24th - 27th February
A trip to Finland this weekend, check out the trip report here

20th February
Another early morning visit to Newport Sewage works to try to photograph the possible eastern chiffchaff with Stephen, this time it was located, and photographed despite bumping into the gamekeeper. Other highlights included marsh tit, treecreeper, chiffchaff.

16th February
An early morning visit to Newport Sewage works to try to photograph the possible eastern chiffchaff with Stephen the finder, but it was not about. A good mixed tit flock grey wagtai, Greater spotted woodpecker and green pheasants were the highlights. A buzzard flew over the M11 between J8 and J9 this evening.

15th February
A lunchtime visit to Amwell where the hoards were still present, the Little Bunting was not, a water rail entertained them. I took a brief walk with cetti's warbler of note, but not much else.

9th - 12th February
A trip to Europe this weekend, check out the trip report here

7th February
Another early morning visit to Amwell in the bitter cold, Monday's visit the light was poor and it was misty so no opportunity for photos. I arrived early still mega cold, but this time there was a big twitch 20 or so birders and that was before 7.30. Something good must be there, but at the viewpoint they were all waiting in for the Little bunting. I quickly found it and assumed everyone else had it as I was the last to arrive. However I was wrong and most did not really know what they were looking for, I gave the game away by taking some photos and another latecomer quickly got on to it and showed the crowd the bird and between us we showerd the ID features. Work beckoned so I left. PS forgot the male Smew present on Monday morning from the viewpoint.

5th February
Being away at the weekend, I headed to Amwell where one other birder was looking for the little bunting. After a while it appeared only to be flushed by dog walkers it showed a couple of times but only for a few seconds as everything including the lapwings flushed the buntings. I had to leave for work but target acheived.

4th February
Away for the weekend, only a fallow deer herd at the edge of the village of note.

28th January
The trip up north was inevitable, but to avoid the crowds I headed to Bingley, where after a search the American Robin was eventually pinned down and showed well. On the news that access was now available I headed to Knaresborough well just down the road to the lake where the Pacific Diver was showing well, all the salient features were well displayed, a much daintier and more elegant bird than black throated diver. It was well worth the trip.

25th - 28th January
A long weekend in Bruges with not much but sightseeing and drinking, however Bruges is famous for its swans, one of the few birds we saw.

21st January
A weekend at home but the garden is popular, the cold weather is bringing in the cold weather birds yellowhammers and jays in particular as well as larger numbers of the usual suspects.

13th January
Being a member of birding Pal I was contacted by a spanish chap hoping to see some of Norfolks specialaties, so we headed off with a shortish wish list as he had been out the previous day. First stop Cantley, where the first target the taiga bean geese were easily located although a little distant, we were about to get a better view by walking round the reserve when two "birders" were in an area they shouldn't have been in and flushed the whole lot to the other side of the railway line out of view. We had to be content with hares, whitefronted geese, canadas and the red breasted goose of unknown origin before heading north to the coast. No snow bunting or shorelark at Salthouse and nothing on the sea. Holkham was a little more productive, black brant easily found and good views of all the geese, but no sign of the snow goose. Shorelark were more co-operative but only 2 eider, 2 common scoter, 2 red throated divers and a lone red breasted merganser on the sea. The local fields were scoured for the snow goose without luck but plenty of pink footed geese. Grey Partridge was also on the hit list and some cruising round Chosley eventually picked up a pair amongst the french variety. Next was wolferton but the golden pheasants were not showing. Heading for home via Grimes graves and we picked up the great grey shrike without too much trouble. Then one last try for golden pheasant at another site I know but nothing but squirrels and muntjac deer. Not a bad day and several lifers for my visitor who had a good couple of days in the UK.

7th January
A leisurly start heading south for a short trip to Kent, first stop was Tilmanstone, I drove round round a bit before finding the white backed vulture flying briefly. It was lost to view but a helpful local stopped to let me know he had seen it fly to Tilmanstone. I headed there and parked up and shortly after it flew up soaring above the village. I headed for home via New hythe GP's where the Ferruginous duck was being more co-operative than my last visit.

6th January
The regular Bishops Stortford club trip required a very early start, we arrived just after dawn at the Wolfereton triangle, where after explaining our prescence to the police, (I assume her madj or someone was in) a male golden pheasant walked across the road and was feeding on the verge giving good views. A car approached and parked directly infront of out line of sight of the bird, with engine running, the bird left and I had words with the muppets in the car, who left but the damage was done and we headed to Snettisham. The wader spectical was in full flow and with shore lark and snow bunting on the beach things were looking good. One the south pit a drake smew was being oggled by the masses so we headed down to the Dersingham end, no sign of the black eared kite, but hare, peregrine and green pheasant were noteworthy, as was the long staying scaup. Diversions for fulmar and twite on the way to Lady Ann's drive. Loads of pink footed geese as expected along with a small number of european white fronted geese and brent geese, a black brant was located amongst them. The blue morph snow goose was our target and oblidged although it spent most of the time asleep.

2nd January
An early rise for the drive to Caelaverlock WWT, we arrived with only a few barnacle geese along the access road. The car park had tree sparrows as did several of the feeders inside the reserve. About 50 whooper swan's were on the reserve. A lone siskin was also found mongst the chaffinches. No lesser canada goose could be found in the barnacle goose flocks. Good numbers of widgeon were present on the reserve.