Great day just birding.gets us 3 Dotterel + Grasshopper warbler.

Up & out before 5 am, we pull into the Lakenheath car park that still had lighting on the posts.
As soon as we are out of the car we hear & then see our first Cuckoo of the year, we set off to walk down to Joist hide taking the top route for half the way & hear & see Sedge & Reed warbler, then a nice Whitethroat sits up in front of us , it's to dark for a photo.
A few Swallows are sitting on the wire fence & on the visitor centre roof, then we hear Grasshopper warbler reeling & a few Cetti's warbler are calling.
At the hide not to much about but Brian does see a couple of Cranes & the Bittern is booming well.
Off to Choseley in search of Dotterel, a small group soon put us onto the birds a very long way off right over the back of the field but the scope does the trick.Red kite & Wheatear seen as well.
In the area we see many many Yellowhammer & Corn bunting plus flocks of Linnet also a few Red-legged partridge & the place is full of Hares running about all over the place.
Before we head to Titchwell we pay a quick visit to Thornham to see a couple of Ring Ouzel that we pick out very quickly & then it's off to Titchwell.
Spotted redshank gives us all another tick, a nice time spent here without any more ticks but a very
pleasant time spent here meeting some nice people & seeing all the usual bird life that this reserve has to offer.
Over the course of the morning we get to see 3 Barn Owls all showing very well, having only seen 1 so far this year it's a real bonus.
A quick trip to the Lea valley with Jimmy on Friday pays off when we see some Garden warblers & the best view of a Nightingale both of us have ever had plus a lot more in full voice.

One of the three Barn Owls

 only a couple of birds I could get the camera on today.

Little Tern & Little gull + Arctic Tern at kgv res.

Two visits to King George V reservoir this week gets me 6 year ticks, first up just after Jimmy & myself had climbed up the bank to peer over the water we see a Common Sandpiper & then a Sand Martin flies around over our heads, so two ticks within a couple of minutes, as it turns out that is all we got for the day.
Back over again today after we see the report that Terns & Little Gull had been seen, needing these for a tick we are in the car & parked in the reservoir car park that is in Chingford only 15 minutes from home if we miss the traffic.
We climb the bank & start the walk to the north basin when we see a familiar face walking towards us, it's the first time this year that we have seen Harry, we had heard he had not been to well from one of his friends although we were told he was fine now & back in shape, so really nice to see him looking really well, we know the fellow with him but must make the effort to ask his name.
A quick talk & they tell us that there was at least 40 Little Gulls & some Tern's on the  far end of the north basin.
A scan over the water gets us onto the Little Gull's straight away & indeed at least 40 are seen, next up Arctic Tern flies past us & we also get to see one sitting on a boat later on.
We walk across the middle path between the two basin's & had to get a move on as it is alive with gnats, but to get a better view we had to run the gauntlet.
Once over the other side we are rewarded when a Little Tern flies around in front of us & then goes out of sight over the other side.
A scan of the bushes gets us a singing Lesser Whitethroat for tick number six , a Wheatear sits on a post & two Little ringed Plovers drop in & we see at least four Common Sandpipers.

The Wheatear on the post.

Nightingales at Fishers Green.

Saturday morning See's us head to the Lea valley, parking in the Bittern hide car park we walk over the bridge & head to the first bench, we have already heard a couple of Nightingale singing & set about finding them.
We see them here every year so more or less know where to look for them , a quick view of one sitting in the middle of a tree makes the trip well worth while & at least four more are heard singing.
We pop into the Bittern hide & get a tick when we at first hear & then get a view of a Reed Warbler.
On Sunday we meet up with Brian & it's off to Kent, first it's a look for the Hoopoe reported on bird guides yesterday, once out of the car we find  out  it is really cold even with our top coats on,so a sit in the car from time to time helps fend off the sharp wind.
The fellow that found the bird turns up & helps us look but it is a no show this time.
Off now to Dungeness for what turns out to be very disappointing with hardly anything about & it's not getting any warmer, we have seen some Whitethroat & about six Whimbrel are also seen for a couple of ticks.
At the reserve entrance I get another tick when I see  Tree Sparrow by the feeders, Brian & Jimmy had already ticked them a few weeks ago.
The pager tells us that 5 Bee-eaters had been seen at Dover, we don't rush as we think we will see a bit more while at Dunge.
That never materialises so belatedly we shoot off to find them, after about five miles the pager tells us they had just flown off, so we abort that trip & go to Elmley instead, no ticks for myself & Jimmy but Brian gets a Yellow Wagtail for a year tick & as I have said before we really like being here.
We have had better days birding but still it gets me 3 more ticks that's 199 so far this year.

