1st June 2013

Decided to head back to Gilfach Farm today after most of my shots were binned due to a dodgy camera (Hopefully back from Canon shortly?) so used my old Mk111 body with a lot better results also caught up with Richard Smith & Mick Southcott (first time since Shetland last Autumn) Great few hrs with good company & good birds.......

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25th & 27th May 2013

Stayed local over the bank holiday weekend looking for Butterflies down at various sites around Bishop's Itchington,Warks managing a lifer in the form of Small Blue also Grizzled & Dingy Skipper,Brown Argus & Mother Shipton (Moth)

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19th May 2013

After being on nights all week & being too knackered to drive to Kent for the Dusky Thrush on the Sat decided that the bird would probably do a bunk so headed for Gilfach Farm,Powys instead meeting up with Pete Walkden & Iain Leach etc with Common Redstart the target along with Pied Flycatcher!! both birds performed well which is more than can be said of the new camera (Good job i had me backup with me) also had Dipper & Whinchat nearby!!! A good day & well worth a visit.........

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15th May 2013

A txt from John Judge this morning woke me up to the fact there seemed to be a passage of Seabirds going thru Draycote Water with the highlight being Arctic Skua (1 which i needed for Warks) Should of checked the txt though as it happened that the birds were being seen thru a special pair of Bins (Potters Bins) so ended up with just 6 Black Tern & a few Arctic Tern along with a 1000+ Swift (Thanks to JJ as always though for the news) Headed for home when a txt from Tom saying Black Tern + Kittiwake at Shustoke so headed over! ended up with 3 Black Tern several Arctic Tern,Common Tern & the 1st summer Kittiwake also an obliging Orange Tip butterfly..........

7th May 2013

A trip up to Cannock Chase looking for summer migrants with Garden Warblers,3 Wood Warbler,Common Redstarts at least 4 Pied Flycatchers,Tree Pipits & several Cuckoo with the highlight being a showy male Wood Warbler

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6th May 2013

The week ended with a bang with both John Judge & Dog texting me with news of a Woodchat Shrike at Brandon  on the 2nd (Typical i was at work) so a long wait & slight detour on the way home had the bird in the bag a Warks tick (Cheers lads) With a few days off & nothing really of note which took my fancy I decided on a trip to Titterstone Clee Hill in Shropshire for Northern Wheatears!! They must be late risers as for the 1st hour nothing then they started to appear here there & everywhere

30th April 2013

Up in Lincs again today initially to photograph Nightingales at Whisby!! On site bumped into Dean.E, Glyn.S, John D etc who were all doin the same before being joined by old mate Tricky Dawkins etc yet again they refused to play ball but all was not lost as nearby a stunning (SP) Black-necked Grebe was showing well allowing some nice photos

                                                           
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26th April 2013

With a few days off work & the chance of a Brit tick up in Yorks (Rock Thrush) or the chance of photographing Nightingales in Lincs I opted for the latter (whilst the Rock Thrush is a cracking bird it was reported as distant & I for one would rather photograph birds than just add a tick in a book!!!)  Arrived at Whisby a little late in the day & a quick txt to Dean Eades had me pointing in the right direction (Cheers mate) After a 3hr wait the 1 bird jumped out of the undergrowth for about 20secs! I think an early morning visit will be on the cards when they seem to sing & show better!!

14th April 2013

Back over at Shustoke this morning hoping for more migrants found another Arctic Tern (Different bird to Yesterday with a different head pattern & a notch in its left wing!! but again some black in the bill) also 2nd winter Kittiwake still with plenty of Sand Martin & Swallow going over