Another night of exceptional migrant activity and the small garden actinic produces once again with this pristine Striped Hawk-moth alongside more Clancy’s Rustics and Small Mottled Willows. Still hoping for an EBS, maybe tonight🤞🏼 - Winchmore Hill, London #teammoth

Since I moved house at the end of last year the traps have stayed hidden away in the shed. With the warm weather I finally dusted them off, and to a good result - Small Marbled and Phtheochroa schreibersiana within the first 50 species for the garden.

A little bit of a break from birding with a manic period of work but nice to get back out on patch this weekend. No spring migrants as of yet but glad to catch up with the long staying Slavonian Grebe.

After a two week stay bobbing around the edges of KGV Res it seems my local Grey Phalarope has now departed. Such a brilliant bird to have on your doorstep! #rarebirdsUK

Down in Brighton for a friend’s birthday worked out well when this 1st-W Isabelline Shrike was found 10 minutes away. What an autumn it has been for Shrikes! #rarebirdsUK #Sussexbirding

Great weekend in Sussex celebrating a friend's 30th birthday. Some wildlife highlights of finding a Vagrant Emperor at Beachy Head plus many, many Firecrest! Also twitched the Isabelline-type Shrike on the way home. #SussexBirding

Lovely views of the first winter male Siberian Thrush as it feasted on elderberries at Asta, Shetland this afternoon. #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds #UKWildlife

Carrying on my streak of Shrikes in East Anglia, today I dropped in on the Red-tailed Shrike at Dunwich Heath. Showed fantastically in the morning sun, well worth the trip.

Nice to see a good bird locally with this Pec Sand at Stanborough GPs. When I arrived it was flying around all over the place flushed by a kestrel, but as dusk rolled in it dropped down on a small pool next to the main track allowing for lovely views.

A double shrike weekend with this Red-backed Shrike showing well at Moreston in the evening sun.

Lesser Grey Shrike during a wander looking for migrants from Winterton to Waxham and back this weekend gone. It consumed a vast array of prey items with wriggling Devil's coach horse beetles being the most numerous. #rarebirdsUK

What a weekend in East Anglia. Black-winged Kite, Cisticola, Barred Warbler, RB Shrike, Pec Sand, LT Skua, large and sooty shears, classic autumn migrants, bats hurling themselves into the sea watching shelter, and some brilliant food, drinks, and company. #RareBirdsUK

The traps were absolutely heaving as the heavens opened this morning. A difficult unloading but thankfully the star moths were easy to spot with Bedstraw Hawk and Dark Crimson Underwing the highlights #norfolkmoths #teammoth

Had my second garden record of Light Crimson Underwing last night. Took some photos on my phone in the trap and thought I’d better take the trap indoors to pot it. Moment I get inside it flies out the trap entrance, straight across the room and out the open door never to be seen again! #teammoth

Nice to see such impressive numbers of Foresters in Norfolk last weekend. Covered every flowering plant in sight. #teammoth

A scorcher of a day meant butterflies were in abundance with some absolutely crackers on the wing including Purple Emperor, Swallowtail, Silver Washed Fritillary (valesina form), and White Admiral. A Lesser Emperor topped off the day with @jonathanfarooqi.bsky.social.

Going to #GlobalBirdfair? ➡️ Sat 12 July (10am) - Plover Lecture Stage - 'Scarcities & Swallowtails: Celebrating 50 years of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen'. ✅ Learn about this amazing reserve, now in its 50th year, from the perspective of its most addicted patch-birder... me! #birds #NorfolkBirding 😎

The past weeks birding seems to have been dominated by Tawny Owls with recently fledged young and day roosting birds everywhere I go, always lovely to see.

After seeing sun in the weather forecast I fancied my chances of a Swallowtail in the Norfolk Broads. Luck was on my side, couldn’t ask for a more pristine specimen than this!

Never thought I would look at a Dunlin and think it was a big wader! Absolutely dwarfs the Least Sandpiper. #rarebirdsuk #ukbirding #sussexbirding

Couldn’t ask for better views of the Least Sandpiper at Medmerry this morning 👌🏼 #sussexbirdnews #rarebirdsuk #ukbirding

A great day at spent at KGV Reservoir yesterday. The highlight was a flock of Brent Geese dropping in briefly before heading north, along with Slav and Black-necked Grebes, Black Redstarts, Scaup, Smew, and my first Sand Martin and Wheatear of the year.

Put the moth traps out for the first time this year. A good start with the first moth in a Herald, an absolutely stunning NFG.

After unsatisfactory views earlier in the week it was nice to find a showy pair of Pygmy Owl this evening.

Another fantastic day in Estonia with dream views of Steller’s Eider.

