A gentle, mainly non-birdy trip around sleepy Coggeshall in Essex produced a Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail, Stock Dove and 2 Yellowhammers. The cafe proved too much of a lure though and a bacon sandwich gave brief views before quickly disappearing. @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #birds #Essexbirding

Saw up to 11 of these probable Lizard Orchid rosettes a few days ago on a verge in Essex along with Sweet Violets in flower. Can’t wait until summer comes!

I spent time tempting this Robin to daily feed from my hand in my Essex garden. It eventually did and was a real thrill for me. Now it’s sudden disappearance has made me wonder if such feeding has made it more vulnerable to predators such as cats, a new one of which has just moved into our area

Blake’s Wood and Braxted Park, Sunday. Highlights: pairs of Raven at both sites and at least 1 Hawfinch at latter site, a typically elusive individual calling for 1 minute from tree top before dropping into Yews among a flock of 60 feeding Redwing @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #Essexbirding #birds

Just had this tome come through my letterbox. So laden with info, I needed a shovel to pick it up off of the doormat! Looks excellent 👌 @britishnatureguide.bsky.social #Essexbirding #wildlife #nature

Braxted Park, Essex, Sunday. Couldn’t find any hawfinch but plenty of bird activity including squadrons of Redwing overhead, interspersed with odd Redpoll and Siskin. Several Mistle Thrush singing plus calling Nuthatches, woodpeckers and 27 Goldcrest @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #Essexbirding #birds

Camera Traps Lead to the Discovery of a Striking New Jewel-babbler www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/C...

Global forest loss and degradation is proceeding at 62,500,000 acres a year. Knowing intimately the insane levels of biological richness and beauty in just my own patch of 30 acres, I simply cannot compute the scale of this crime, happening day in, day out. theconversation.com/millions-of-...

Have been trying to gain the confidence of my garden Robin whilst my dodgy knee (hopefully) heals, so birding trips are currently scarce. Just after taking this video my efforts were rewarded and successfully persuaded it to feed from my hand and we’ve been inseparable ever since!

Glossy Ibis flew west over and along A120 dual carriageway west of Gt Dunmow at 08:20. I managed to stop at the rest area just off carriageway in time to see it fly over me! @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #Essexbirding #birds

One of the five Purple Sandpipers at Holland Haven today just before high tide when the sun deigned to reveal itself from the seemingly endless rain clouds of the morning @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #essexbirding #birds

A group of 5 Purple Sandpipers was at Holland Haven today barely avoiding being buffeted by the spray of the approaching high tide. Alas, no sign of the snow buntings either here or nearby Jaywick, when the rain at last gave way to afternoon sunshine @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #Essexbirding #birds

Park Wood, Elmdon - Chrishall: thought I’d try and find the Raven roost thats apparently somewhere in the area. In the event, I only managed a single, cronking bird over just as the Sun was setting. Easy to forgot how rare the species was in Essex not that many years ago #Essexbirding #birds

Great fun doing a squelchy snipe search with @paulebirder.bsky.social at a misty Pincey Brook, Essex using his thermal imaging camera. Overnight rain had flooded site and couldn’t find any Jack though plenty of Common. Also Stonechat, Green Sand, 2 Redpoll and usual ducks @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

This Great Egret showed nicely during a quick lunchtime foray away from my workshop. Still a scarce bird in mid-Essex, it was also seen at nearby Hatfield Forest Lake today #Essexbirding #birds

Quick lunchtime visit to Pincey Brook where this Great Egret showed nicely, presumably the bird that visits nearby Hatfield Forest lake Also Green Sandpiper, 2 Red Kite, some Shoveler, Teal and Gadwall plus c20 Common Darters still, some in cop. @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #essexbirding #birds

The importance of Middlewick Ranges in Essex youtu.be/Ku-eD0J42as?...

www.theguardian.com/politics/202... Labour betrays the Earth. When something is gone it is gone forever. All in the name of an invented crisis, when they should be tackling the true crisis: greed. Too many people have multiple homes, or occupy larger space than they need. Not voting Labour again.

Pincey Brook, Hatfield Broad Oak: 53 Teal, 4 Shoveler, 2 Wigeon, 38 Gadwall, 43 Snipe, 20 Fieldfare, 2 Meadow Pipits and a fine gaggle of Bovine beasties. That bridge takes a bit of ungainly negotiating first thing in the morning but usually worth it @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #birds #Essexbirding

Legacy of a Labour Baroness who voted against Swift Bricks @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social

This is absolutely appalling. "The UK will not contribute to a flagship fund for the world’s remaining tropical forests, in a bitter blow to the Brazilian hosts on the eve of the Cop30 climate summit." Absolutely pathetic. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

