08/05/2023 Haslam Park, Preston, Lancashire

Tawny Owl: After reaching out to Andrew Bradley who was kind enough to give me some gen on some showy tawny owl near Preston, Dawn and I set off to spend the last of the Bank Holiday and get some fresh air.

We arrived to see and owlett sat up in a tree, out in full view just ff the main pathway, it took us a bit more time to pick out the adult posting high up in a pine.

Haslam Park sits alongside the Lancaster Canal and still boasts many of its original and unique features from when it was first built. The park's ornate Grade II listed gates at two of its main entrances are just some of the features that make this Edwardian park stand out from the rest.

Tawny owl typically remain close all year round to their territory in which they have nested and they have pair-bonds that last for life. Their first territorial fights occur as early as October and November, the male determining the territory, the female the nesting hole. The transition from autumn to winter is marked by a final establishment of territories and pre-breeding behaviour. The female and male tend more and more to roost together. 

Courtship feeding begins in the winter period (December to February), becoming progressively centred on the future nest site. In the UK the Tawny Owl usually begins breeding in mid-March where they can end up with two to six eggs, but sometimes only one. 

The fluffy white owletts branch out and live the nest at around 28 to 37 days. Tawny owls are dependent on their parents for food up to three months after leaving the nest. As the young owls gradually learn to fend for themselves they also establish territories.

Not particularly rare bird, in fact tawny owls are the most common owl found in the UK, and one of the coolest. 

Big thanks Andrew mate.

07/05/2023 Little Wooden Moss, Greater Manchester

Black-winged Stilt: This graceful long-legged wader and mega rare Greater Manchester county tick was found today by Steven Nelson. I was just finishing re-seeding the grass in the garden when BirdGuides buzzed, and I grabbed my bins and camera. 

Only 20 minutes up the road I made good time and was one of the first bikers to arrive, but as soon as I took my first shot the bird took off and flew high west, very high and very far before doing a u-turn and coming straight back. 

These smart bird are unmistakeable with their fine straight bill, ridiculously long reddish pink legs and black and white plumage. Both in flight and at rest the long red legs are characteristic, but even if these are hidden in deep water, the pure white underparts and jet-black upperparts are distinctive enough.

No longer a very rare vagrant and more of an annual visitor with recent records of breeding in the UK. I was thrilled it came back as my first fee shots were pretty distant and when it returned it landed almost infant of me. 

These unexpected local twitches are the best, you make good time, see the bird then back in time to put the abby to bed a win, win situation. 

Also they become a social affair giving me a chance to catch up with some top local birders. 

You wouldn’t know it to look at the area between Salford and Warrington, but this whole area was once part of one of the largest lowland raised peat bogs in the UK. Known as Chat Moss, this rare and special habitat formed after the last Ice Age and was a haven for wildlife, along with storing huge amounts of carbon.

The bird was foraging along the peat bogs of West Pools and unfortuantley for those who missed it today it was gone by the morning. 

05/05/2023 Lunt Meadows

Temminck's Stint: An annual tick most years with regular passages birds turning up locally, I couldn't resist an evening walk around Lunt. 

Gary and I just arrived after a very heavy shower and the sun was breaking though lighting up the puddles and rain drops, this place was stunning. 

The small waders breed mainly in the tundra zone from Scandinavia eastwards to eastern Siberia with much of their European breeding located in Russia. Their wintering areas are from the Mediterranean basin and northern Afrotropics across the Middle East and east across southern Asia to Japan.

Sedge Warbler: The Temminck's was pretty faithful to the low lying island on a large muddy pool called The Great White Pool and was habitually creeping along the muddy Bankside feeding away. 

Common Sandpiper: We were also hoping for a barn owl or two, knowing that Lunt is a premier location for owls but they weren't out during our short visit. 

02/05/2023 Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland

Grey-headed lapwing: A bird normally found wintering in India before moving to breeding grounds in China and Japan, was first seen in Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, on Monday.

I had some important family commitments on Monday so had to spend the evening tormenting myself by looking at all the image son twitter and chat on the WhatsApps. 

I had a very short window do headed over for first light were the bird showed very well before flying off his North. Thankfully the bird was rebound a few miles up the road but in a much more distant field.

This is the first British record of GHL although  there has been several reports previously spotted in Slovenia, Holland, Sweden and Norway making  this sighting in recent years. 

Mad dash back home for more important family things but definatley glad this stinking bird is now on the list. 

01/05/2023 Lower Largo, Fife

Stejneger's Scoter: A first for Britain, this rhino horned scoter has turned up within a 500+ strong super flock of velvet scoter. 

The drake Stejneger's have a number of differing characteristics from that of the white-winged scoter. With winged typically darker yellow coloration of most of the bill and a less tall bill knob similar to the velvet scoter. 

Stejneger's have a very tall knob, that really stands out in the field and the base of their bill is orange-yellow. White-winged scoters tend to have "two-stepped" profile between the bill and the head, compared to the long "Roman nose" profile of Stejneger's scoter similar to that of a common eider. 

White-winged Scoter: Not only was the super flock home to the Stejneger's but three white-winged scoter, both new birds for my British list.

 

White-winged & Velvet Scoter: This image shows the contrast and comparrsion between the bill shape and coloration of the white winged (left) and the velvet scoter (right).

Velvet Scoter: Not to be overlooked were the much more numerous velvets, while I was there the sea was like a still glass pond with very light winds and no white topped waves.  Lower Largo is s a quaint seaside village overlooking the Firth of Forth and offers the scoters a quiet sheltered bay to over winter within. 

Just before we left for home a small velvet flock landed close to the shore giving us some brilliant views of several males change a male and collectivey feeding. 

