Gr8 morn, so I got early bus to Weymouth. Walked round Radipole for a cpl of hours & saw virtually nothing. Siskins, 3 Marsh Harriers & then a flying barn door came & circled for a bit b4 flying over Weymouth. White-Tailed Sea Eagle. Bad vid - tracking focus didn't track OR focus! 😂#UKBirding

Rain again, but I decided to visit Ham Wall, hopefully to see a decent Starling murmuration before winter's end. Managed to hit the jackpot! A million birds? Who knows? Just before dusk I counted 6 Marsh Harriers, I heard the clarion call of Common Cranes and a booming Bittern. #UKBirding

Spent a happy hour in Seaton this morning, catching up with the over-wintering Lesser Whitethroats, Black Redstarts and Blackcaps at the Crazy Golf. They were very obliging and we didn't have too many showers! #UKBirding

Red-necked Grebe (possible Holboell's) and Gt Crested Grebe at Cheddar Reservoir today, in the pouring rain. #UKBirding

a) Shld have looked more carefully at the forecast and b) Shld have worn waterproof trousers!! Went to Cheddar Reservoir. Saw Red-necked Grebe, Black-Necked Grebes & a lot of Gt Crested Grebes. The weather was GRIM and got GRIMMER. Didn't enjoy it, but I did see the chosen birds! #UKBirding

Popped to Seaton Wetlands before shopping, but it was fairly quiet - apart from several hundred Lapwings. Shelducks, Redshanks, a couple of Curlew on the estuary, Egrets, Herons and a few Teal were the best I could find! #UKBirding

I didn't get a clear pic of ANY of the birds of prey that my bro and I saw. out on Exmoor on Sat, but I was very pleased to see the White-Tailed Sea Eagle, many Buzzards and Red Kites. Operator error means that all pictures were fuzzy! One day....🤞 A few Golden Plover flocks too. #UKBirding

A disappointing trip to the Cobb, Lyme Regis today. Only one Purple Sandpiper visible, a few Turnstones and Rock Pipits and that was it! It also got very, very grey! #UKBirding

Blue sky and sunshine in Greenwich park, so the parakeets and the Jays looked zingy. The parakeets are all surveying nests and the Egyptian Geese are displaying constantly. #UKBirding

People sometimes say that Buzzards don't hover, but here is a clip of one doing just that.... A gorgeous afternoon in Lyme Regis. A Kestrel was hovering just behind! I've slowed it down at the end, so that you can really watch it.... #UKBirding

Blue-sky! Such a relief. Had a quick walk around Lyme Regis looking for Black Redstarts, with no success. Lots of Buzzards, Kestrels and a few Bullfinches, Woodpeckers and Blackcaps were a pleasure to see. #UKBirding

Yellow weather warnings mean gorgeous dawn! #Dorset

Thrilled to get a not-very-good pic of the Firecrest that just showed in my garden! I saw it a few weeks ago but it disappeared b4 I got my camera. Not seen one since I was a kid. Lots of small birds about too - Blue, Great, Long-tailed, Coal Tits, Nuthatch, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds #UKBirding

The Kestrel. What a fabulous bird! I watched this one for quite a while today. Perfect conditions, but it didn't seem to be catching anything..... #UKBirding

A few more pics from a walk between Otterton and Budleigh Salterton today. Perfect weather! Lots of Chiffs, Stonechats, a few Blackcaps. Ducks, Herons & Egrets. Dabchicks. Buzzards, Kestrels. Blackwits, Redshanks, Ringos, Dunlin. #UKBirding

Wonderful weather in Devon today. Saw 2 Lesser Whitethroats in Seaton & then walked Otterton to Budleigh. 1st GND of the season! Teal, Wigeon, Ringos, Dunlin, Curlew, Godwit, Shelduck mainly. Fab Kestrel action! #UKBirding

You can tell that Winter is nearly here, when 100s of Golden Plover arrive at RSPB Lodmoor. I love to see them! Also Lapwings, Teal, Redwings, Song Thrush, GWE, Shovelers, Blackcaps, Chiffs & Chaffs mainly. And a few Snipe, but not many yet. Marsh Harriers. #UKBirding @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Hadn't been out for 3 days (winter slump!), so was pleased it was a lovely day. Walked Cogden to West Bexington. Fab to see a good flock of Yammers, with a few Cirl Buntings in the mix. Then a gd Green Finch flock (about 3 dozen), which eventually mixed with Linnets. Lots of Stonechats. #UKBirding