At Fishers green

At Elmley

At Dungeness

Lesser spotted & Black winged Stilt +

Off to Sandy on Monday morning we pull into the car park just before 7 am & have to wait around to be able to get a parking ticket when it gets to 7 o'clock.
A couple of hours spent walking around the woods trying to locate a Lesser spotted Woodpecker, we hear it at least 3 times & set about finding it, down at the back of valley the bird flies over our head & lands on a tree in front of us & flies off within seconds, so a tick but we would of liked a better view to go with the calls that we heard.
We meet a really nice fellow & get talking & he directs us to Broom pits in Gypsy Lane where he says we will get Little ringed Plover for sure.
He is right, when we are soon looking at maybe at least 6 plus a few Ringed Plover.
The pit is full of birds & we pick out a couple of Common Terns & a nice Yellow Wagtail gives us the fourth tick of the day, so well pleased to have visited this site, so thanks to the fellow for the tip.
Up early on Tuesday & head to Amwell for the Bluethroat, as it turns out we should of come as soon as we heard about it  yesterday as we see no sign of the bird.
We do get a tick when we see some Sedge Warbler & a couple of faces that we know including John P & that is always a pleasure to see him.
Black- winged Stilt has been seen at Bowers Marsh so on Wednesday around dinner time we do the 30 miles & drive to the car park which is down a very rough track with the car bouncing about all over the place. Still all worth while when we get onto the Stilts straight away & it's nice to see Marco here.
So a nice three days birding with the weather getting better each day & another new place visited, & meeting up with some familiar faces  ( nice ).

Black winged Stilt

Yellow Wagtail

Ring Ouzel at Blow's Downs+ Osprey at Eversholt

Just Jimmy & myself head off to Dunstable as Ring Ouzel has been seen at Blows Downs, we are looking in the paddock area just before 7am.
After looking for some time, we find nothing, then a fellow calls to us that he has just seen 3 Ouzel by the chalk pit, so after a big climb up the steep hill we are soon sitting by the pit & within 10 minutes a female Ouzel flies into a bush not to far away from us, so well worth the hard climb to give us both a tick.
After an hour we see another female & a male bird come down from the trees at the top of the hill to show in the trees in front of us.
We hang around till they disappear from view & head back in the hope of seeing a Redstart down in the bushes back by the paddocks. Not to be as it starts to rain & we give up looking after just a little time & head home.
Just back home when we get a call from Brian do we want to go to look for the Lady Amherst's Pheasant at Lidlington Beds.
So back we go with Brian & park by the pub & cross the road & go into the graveyard & climb up until we reach the wooden steps where about 10 other birders had already gathered.
I'm not to sure why we spend so long just looking at a small gap up a hill in the hope we may see a head or maybe a tale flash by, still we are here now & that is what we do for a couple of hours all to no avail.
Still on the walk back down the track we all get a Redstart & a Willow Warbler plus back by the pub we see a House martin, so 3 year ticks makes it not to bad a trip after all.
A few Buzzard & 3 Red Kites also seen , not needed for a tick but always nice to see.Now we pay a quick visit to Eversholt lake to see the Osprey that has just arrived there.
We are onto it as soon as we get there, it is just across the lake sitting high up in a tree. I get a record shot of the bird & we get a good long view of the bird.

Just a record shot

Ring Ouzel

Last day on Scotland trip. Dolphins, Raven,Manx shearwater.at Ardamurcham.

Ardamurcham today the most westernly point of the British isles. We are to early for the Corran ferry, so we take the scenic route around Loch Linnhe ,it puts a few miles on the trip but well worth it for the views.
A Woodcock is flushed from the side of the road to give us all a tick & we have to slow down to let some Red deer bound across the road in front of us, many more seen on the way.always great to see them at this time of year with the antlers.
On the way Brian spots an Eagle sitting right at the top of a very high ridge, with the car screeching to a halt it's out of the car just in time to see it fly right over our heads to give us the best view of a White-tailed eagle we have ever had.
Next up the first Wheatear of the year is seen, followed by a few more so well worth going the long way round.
The car needed some diesel so we head to a very small village where the man in the  post office has to find time to come across the road to serve us, we got lucky & only had to wait a short time, a family behind us looked like they had a lot longer to wait.
A quick look down by the Kilchoan ferry terminal where we see lots of Twite & Great-northern divers & a real bonus when many Bottle nose Dolphin swim & play jumping  out of the water not to far away from us. Down to the Lighthouse & within minutes we have another tick when 4 Manx shearwarter pass by.
Going back we stop off to watch at least 4 Raven flying round over our heads for a good long time.
So it's off to the airport for the flight home, I have to say it's been a really good trip with over 20 year ticks & 2 lifers with over 90 species all together. To round it all off on the way to the airport we see 2 Golden eagles & they give us a nice long view.

