Graham Etherington

Made a rare trip 'up north' to North Norfolk today. Lovely flock of 13 Long-tailed Ducks (5 drakes) on the sea, plus Black-necked Grebe, Scaup, Raven, a showy Water Rail, plus lots of summer-plumaged Med Gulls and lots of waterfowl and waders

A neck-ringed White-fronted Goose that I had just west of Gt. Yarmouth on 14 Feb was ringed in north Holland on 12 Dec 23, and was seen in Salmorth, Denmark on 5 Dec 25 and then Haarzuilens, Holland on 18 Jan 26.
Full details here (login needed) submit.cr-birding.org/animals/1744... #NorfolkBirding

As well as the Iceland Gull, there's plenty of other stuff at Sea Palling to see, such as 6 Purple Sands, lots of Turnstones, and 5 Caspian Gulls (4 2cy and 1 adult).

Had a great morning looking at gulls at Sea Palling today. Star of the show was this 2cy Iceland Gull #NorfolkBirding

We've got a wintering Whinchat in Norfolk too. I've never heard of them wintering before, but I can see 7 records of them on eBird in the UK between Dec-Feb over all years.

Great to finish up the day with some lovely views of Short-eared Owls in east Norfolk today. Probably up to 10 birds at this one site.

Saw the New Year in at the same place I saw it out - Filby Broad. The female Ring-necked Duck showed quite closely, but always into the sun, and the drake Ferruginous Duck did the right thing and occasionally woke up.

Lovely to see 2025 out at Filby Broad on Wednesday. I was delighted when this Red-necked Grebe popped up out of nowhere, right next to the boardwalk, and then the 3 Eider (1 drake, 2 ducks) swam out into view.

After the run of easterlies we've had over the past week or so, you can now almost 'expect' to find Tundra Bean Geese in large flocks of Pink-footed Geese in Norfolk. Here are two of the five birds that I saw at Wickhampton today. Lots of Russian White-fronts in the flocks too. #NorfolkBirding

What a mega day!! Started by twitching Great Shearwater (Norfolk tick) off Winterton. Sooty Shearwater and Snow Buntings from there too. Then I found 8+ Tundra Bean Geese at Horsey. Then, at St. Benet's Abbey, I had great views of Black-winged Kite, Glossy Ibis, Short-eared Owl, and 7 cranes. Wow!

Now this is my idea of a Christmas Robin! Eastern Black Redstart at Sheringham this afternoon. It remained elusive in the cold easterly wind for most of the morning, but eventually did the decent thing and returned to the ornamental gardens.

A really nice day in the sun out in East Norfolk today. As well as the four Tundra Bean Geese, I also had 2 White-fronts, as well as 6 Bewick's and 29 Whooper Swans #NorfolkBirding #UKbirding

Tundra Bean Geese have been really thin on the ground this winter, so I was really pleased to find four at Horsey this afternoon (an adult, with two first-winters behind, shown here). #NorfolkBirding

Sorry this happened to you Danny. I must say (for balance), my experience was quite different. They just asked me to remove my phone and keys, gave me a quick once over with the metal detector and off I went into the ground.

Epic recovery report just received! ⚠️ A Turnstone I trapped using a homemade walk-in trap has been recaptured in the 🌍 world’s 🌎 northernmost continuously inhabited settlement. Ringed on 12 February 2024 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex 🇬🇧, it was re-trapped on 08 June 2025 in Alert, Nunavut… 🇨🇦 (🧵 1/2)

The last of three supermoons in 2025 occurred last night. December's full moon is also known as the 'Cold Moon', so you could describe last night's as a #SuperColdMoon. This uncropped image was taken at 6.30am today with a Nikon Coolpix P1100, using the moon mode.

Dusky Warbler! This morning's sunny and calm weather provided the perfect window of bird-finding opportunity. So my pre-work visit to Brancaster turned out to be a good call, when I found this little chap 'tuk'ing away in a hedgerow near the Branodunum Roman Fort. #ukbirding #norfolkbirding

Dawn to dusk birding at Horsey, from the village, out along the Nelson Head track, and south to the Winterton plantations. I never found that 'biggy', but Sibe Chiffy, a VERY late Willow Warbler, Hen Harrier, and fabulous Caspian Gull made it a very nice day ebird.org/checklist/S2... #ukbirding

Thinking back, I believe the Waxham bird may have been part of the mini-influx which brought a small flock to Westleton Heath, which would make it around Feb 2004. Might be mistaken though.

Is Shangri-la, Waxham in TG42. I remember seeing one there about 15 years ago. I think Richard Millington found it whilst looking for a Pallas's.

Amber-listed bird in population decline spotted at nature reserve A Eurasian kestrel, which is an amber-listed bird according to the RSPB, was pictured at the Buckenham Marshes Nature Reserve

Amber-listed kestrel pictured at Buckenham Marshes reserve | Eastern Daily Press share.google/vdxtGAibXZCg...

Just thought I'd leave this little peach for you...

There's been a really good influx of Firecrests into East Anglia this week, with double-figure counts on the north Suffolk coast. Here's one bird that put on a nice show at Horsey, Norfolk this morning.

I love finding Pallas's Warblers, so I was delighted to find this bird at Sidestrand, Norfolk today. There was also a really nice mix of birds along the coast today, including Firecrests, YBWs, Chiffs, Bramblings and other finches, thrushes, Skylarks, pipits, and more.

One of the most incredible WTF!! moments I have witnessed in 41 years birding Belvide. 8 White-rumped Sandpiper on the north shore between 4pm-5.30pm. Just short of a British Record of 11 on the outer Hebrides. Thought I'd lost the plot when I saw them. Still pinching myself. #UKbirding

Yellow-browed Bunting trapped, ringed and released at the Swannery. It's flown to the hedge which runs alongside the Swannery grounds and the bird may be viewable from the permissive path heading west from Grove Lane.

Wowzer! Now that's a Black-throated Blue Warbler. Back into Central Park for my last morning in the US. Lots of migrants around, including 11+ Swainson's and 1 Grey-cheaked Thrush, 2 Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ovenbird, N. Waterthrush, Myrtle Warbler ebird.org/checklist/S2...

A small flurry of migrants in Central Park, New York on Friday. Palm, Black-throated Blue, and Chestnut-sided Warblers were new for the trip, plus a few other migrants such as Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireos, Brown Thrasher, Parula, Magnolia Warbler, and lots of Redstarts.

Today's birding destination, Central Park, #NYC

Today's birding destination, Central Park, #NYC