There are now two more female Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers out in the world! What a joy it’s been to share this patch of woodland with these incredible birds for the last 11 days. Thanks to @lesserspotnet.bsky.social for the guidance. The clearing feels very quiet now! #HantsBirds #NewForest

Joy at Abberton Res yesterday where for the third year out of four the CES team caught this Nightingale originally ringed in The Gambia in January 2020. Now 7 years old and still going strong. Just brilliant! 🇬🇲🇬🇧 @btobirds.bsky.social @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

After a quiet few days, a surprise on the patch today was a willow warbler, always a delight to hear. Lots of painted ladies passing through as well.

Greenish Warbler this morning at Dungeness NNR. Found by JS.

A burst of warmth on the patch today, plenty of painted lady passing through and the usual male wall brown at the usual spot on Gunton Warren!

A lovely Curlew sandpiper in near breeding plumage this afternoon at the Naze #essexbirding @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

A Tuesday bike ride to Oulton Marshes, the highlight was the adult male Red-footed Falcon with hobbies over Peto's Marsh with approx 15 hobbies, set apart by its distinct silver sheen on the upper wing being clearly visible. A full warbler supporting cast of 1 willow, gropper and at least 2 garden.

A productive week so far, a bank holiday Monday bike ride to Corton, where 5 bar-tailed Godwits remained on the clifftop grass at Broadland Sands HP. Lesser whitethroat by the road at Gunton Warren.

Black Redstarts nesting in a Swift brick in Winchester!! We advocate for these as universal nest bricks and they really are. No other types of integrated bird box are required @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social @ukrbbp.bsky.social @sosswifts.bsky.social

Totally inappropriate conditions for what's usually our rain bird: Wood Warbler trapped at the Obs under a crystal-clear blue sky

A couple of willow warblers were highlights today, one in Gunton wood and another at Links hill this morning. Unexpected was a common snipe flying along the north Denes slope and later in the afternoon, either it or another was flushed Gunton Warren. Painted lady flew strongly north Gunton Warren.

Superb @essexbirdnews.bsky.social field trip to @suffolkwildlife Carlton Marshes - 82 sp. seen inc Ring Ouzel, Bittern, Great & Cattle Egret, Yellow-legged Gull, House & Sand Martin, Swallow, Ruff, Pintail and much more!

Nice house tick in the form of a White-tailed Eagle going high south over Lowestoft at 12:45, also seen over Kessingland at 1pm.

The standout of today's sightings was our 1st Red-rumped Swallow of 2026, heading south past The Warren and briefly visiting Chalk Bank amid a movement of at least 99 Swallows, 272 Sand Martins and 17 House Martins also heading south. #Spurnbirds (1/2) Red-rumped Swallow by Jack Petit 📷

Always a delight to see the first Wheatears of the year, with 2 pristine males on Gunton Warren. Plus at least 1 willow warbler, first swallow south of the year, plenty of Chiffchaffs and an uptick in the number of blackcaps. 5 red kites went over Links road.

Field wood-rush, otherwise known as 'Good Friday grass' in flower in the front lawn. Happy Easter!

The beginning of April saw the first singing blackcaps on the patch, by Foxburrow Wood and at Gunton Meadow. At the latter, at least 7 buzzards soared in the late morning sunshine, joined briefly by a red kite. Several peacock butterfly on the wing, still not seen any other butterfly species yet!

Whooper swan is a tricky species for the local Lowestoft list, this individual was resting on the south beach, still present at lunchtime.

Some angry skies to the north over east Norfolk this evening! April showers arrived early?!

The irony of the Lowestoft Journal (once a decent paper wayyy back in the day) running a story about a mistakenly mis-id gull with gull pictures with the wrong names in the captions.... And 'thousands' didn't turn up. Nowhere near those numbers! #fakenews www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news/2596334...

Pleased to see the garganey pair at Carlton marshes this afternoon, although the fudge duck stayed hidden. Lots of displaying by lapwings, 2 GWE, bittern booming. Plenty of wigeon feeding up before their flight home. Probably my single best and worst garganey picture attached!

Trump is an abhorant piece of Human garbage.

At Ness point today it was 'as you were' with 3 Brent geese wave dodging on the jetty with 4 purple sandpiper resting on rocks nearby. Another 9 purple sands were resting on the seawall by the caravans not caring about people passing by on the main prom just a couple of feet away...

Another sunny and warm spring like day, good to see at least 11 purple sandpiper lingering on the rocks at Ness point plus 3 Brent geese on the jetty with a supporting castle of turnstones and oystercatcher. A good mix of gulls as well, including both juv and adult GBB gulls, what beasts they are!

