This passed me by in February. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Time to get the erasers ✏️ out. The new BOURC report is out. It’s a good job I already ripped that particular plaster off some months ago, my pain is subsiding already. #rarebirdsuk onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

YBW still as punctual as ever. 08:33 this morning. Then, actual birding, I think I’ve remembered how to do it. 🤔 A female Peregrine, on a windy Puttock’s Hill, but better still, a couple of Golden Plover, which were, shockingly, a yeartick. 😚 #suffolkbirds

Decent views of #Otter again this afternoon. Spent way too much time following it along the river, but it’s hard to walk away.

The garden Yellow-browed Warbler has been quite obliging for the last 2 days. Seen morning, 08:30-ish and afternoon 14:30-ish. I even heard it from the house at lunchtime yesterday. #suffolkbirds

Seems like my ‘Wolf’s Milk Slime Mould’ is nothing of the sort. Something has had a go at it during the night and it’s now more obviously a Fungi, perhaps one of the Psathyrella app. Or similar. Thanks to @regularslimeguy.bsky.social & @norwichbirder.bsky.social for their pointers.

Ah yes, we have reached the end-stage of our society at which I can learn about birds without the wretched inconvenience of having to go outdoors and look at birds. Is it really only me?

On this day 40 years ago: Black and White Warbler at How Hill, an inland Norfolk nature reserve, of all places! 1985 truly was the Autumn that just kept giving. I seem to remember Ticker stepping into a puddle, without realising it was 4’ deep. 💦 The rest of the day had its merits too. See ALT

This appears to be Wolf’s Milk Slime Mould (Lycogala epidendrum) from the garden this morning. Never noticed it before. Just one Moth, appropriately enough a Winter Moth. #teammoth

The Water Rail showed for a few brief seconds this morning. Better news, and better late than never was a flyover #110 Yellowhammer. Tho annual, I’ve never had one in December before, but they’ve been getting later each year. YBW & Chiffchaff still.

This is quite fun. Candlesnuff Fungus, (Xylaria hypoxylon) apparently bioluminescent. Might have to check it later tonight. The Yellow-browed Warbler was calling by the front door, and a, probable female, Peregrine was traumatising the Pigeons around the church at lunchtime, mine as well as hers.

Got to see the @rspb.bsky.social Lakenheath Moth trap being emptied this morning. Didn’t take long as it started off empty. 😳 I still got a NFM/NFG Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella) tho, it’s not only new for the tetrad 🔲 it’s also new for the hetrad. New for the bedroom too! #teammoth

I don’t often see Buzzards in the garden, and if I do, it’s usually as they are flying out of dense foliage. So this may be the first I’ve photographed. Another Blackcap was nice to see, my third in about 5 weeks. This one a ringed female. #suffolkbirding

Thursday is the new Friday. 🍸 And a new Cocktail is in the mix - Aperol Gin Sour. It’s not without its merits

The first Bittern since 2012, our fourth ever Yellow-browed Warbler and a remarkable passage of Brent Geese were November highlights at London’s Walthamstow Wetlands. Round-up on walthamstowbirders.blogspot.com Thanks to @samodonnell25.bsky.social @chris-farthing.bsky.social and DD for photos.

Singing Cetti’s Warbler, heard yesterday, was a new bird for the month of December. This morning; the Yellow-browed Warbler showed very well, Water Rail and Chiffchaff heard, Redpoll over (it’s been a good autumn/winter for them). Little Egret having a good foot paddle in the shallow stream.

The Otter found a handy feeding ledge in the wall of the old lock gate, now part of the fish ladder.

After a while searching the riverside vegetation, it changed to a more energetic task - swimming & fishing at the bottom of the new fish ladder. 🐟 🪜 Really showed itself to be a master of its realm.

The #Otter was pretty successful in hunting. Seemed to catch and eat something every minute or so. 🦦

This afternoon’s Otter could be quite confiding if approached stealthily, which of course I did. Came to within 2-3m. I could even hear it breathing

Today’s #Otter. I’m thinking could be a male, as it looked to have a broader muzzle to the one earlier in the week, also it appeared to have a less pink nose, but I’m not 100% confident. Spent a lot of time ‘wummaging in the undagwoth’ as David Bellamy might have said.

Spent a fair while, before a late lunch, watching this #Otter, at times visible from, and occasionally in, the garden. I always struggle to see what small prey they are catching, though it often sounds crunchy. I think this shows one eating a Crayfish British or American? I don’t know. 🦞 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🤷🏻‍♂️

Fairly quiet this morning, certainly in terms of any movement over the garden. Unusually the Water Rail(s?) were not quiet. Normally don’t hear a peep, or ‘pik’ from them during the winter here, but I always suspect that if and when I do hear one, that there’s actually another nearby.

01/12/25. 3/2. Winter Moth & 2 Mottled Umber. Highlight of today was the unbelievable sight of a Camberwell Beauty sunning itself on a footpath along the E Norfolk coast! Inadvertantly flushed & flew off NW. A long search failed to relocate it... #teammoth #norfolkmoths @norfolknats.bsky.social

Not long in the garden this morning, but long enough to note the Water Rail and Yellow-browed Warbler still present. December is a new month, needless to say, for the latter species. A total of 74 species lifts December from worst performing month. #suffolkbirds

Huge News from the Western Amazon: it's the year 2025 and we are still describing entirely new, strikingly-distinctive large-bodied bird species! Behold Tinamus resonans sp. nov. the Slaty-masked Tinamou mapress.com/zt/article/v... #Ornithology @tetzoo.bsky.social 🪶

A decent morning in the garden. A Mistle Thrush flew in and landed, and a Water Rail appeared just about on cue, in the millstream. Those 2 additions for the month makes this November, surprisingly, my 5th best month, out of 89, since we’ve lived here, with 69 species! YBW @ 09:10 #suffolkbirds

Extraordinary record of Willow Tit from Moray!! - 250km-ish from nearest breeders or 550km from Scandinavia! @richardkbroughton.bsky.social birdsinmorayandnairn.org/bird-recordi...

