were happily strutting their stuff at around 150 yards away. 

150 yards is good, but 10 meters is much better, I think we got lucky as one individual flew away from the main lek and started displaying almost right in front of the car, only one word AWESOME! 

13/03/2014 Giltar Point, Pembrokeshire

Greater Spotted Cuckoo: So far this year my twitching days have been few and far between so when this little cracker came through on BirdGuides I was ready to go!

Scott, Kinghorn, Daz and I left a very foggy Cherry Corner around 2am and got to sunny Pembrokes for about 6am.

We were not waiting long before the bird was picked up roosting in a distant tree, people commented on how ropy the bird was looking but after a warm up in the early morning sun and evading the local Magpies the bird decided to take off and fly right past us, giving us all some superb views.



We relocated the Cuckoo almost instantly in a much better place sitting in full view. We watched it roosting and preening for a good while when the bird made its move and flew off to feed on the ground.

It was looking much more alert, became more active and we even saw it feeding along the tall grasses at the edge of the golf course.

So perhaps earlier that morning when we first saw it the bird was just looking tired and cold, I could definitely sympathies as I was certainly feeling tired and cold.

 Glaucous Gull: This beast on the hill was spotted by the eagle eyes of Kinghorn as when we first arrived we followed some shocking directions and ended up walking the wrong way!

I wasn't bothered at all as I love a good gull and bagging this Glauc made my day a two tick day!

Very good indeed.

22/02/2014 Hope Carr Nature Reserve

House Sparrow: My first visit to this little Nature Reserve in Leigh, my first thoughts were not that great, the place was full of rubbish and a interpenetration board was laying on the ground!





Tree  Sparrow: However the circular walk was pleasant and I spotted a female Sparrowhawk and Goosander, I spotted a Kingfisher on the canal and could hear Water Rail squealing in the reeds.




It was also nice to stumble upon a half a dozen Tree Sparrow chirping away, my final thoughts for Hope Carr... there is plenty of hope! Its a nice little reserve and one I will be visit again.

16/02/2014 Pennington Flash

Reed Bunting: Sunny Sunday and I found myself once again down the road at penny.

Sundays are probably not the best day to go on,  especially sunny ones as it brings out the whole of Grater Manchester and their dogs!

After a quick and unsuccessful scan over the ever increasing gull flocks, in search of any white wingers or the Kittiwake which was spotted yesterday, I evaded the crowds and hunkered down at the feeding station.

Long Tail Tit: No sign of the Brambling or Willow Tit but the feeding station is always a good place to spend half an hour or so.

13/02/2014 Pennington Flash

Brambling:  This morning was glorious, blue skies and no wind, a stark contrast to yesterdays strong winds, so before I started work I took a quick trip down to penny.

I headed down to the feeding station hoping to see their resident Brambling, and there it was, within minutes the bird emerged from the bushes and headed straight to the back feeding table.

Greenfinch: The feeding station was noticeably busy, full of finches and tits happily making the most of the calm after the storm to feed up.

Greater Spotted Woodpecker: By no means rare, but always nice to see in close quarters, this male GS Woodie came down to the feeding station with its eyes fixed on the cage of peanuts.

Other highlights included a stunning male Goldeneye close in by the car park, displaying to a nearby female.









I missed the Water Rail which came in to the feeding station, but its nice to know its there and is showing well. And on the way home I almost hit a male Sparrowhawk as it shot right passed my windscreen and down between some houses, pretty cool.

It wasn't only my shed which was claimed by last nights storm as it lost its roof and completely collapsed in on itself.


Here at penny there was a few branches laying around but most notably this large tree had come down covering the path towards Horrocks Hide.

09/02/2014 High Shincliffe, Durham

Yellow-rumped Warbler: What a cracking end to a brilliant week, finished off nicely with my first yank warbler.


Nice to catch up with Ashley Baines and a few other familiar faces amid the 150 strong crowd.

I think we got lucky in the end as just when we arrived the crowds swiftly moved away from peering over a garden fence as the bird moved in to a line of bushes along the roadside, giving us some excellent views - much better than peering over someone fence!

The Myrtle was enjoying a lovely pair of coconuts and greedily chasing away all the local Robins.

A superb little cracker!

06/02/2014 Hams Wall, Warwickshire

Hume's Leaf Warbler: (promise) After Scott and I bagged the Bluetail we headed back up for the Hume's and got lucky as within just a few minutes of arriving the bird showed incredibly well and calling!