Black grouse

Red grouse

Scotland day 2 White-billed diver at Portsoy

After leaving Seaton park & the Harlequin duck behind we head off to Potrsoy in search of the White-billed divers.
It's a small harbour that you can look down over from the cliff tops, the weather is getting better but still cold.
After about an hour we see no sign of the target bird but pick out Great-northern diver & Long-tailed ducks, so 2 year ticks but we need to find the 3 reported White-b divers. So we drive to a higher point around the cliffs & it's not to long before Brian has us onto another lifer, they are a long way off shore & the sea is rough but we all get a view of them in the scope.
Another nice place visited & we get to meet some birders that we see from time to time down south, off back down to the inn after a great day birding & seeing some great scenery again.
On the way we see the Black Grouse again at least 8 this time.
Up early on Saturday morning & back up to Loch Garten, on the way we stop off at Boat of Garten & it gives us an Iceland Gull for a year tick so a good start to the day.
Back at Loch Garten still no sign of any Caper, so it's a hour or so watching the Crested Tits & Red Squirrel in the car park.

Red Squirrel

Crested Tit

Now it's off to one of my favourite places to spend a couple of hours at Lochindorb, there is a large Gull colony that you see before you get to the Loch.

This is the place to see plenty off Red Grouse as you cruise around the road at the back of the Loch,you can't drive to far without seeing a head pop up, we see plenty of females this year as well.

Back on the Loch at the south end Black-throated diver are picked out, at the north end we see Red-throated diver so 2 more year ticks.

With not much about around the edges of the Loch we head off to look for Eagles in the Findhorn valley.

Once at the bridge we embark on the 10 mile drive down into the valley, half way down the track we see the first Eagle it turns out to be a White-tailed Eagle & it is being mobbed by a couple of Buzzards & what we think is a Goshawk, then just to add to the excitement a Golden Eagle flies into view, how lucky is that you don't see a scene like that every day.

Heading down to the bottom of the valley we meet up with some old faces from yesterday & before to long we get to see two more Golden Eagles & we also spot a Peregrine land on the rock face.
As if the day couldn't get any better one of lads has a radio on & relays the news that Arsenal have smashed Liverpool 4- 1 good days. Maybe Springsteen playing live would just about make this a perfect day.

Harlequin duck on annual trip to Scotland

Jimmy & I drive to Stanstead Airport picking up Brian on the way for our 8am. flight to Glasgow for our annual trip to boost the year ticks & hope we can pick up a lifer or two.
We are soon in the rental car with no fuss this year, as we always do the first port of call is Oban, the first tick is always Hooded crow but not this year as we see a nice Golden Eagle on route.
Once we arrive in Oban the Hooded crows give us tick number two followed by the first Eider duck & we are soon onto the Black Guillemot.
After a couple of hours here it's off to the Premier inn in Fort William where we are staying this trip,
After dropping off our things, we are off so as not to waste any daylight we head up to the Glen Nevis estate where we pick up a nice Dipper Jimmy & I needed that for a tick.
A good drive around taking in the beautiful scenery but no more ticks, so we head back down to the inn & on the way we pull over to watch some Buzzards & 2 Crossbill land in a bush right next to the car, if they were Scottish Crossbill it's a tick but we are not sure so it,s not counted.
So a good first day. we are up & out by 5am for day 2, it's up to Loch Garten for the Caper watch.
Plenty of people about looking but not to be today, we do get the bonus of the female Osprey that had just returned the night before to give us a year tick, so back to the car park where we pick up a tick with a couple of Crested Tits always a thrill for us to watch this lovely little bird going about it's business.
We take the decision to drive across the highlands to Aberdeen for the Harlequin duck it is a lifer for all of us so we just had to make the trip to look for it.
It's a long slow drive with the weather not to bright & the rain is on & off for much off the way

. Parking in Seaton park it is only a short walk before we are all ticking another lifer, the duck shows very well for the whole time we spend here, a cracking little bird to watch as it battles the rapid waters & then gets itself up on a stone in the middle of the water to preen itself & to rest after doing battle with the very fast flowing water.
A Goosander drops in as well, not needed for a tick but nice.

Black Guillemot

Dipper

Harlequin duck

Harlequin 

                                     

Hooded crow

       

                                                                                   Harlequin Duck