CM

Thanks Sophie! Hope you're well and getting out into wild places!

Enjoyed this Chris, thanks for writing.

Cheers Mike - just about recovering from the whole experience!

Thanks Ellie 👍

A close up photo of the back and side view of the head and huge bill of a black stork. The feathers of the back are dark brown and black, and the head has a speckled effect like bubbles in a glass of coke. The iris of the eye is deep brown, and the bright orange bill is caked in dried-on green algae.

Having barely had a minute free this week, I thought I'd post another photo of the Suffolk Black Stork from last week. An account of my exhausting quest to see this bird is here: themanchesterbirder.blogspot.com/2025/08/zitt... #ukbirding #birds

Great to hear you're back on your feet mate 👍

Happy birthday!

The habitat corridor across from Sale to Chorley has them in pockets. Friends in Walkden get 3-4 on garden feeders. Most of the engagement I have in the area is WTs coming to human provided food - a long term problem in an area which is now a stronghold of the remaining English WT population.

My knowledge really is west of there, I'm based not far from Pennington, so I couldn't name specific sites in Cheshire I'm afraid, though I assume they're there as part of the connected corridor of habitat.

That's the main area that I see them reported from in South Manchester/North East Cheshire, but there seems to be a sparse population from there across through Salford, and then west into the mosses across to Warrington and a little north into Wigan across the flashes.

Encouraging numbers of Willow Tit at Cutacre this morning, with what looks like around 16 juveniles associating with between 4 and 6 adult birds. The more I observe here, the more it seems to be an important site connecting populations in south and west Manchester with Bolton. #ukbirding

That's a beauty!

Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork Sometimes you get the feeling that the birding gods don't want you to see a certain bird.  It took me decades to see a Wryneck.  I still hav...

Another shout for my blog about twitching Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork. #UKbirding #birds

I could do with both this year, but Squacco would be new for me!

The eternal balancing act of real life versus birding! It would be so much easier if one of my kids became an obsessive birder... 😄 I've got an actual Saturday free this weekend, but no plans in place. Possibly a look for a Purple Heron.

Last week I listened to 2 daytime hours of Absolute Radio. The word "Britpop" was used 248 times by the DJ and in ad stings. I was offered the chance to win £500k more than 90 times. And yes, I counted. Nobody is listening to the DJ - we all want more music, or we'll listen to talk radio.

Glad you got across for it mate - 316 is only 50ish species fewer than I've ever seen in the UK!

Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork Sometimes you get the feeling that the birding gods don't want you to see a certain bird.  It took me decades to see a Wryneck.  I still hav...

Another shout for my blog about twitching Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork. #UKbirding #birds

Cheers Cliff - think it was your photos of the twitch I was using to work out where to look from!

I reckon I stopped at the same Greggs... I don't think I've ever driven so far in the UK without seeing a single place that sells coffee 😁

Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork Sometimes you get the feeling that the birding gods don't want you to see a certain bird.  It took me decades to see a Wryneck.  I still hav...

Blog about the Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork. I appreciate every view, like and repost - the response to my blog has been one of the highlights of my year. #ukbirding #birds

Juvenile Black Stork in a dyke in Suffolk. Iridescent black plumage with magpie green and purple overtones sits above shades of white. Ivory pale legs and a huge washed out orange bill complete the giant bird as it wades against a reedbed.

Late to the party for the Black Stork, but started at the distant Zitting Cisticola (how I cringe at that name!) before first light, and had a rare double UK tick day. Blog post to follow later. #ukbirding #birds

Cheers David, really appreciate your kind words. After my false start and slightly delirious (no caffeine by that point - l struggled to find coffee at all in Suffolk!) I probably walked for about the same, but it felt a lot further!

A huge black bird with long pale legs and an orange bill stained with pale green matter stands in shallow water in front of a reedbed.

The Black Stork has just woken and this close up photo shows its eye and the way it tucks its bill into the feathers of its neck and breast qhen sleeping. Slightly obscured by blurred grass stems.

A couple more photos of the Black Stork in Suffolk yesterday. #ukbirding #birds

Really enjoyed that Steve, thanks for writing it. Love waiting along one of those fencelines for migrants - a well-known one here has the odd day where it's loaded with Flycatchers and Redstarts in autumn, and that's always a good birding day.

Fantastic effort David, well done. Love the photos - wish I'd got some flight shots but it was barely awake whem I was there!

😁 solidarity when facing down the birding gods mate!

Cheers Leon, absolutely shattered now 😁
Foot hurts, but a couple of days of resting will set me right. Hope you're doing OK mate?

Thanks Chris - worth the effort in the end.

Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork Sometimes you get the feeling that the birding gods don't want you to see a certain bird.  It took me decades to see a Wryneck.  I still hav...

Blog about the Zitting Cisticola and Black Stork. I appreciate every view, like and repost - the response to my blog has been one of the highlights of my year. #ukbirding #birds