It’s 3 months since I’ve seen any Otters. I’ve heard others have seen them recently, and a guy passing by told me he’d seen a Beaver just up river. Quickly corrected to Otter. Anyhoo, what should come swimming up our millstream this afternoon? Amazing the difference having a bit of water makes

Large-grooved Diving Beetle (Colymbetes fuscus) was the highlight from the @rspb.bsky.social Lakenheath Moth trap. Also 9 December Moth and a Winter Moth. A Chiffchaff this morning in the garden was a relief, and just squeezes into November. An impressive unbroken run of 24 months for the species.

Hard to believe there’s not been a gettable bird in Ireland in all that time!

Yellow-browed Warbler was, by its standards, fairly obliging. Heard on/off c.08:20-10:50. House Sparrow a surprise. With Kingfisher & Kestrel, Novembers total comes to a record 65 spp. Sadly still no Chiffchaff. Isleham Wash for the 1st time in a while: Ice, Ice, Baby. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Super dooper house tick this afternoon, entirely thanks to David Curle who alerted locals to a Black-throated Diver on the Crouch by Blue House Farm. A quick scan from upstairs and boom, there it was 😊 Excellent photo by David from BHF. Terrible photo by me from indoors! #EssexBirding

A female Blackcap in the garden this morning. A pleasant surprise after a male 3 weeks ago. A distant call sounded a bit Chiffchaff-esque, but I’ve not had one this month, yet. Could be the first blank month in 2 years. Then the Yellow-browed Warbler magically appeared just behind the Blackcap.

Im still hoping for a garden December Moth, perhaps I’ll actually have to wait till December. But, today offered up a wall-mounted Winter Moth. I’ve only seen 3 and they’ve all been in the last year. What chance of a Northern Winter Moth someday…?

Had some great views of this Yellow-browed Warbler on Patch at Walthamstow Wetlands yesterday for a few mins. Only my 3rd ever and all of them have been here! So nice to see that lovely bright supercilium and hear the call again! #ukbirding #patchbirding

A good read, as ever. A nice retrospectus. I’m looking forward to the next chapter, and I’m sure you are too.

After not being able to find last Thursday’s Dartford Warbler at Fordham, I thought the weather window this morning might be more productive. It was. A nice bird to bring up #200 for my 10K⭕️ A fairly dull plumaged, presumably 1st winter bird. Mostly hanging out on its own, calling occassionaly.

Finally, after some decent rain, a bit more water in the river (Lark). If not in full spate, at least it’s in spate. I can just see a bit of the new Fish Ladder (a.k.a. Potential Dipper habitat) from the edge of the garden. Also today, my equal earliest returning winter Little Grebe, down river.

On this day 40 years ago: Managed to see, and ☑️ the 1st winter male Pied Wheatear, in the last glimmers of light, at Sheringham. At the time just the 10th record for the U.K. Now pretty much expected as a late year finale to the years roll call of rarities. #rarebirdsuk

Sudden stratospheric warming has led to the polar vortex collapsing very early (Arctic hot but lots of cold air has come rushing down over Europe). Might bring us some more interesting bits? #norfolkbirding

I have to admit that when I was scraping the frost off the car window this morning in London , I didn’t expect to see these on the river wall at Rainham.

As it’s looking like Mothing is over for the year (maybe?) here’s a roundup of my inaugural half-year. Garden list now 173 (all stages, not including Butterflies, no trapping) Added to tertrad 🔲 143 (total was only 122 at beggining of year) Total Moth list 309 +64 Butterflies. #teammoth

OTD 25 yrs ago: A Small Whitethroat (Curruca minula) at South Gare. When did it become Small over Desert? ‘Just’ a subspecies back then. Unfortunately it was never trapped, nor was DNA ever obtained, so it’s all moot. 🤷🏻‍♂️ A female Pied Wheatear at Gibraltar Point on the way back was very nice too.

Divers still at Covenham Reservoir this morning @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social #Birds #UKBirding

Nice views of the Drake ‘Green-winged’ Teal. No matter that it’s soon to be lumped, it’s still come all the way from across the Atlantic. Somewhat marred by the fact that I have been trying to find one of these for myself locally for the last 8 years. My 18th individual but 1st in the Brecks.

Just two moths actually in the trap this morning, a Rusty-dot Pearl and this beauty. Banded Sable was not on my shortlist of candidates for number 24 on the new garden list! As far as I can make out, less than 20 Devon records. Axminster VC3 #TeamMoth

#ukbirding It is very apparent to patch birders in the east that the numbers, distribution and migration patterns of several winter visitors are rapidly changing as the climate warms. They don’t get talked about much though. 🤷‍♂️ 1/2 Smew, Lap Bunt, Snow Bunt, Roughleg

Rarely seen in the garden, tho there is a den in the scrub, is Fox. 🦊 So this one today was a pleasant surprise. I watched it, unsuccessfully, stalking Squirrels 🐿️

‘A glutton for punishment’ I hear you say. 🍃 🍂 🍁 I only went out to check for the Yellow-browed Warbler, (no sign last 3 days) but this leaf just thrust itself onto me. I think I’m correct in saying Elm Leaf-miner (Phyllonorycter tristrigella) it’s NFM/NFG and new for Tetrad. 🔲 #teammoth