One day... aluladesigns.co.uk/p... #UKBirding

The hooded crow was present on Lowestoft north Denes this morning but highly mobile with the carrion crows, best views I've had in the UK! A few meadow pipit on the move plus several pied wagtails about. Managed to locate the Humes warbler in Sparrows nest park in the Holm oak by the movie theatre.

A 11.5 mile round cycle trip to Kessingland, successfully connecting with the 3 shorelarks but no sign of any snow buntings. Plenty of ringed plover, skylark and several mipits on the beach, little egret on the shore pool, 2 teal and a GC grebe on the sea.

As a breeding species in the UK, the Black Redstart is well documented and has been monitored by the RBBP since its inception in 1973. As of 2023, the UK population is estimated at 85 breeding pairs (Eaton et al. 2025). Read more: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti... 📸 Carol Gill

Well done @wildlifebcn.org for taking this stance. At Hayley Wood. Rights of access do not mean right to ignore the owners requests. share.google/XRixh4Dbq7oD...

Eastbourne: Many thanks to Harvey for turning up this zinger of a Wheatear at Sovereign Harbour today. What a treat and my first EVER in February. Spring is offically here!

Good morning and welcome to Fish For Tea Friday Be proud of who you are. Of the quiet strength no one sees. Of the battles you fought privately. Of the kindness you give without applause. You don’t have to be louder. You don’t have to be different. You just have to be you

First taste of early spring weather today, finally saw the first butterfly of the year fly past the house during the afternoon, a peacock.

Night night sweet dreamies Sometimes all you need is just for somebody to be there, even if they can’t solve your problems Just knowing there is somebody there who cares can make all the difference Be someone’s somebody 🐈

Heathlands are one of the UK’s rarest habitats and without active management, they can quickly become unsuitable for all six of our reptile species. Watch how we manage our habitats here: https://youtu.be/H7Ypb1PdSN0

Received my Birdtrack year email as others have, had to chuckle at Ruddy Duck being in my top 3!

Enjoyed a 9 mile cycle/walk around Lowestoft today, Humes warbler showed brilliantly plus 6 purple sandpiper at Ness point. Peregrine at grain silo, 2 drake Pochard Leathes Ham, RN parakeet at Normanston cemetery and a smart confiding grey wagtail along the Linear park. Dawn chorus getting going too

The Hume's Warbler at Flycatcher Alley, Lowestoft was very mobile this morning, but showed well at times. Quite washed out khaki in colour compared to autumn, but with a brown wash across breast typical of winter birds

A most unexpected lunchtime twitch to successfully see a plucky Humes Warbler by the Lowestoft Denes Oval. Showed well in the leafless Sycamores before finding some evergreen bushes to hide in by the tennis courts. 13 fieldfare over plus a woodcock for supporting cast.

Aurora over South West Cornwall tonight!

Finally for the first time in my life, with the help of my phone, Aurora visible over the house. Was very hard to see colours with the naked eye but reds were just about visible once eyes had adjusted to the dark.

So close! Snowfinch in Le Havre. Link in ALT

Not been feeling at my sharpest these last few days but managed a patch walk in the snow, had a woodcock bomb past me on Gunton warren, landed nearby, saw me then took off again! Also 8 med gulls looking wintry in their bandit masks. Still plenty of blackbird about plus some redwing.

A great white egret south over Dip farm and a restless calling Cettis' warbler on the North Denes were the main surprises during a 5 mile local walk. The high tide of the previous night really smoothed the beach out with some large waves still landing.

As 2025 draws to a close, time to reflect on a great year, 5 Suffolk ticks; pallid harrier, zitting cisticola, Turkestan Shrike, Brown Shrike and... WT Eagle(!). I wonder what 2026 will bring? More records submitted to Bird track too. Happy new year to you all.

Nice bike ride today to Carlton Marshes and back, an 8 mile round trip to blow out some cobwebs and see the smart drake Smew, although distant. At least one chiffchaff nearby and a Cetti's gave a nice burst of song by Oulton Dyke. Good to bag myself a copy of the Suffolk Bird 2024 report too!

Black-winged Kite in the last dregs of daylight, distantly at Ludham bridge, Norfolk. Amazed at how much it hovered. #ukbirding #norfolkbirding

Certain to be far better but for now, a few record shots of todays Great Shearwater as it passed Waxham this morning. Hell of a buzz!.. #NorfolkBirding

Hoping all my followers had a great Christmas! It was a sunny and bracing Boxing Day wander around the patch this afternoon, main highlight was this smart continental blackbird that let me film 2ft away, didn't care about me at all!

Happy Boxing Day Boxes remind us that simple things can bring comfort A warm spot, a quiet pause, a moment to belong Boxes provide comfort, structure, and emotional support. This should be recognised more formally I am happy to be the official Box Appreciation Ambassador

Found this striking partial-albino male Blackbird today at Bowness-on-Windermere… 23.12.25