High Crossbill activity (20+) Mayday Farm, Breckland at cloudy, first light this morning including a few singing and a displaying, song-flight ♂ which I’ve never seen before. Also Redpolls, Siskins, Redwings, 2 each of Raven, Marsh Tit and Nuthatch #birds #ukbirding @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Visited Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, where a Yellow-browed Warbler called 3 times in 2 hrs amongst large tit flock but frustratingly, refused to show itself. Also Cetti’s in same area and this war-weary Speckled Wood. Fort itself is well worth a visit @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #essexbirding #birds

Tonight's show starts in half an hour, dare you watch on Halloween... 🎃 #essexbirding

Various coastal Essex sites visited but dull and windy with birds in short supply: Firecrest at Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich plus Stonechats at Dovercourt and pair at Jaywick. Also 5 Rock Pipit but only 2 Brent Geese seen all day @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #Essexbirding #birds

It's mad how much people care about immigration when it is so proportionately unimportant compared to healthcare, cost of living, poverty, climate change, wealth inequality, war etc. How easily people are convinced to rage about the wrong things by charismatic manipulators and social media posts.

Birding was rather quiet at Holland Haven with Alf Mullins today, then a busy hour spent trying to photograph Firecrests, at least 3 of which were near entrance. Also Peregrine and late Clouded Yellow. Thanks to @yellowshriker.bsky.social for tip-off @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #Essexbirding #birds

Great night at Chelmsford Theatre on Sunday seeing China Crisis in concert, a band I’ve not seen before. Also enjoyed lead singer Gary Daly’s humorous stand up routine in between songs.

Drew a blank while searching suitable woodland sites in Colchester area that might reveal some of the crossbills that keep teasing with their intermittent flyovers. Followed this with a brief visit to Abberton Res. @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #Essexbirding #birds

Productive halfhour over house in Rayne before 8am thereafter rain: 8 @ of Goldfinch and Greenfinch, 13 Chaffinch west, with group of 5 with a single calling Brambling. Also 1 Redpoll, 1 Crossbill and 2 Meadow Pipit north. No thrushes noted this morning @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #essexbirding

Some of the range of habitats noted at Knettishall Heath NR, Suffolk at the weekend

An abundance of fungi noted at the excellent Knettishall Heath NR, Suffolk. Any help with correcting id if possible from these photos would be appreciated: Armillaria mellea, Amanita muscaria, Amanita excelsa, Hygrocybe conica, Chlorophyllum rhacodes and Hypholoma fasciculare

An unseen small flock of ‘chipping’ Crossbills temporarily interrupted my search of a largish tit flock among the damp, birch woods at Knettishall Heath at the weekend

Woodlarks showed well at the weekend at Knettishall Heath, Suffolk. The cloudy conditions did not deter several singing birds @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Knettishall Heath NR, Suffolk: a dull, cloudy visit to this fine reserve with some great habitats. At least 4 Woodlark, 2 Stonechat, 5 Marsh Tit, an unseen flock of ‘chipping’ Crossbills overhead and several each of Siskin and Redpoll @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

These 5 Whooper Swans were present for a few days near Messing. A very scarce visitor to this part of Essex @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Rare visit to Hanningfield Res. Very windy so not at its best but single juvenile Black Tern and Hobby plus a few Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit present. Time spent viewing Ruddy Darters share a log pile with Common Lizard. Earlier, Hobby hunting martins over Leez Res. @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

Great Holland Pits reserve, Essex: with brother Brian and Marion. Great visit to this excellent site with highlights, pair of Wall Brown by sand bank where several Sphecodes bees observed in and out of holes. Hobby seen throughout visit hunting over reserve, Willow Emeralds by pond…. 1/2 ⬇️

I’ve seen this group of Foxes twice recently at Pincey Brook, Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex. On both early morning occasions, they spread out singly across the grasslands, presumably to hunt in much the same way as wild dogs in Africa

The Naze, Essex: a fair few each of both Whitethroats and Blackcaps moving through. Otherwise, Pied Flycatcher, Whinchat, Wheatear seen with Bar-tailed Godwit and Sandwich Terns on beach @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #essexbirding #ukbirding #birds

Slightly surreal watching this Black Tern at Abberton Reservoir whilst a few feet away a posse of noisy motorbikes were zooming back and forth along the causeway. To say they were speeding would be an understatement. A cracking bird though @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #essexbirding #ukbirding #birds

Congrats to the finders of the Gt Wigborough church’ Arctic Warbler. Apologies for poor quality video @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #essexbirding #ukbirding #birds

Local gravel pits near Coggeshall this evening, 2 Spotted Flycatchers the highlight plus this Ruddy Shelduck having a preen having no doubt just flown in from south east Europe (well, a bit of doubt maybe)! Otherwise, LRP family group noted @essexbirdnews.bsky.social #birds #Essexbirding #ukbirding

I rather liked seeing this on a wall in Thaxted, Essex this morning

A brace of Whinchats at one of my local patches at Pincey Brook, in central Essex today

Phone video of Painted Lady in my Rayne garden a few days ago

The Oxford Natural History Museum included this Great Northern Diver at West Mersea in 1924, part of our Oxford weekend trip