….well, two weeks ago ut it’s take me this long to get my act together on my blog. So over the next few days I will post a few pictures from the trip. Ethiopia is an amazing place. The birdlife’s out of this world and the people are warm and sharing. My urban local patch […]
Black-headed Gulls During May last year I was sprinting around London bird frantically trying to find as many species as humanly possible in the Oystercatcher Bird Race in which my team controversially came second. This year I will be racing on the behalf of the Alderney Bird Club on the lovely island of Alderney at […]
Kittiwakes mobbing a Gannet at Troup Head, Scotland (Russell F Spencer) They said it would be glorious today with a gentle southerly breeze. Potentially ideal conditions for watching migrant raptors from the roof of Tower 42, one of the tallest buildings in London. Well that was the prediction on the weather websites I looked at […]
Hobby (Russell F Spencer) A couple days ago I was wishing for a Hobby to appear at my patch before I board the plane to Ethiopia next Monday. Well, the higher powers that be sent me one! I was delighted to have one drifting and circling over the grassland at The Scrubs this morning for […]
Not much birding done at all today whilst yesterday, I did manage to sneak a quick walk through a thronging Walthamstow Marshes. Despite the sunny weather and the ton of people out variously cycling and walking with families, friends, dogs and sometimes all three – I still managed to see a few birds. I counted […]
Hobby (Russell F Spencer) While most of the world ponders if Bin Laden has truely been slain I’m sitting here wondering when I will see my first Hobby of the year. They seem to be all over the place now with one seen down the road from me at the London Wetland Centre and over […]
Common Whitethroat (Russell F Spencer) Had an interesting morning at The Scrubs yesterday. It was a fairly cloudy day with an occasional hint of blue sky and a northeasterly blow. The birdlife on show was nothing out of the ordinary with both species of whitethroat, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Song Thrushes and Great and Blue Tits leading […]
‘Common’ Kestrel (Bill Black) Trawling through my Facebook newsfeeds earlier today, I noticed that the London Wildlife Trust are encouraging Londoners to count Kestrels across the capital. Brilliant idea! It’s all part of the Trust’s 30th anniversary celebrations. They conducted a count 23 years ago that indicated the presence of around 400 nesting pairs around […]
Summer in the city Hasn’t the weather been fantastic? I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time doing the final tickles on my forthcoming book – The Urban Birder. Today after months of toil it is safely with the publishers being lined up to be printed. It will be out during August and I must […]
Ring Ouzel (Stephen Daly) I’ve come back from Bonny Scotland to the sights and reports of more migrants flooding through Wormwood Scrubs – my inner city Fair Isle. Today, a cracking male Ring Ouzel was discovered along the ‘Forbidden Path’ in the grassland, making it our 5th spring 2011 record of this enigmatic montane thrush. […]
Findhorn Valley – Dippers, Oystercatcher & Common Gull Findhorn Valley – Golden Eagle (that I missed!) Findhorn Valley – Merlin & Ring Ouzel Findhorn Valley – Pink-footed Geese Lossiemouth – Buzzard and nearby Osprey Special thanks to Kirsty Sharratt and all at the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey, Moray. More tomorrow
Blackcap with Goldfinch (Yvette Spencer) Has anyone ever heard of Blackcaps eating sunflower hearts?
Nightingale (Mike Weston) April is a fabulous time to be stalking Wormwood Scrubs because you never know what you might find. After 18 years, I have built up a very interesting picture of the birdlife that frequents my inner city Fair Isle. It is during this month that you are most likely to encounter migrant […]
Long-tailed Tit A good day in the office was had at The Urban Birder Towers. United beat Chelsea and I finally finished proof reading my book. Well, to be honest, you never finish proof reading when you’ve written a book. Like a vulture circling over a carcass you find yourself forever picking at pieces moving […]
A fine male along the ‘Forbidden Path’ in the grassland (Nick Gibson) A closer look (Nick Gibson) What a few days down at The Scrubs recently. Eight Wheatears until today’s influx of between 4-5 birds in the grassland plus an incredible Ring Ouzel on Saturday morning that materialised whilst I on the football pitch sweating […]
Wheatear (an autumn bird) It was a magical morning at The Scrubs today with not one but two male Common Redstarts in the grassland along with three Whinchats (including two males) and a handsome male Northern Wheatear. Add to that mix a lone Swallow heading north and several Willow Warblers in song then I would […]
Today was a glorious day in the city and although I didn’t make it to The Scrubs this morning, the reports that came back to me included a sighting of yet another fine male Common Redstart, this time in the grassland. I had my eyes peeled watching the sky all afternoon whilst I was out […]
Jay – looks like a pair’s on territory at The Scrubs (Russell F Spencer) Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to The Scrubs this morning and as a consequence missed out on two male Common Redstarts and six Willow Warblers. I have to delve into the history books to read about the last Common Redstart spring […]
Female Common Stonechat (Andy Cook) I didn’t get to The Scrubs this morning as I was over in Sunny Walthamstow, East London. A stroll through Wanstead Flats in the vain hope of rediscovering the two Ring Ouzels discovered yesterday by the Wanstead Birder drew a blank. It was however, one of those mornings and indeed […]
A sunny day on the Tower (Jon Osborne) For the second year running we will be ascending the many floors and scampering up ladders to scan the skies over London in the hope of catching some migrating raptors – provided we get some nice weather, good winds and good luck. Our inaugural observation date will […]