I loved this post! It's the little things. My pet TV & film bugbear is vixens screaming........ Day or night, all year round, in every thriller or murder-mystery.......🙄🙄🤣

The GOOD news today was that I saw my first-ever Firecrest AND it was in my garden!! 😮 The BAD news was that it was 30 secs b4 I had to start a 3 hour Zoom workshop.....so no pics or following. It wasn't there when I came out, of course. 🥺🥺 But I shall be keeping 👀👀 open!! 😃#UKBirding

Even consummate migrants like Corncrakes can end up being ship-assisted, although presumably being adopted by a family and fed prawns is a rarer occurrence.... #UKBirding #Ornithology www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/2563328...

Standing in my Lyme Regis garden & there are still very large flocks of Wood Pigeons heading south....thousands.... #UKBirding

Gd walk betwn Cogden & Swyre today. Fairly quiet, birdwise, but a cpl of Cirls, Redwings, plenty of Stonechats, Mipits and a few skylarks. Major movement of Wood Pigeons. Many insects, including dragonflies, my latest Clouded Yellow, hornets etc. Plenty of fungi & Robin's Pincushions. #UKBirding

I thought that the flocks of small birds I was seeing on Exmoor yesterday were probably Linnets, but they were actually Reed Buntings. Haven't seen them like that b4. Also 5 Red Kites & male Hen Harrier #UKBirding

Yester a.m turned grey, but I was thrilled to see this male Hen Harrier up on an Exmoor ridge! I was half a mile away as I watched it soar over my parked car. 😂 Gr8 to see tho. Also 5 Red Kite, 5 Buzzards & small flocks of birds that turned out to be Reed Buntings, surprisingly! #UKBirding

I'm enjoying strolling around my old haunts. Greenwich Park has always been a favourite. Yesterday I got gr8 views of 3 foxes, many Parakeets, a few Fallow Deer, Gt Spot Woodies, Egyptian Geese & a surprising Red Kite. 😃 #UKBirding #UKMammals

Cat-sitting in London, so had a trip to Bushy Park yester to wildlife watch. Exhausted stags, both Fallow and Red, Green Woodpeckers, Parakeets, Stonechats & Jays mainly. #Wildlife #Mammals #Birds All deer pics from at least 50m - they're very dangerous at this time of year!

Dartmoor in showery rain today, so the light was rather low. Large influx of thrush types - Fieldfares (about 70), Redwings (7), Ring Ouzels (@ 12), Blackbirds and Mistles. All VERY flighty. Also Tawny Owl calling in p.m, Greenfinches, Linnets, Stonechats, Goldcrests, Bullfinches. #UKBirding

It was a dark grey morn, but I had a stroll on the South Dorset Ridgeway, after a Tip run. Small pulse of Swallows heading E, Stonechats, Cirl buntings, a single Wheatear, a few Skylarks and many Chiffs and Chaffs. Dreadful pics because there was a total lack of light or contrast! 🙁 #UKBirding

A slightly better shot of the Mourning Dove yesterday on St Agnes. Thanks to the landowner and birders for allowing and arranging access. This was not only a first for the Scillies but also a first for England! #UKBirding #RareBirdsUK #IoSBirding #IslesofScillyBirding

Up on Exmoor yesterday and I was surprised how few birds I was seeing. Plenty of holly and haw berries, but I didn't see a single Blackbird or thrush, but on Dartmoor a few days ago were plenty. A Red Kite, Linnets & Stonechats were evident. Other than that? Pheasants & Partridge. 🙁#UKBirding

Up on Dartmoor for dawn, hoping for a Ring Ouzel. None seen, but there was a lge flock of Meadow Pipits (@200) swirling around, that quickly dispersed. Lots of Blackbirds, Stonechats, Jays, Chiffs & a few Gt Spot Woodies. Beautiful day, but very chilly first thing! #UKBirding

