Fort Lifer

A trip to Gosport in Hants after work produced a spectacular displaying MARSH WARBLER. Great views and noise coming from the little beauty - as seen at Fort Brockhurst.
Note the difference in the primaries from a Reed Warbler - there is not a dividing line down the middle - as well as the yellow beak rather than dullish pink.
First twitch of this warbler and success - same as Savi's - I'm on a warbling roll!!
Lifer # 276.

Marsh Warbler

Note the primaries and bill

Norfolk and Good! Lifers, Year ticks, and fun!

A trip to Norfolk with Denz for the Bank Holiday weekend - erupted into a couple of Lifers and a load of year ticks! Saturday we drove to Lakenheath Fen, where we both (!) had crippling views of a SAVI'S WARBLER also in good song as well as the long staying RED FOOTED FALCON.  Also my first HOBBY of the year. No joy on a quick stop at Weeting Heath for Stone Curlew.
Staying at a Wetherspoons in East Dereham, I got up super early on Sunday to go to Acle to meet Red O'Hara. We headed to Buckenham but dipped on the Montys Harrier, but plenty around. Then onto Cley for the second lifer in two days - a RUDDY SHELDUCK on one of the lakes from distance. Back into the reserve there was the fantastic sound and sight of pinging BEARDED TIT . Also showing very well - a WOOD SANDPIPER, and SANDWICH TERN. Then onto Weybourne to dip a Common Rosefinch, then to Strumpshaw Fen for another dip - Swallowtail Butterfly - a bit early. Thanks to Red for the company and the tips and sites around.
Back to Dereham to pick up Anna - and  after some lovely walks along the beach we went to Titchwell - where no less than five year ticks popped up! GREY PLOVER, LITTLE TERN, SPOONBILL, YELLOW WAGTAIL and BAR TAILED GODWITS!
Another trip to Strumpshaw on Monday to look for butterflies - a beautiful reserve but no joy.
On the way back home I went old school and overly excited about seeing a Class 50 train!! 50018.
A great weekend of birding and lovely times with wifie all in one - what a lovely lady she is - and enjoys a nice walk in the countryside to boot.
Lifer list # 275, Year ticks out up to # 156

Savi's Warbler - unexpected shot of the elusive bird

Ruddy Shelduck - at last!

Red Footed Falcon at Lakenheath

Beardie at Cley

Wood Sandpiper

Sandwich Tern at Cley

Little Tern at Titchwell

Whitethroat

Nesting Avocets 

Grey Plover at Titchwell

Bar Tailed Godwits

Yellow Wag

A Swift 

Shelduck

Combe Hill Lifer

A time constrained twitch to near Tewksbury after work - had to get therer and back to pick up Anna from choir in Kings Langley... It was getting nervy as I treied to locate the bird - sploshing through water to look from the ruined hide, and then going the wrong way - then finally located the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE  with quite good views through the scope. Record shots below. 

Life tick # 273

Red-Necked Phalarope at Combe Hill Meadows 

R-N Phal

Double Dip in Dover

Up and out at 5:15 this morning in the hope of seeing a Dusty Thrush at Margate Cemetery - after a 2 hour journey, no luck it seems to have moved on. Plenty of people out looking in the early hours.

Ring Necked Parakeet in the Cemetery 

Song Thrush on a head stone

As there looked to be a no show, and a Serin had been seen at Freedown Wood, near Dover I headed that way and eventually found the wood.

No luck there either but a lovely morning for a stroll around

Whitethroat in the custard fields

Sparrowhawk - quick on the draw before it took off

Green pecker in Dover

Temminck's Lifer at LMGP

A bird alert during a shopping trip to Camberley - I whisked a very accommodating Anna to Little Marlow Gravel Pit - where we were first told they had flown off, but two TEMMINCK'S STINT were showing well on the spit.

Bringing the life list to #272 and year list to # 143

Temminck's Stint (2) at LMGP

Brimstone Lifer #20 at Ivinghoe

A trip to Ivinghoe in April brought a lifer BRIMSTONE butterfly
Interesting rest position , unusual to see the total wing edge rather than the top edge

Totternhoe Knoll Year tick

An early morning trip to Dunstable reaped a lovely TURTLE DOVE and also heard it purring which is a first!

Year tick #141 - MY LORDS!!! (Showing pa the wonders of the iPad !!)

Turtle dove 

Whitethroat

Scotland Lifers

3/5 - A stressy start to the trip, arriving at Sterling services at 03:30 on Friday morning.
Travelling from Sterling to Killicrankie, then to Braemar, Portsoy and Grantown.
I bailed then!
So - a good trip for life and year.
BLACK GROUSE, RED GROUSE RAVEN, to start things off, then WOOD WARBLER and OSPREY,  CURLEW, COMMON SANDPIPER,  EIDER, RAZORBILL, ROCK PIPIT, SHAG, GANNET, FULMAR,  and a long distance WHITE BILLED DIVER off Portsoy in the freezing rain (in May) brought my 270th lifer in the UK.
A distant Skua - not sure what type though, as well as Dolphins, Great Northern Diver LONG TAILED DUCK, a GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL, DIPPER and BLACK GUILLETMOT 

The following morning we were up early to try for cappers in the Anagach Woods near Grantown, where we saw a COMMON REDSTART, CRESTED TIT and then on the way to Loch Garten we saw some birders scoping into the trees. Low and behold a crippling view of a CAPERCAILLIE - lifer #271

I called it a day then - took a cab to Aviemore, then train all the way back to Berko for beers in the Lamb!!

En route I saw an osprey hunting over a lake in Perth.

21 year ticks! Up to #138.

Common Redstart

CAPPER!!!

Red Grouse

Eider

Black Grouse - Male & Female

Black Grouse playing chicken

Swinley Year Tick

A visit after work in search of a redstart - a nice long walk to an area I have not covered before. Potential nightjar territory me thinks...
A WILLOW WARBLER was amongst around 12 species seen
Year List to #117
30/4

Willow Warbler at Swinley

Nice! 

LMGP

A visit before work - a landed Red Kite on the spit, and a treecreeper - and a very well hidden SEDGE WARBLER - a nice little year tick.
Year List to #116
19/4

Red Kite having a pit stop

Tree creeper at LMGP

Dinton Year Ticks

A trip to Dinton looking for a nightingale (heard but not seen, very frustrating!) amongst Common Tern, Great Tit, Blue Tit, BLACKCAP, Wren, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Dunnock, Chiff Chaff and COMMON WHITETHROAT 
Year List to #115
We'd 17/4

Fired up!

After an early return from Scotland, I went to Wendover quite early to check out the woods, and just before I left I was attempting to photograph a female, when a male came down and chased the female about. One shot, both FIRECRESTS in view and in focus. Best shot I have ever taken!!!
Year List to #139

Firecrests , Wendover