Hawfinch year tick

A regular visit for the HAWFINCH at Bramfield today - only one showing but the light was great. My bestest Hawfinch picture to date!

Also seen today:

BLUE TIT

GREAT TIT

LONG TAILED TIT

COAL TIT

GREEN WOODPECKER

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER

GOLD CREST 

Year list at #140

Hawfinch in the sun

GS Woodpecker

GOLDCREST 

Freezing at Granville

I finally got round to cleaning and replenishing the bird feeders today after months of  neglect. As soon as I did a small flock of LONG TAILED TITS and a BLUE TIT came for a nose and a peck

Freezing - but the snow is melting and the feeders are full 

Staines for a LIFER!

A trip to Staines reservoir produced yet another lifer for the year (8 this year!) - an AMERICAN HORNED LARK. This species has been split from the shorelark - a bird I saw back in January 2012.
Note on the picture (if you can!) the whiter eye stripe on the horned lark - which is yellow on the shorelark.
Quite a trek along the concourse to see the bird.
Maybe another  victim of the storms from America.
Lifer #306

American Horned Lark at Staines

Granville Raven

As I stepped out of the front door, I heard the unmistakable called of a RAVEN. Looking up I saw it fly right over the house - the feathers glinting in the marvelous clear sky.
Granville Garden lifer! # 41
Also a pair of REDWING in the neighbour's tree , winter is here!

Old Oak Barn woods

A stroll this morning in the lovely woods at Old Oak Barn..
So many GOLDCREST and TREECREEER!
Also
WOOD PIGEON
WREN
HERRING GULL
CARRION CROW
LONG TAILED TIT
JAY (CALLING)
BLACKBIRD
ROBIN
BLUE TIT
GREAT TIT

TREECREEPERS

Not sure what's in focus here!!

Secret house in the woods!

Marsh(?) Tit obsession!!

Nice Hollyhock

Trip to the Gann

After the ferocious winds we headed west for a day trip - and ventured to The Gann, near St Ishmaels.
There has been a lifer there (American Golden Plover) but that could not be found.
However, WHIMBREL, ROCK PIPIT were a couple of year ticks along with GREENSHANK and NORTHERN WHEATEAR on a very nice day with my lovely family.

Female Wheatear

My fellow birders (!) 

Rock pipit - note the stronger bill than a Meadow pipit

Loads of them! 

The Fozzies chilling and waiting for bird obsessed daddy

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MEGA Lifer in Wales (#305)

A lovely family break in Wales staying at St Clears.

Lovely visit to see Jen's gang and some strong winds.
My very considerate wife put up with a drive to Pwyll Ddu in Gwent. Anna and Harry went to an old pit museum while I went off for a twitch in the Breacon Beacons a few miles away.
Beautiful views and strong winds on the walk to the Quarry - and low and behold the COMMON ROCK THRUSH was showing very well quite close up.
This little beauty should be in Africa!!
Lifer # 305 - continuing and extra ordinary increase this year based on the number of outings!!
Two types of rock thrush in one year ....

MEGA in the Quarry

Camoflague for the COMMON ROCK THRUSH

Northern Wheatear in flight

In the middle of nowhere - who found this bird???

Happy Twitcher in Wales

Old Oak Barn, St Clears

Hols with the family at a lovely barn - great bird life and a woods to boot!!!  - a good old WILLOW /  MARSH TIT challenge and a close up NUTHATCH along with:

BLUE TIT
GREAT TIT
COAL TIT
GOLDCREST
GOLDFINCH
CHAFFINCH
SONG THRUSH
ROBIN
GREY WAGTAIL
BLACKBIRD
LONG TAILED TIT
BUZZARD
GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER


Lovely cottage garden with lots of feeders. Perfect!!!

Marsh Tit me thinks

Nuthatch posing 

A few Goldcrests in the oak tree

Local twitch with Harry - WRYNECK

A lovely afternoon in the sun for a twitch with my son!
Off we went to Pitstone Hill and connected with a lovely WRYNECK!!
Harry was very well behaved walking along until he wanted a carry - which was a challenge with all the fear I had!!!
LGRE and a few other locals in attendance

Nice light

Wryneck! 

Resting on the post

Dynamic twitchers!!!! 

Harry checking out the record shot 

Birding with Rob and a lifer #304

On the way to Robs I stopped off at Arne (Middlebere) for a lucky sighting of a STILT SANDPIPER -thanks to a friendly and excellent local birder.
I thought I got a shot of it through the scope but I can't seem to find it! Great views if it through the the scope in the sun.

Lifer twitch #304

We camped in the garden of Ian, Robs mate.
We then went to a few sites around the Portsmouth area  Pinstead, Farlington, Titchfield Haven, Brownhills in the New Forest, Little Pennington and Blashford teaching a total over 50 species.

Highlights and year ticks being CURLEW SANDPIPER, GREY PLOVER BRENT GEESE, GREENSHANK, BARNACLE GEESE and SISKIN
Then at Rob we had a BADGER show and I got my best (and only) shot of one!!!

Badger @ Robs

On the way home I stopped off at Lower Farm in Newbury , and clocked up the species list to 71 for the weekend adding GREEN SANDPIPER to the year list

Fire pit and beers! 

The boys birding in Hampshire

Bee eater lifer # 303

An outrageous stroke of luck on a business trip back from Coniston gave me the opportunity to twitch a lifer on a Wednesday afternoon! 4 present BEE EATER who may be nesting soon at East Leake Quarry near Loughborough. 24 hour guards in place to ensure its kept safe. It was THE easiest and best organised twitch I've ever had! Many thanks to Carl for the detour back to see it.

Bee eaters snapping up the flies

Amazing colours on show

Dungeness, Rye Harbour & Thurrock NR

A lovely family holiday camping near Rye brought a surprising number of birds!

Little Tern @ Rye 

Common Tern feeding @ Rye

Sandwich Tern @ Rye

Northern Wheatear family @ Rye Harbour

Wheatear with a bug 

Corn Bunting @ Thurrock NR

Havenah Park birding near Harrogate

As Harry was asleep I took the opportunity to go for a walk and birding session on the outskirts of Harrogate.
A beautiful day saw a handful of species

A calling Great Tit

Male chaffinch

Oystercatcher at Scargill ressie

Male Pheasant