Mind blowing views of this pair of White-tailed Eagles food passing an unfortunate drake Long-tailed Duck. Such a special birding experience!

A fantastic start to our Estonia trip with prolonged and stunning views of Hawk Owl.

A few photos from a recent trip to Islay. Fantastic views of all target species and an all round beautiful place. Off to Estonia on Saturday to continue the run of high quality birding with fancy ducks and owls in mind!

Not every day you get point blank views of Tundra Bean Geese. Totally worth getting soaked for! #UKbirding #BirdingLondon

In 2022 I was on train from the Highlands that passed within 2 miles of a recently found Grey-headed Lapwing. It took me until 2025 but I finally made the journey, despite 2 days of negative news. Thankfully on arrival it was showing well giving me time to enjoy the great birding of Northumberland.

2024 was a fantastic birding year characterised by a mega Yorkshire autumn, surprise wintering Yanks, and a run of expected migrants and vagrants. My personal highlight was from almost a year ago with the Heybridge Northern Waterthrush.

Some relaxed high quality winter birding in Essex yesterday. Started off on the coast at Mersea Island before heading to Abberton Reservoir, finishing the day in a beautiful sunset at Copt Hall Farm.

Whilst not abusing the local Chiffchaffs the American Yellow Warbler spent the full two hours I was there flycatching in the evening sun. This included lovely acrobatics, even flying straight towards the crowd at one point. #UKbirding #rarebirdsUK

Birding christmas presents have well and truly been delivered. Lovely views of the Broadstairs Eurasian Scops Owl this evening with some great company #rarebirdsuk #ukbirding

Absolutely perfect but unexpected timing for the appearance of this Yellow Warbler in Kent today. Sensational views feeding constantly for two hours. What a way to round off the year! #rarebirdsuk #UKbirding

After a month long break from birding I finally dragged myself out into the dark and the cold. Well worth it with some cracking birds only 15 minutes from the house. Species names in ALT text below.

Woodcock is a species that occurs extremely infrequently on patch. Unfortunately it looks like the local peregrines might be the reason for that…

An unexpected visitor greeted me on return from work this evening. He was having a mega time nibbling on the plants in the garden pond! Weirdly the second record tufted duck on the pond.

News broke on my lunch break of this Dartford Warbler on Hampstead Heath, only 8 minutes away. Managed to secure brief but brilliant views of this scarce London bird and was back at my desk within the hour. #UKBirding

After arriving onsite and being told the Pied Wheatear flew strongly inland 15 minutes before I arrived, I wasn’t feeling particularly confident. Thankfully after a nervous 2 hour wait, it suddenly appeared on the cliff below affording brilliant views. #rarebirdsuk

Another November weekend, another trip to the south coast to see a Wheatear. Today’s Pied Wheatear was only 4 miles away from the Desert Wheatear at Belle Tout Lighthouse, which is visible in this picture! #RareBirdsUK #UKBirding

After furiously feeding in damp grass the Desert Wheatear would hop up onto the lighthouse walls for a rest and a preen, often allowing for some lovely views. #rarebirdsuk

The ever darkening evenings has given me a little bit of time to sort out and edit photos from some of my travels this year. Pictured is a Purple-throated Mountain-gem from Monteverde, Costa Rica in January.

A bit of warm weather yesterday coaxed some bats out for sunset feeding. Cracking views of Noctules and Pipistrelle Sp. as they fed over the urban tree lines.

Some cracking birding on patch with my highest day count of all time (60 species). Highlights included 2 Hawfinch, 12 Skylark, flyover Teal and Pochard, 2 Firecrest, late swallows, and plenty of finches, pipits and thrushes moving. Not bad for an urban London patch! #ukbirding

Some incredible views of this Barred Warbler at Kilnsea yesterday. An absolute brute, certainly not the prettiest of birds!

Olive-backed Pipit is a species I have wanted to see for a very long time, having only seen probable flyovers and dipped on Scilly previously. My luck changed when one was found only 5 minutes away, a quick dash and dream views were secured!

Heading back to London after a crazy few days on the Yorkshire Coast. So pleased to have connected with the Pale-legged Leaf Warbler before its departure. Nice to get some absolutely mega views and see so many familiar faces. #rarebirdsuk

After a mental day twitching on Wednesday (pics to follow) it was nice to get some birding in with a walk up Spurn. Unfortunately couldn’t quite pull out our own mega but fantastic views of Arctic Warbler made it worthwhile. #RareBirdsUK #UKBirding

My personal highlight from my trip to Spain was watching a family party of Rufous-tailed Scrub Robins. At one point we had four sat in a little bush together! Cracking birds.