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The return to Anglesey. Sunday 5th June 2022
(Preview)
Apart from a quick dash over to see the Elegant Tern at Cemlyn Bay last year, it was nice to visit one of the nicest islands in Britain, Anglesey again. A team of 5 birders filled Kevin C`s vehicle and we departed at 7am on a rather dull, damp day, the forecast was not very good with lots of morning rain. Fir...
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David Ousey
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Leighton Moss, 21 May
(Preview)
Paul, Mohammed and I decided to have a Spring trip to Leighton Moss. Paul had never been in the Spring so I told him it would give him a new experience of the reserve. 21st of May was the only day he could do so we decided to pencil that in and it was not long before it was upon us. I mentioned Foulshaw Moss,...
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sarfraz
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The Eleonora`s Falcon at Worth Marsh, near Sandwich, Kent. 28/5/2022
(Preview)
When the news broke on Friday morning that an Eleonora`s Falcon had been seen in Kent and also knowing that this species was so rare, I had to go for it. This species has been seen only 7 times and had always been a One day bird. As I tried to get a team together to visit the area and see this ultra-rare falcon...
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David Ousey
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161
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Ullswater/St Bees 13/05/2022
(Preview)
Friday evening Glenridding Screaming parties of Swifts flying low over the village with Swallows & House Martins Ulls Water River Dipper & Grey Wagtail Saturday walk - Glenridding to Aira Force Waterfall a very wooded area lake side and hill side First bird seen was a wood Warbler callin...
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craggy
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Wheldrake Ings N.N.R & Fairburn RSPB 14/5/2022
(Preview)
After all the excitement surrounding the Spotted Sandpiper seen at Elton Reservoir, Bury yesterday it was back to an unusual Saturday trip out, due to end of football season etc. On a warm and sunny morning me and Kevin C set of to visit Wheldrake Ings nature reserve that lies south east of York. All we...
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David Ousey
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189
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Spotted Sandpiper, Elton Reservoir, Bury
(Preview)
It is not often a day off, a rare bird and location less than 15 miles all collide at one point with the added twist of a Friday the 13th but today that was just the case. Ready to set of to Grane I had a look at birdguides and scrolled down for a quick read. Albatross in Yorkshire in red, Beeeater in Dorset,...
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sarfraz
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186
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Northern Birding & some butterflies. 8th May 2022
(Preview)
Last Sunday a full team of birders headed off at 6am to Strid Woods, Bolton Abbey, in Yorkshire. Its one of our annual trips to see and hear the migrant birds that arrive on our shores in springtime, along with our resident bird species. We do tend to rely on Young Chris B for his knowledge and ears as we ar...
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David Ousey
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153
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Black-winged Stilt Marshside RSPB Southport 23/04/2022
(Preview)
After seeing the Red-necked Grebe last Saturday at AMR a lifer for me, another lifer was reported at Marshside Southport. A Black-winged Stilt had been reported and seen at Neils Hide I had to hope it would stay around till this Saturday, luckily it was still being reported seen Saturday morning. G...
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craggy
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Elton Reservoir 28/04/2022
(Preview)
As I was going to be passing Elton thought Id call as Ive not been there for some time, Turned out to be a good move 4 Little Gulls showing really well 2 Arctic Terns flying up and down the reservoir 2 Swift in with lots of Swallow - Sand Martin - House Martin Cheers Craggy
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craggy
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166
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Lancashire Coast Day out. 24th April 2022
(Preview)
With a Black winged Stilt having turned up at RSPB Marshside, Southport, two weeks previously, we thought that it would be a good place to start from. A full team met in Castleton on a nice dry morning and we set off for Southport. News that the bird had been seen first thing hastened us along. Upon reach...
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David Ousey
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120
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Black-browed Albatross returns to Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire. 3/4/22
(Preview)
After last years stay in Yorkshire of a few months people began to think, Will the Black-browed Albatross return in 2022? Well on the 31st March it re-appeared at Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve, probably after 5 months in the North Sea. It has returned to a regular Gannet breeding site in the forlorn hop...
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David Ousey
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184
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Trip into Yorkshire. Sunday 13th March 2022
(Preview)
A full team of Rochdale birders left Castleton at 8am in a bit of drizzle but as often happens as we topped out over the M62 blue skies appeared. Our first call was at North Cave were some of the crew enjoyed breakfast muffins, a really nice walk around this expanding reserve had us soon watching a few rec...
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David Ousey
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169
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Baikal Teal on Swine Moor, Yorkshire. Sunday 27th February 2022
(Preview)
Its been a while since we have been out for various reasons, although a few local trips have been made clocking up some year ticks. So with the weather set to be fine all day, myself and Kevin C thought a trip into Yorkshire to Swine Moor near Beverley would be nice. A male Baikal Teal, usually from Lake Ba...
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David Ousey
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140
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Red-throated Diver 3/01/2022
(Preview)
Red-throated Diver has been seen on Watergrove Reservoir for quite some time now but has been reported paying a visit to Hollingworth Lake. So while I was going to be out walking over that area today thought I would pop up and see if it was paying a visit today, yep there it was fishing out in the middle o...
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craggy
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146
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Belted Kingfisher, Roach Bridge
(Preview)
The Belted Kingfisher which was first sighted on the Ribble upstream from Brockholes in mid-November was then sighted on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Whitnell Bridge over a week ago. I assume people looked for it and then somehow it was located on the River Darwen at Roach Bridge where it has been...
