bigstarbirding.bsky.social
@bigstarbirding.bsky.social
110 followers 120 following 280 posts
Birds birds birds, tea and cake, the mighty Boro, Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, Avett Brothers, alt-country, love a banjo. It's time to kick out the jams motherf*ckers.
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Some awful decisions by the officials, never offside, never a pen. And how unlucky are you having a header hit bar, line then bar again without going in...
265 for Northants, but that's 45 years worth, so a bit poor really. In the '80s, no mobiles or Internet, and I wasn't really on the call-list for rares, then alcohol and gigs meant I missed a lot of goodies during the '90s (shame, but had some great nights/weekends!). Birds the No.1 priority now😉
Just Northants, have never counted up my Norfolk total despite visiting regularly!
#Northantsbirds Another look at the Lesser Scaup at Ditchford this afternoon, thankfully without the stress and swearing of Mondays visit! Love watching the shape of the bird change as it streamlines itself pre-dive; also looks so tiny next to the Gadwalls feeding off whatever it stirred up🙂
Ouch! I know I shouldn't, but I did laugh a little (feel free to kick me in the nuts if it now does do a Friday night flit!)
By the sounds of it, it'll be taking bread from your hand by Saturday...😉
This would normally be the week we'd be away at Kelling, so I'd be pulling my hair out in Norfolk! I guess this, the Stanford and Draycote males are all the same individual, wonder where it's been lurking?
Thanks, Vicky thought I was going to have a heart attack with the amount of swearing and stressing going on😆, it was diving so frequently that I was always scanning its position when it was underwater🙂
#Northantsbirds An unexpected 2nd bite at the drake Lesser Scaup cherry this evening! Arrived to find no birders present and low,strong Sun making silhouettes of all ducks; ran to the North side, constantly swearing, and, as dusk fell, finally picked up the almost mythical duck! And breath...😉
#Northantsbirds Easing ourselves back into local birding with a wander round Summerleys today. Plenty of ducks about but nothing different. A single dead Mute Swan on the main lake😕. A Jack Snipe showed bobingly well on Eddies. The Gull hotspot of Marys produced this 2W Caspian🙂.
Last day in Norfolk😟, but another decent day. Walked to Friary Hills from Cley, very vocal YB Warbler at the East end, on the Freshes, 9 Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis and Whooper Swan. Back at Salthouse, walked to Kelling Quags, family party of 4 Whoopers on the WM, mobile Glossy Ibis and brief SEOwl.
Lazy day, the weather not exactly conducive for finding migrant passerines🤪. Did have a quick look at Sheringham seafront, but not a lot moving. Decided to head for the shelter of Cleys hides early evening, with some nice waders present - Spotted Redshank, 2 Little Stint and 2 vocal Greenshank🙂.
Spent hours around the Overstrand-Trimingham area with its Warbler-friendly clifftop woods, for just a single Chiffchaff🤪. Back to Salthouse,a Glossy Ibis behind the ducks pond, then down Meadow Lane at dusk, where the Yellow-browed Warbler showed incredibly well in its favoured tiny Sallow patch🙂.
Started at Stiffkey campsite wood, trees hooching with Chaffinch and Brambling,but just a couple of Chiffchaff; found a roosting Tawny Owl. Nothing at Garden Drove. Parked up at Salthouse, a Merlin flew over, more (distant) views of the GG Shrike, finished with 3 each of Cattle Egret and Glossy Ibis
Cley,and the birding Gods decided to smile kindly on us; just finished lunch at the VC, when a young lad picked up a Great Grey Shrike flying past😮, and then we had amazing views before it moved further away🙂, also 5 Whooper Swan, 10 Cattle Egret, Ruddy Shelduck and Water Pipit.
Ended up a brilliant day in North Norfolk, but started by dipping the 6 Salthouse Glossy Ibis. Parked up at Cley VC and did the walk around Blakeney Freshmarsh, with 7 Cattle Egret and c1000 Pink-footed Geese. At Friary Hills, found 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, elusive but calling regularly. Back to
Started today with a walk round Muckleburgh Hill, just a Rose-ringed Parakeet of note🤪, then on to Sidestrand to try for the Pallas Warbler; after waiting 3 hours we had good views when it was very active for a 5 minute spell, including the classic 'admire my yellowy rump whilst I hover' pose🙂
Later, great views of the Walsey Hills Dusky Warbler, feeding high up (for a Dusky!) for a minute, calling regularly too, accompanied by 2 YBW. At Cley, thousands of Pink-footed Geese (including the leucistic bird) wiffled in to North Scrape, and the 3 Whoopers fed next to the VC. Cute Ivy Bee too🙂
Atmospheric walk from Hunstanton towards Heacham early morning, Fieldfare, Redwing, Starling and Chaffinch moving in good numbers, with smaller counts of Siskin, Redpoll and Brambling; plenty of 'continental' Blackbirds too. 4 calling Whooper Swan over too.
Away at the in-laws in Hunstanton today before we head for a week in Kelling tomorrow🙂. Couple of hours at Titchwell, spent along the Meadow Trail, heard the YB Warbler calling several times, only to find it was someone using playback🤬. 100's of Fieldfare, Redwing and Pink-feet over, love it!
#Northantsbirds Summerleys this evening, a showy Water Rail in front of Pioneer Hide was outdone by the trio of Glossy Ibis, amazing to see them so close! Female Pintail also on the main lake. A sizeable pre-roost of Gulls on Marys incl. ad Caspian and 3 ad YL Gulls, also 300+ Bh Gull, 150+ Gadwall
#Northantsbirds Summerleys this evening, love this time of year, winter birds piling in and a chill in the air🙂. 3 Glossy Ibis present, 6 (1 drake) Pintail, bobbin' Jack Snipe on Eddies Island, several Redpoll and 17 GoldenPlover. Marys Lake had ad YL Gull, flyaround 2w Med Gull, plus 164 Gadwall.
Came across this little Christmas game in a shop in Earls Barton today, a bingo game inspired by your usual British birds - except, check out no.15, just a common old garden Siberian Accentor...🙂