Zitting Thing in Suffolk - August 2025

News of a singing Zitting Cisticola - the bird formally known as Fan-tailed Warbler - at Walberswick in August had me heading down to Suffolk overnight for an early start.

Walberswick Beach

After a cold dawn the bird was soon active, singing from the reeds and bushes, and making regular song-flights.  Never close, it did show really well for a couple of hours.

A couple of weeks later it was established that there were too adults and up to five birds were eventually seen, proving that breeding had occurred in the UK for the first time.

Zitting Cisticola 

With a juvenile Black Stork being seen regularly down the coast at Boyton Marshes, it seemed sensible to call in there later in the morning before heading home.  The bird had flown off from its preferred feeding channel, but after a lengthy walk to get there is soon headed back and showed very well.

Black Stork at Boyton Marshes in Suffolk

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Garden Mega - Hummingbird Hawk-moth - July 2025

A mate sent me a video of a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in his Sheffield garden, so knowing they were relatively common this year, I kept an eye on a Budleja that I'd grown a few years ago in the front garden.

After I couple of weeks I got lucky as this day flying migrant moth visited one morning, making several appearances through the day.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth

A coupe of days later I got lucky again with a Painted Lady for only the second time in the garden.

I saw the Hawk-moth briefly a couple of times a few days later, but not after July.  During a visit to Norfolk in August we saw 10+ in the walled garden at Holkham Hall - clearly they were enjoying the hot summer of 2025.

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Stunning Slavonian Grebe - April 2025

This stunning summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebe was present at St. Aidens RSPB for a few weeks in spring.

It was relatively confiding and showed well in perfect light on the day I visited.

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Little Gull in Sheffield - April 2025

 This lovely adult summer plumaged Little Gull was present at Orgreave Lagoons for a day in April.

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Shetland Day Trip! February 2025

In late November 2024 Britain's 10th American Coot was found at Loch Spiggie on Shetland.

Although I'd discussed the possibility of getting up to Shetland with a few people during December and then January, due to work commitments, Christmas and poor weather, it didn't come together until around two months later.  Although it was clear the Coot was going to overwinter, the 'day trip' was proving hard to organise and it felt like the opportunity was slipping away.  Suddenly there seemed to be a break in the weather which made the ferry crossing possible so a last minute visit was agreed quickly in early February.

The plan was to get a train to Aberdeen on the Friday, meet the others, overnight ferry to Shetland, car hire for the day on Shetland on Saturday, then overnight back to Aberdeen, train home on Sunday!

Meeting in Aberdeen, we boarded the ferry on time, and set off overnight on what was a relatively calm crossing for the 12 hour journey.  After docking in Lerwick at 7am, the car hire was waiting, we packed our gear in and set off south towards Loch Spiggie. We had only six hours of daylight ahead of us. 

Even though the Coot had been there at least two months it was being reported less regularly so we were quite nervous about it being there, and being able to find it.  Thirty minutes later we arrived at Spiggie and drove around to the area it had been frequenting on the west side at Setter.  A couple of other birders from the ferry were already there and looking from the road without being able to locate the American Coot. It was cold and there was a brief short shower of freezing rain.  Spiggie is probably the largest loch on Shetland and any birds were distant and difficult to pick out looking into the sun.  

After about thirty minutes we were a little disheartened, I was beginning to wonder if this was going to result in long-distance disappointment.  We moved location slightly to view a sheltered part of the lock which looked promising, viewing an area of the marsh we couldn't previously see.  We then got a notification from a local that the bird was present, and I could see where he was viewing from distantly a mile further down the road.  We crossed into a field to get closer to the water, and soon picked up a pair of Coots, surely one had to be the American Coot.

Distant Coots at Loch Spiggie, Shetland

Getting the scopes on the birds we soon started to see some distinctive features and could confirm one of the birds was indeed the American Coot, and relief set in!

After a short time the two birds started to swim a lot closer to us, passing relatively close to the shore for a while before heading north, then later returning for another pass, heading back to their original location. We could now see the obvious features in the glorious sunlight between the showers.

American Coot (right) with Eurasian Coot

                                                    American Coot (left) with Eurasian Coot

Despite the cold winds, we spent about an hour watching the Coot before moving on.

February Birding in Shetland!

Having scored mid-morning with the main target bird, we had the rest of the day to spend on the mainland, and the next location was an easy choice.  A male Bufflehead, another North American bird, had also been wintering on Shetland, and was five minutes down the road at Hillwell Loch. This bird really wasn't hard to find - a much smaller loch and the bird was visible as soon as we got out of the car. Although distant, such a distinctive duck stood out in between its regular dives into the depths of the loch.

