Richard

Monarch’s Way, No Man’s Land to Steyning Round Hill: Ringtail Hen Harrier this morning @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Ten Years in West Dorset This mega-post has been in prep for a while. Essentially it is a potted summary of ten years birdwatching in West Dorset, between 2015 ...

Ten Years in West Dorset is less a blog post, more a chapter in my life. Hopefully an inspiration for those who prefer the paths less trodden. Bit of an epic, so well done if you get through it all.
#DorsetBirds

Smart winter plumage Slavonian Grebe found by Jenny H late this afternoon at Widewater lagoon (w)

Male Hen Harrier at dusk (18 Nov 25)

Male Hen Harrier at dusk (18 Nov 25)

Ring-tail Hen Harrier at dusk (18 Nov 25)

Male and Ring-tail Hen Harrier coming in to roost at Arundel WWT (18th Nov 2025)

Lovely afternoon walk at Sherwood Rough with Richard F, gave 1 HAWFINCH, a Firecrest, a couple of heard-not-seen Crossbill, a Coal Tit and 2 Mistle Thrush with one in song. Nice sky too

Great Grey Shrike - Upper Beeding this morning. Viewing from east bank of river. Thanks to the finder @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Black Rabbit / Arundel Wetlands: 2 Hen Harrier (Male and Ringtail), 5 Marsh Harrier, 43 Cattle Egret, 1 Great Egret @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Coal tit has not been one of the more usual visitors to the garden feeders … until the last few days that is 🙂 #changingseasons

Scilly’s first EYEBROWED THRUSH in 32 years!

A real Scilly ‘Golden Era’ grip back for those of us not fortunate enough, or old enough, to be around for the remarkable run of SIX through the 80s & 90s.

A proper stonker of a bird & a long overdue mega eastern thrush for the islands!

#ScillyBirds

First returning Purple Sandpiper to the area - a single bird, on wooden Jetty at Shoreham Fort over the high tide at 10.40hrs today @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

First returning single Purple Sandpiper on Wooden Jetty at Shoreham Fort over the high tide at 10.40hrs. BOC shot. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Adult Yellow-legged Gull from the Toll Bridge, R. Adur found by Richard F. this evening.

SNOW BUNTING distantly on the north shore of Great Deep, Thorney Island.

… relocated by finder, R. Fairbank

Snow Bunting, Thorney - record shot

Back from Isles of Scilly and a new bird for me has been waiting patiently at Woods Mill, 5 miles from home in W. Sussex - DAURIAN ISABELLINE SHRIKE

Tresco, New Grimsby and Back Lane: 2 Black Redstart on beach. Golden Plover.

And a little iPhone video of some of the 3,000 Great Shearwater rafting with Manxies and Sooties, SW of Bishop Rock lighthouse IOS, yesterday. Sound up to hear them.

A couple of the 3,000 or so Great Shearwater SW of IOS yesterday on Joe Pender’s Sapphire mini-pelagic.

Steyning Round Hill: 2 Wheatear on harrowed and rolled cereal field, 9 Lapwing, Greenfinch.

A view looking South East from the Farmers Monument on Steyning Round Hill towards Brighton, Hove and Shoreham with the sea beyond, showing in a break in the cloud.

Common Gull (rear and to the right) with 2 Herring Gull to the left, feeding on recently tilled cereal field.

Foggy on Steyning RH when I arrived but clearing later, the morning exceeded expectations with 5 Fieldfare (3+2)(1st of the winter), a flythrough Merlin (w), a Reed Bunting and a few Common Gull beginning to return (feeding with Herring Gulls on the fields)

Part of the flock of 100+ Goldfinch in flight.

Goldfinch arriving to drink from a cattle trough - - perching on barbed wire fence.

7 of 8 Red Kite pictured, coming to roost at dusk.

Red Kite in low light conditions.

Local downland late afternoon and towards dusk: Part of the flock of 100+ Goldfinch which came in to drink before heading off to roost. 7 out of 8 Red Kite which went to roost this evening.

Been out most of the day. Nothing much moving overhead at Roundhill first thing. 48 Skylarks best in a loose flock on site. A few Chiffs dotted about there & at Steyning WTW. And the same story at Bramber Brooks & along the edge of the ‘scarp. Disappointing day with *Little* to show for it 😀

2 Hoopoe, 1 Iberian Magpie.

2 Hoopoe feeding on a well-watered roadside garden

Wouldn’t be a trip to S. Portugal without a Hoopoe… or 2! These with one of the ubiquitous Iberian (Azure - winged) Magpie. A great but brief trip. Scored with a new bird for me too with a distant Iberian Shrike (Lanius Meridionalis)

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Conservation grazing: how different species shape habitats

What are the ecological consequences of using different grazing species? In this video I discuss the issue with Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell. youtu.be/ozHdOKKtpzU?...

Short-toed Snake Eagle migrating over raptor watchpoint at Cabranosa, Sagres, Portugal 1/10/25

18 Black Stork and a Short-toed Snake Eagle migrating over raptor watchpoint at Cabranosa, Sagres, Portugal 1/10/25

Pale morph juvenile Booted Eagle migrating over raptor watchpoint at Cabranosa, Sagres, Portugal 1/10/25

Egyptian Vulture migrating over raptor watchpoint at Cabranosa, Sagres, Portugal 1/10/25

Sagres, Portugal, 1/10/25: Eagles - 11+ Booted, 3 Short-toed, 1 Bonelli’s; Goshawk, Egyptian Vulture, 18 Black Storks, 6 Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, 2 Kestrel, 2 HenH, Wryneck, Bee-eater (heard), Iberian Grey Shrike, Golden Plover, 2 Hoopoe, 10+ Chough, Robin (50 species)

Steyning Round Hill, South Downs Way (w) & return: Redstart in new spot, 3 Wheatear, 12 Stonechat, 150 mixed flock of Linnet & Goldfinch, 100 Corn Bunting (remarkable), 10 Chiffs, 50 Mipits & 25 Skylark. c48 Corn Buntings in this 1 bush with same no. in hedgerow

Does anyone know if there's a local WhatsApp for Hanningfield Res? Had a Casp there this afternoon and a couple other bits. Be useful to contribute as will checking it more regularly! #ukbirding #essexbirding

Steyning Round Hill, South Downs Way (w) & return: Redstart in a new spot, 3 Wheatear, 12 Stonechat, 150 Mixed flock of Linnet and Goldfinch, 100 Corn Bunting (remarkable) , 10 Chiffs, 50 Mipits and 25 Skylark.

Wheatear on recently harrowed corn field. There were 6 dotted around in this field. This one very confiding.

Backlit Meadow Pipit. Good numbers of this species all week in this area of the South Downs.

Round Hill, migration less frantic today. Grounded: 20 Chiffs, 150+ Mipit, 9 Wheatear, 10 Stonechat, 3 Lapwing, 500 mainly HGs following the plough. Flew over: 15 Siskin, 25+ Skylark, 1 Great Spot, 6 small waders (Dunlin size), 14 Canada Goose, 1 Grey Lag, few Swallows, 5 HMs, 1 Sand Martin