Another top bird and I didn't have to go to Kent!


Not just another barred Phylloscopus, a very memorable trip.

06/02/2014 Marshfield, Gloucestershire

Red-flanked Bluetail: My first big twitch of 2014 and what a bird to start with, who would have thought it would have been a February Bluetail.

This little beauty was happily fluttering between the Hawthorns along a very muddy path (thank God for wellies) and occasionally dipping down on to the deck, then back up again.

After observing this bird and how much like a Robin it looked and behaved, I will now be checking every Robin I come across when out birding. I guess I have been lazy and just overlooked Robins, especially in Winter.

One guy came prepared with a tub of meal-worms that he scattered on the ground and angled a broken branch to provide the perfect  perch.

A good idea - I wasn't too sure, as the bird flew off in the opposite direction.

02/02/2014 Parkgate

Kestrel: These hungry eyes were like hundreds of others fixed on the flooding marsh of Parkgate hoping to see something good!

Short Eared Owl: After a very successful FREE guided walk ran by Cheshire Wildlife Trust, the regions largest local conservation charity it was great to get some closer views of SE Owls.

However, lady luck was not on my side as the bird just kept itself faced in to the wind which was blowing straight in my face.


Other highlights included a female Merlin, Ring Tail Hen Harrier, 3 Short Eared Owl, Fox and a very greedy Grey Heron stuffing its face with a Water Rail.

26/01/2014 Pennington Flash

Willow Tit: Yesterday I spent a very pleasant   morning dodging the dog walkers and Saturday morning runners down at penny.

I started the morning off at the Bunting Hide were I came across this little dude, who had a deformed claw. I first Thought it was Trichomosis but this is a respiratory disease - Mr Woollens thoughts are that it may have broken its leg and it has healed in a deformed way.

Bullfinch: The feeding station was busy with a flurry of different species. The highlights being a large flock of Bullfinches a male GS Woodie and a few Jay.

Jay: I was hoping to see or hear the Cetti's Warbler which has been frequenting the reeds around one of the hides and I was hoping to get lucky and pick up a white winger among the gulls, but after looking and looking I never turned up anything special.






Goldeneye: The best of the rest from around penny's pools where Goldeneye and several Goosander and a few Kingfisher calling and whizzing past Tom Eds.

19/01/2014 Hindley

Glossy Ibis: Nice to see Hindley's Glossy is still there doing well, its been in the same couple of small fields since the end of December.

Unfortunately  the bird has chosen the worst light fields as its on private land and the only access faces directly into the sun!

12/01/2014 Pennington Flash

Kittiwake: After being treated to some nice views, of two ring tail Hen Harriers over Parkgate Marsh Dawn and I made our way back home via penny for the lost Kittiwake.







I know Kittiwake is an excellent record for penny, reading Manchester Birding Forum (Ian McKerchar), with only seven previous January records and six in February, spread over the past 40 years or so!

So I am glad to have made the trip even though the light was flat and frustratingly rubbish - roll on the long summer days.

Would of loved the Yank Coot though.

12/01/2014 Burton Marsh

Siberian Chiffchaff: I was happy to have finally caught up with Burton Marsh's Sibe Chiffy after dipping it a few times.

This bird showed incredibly well along the  hawthorn bushes alongside the new coffee shop.

Burton Marsh was not only covered in pipits including the BBP which I saw a couple of times along the strand line, but also birders! The place was chocca today.  

11/01/2014 Moore NR

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: Today I was hoping for some good gulls, but unfortunately the rain has made its way in to my scope so a trip to Richmond Bank was put on hold and myself and Allan McBride decided on a trip to Moore.

This was Alan's first visit here, I was hoping to show him Kingfisher and Iceland Gull, I also mentioned we might be in for a chance of a LS Woodie, but I never really thought we would be lucky enough to catch up with one.

After a quick walk past the Lapwing Lake hide and visit to the feeding station we walked around the small wood between and heard the distinctive drumming of the small woodpecker.

From behind us this bad boy appeared and gave us a great show just as the clouds parted and the blue skies in came in to view.

Alan and I walked over to the Phoenix Hide via Birchwood and Pumphouse Pool - both of which were void of any gulls!

I was disappointed about the lack of gulls but it was great to see the LS Woddie, a few mixed flocks of Siskin and Redpoll and it was nice to catch up with Alan.