Brendan Ryan

A nice selection of early autumn migrants at Bockhill this morning including my first Wheatear and Gropper of the year. More on the Bockhill blog

Algerian Nuthatch at Tamentout, Algeria from earlier this week.

Checked out 5 potential Nightjar sites in the last week. Only found one pair (at a new site) but they seem to have gone from my former go to site. A woodcock at last night’s site was a welcome surprise given their alarming decline as a breeding species in Kent

After 3 weeks in Arizona - no Roadrunner! Final effort on last morning just outside Tucson. Seen down to 2m. Photo taken with phone

Also today, two Whimbrel and two Greenshank plus several year ticks

Bar-tailed Godwit is less than annual in the Stour Valley. Two today along middle drove was a nice return to local birding

Black Scoter finally on the list (British & World) at 6th attempt (& 2nd attempt at Hoylake). Was already in Liverpool this weekend for last visit to Goodison.

With Hawfinches seemingly in every churchyard in Kent, thought I ought to check out the churches in the Stour Valley and was rewarded with this valley tick at Westbere. #kentbirding

2 groups of beardies at Stod this morning

White-fronted Goose with local greylags at Stodmarsh this morning

Fortunately the Spectacled Eider hung around long enough for me to connect with it yesterday. Unfortunately it never came close but afforded good scope views throughout the morning.

Great Barbet

Golden-throated barbet

Blue-throated Barbet

Three species of barbet coming to feeders in Yunnan

Birding Yunnan style, nestled between the heavy artillery of Chinese toggers waiting for the man with mealworms.

Praying it stays. 🤞

Red-winged L’thrush

Rusty-napped Pitta

Dark-sided Thrush

Blue-napped Pitta

I have had worse days! 6 species of L’thrush, 2 Pittas & a zoothera before lunch. Yunnan, China

Grey Peacock-Pheasant has been on my heard only list for 15 years & now it isn’t. Great day birding from photography hides near the Myanmar border.

Nonggang Babbler

Black-throated L’thrush

White-spectacled Warbler

Pied Falconet

A few random birds from last few days in southern China

….. & five hours later, Hainan Partridge. Long day, numb bum

Sitting in hides for hours on end is not my preferred style of birding but it can have its rewards. Hainan Peacock-Pheasant

A few of the 1,100 Siberian Cranes Poyang Lake, China

Scaly-sided Merganser. 24 seen yesterday near Wuyhan, another four this morning ✅

China tour kicks off with Relict Gull near Beijing. Even in winter plumage a smart gull.

May be too far for me these days, although definitely too far at moment as I am in China

Saw some incredible, rare and range restricted birds in 2024 but this Egyptian Plover was my bird of the year. It had been top of my "most wanted" list for a long time.

One of four Hen Harriers seen coming into roost this evening at Grove Ferry.

We felt for you. Just in time it would seem.

Mega Kent Christmas. Yellow Warbler on Christmas Eve and now Scops Owl. Two additions to my Kent list to compensate for the loss of two redpolls. #382

One of six Firecrests at Fordwich yesterday morning.

Christmas came a day early. A quick dash from Collard's Lake to New Hythe for this Yellow Warbler. First for Kent. Great patch find by Glen Honey.

Had a quick look at the next round of proposed splits in IOC 15.1 hoping for a few armchair ticks for Christmas. Turns out I lose 11 species through lumps including Violet Woodhoopoe which I only ticked in September