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sarfraz
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An Exceptional Year for Rare Birds. Jan-Dec 2021
(Preview)
A strange year what with restrictions on travel, Covid problems, injections (for all sensible enough people to have them done) and of course our old friend the British weather. In January/February I spent most of my time in my bubble visiting local areas on the Fylde area for our exercise walks, the...
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David Ousey
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182
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The Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire. 25/11/2021
(Preview)
Back on the first of April 2005, whilst I was at work, news that a Belted Kingfisher had been found in inland Staffordshire near Shugborough. As it was April Fool`s Day a lot of doubt as to why a really rare American bird had been found in that area, was it a genuine sighting? It turned out to be correct, so...
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David Ousey
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174
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An interesting trip out, North Wales & Lancashire. 14/11/2021
(Preview)
Our last trip out was to see the Two barred Greenish Warbler at Spurn a few weeks ago, so after many wet weekends since, we ventured out. With Kevin C still needing to see a Dusky Warbler we decided to go to the closest one available at Talacre in North Wales. Myself, Bob K and Kevin left a dark Castleton at...
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David Ousey
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Two-barred Greenish Warbler at Spurn, Yorkshire. Sunday 17th October 2021
(Preview)
Mid Saturday afternoon a visiting birder to the Spurn Point area had seen what he thought to be a Yellow-browed Warbler then, after taking some pictures of the bird, it became apparent, after looking at the photograph`s by expert`s, that the bird was indeed a Two-barred Greenish Warbler! About 20 o...
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David Ousey
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143
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Long Toed Stint at RSPB St Aidan's, Yorkshire
(Preview)
As David states the Long Toed Stint was thought to have been 2 other species before it was finally nailed. I was looking through bird guides just to see what had turned up on Friday evening after 10pm when I saw the words Long Toed Stint in bold with a red triangle next to it. Surprisingly it was stated t...
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sarfraz
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Long toed Stint at RSPB St Aidan`s, Swillington, Yorkshire. 9/10/2021
(Preview)
This story begins on Friday evening when a birder saw what he thought was a Temminck`s Stint on the eastern reed bed at RSPB St Aidan`s. The time was about 6pm, after sharing images of the bird, it was quickly re-identified as a Least Sandpiper. This species is a very rare bird indeed, now as the evening...
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David Ousey
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Spurn 6 September 2021
(Preview)
The last time I visited Spurn was in 2016. Since my first visit in 2012 I have fallen in love with the area but sadly it is a 2 1/2 hour drive. I have planned trips annually but every time something would block the visit. When I looked at what was found that day and I saw Red Eyed Vireo, Great Snipe, Red Footed...
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sarfraz
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164
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Gronant, Spurn Point & back to Gronant in North Wales. 16th/18th & 19th September 2021
(Preview)
Its been a busy old few days for the Rochdale Birders! Firstly the arrival of a first winter Squacco Heron at Big Pool Wood nature reserve in Gronant, North Wales got our interest and with Kevin C needing to see the bird, plans were made. This rather beautiful member of the heron family should be som...
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David Ousey
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The Green Warbler at Buckton, Yorkshire. 10th September 2021
(Preview)
After sustaining a knee injury last Wednesday and not being able to walk as I got out of bed on Thursday morning. I suppose I really hoped that no really rare birds would turn up, I was wrong! A Green Warbler had been caught and rung in the Heligoland trap at Buckton near Bempton, Yorkshire. Only 6 pre...
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David Ousey
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Blacktoft Sands, Yorkshire
(Preview)
A visit to Spurn was pencilled in but the migrants had mostly cleared out. Destination changed and Blacktoft Sands was the back up plan with 2 advantages:- it was much closer and there was a mega rarity there! Craggy and I set off at dawn and by the time we arrived some point before 9am the car park was...
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sarfraz
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Blakeney Point in Norfolk finally beats me! 4th September 2021
(Preview)
You can imagine when a very rare bird turns up in Norfolk you always think, Hope its not on Blakeney Point The walk from Cley beach carpark along the shingle to the end is around 3.5 miles and many a fine man has failed even to do it. The bird in question was a Sykess Warbler which would usually be on its w...
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David Ousey
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126
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Spurn and RSPB Blacktoft Sands. 1st September 2021
(Preview)
With some favourable winds still blowing on the east coast, myself and Kevin C had a trip over. An early start ensured that we could have a couple of Hours Sea watching, traffic going over was pretty good. There was room in the hide and as we set up our telescopes we noticed that Spurn`s own Sea Watchin...
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David Ousey
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128
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Potteric Carr, Yorkshire, 23 August 2021
(Preview)
On a family visit to South Yorkshire I decided to visit to Potteric Carr, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve not far from Doncaster. It is a fairly big reserve with reed beds, water bodies, woodland and some grassland. I walked around and had a Garganey pointed out to me. There were in excess of 10...
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sarfraz
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129
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White-tailed Plover. Blacktoft Sands 28th August 21.
(Preview)
A day out to the east coast planned with a 1st stop off at Blacktoft Sands RSPB to see a bird species I managed to miss at Leighton Moss several years ago.. I arrived at the reserve at 7 to find the car park 3/4 full and lots of folk hurrying down to the Xerox hide. Joining them in there I managed to squeeze in an...
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C Bel
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142
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August Adventures in Northern England 2021
(Preview)
On Wednesday 18th August with the continued presence of the Black browed Albatross at RSPB Bempton Cliffs and as one of our team still had not seen it, a trip was planned. Along with Chris B, Kevin C we left earlyish and the news on the way was that the bird was still present helped our cause. As we ar...
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David Ousey
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