More Brent on an Essex saltmarsh, Leigh- on-Sea

I don’t often see black- necked grebes so was pleased to see 4 together whilst visiting family in Essex -although not the 7 reported here recently.

Jack snipe have been showing well from Bishop’s hide at Cley NWT this autumn. Great to eventually catch up with one today and spent an enjoyable morning sketching it along with 6 water pipits that dropped in. Quality!

Brent geese feeding on spring tide. Two-tree Is. Essex

Young shelduck and godwits, Bishop’s Hide, Cley, late August

The 2 pec sands at Salthouse eventually gave themselves up, after staying hidden amongst reeds and vegetation for long periods

Up to 6 Caspian gulls still being seen at Cromer

Black-winged kite, Hickling. Second record in 2 years-?returning bird?

Spent a lovely couple of hours watching waders at North Point pools, Wells. Highlight was 2 juvvy Temminck’s stints that suddenly appeared but didn’t stay long as flushed by a hobby. Garganey also in attendance

Wryneck and blackberries-hopefully there’ll be a few about in the next few weeks

Probably my least satisfying twitch: Fantailed Warbler, Walberswick-saved by brief scope views perched in reeds at 200m😜

Cattle egrets are now part of the summer scene at Cley, along with the spoonbills

Popped over to Rockland Broad to see Norfolk’s first pair of breeding Ospreys. Two healthy young were feeding well

Good year for Cromer peregrines with 3 young successfully fledged. Best year since they first bred here in 2019 and also raised 3 young

All quiet in The Broads this evening

Spent a couple of evenings back in May with the Red- footed falcons at Carlton Marshes, Suffolk.They deserved a painting

Marsh Warbler, Cley. Blasting out bursts of bee-eater,blackbird, goldfinch,blue tit, house sparrow, swallow,swift, grey heron and oystercatcher… amongst others

Unaware of an eagle as I got out my car for my Sunday morning swim…until a passing birder stopped and kindly offered me a lift. 20 minutes later I was watching Booted Eagle soaring over Muckleborough. Many thanks to birders who leant me spare bins and got me scope views👍

Cley in May is always good for Temminck’s stints but 10 is exceptional-outnumbered dunlin! Also 4 wood sands,whimbrel and 3 knot this morning.

Little Terns and Dunlin, Arnold’s Marsh, Cley

Made a conscious effort to complete some old unfinished paintings that have lived under the bed for years. These godwits @NWT Cley marshes from 2009!

Came across 24 buzzards sat in a local potato field that was being prepared by tractors. Huge variation in plumages and great to watch them worming

Pair of splendid Med Gulls in front of Bishop’s Hide , Cley, this morning

Rouzel time!😁

Couple of spoonbills close in at Bishop’s, a pair of garganey and a flyby bittern made for a great morning at Cley

WTF. Just had 37 med gulls fly over my mums garden in Essex- one flock of 25, another of 12. I remember having to twitch my first one in 1977 at nearby Leigh

Parkrun recovery interrupted by news from @britishbirder.bsky.social of a hawfinch down the road. Soon located 6 birds feeding like waxwings on yew berries. Brilliant!

1st day of Spring. Always good to see garganey. Hickling, 1 of 3 present

Snow buntings, Holkham. Numbers seem to be decreasing here since I started on this painting some 10 years ago

This Pallid Harrier has overwintered the last 3 years at Warham Greens, Norfolk. She often sits on the metal bridge before going to roost and shares the salt marsh with several Hen and Marsh Harriers , plus a couple of Merlin. Makes for a good end of the day for winter birding

Sketching smew at Wheldrake Ings and song thrushes belting out song again in Gilling East! A blog at jonathanpomroy.wordpress.com

The Waxwings artwork for the cover of the 2023 Leics & Rutland Bird Report is finished. Mostly done using Polychromos coloured pencils, with a bit of gouache in the details, on Fabriano Artistico paper. Original is about A4 size. #birds #birdart #ukbirding

I rarely twitch these days but….