My second UK Bufflehead

The final target bird was much further north near Scatsta, so we set off via a quick stop off in Lerwick to look for a third North Ameican vagrant, Ross's Goose. Arriving early afternoon, there was initially no sign of the Ross's Goose among the many Greylag Geese that were present.

Although I'd seen a single Ross's Goose previously, it is likely that bird won't be accepted as a genuine wild bird, so I was keen to get this one which is almost 100% certain to be accepted given its location, accompanying geese and the time of year.

We relocated further up the road where another party of geese were on the brow of a hill; sure enough a white goose was present and the Ross's Goose had been found.  We watched it for a few minutes before it walked over the hill and out of sight.

Ross's Goose, Scatsta, Shetland

It had been a great day, so we headed back to Lerwick with plenty of time to get on the ferry and begin the long journey home.  Although I've visited Shetland many times, this was the first time I'd done a quick visit, and it couldn't have worked out better.  Birding isn't always like that so you have to enjoy it when you can.

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Booted Eagle - Cornwall - January 2025

It took two attempts, and two overnight drives within three days but I finally connected with the Booted Eagle in Cornwall.

The first attempt was probably the only day the eagle wasn't seen at all throughout the day, and the assumption was that it had moved on.  It was, however, seen the following day as usual when it came out of its roost in the pine belt to the north of Marazion.

So it was another long journey again through the night to find myself, and a couple of familiar faces, back in the lay-by looking south to the pine trees at dawn.  

Dawn looking to the pine trees north of Marazion

This time it didn't take long before a few raptors started to get into the air through the gloomy morning.  Sure enough, to great relief the Booted Eagle was soon amongst them and spent up to an hour soaring over the pines with a few Buzzards.

Booted Eagle (left) and Buzzard, Marazion

After some time the eagle headed low towards the nearby village of Crowlas and out of view. I decided to drive in that direction and turned off the main road up towards the fields higher above the village.  On a small country road I suddenly noticed a large raptor drifting over the far side of a field, so quickly pulled in and found the Eagle flying slowly towards me.  Although brief, I got much closer views than earlier, before it headed back north and over the hill top.

Booted Eagle, Crowlas, Cornwall

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Ross's Gull in South Shields - January 2025

This was a much-wanted bird for me.  An adult Ross's Gull was first found passing Co Durham on the 8th January, and was then found on the mouth of the Tyne at South Shields on 9th, but I couldn't make it up the A1 until 10th.

A very earlier start on a cold icy day meant I was there at dawn.  Stepping out of the car, it was freezing cold with the wind coming in straight off the North Sea. I made my way to the harbour wall where the bird had previously been visiting with Black-headed Gulls. 

It couldn't have been a worse location, with the freezing wind cutting through my several layers of clothes, and the occasional rain shower which didn't help.  After two hours, and no sign of the Ross's Gull, I couldn't take any more and had to go to the nearest cafe to get a warm drink.  After slightly thawing out I reluctantly made my way back to the harbour wall.  It wasn't looking very promising until suddenly news came that the bird had been located a mile up the Tyne at the Customs House.

A quick run back to the car and 5 minutes later I was in the right location but the bird had just flown back down river.  Two minutes later though, it was back, and was soon showing well for five minutes on the calm river not too far out. 

Ross's Gull at the Customs House in South Shields

Soon the gull had flown further up river towards Jarrow but was found again at a location accessible through a gap in a fence. It gave great views for a couple of hours, although more distant, where it flew up and down river.

Glaucous and Med gulls were also present at this site, along with Long-tailed Duck.

Ross's Gull in flight at Jarrow Slake

The day had turned around completely, the sun was shining and we were sheltered from the freezing wind.

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My first 2025 lifer - Least Sandpiper - January 2025

On 3rd January I headed south to Steart Marshes in Somerset where a Least Sandpiper had been seen the previous day. 

On a cold morning there was no sign of the bird for a while, before more waders started appearing and the Least Sandpiper was found among a group of Lapwing.  

The bird gradually made its way a little closer, and amazingly started feeding with an overwintering Little Stint, allowing a great comparison of these tiny waders.

Least Sandpiper in flight

Least Sandpiper (right) with Little Stint

Unfortunately the wintering Kentish Plover at nearby Burnham didn't show on the way back but it was a good start to 2025!

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