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Bad Times and Good Times (and a rest in between). 31/7/16 & 2/8/16
(Preview)
I dont often chase after birds that might not get accepted by the great bird gods, but, I had a lapse and thought about the Dalmatian Pelican in Cornwall. I saw a message from Dave W, from Huddersfield, on RBA asking for a lift or offering transport to see the bird. Steve K has always wanted to do a silly n...
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David Ousey
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0
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91
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St Bee's RSPB in Cumbria
(Preview)
Middle of last week after a 7 years wait I finally managed to visit St Bee's. I have wanted to go for 7 years but it always got put off. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive form Rossendale but my first stop was Foulshaw Moss. The Osprey showed distantly but because it was cloudy no reptiles, dragonflies or bu...
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sarfraz
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0
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93
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Burton Mere Wetlands - 30/7/16
(Preview)
After the Avocets today I had to go to Warrington and once finished there decided to go to Burton Mere Wetlands as Spotted Crake has been showing over last few days. Within minutes of arriving at the visitor centre the Crake popped out and I managed to add another bird to my life list. It was very distan...
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sarfraz
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1
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104
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Swillington Ings/RSPB St Aidans near Leeds - June 2016
(Preview)
Went to Swillington Ings/St Aidans in 3rd week of June and had a great time. Not only a brilliant place for birds but for butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies and other insects. Highlights of the day including a few Yellowhammers, many Warblers including Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blac...
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sarfraz
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2
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116
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Sunday 24th July 2016. Flamborough Head, Troutsdale, Wykeham & Wharram Quarry (Yorkshire)
(Preview)
This quiet time of the year for birding, usually gives way to trying to see some interesting insects and flowers etc. Myself, Bob K with Chris B at the helm set off from Newhey to visit a few different sites. Firstly calling at Flamborough Head for a spot of sea watching, only to see Brett Richards leavin...
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David Ousey
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0
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79
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White Winged Black Tern.10/7/2016
(Preview)
As I am always a sucker to go and see White Winged Black Terns anywhere, it followed that when one toured Yorkshire and settled at Rother Valley C.P that we would go. Myself at the wheel and Steve`s B & K left a drizzly Rochdale at 8am and soon found the country park around 9-15am. The last time we were...
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David Ousey
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0
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89
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London Birding
(Preview)
I had a work trip to London at the end of Sunny May so whilst there I decided to visit a couple of places. On arrival to the capital I met a good friend at Euston and then we headed to newly opened wetland in the North East of the capital not far from Upton Park tube station. Woodberry Wetland was run by th...
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sarfraz
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0
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94
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Success & Failure. 3/7/2016
(Preview)
The arrival of post breeding birds back into the country is always an exciting time for us birders, so when an American White Winged Scoter was seen in Aberdeenshire it was time to gather the troops. With my friends from over the border in Yorkshire being "up for it" and no real response from the regula...
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David Ousey
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0
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94
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Yorksire Trip. 26/6/2016
(Preview)
After a very unusual week at home, it was really good to know that I have a lot of friends around me to tell my troubles too. So, when Bob K asked me to go out on Sunday, I could not miss the opportunity. A nice Steve K type start time of 9am with Bob at the controls, we headed for Broomhill Flash not far from Ol...
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David Ousey
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0
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85
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Hesketh Out Marsh, Marshside and Lunt Meadows
(Preview)
Did a day trip on Sunday with Paul Burke and first stop was Hesketh Out Marsh. No birders there just dog walkers - not a good sign! Unless they had gone on a twitch locally somewhere but nothing was showing on Birdguides. There were Shelducks, Mallards, Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Little Egrets, Bla...
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sarfraz
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1
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108
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It was Knot meant too be. 18/6/2016
(Preview)
The news that a Great Knot had been found at Titchwell, Norfolk, did`nt have any of us dashing about to see it, as we all had seen the Teeside bird (or great dot as it was called) But after a conversation with one of our York birdwatching friends, I thought it might be nice to acompany him as he planned to go...
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David Ousey
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0
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88
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An afternoon in East Yorkshire. 12/6/2016
(Preview)
By way of a change four A Teamers did an afternoon/evening/night trip in search of a few birds that we would have normally seen on our annual Norfolk trip. We are not going this year unless something "good" turns up. The weather forecast was not to promising as we departed Newhey at 3pm and headed along t...
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David Ousey
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0
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87
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New Forest, Hengistbury & Beyond, June 2016
(Preview)
Spent a few days on the south coast and managed a couple of hours, early morning each day, in The New Forest or Hengistbury Head. Most sites were difficult birding with low numbers of birds showing themselves apart from Redstart and Stonechat which were everywhere! The following were noted: Manx She...
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David Nuttall
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0
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96
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Cuckoo Brandlehow Woods 30-05-2016
(Preview)
First Cuckoo for me this year in Brandlehow Woods along the shore of Derwent Water Keswick For me one of my favourite bird calls, nice too see and hear One highlight was 4 Spotted Flycatchers all feeding for insects from the same bush along the River Derwent Borrowdale Cheers Craggy
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craggy
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0
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97
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East Yorkshire.29/5/2016
(Preview)
Just two A Team members enjoyed a good trip to our second favourite county, Yorkshire. We met in Milnrow at a reasonable time and in Steve K`s car headed for Spurn Point. Yesterday there had been some good birds,Red backed Shrike and Turtle Doves, but upon arrival it was apparent that everything had cl...
