Andrew Self

excellent start to the year, need to get over to Staines or KGV

Went to Staines Res this morning, no sign of the drake Lesser Scaup - but what's this swimming with the pair of Greater Scaup? - a female Lesser Scaup! #londonbirds

Went to see the Black-winged Kite at Hickling today, distant but good views, perched & flying #ukbirds #twitching

2nd try for the Red-flanked Bluetail at Crockham Hill Common today. Success but brief views only. #LondonBirds #elusiveorwhat

Despite the recent snow this Marsh Marigold at Dagenham Chase was in flower today, my first #wildflower of the year #winter #spring

90 Mute Swans on frozen Eagle Pond on Leyton Flats. I didn't see the Caspian Gull but it was reported later #LondonBirds

December birding Having just returned from India, there was no gentle transition from autumn to winter and it remained relatively cold throughout the month, ...

Round up of December birding in London: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/12/dece...

patch-tick at #RainhamMarshes today - 3 White-fronted Geese, after dipping them yesterday #londonbirds

Barking Riverside: #Seal sculpture with a real Harbour Seal on the mud behind it

Looks like someone used a dry-ice machine at #RainhamMarshes this morning

Finally tracked down Red-legged Partridge for my Greater London year list #178

India Part 5 Thursday 27th We did some pre-breakfast birding along the road just down from the hotel where the star birds were Painted Bush-quail, Nilg...

Final blog on my recent India trip: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/12/indi...

India Part 4 Tuesday 25th We did our own pre-breakfast walk up the track behind our hotel, seeing some of the same birds as yesterday and the only Asia...

India Part 4: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/12/indi... #birds

India Part 3 Sunday 23rd We drove a couple of kilometres to the edge of town and got the shuttle bus into the Tiger Reserve. We donned our leech socks ...

India blog part 3: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/12/indi... #birds

Indian Scops Owl

India blog Part 2: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/12/indi...

India Part 1 This was a private trip to Southern India concentrating on the Western Ghats endemics organised via Bluetail Birding with a short pre-tour e...

Part 1 of my trip to Southern India: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/12/indi...

Oriental Garden #Lizard in India

Week in Norfolk At the beginning of November I had my regular annual visit to Norfolk with my friends John & Janet. We had to move the dates a bit which mea...

A short break #birding in #Norfolk: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/11/week...

October birding & moths October has the potential to be the best month of autumn but this year it was pretty quiet in London. Visible migration (vismig) - counting ...

October birds and moths in London: dailyyaffle.blogspot.com/2025/11/octo... #londonbirds #teammoth

Feathered Thorn on #RainhamRSPB visitor centre #teammoth

intensive watching in my local park this year finally paid off today with a calling Yellow-browed Warbler in Beam Parklands #londonbirds

I think the #eBird site tracker was a bit off at Canada Water. It was a wet morning but not that wet!

I thought I'd try breaking my London List into North & South; result was South London 187 species, 64% of total, North London 282 species, 96% of total.
Obvious gaps for South are Tawny Owl, Ruddy Duck (bit late now!), Pied Fly, Black-necked Grebe, Waxwing. #londonbirds

Blair's Shoulder-knot NFS, Dagenham #teammoth

Meal Moth

Meal Moth, Dagenham, my second of the year #teammoth

Beaded Chestnut

My second Beaded Chestnut of the autumn, at Dagenham #teammoth

3 Black-tailed Godwits

Good views of Black-tailed Godwits at #rainhammarshes today #londonbirds

Red-green Carpet

Feathered Ranunculus

two NFS in my Dagenham Garden today: Red-green Carpet & Feathered Ranunculus #teammoth

Feathered Ranunculus moth

Found this NFM Feathered Ranunculus at Purfleet station this morning #teammoth

full moon next to vapour trails at Beam Parklands