Gd to see a cpl of Wheatears in the churchyard, Lyme Regis, this morn and also a lge pulse of hirundines swirling along the coast. The beach was almost devoid of birds, apart from Rock Pipits & Wags - but there was a solitary juv Dunlin! Also Turnstones on the rock armour. #UKBirding

I had a fantastic 3 hrs at #SeatonMarsh today. 2hr 58mins was spent chatting to birding mates - @dhelliar.bsky.social, Nick & Bob - and 2 mins was spent watching my favourite woodpecker - the Wryneck 😀. So glad it finally showed itself. Also gr8 views of a Sparrowhawk & Curlew. #UKBirding

I was hoping that the strong winds yesterday might have blown a choice morsel onto the Lyme Regis beaches, but I could only find the usual suspects and they were in fewer numbers that in the past few days! Turnstones, Ringos and Sanderlings. Where are the Dunlin? #UKBirding

Interesting trip to Cheddar Reservoir today. Water is so low! Maybe 30%. 5 Glossy Ibis, 20+ Gt White Egret, 12+ Curlew Sandpipers, Dunlin, Ringos, Grey Phalarope etc. I cldn't see Lesser Scaup or Black Tern, but I believe that they were there! #UKBirding

Very high tide this morn, which meant a shortage of waders. Plenty of warblers around though - Blackcaps, Cettis, Willow and Chiffchaff mainly. Ringos, Dunlin, Redshank and Godwits. Kingfishers & Stonechats.Nice to see a few Cattle Egrets around the cattle (surprisingly). 😀#UKBirding

It's come to something when you look at a post on Bird Guides and see 'Glossy Ibis', click again for more info and say 'What?? Only ONE??!" 😮 #UKBirding

Spent a good couple of hours wandering around Seaton Wetlands this morning. A couple of Wheatears at Seaton Marsh; 8 Little Grebe at Borrow Pit; a Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Common Sands, 9 Ringos, 3 Dunlin, Kingfisher, Redshanks, Blackwits, a very damaged Tern at Black Hole Marsh. #UKBirding

Very windy on Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis today. No Grey Phal, but still a lot of small birds. More than a dozen Sanderling, 17 Turnstone, 7 Ringos. Many Rock Pipits and Pied Wags. Quite a few Cormorants offshore. #UKBirding

It was a wonderful morn in Lyme Regis. Not the spectacular sunrise that I'd hoped for, but very beautiful. The sea was flat calm, the beach was full of birds and I had a great chat with a fellow birder. Interesting to see the weed, after all of the stormy bluster......Looks like a hairdressers.

Fab a.m in Lyme Regis. Went for dawn & found that the recent blowy weather had brought weed onto the beach & also small waders. Found a Grey Phalarope tucked in by the Cobb - watched it on & off for 3 hours. Chatted to a birder. Calm sea, blue sky. Gorgeous!! Off for a sea swim now! #UKBirding

Grey Phalarope tucked in beside Cobb, Lyme Regis, also Sanderling. 6.51am. #UKBirding #dorsetbirds

Took a bus a little way along the Jurassic Coast this morning. Very pleased to find some Dorset Cirl Buntings, as soon as I started walking. Also Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnets, Stonechats seemed quite plentiful. Everywhere is so parched though.... #UKBirding

Any ideas? @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

Are there any Ringers out there who might know what this Kingfisher's ring says? I don't know where to start.... #UKBirding

I've seen a couple of Spotted Redshanks before, but never quite so close. The light was fading a bit when I took this and I've had to slow it down because the bird is frantic! Seaton Wetlands this evening. #UKBirding

I went for the Marsh Sandpiper at Seaton Wetlands this evening, but also had amazing Kingfisher views. What an absolute stunner of a bird! #UKBirding

Marsh Sandpiper at Seaton Wetlands this evening, with some Common Sandpipers thinking that they were in a Benny Hill sketch behind.....😆 Also Redshank and Black-Tailed Godwit. #UKBirding

Fabulous trip to Seaton Wetlands this evening. Gd (slightly distant) views of Marsh Sandpiper (a lifer), some amazing Kingfisher action and then great views of a Spotted Redshank! Dunlin, Greenshank, Little Stint etc. 😀 As I left, the Red Arrows went over! Missed a Temmincks Stint!! #UKBirding