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David Ousey
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0
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88
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Martin Down, May 2016
(Preview)
Spent a couple of hours at Martin Down, Hampshire, with the following highlights: Hobby, 1 feeding on insects, Grey Partridge, 2 calling birds, Turtle Dove, a good count of 16 purring birds, mainly from deep in the Hawthorns, with just 1 bird seen, Cuckoo, 1 calling bird, Skylark, c12, House Martin,...
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David Nuttall
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0
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85
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The Mosses - Foulshaw and Leighton
(Preview)
Craggy and I managed to make a day trip to first Foulshaw Moss then Leighton. The challenge is trying to find the right track that leads into the reserve from the dual carriageway. Luckily, Osprey's nesting were worthy of a signpost so this time I got it first time. We had a look around the pond and qu...
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sarfraz
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4
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161
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Holy Island & Teeside. 17/5/2016
(Preview)
Had a day out with the boys across the border from York, we had planned to go to Spurn, but after a bit of thinking, headed for Teeside. There had been a lot of good birds in Teeside the day before, but, as sometimes happens, they "clear out" overnight. I met the lads in York after missing a couple of turning...
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David Ousey
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0
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84
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Dotterel on Pendle.. 6th May `16.
(Preview)
Sarfraz and myself did a quick trip up Pendle Hill today after hearing reports of 4 Dotterel seen early am. Quick was not how we both climbed the "Big end", more a slow sweating crawl in the warm sunshine. The good thing was we were greeted at the summit by a lovely Male Dotterel. 3 other birds present earl...
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C Bel
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3
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138
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Bolton Abbey Woods & various. Sunday 8th May 2016
(Preview)
Myself, Chris B, Bob K met at my home for our annual trip to Bolton Abbey Woods, Bob was at the helm. Leaving at 6am and reaching the woods by 7am on a beautiful, sunny morning. The birds all appeared to be singing, but our ears (mainly Chris ) soon located the Redstarts and we saw them fairly well, truly...
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David Ousey
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0
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88
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Kentish Plover. Audenshaw Res 25th/26th April 16.
(Preview)
Great little wader visited Audenshaw reservoirs for a couple of days this week. Well out of its normal breeding range, the Male Kentish Plover must had got a big shock with our weather and apparently moved on last night. Me and Rob popped down for a local twitch yesterday...
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C Bel
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1
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111
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Warbler`s Day Out. 24/4/2016
(Preview)
As the weather in the west seemed pretty good on Sunday we decided to visit Anglesey, Wales. Three A Teamers met in Rochdale for a 6am start, both Steve`s and myself with Steve K at the wheel. It was quite a nice, if cold ,morning as we headed into North Wales reaching Holyhead harbour around 8-15am, two B...
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David Ousey
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0
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81
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Salgados Lagoon, Pera, Portugal. 15-22 April 2016
(Preview)
Just back from a week in Portugal and managed to visit Salgados Lagoon on 4 occasions where the following were seen: Dabchick, c6 pairs, Cormorant, 2, Cattle Egret, c50 in flocks to c25 birds especially on the grasslands around the lagoon, Little Egret, c30, Grey Heron, c6, Purple Heron, 3 seen with o...
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David Nuttall
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0
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94
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Yorkshire Wanderer`s. 3/4/2016
(Preview)
With the weather prediction being okay anoth trip was organised by Chris B. So, with Chris at the wheel, four A Team birders left Newhey at 6am. Our plan was to meet up with Nigel from York at Strensall Common. At 7-30am we reached the common and set off to the area we believed was the right place. A Great Sp...
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David Ousey
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0
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95
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Easter Sunday on Teeside. 27/3/2016
(Preview)
A quickly arranged trip up to see the Penduline Tit`s at Saltholme Pools, Middlesbrough on Easter Sunday ended with us being disappointed! Four of us met at 6am (with the the clocks going forward it was 5am really) in Newhey and with a plan to get back early, surely it was just a question of going up to...
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David Ousey
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1
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93
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Glaucous Gull at Cant Clough Reservoir
(Preview)
A Glaucous Gull has been roosting alone at Cant Clough Reservoir over much of the last week - it comes into roost about 4pm and then just leaves after sunrise. I had to make a visit to Burnley so I decided to make a short trip. I went to the wrong reservoir at first - Hurstwood but Cant Clough was onl...
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sarfraz
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4
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124
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Goa, India 26/1/2016 to 9/2/2016.
(Preview)
Please find atatched trip report to Goa. David Ousey.
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David Ousey
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3
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114
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Have I Got "Smews" For You?
(Preview)
A free day and a nice forecast is the perfect combination for a birding trip and the chosen destinations were Fairburn Ings and Swillington Ings near Leeds. At Fairburn the main attraction was a Drake Smew along with 3 red heads. A Firecrest was also soon. At Swilligton the main attraction was a pl...
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sarfraz
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0
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108
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North Pennines.. 11th March `16.
(Preview)
A 4am start and a 2hr+ drive up the M6 then east into the high Pennines for another look at some lekking Black Grouse and other upland birds. I arrived at an un-publicised site at dawn and could see no Blk Grouse at all, and a big sinking feeling started to come over me. A long drive for nothing?? A drive arou...
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C Bel
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0
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103
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North Wales. Sun 28th Feb 16.
(Preview)
A 5am start for a longish drive to a Black Grouse lekk at 1st light. I was pleased to arrive at the site, 10 birds already visible in the near dark and to see no-one else here on a weekend, good do was the thought! After parking up and getting the camera ready another car could be heard then another until 5+ we...
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C Bel
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2
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149
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