27/04/2023 Seaford Head, East Sussex

White-crowned Sparrow: Native to North America, and rarely seen in Europe with fewer than thirteen  observations recorded in Britain it could be possible that this bird has been blown 3,000 miles off course while migrating south from the east coast of Canada.

Instead of the United States, it crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in as small wooded are set with the breathtaking line of chalk cliffs. Undoubtedly one of the best places to enjoy spectacular views of the Seven Sisters and Cuckmere Valley.

 

Another theory is that it landed on a ship after becoming lost and tired and hitched a ride to the UK, perhaps this is how the majority of American passerines make their way here?

There are five currently known subspecies of white-crowned sparrow (pugetensis, gambelii, nuttalli, oriantha, and leucophrys), varying in breeding distribution migratory route. 

Birds of the subspecies nuttalli are permanent residents in California, while birds of the subspecies gambelli may migrate as far as the Arctic Circle during the summer breeding season. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States and northern Mexico.

Birds of the subspecies nuttalli are permanent residents in California, while birds of the subspecies gambelli may migrate as far as the Arctic Circle during the summer breeding season. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States and northern Mexico.

This bird is part of the gambelli race, with classic gambelii they have characters that include orange bill, darker pure grey neck and breast with brownish flanks contrasty back pattern of deep reddish centres and pale grey edges rich chestnut edges to inner greater coverts. They also have tertials long primary projection.

The bird has now settled on a seeded patch and has become regular in that area, unlike the two guys I spoke to while I was there, one who had taken three trips to see the bird and spent 20 hours looking and the other over 40 hours looking, once I parked up the bird was on show right way. If only all twitches could be like this.

I was absolutely blown away by the views the bird gave, sitting up unobstructed for prolonged periods and feeding on the ground. A 10 hour round trip, a long way but with a bird as great as this and showing as well as it did, it was worth it. 

23/04/2023 Whinfell Tarn, Cumbria

Hooded Merganser: Direct from the shores of North America or maybe not?

This bird has some folk excited and I share their enthusiasm to add another North American vagrant to our British list, but the sceptics still question.

The bird is unlined, completely able to fly and has a routine where it roosts on the Tarn and then dispersers possibly back to the River Kent near Kendal where is was first observed and then back again to roost while it associating with both tufted duck and gossander. 

When we arrived there was no sign of any birds on the Tarn and with limited viewing only from a small public road I astride to worry, but not before too long the bird appeared from behind the only area of the Tarn that was out of sight.

 

Will it get accepted? I might have more luck predicting the lottery, lets just wait and see. 

I'm hoping it gets accepted, all I can do is keep my fingers crossed. 

23/04/2023 Duncombe Park, North Yorkshire

Black Kite: This brown bird of prey with five-foot wing span and acrobatic flying skills is a close cousin to the red kite is abundant in Europe. However, the warming climate is believed to be leading the bird to expand its territory to the north.This bird has made its home in the beautiful surroundings of Helmsley and seems to be attracted to the shows, possible attracted to the bird activity or the scraps of food that may be left behind? Who knows, but it makes for a pretty reliable twitchable seemingly wild black kite. 

Duncombe Park is one of Yorkshire's finest historic houses and estates, and home to the Duncombe family and is home to a collection of exotic birds of prey including Stella's sea eagle, grey eagle buzzard, burrowing owls and a wide range of other birds of prey including black kites.

Fortunately all their captive black kites are accounted for and they aren't missing any.

Some folk are questioning the origins of the bird and although I'll leave these questions t the powers that be it looked pretty wild to me. 

Red Kite: Well, at least that was the plan, as the bird didn't arrive for the first show keeping us waiting until the second show before making a short fly past right over the main field and over Duncombe Park.

The wait paid off. 

Red kites were much more showy and occasionally came in over Duncombe Park giving some excellent views. 

24/04/2023 Yarrow Valley County Park, Chorley, Lancs

Dipper: I've been keeping an eye on this marvollous little birds, after seeing several images coming out of Yarrow Valley CP I made a visit several weeks ago and found an active nest site. 

Both parents were actively feeding the young in the nest and very active foraging up and down the small stretch of the River Yarrow.

The young must have fledged the nest within the last week, they were photographed on the 18th of April carrying food and now they are rebuilding their nest.

The Dipper is the UK's only aquatic songbird and it's underwater feats are quite amazing, they can hold on to the wet rocks in fast flowing rivers while foraging under water.

The pair were coming back and fourth with a beak full of grass, twigs and moss and I observed them foraging and catching aquatic invertebrates. 

Dippers nest very close to water, using cavities in banks, holes in walls or trees. Both sexes build the nest which is large and domed and made from mosses, grasses, leaves and hair.  

Dippers lay 4-6 white eggs in March or April which are incubated by the female for 14-16 days. Males may feed the female at the nest and the chicks are fed by both parents and fledge at 20-24 days. 

17/04/2023 Totteridge Valley, London

Ring Ouzel: This week I find myself in the big smoke, London helping out another team on a project down here doing a range of breeding bird surveys. After the long drive down and doing the surveys I decided to go see some cracking local ring ouzel before beaching in to my hotel. 

Totteridge is a lovely little village on the outskirts of London in the borough of Barnet. It has a rural feel with a pretty village green, a cricket pitch, some pleasant local countryside and a nearby nature reserve to visit.  

There were two males and a single female in a small area that the locals call 'wheatear corner' that where forging close to an open gate. They weren't partially shy and ocssaiionally aligning upon a nearby tree and pulling worms out of the ground.

The weather down here was perfect for a spot of post-work birding, T-shirt weather has been a nice alternative then the long vantage point surveys of recent months, clad in fleece, jackets and waterproofs.