A full bus (with others meeting us at RSPB Ham Wall) headed of early from HQ at Hayle on 14th May for a full day on the Somerset Levels. We arrived at the fantastic RSPB Ham Wall at 09.30am and after a few introduction and a toilet break we headed onto the reserve. We were immediately greeted to a blast of Cetti’s Warbler song, followed by Reed and Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. A red Kite flew slowly overhead escorted by a couple of Swifts and the trees nearby held Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap and Goldfinch. All this within 10ft of the car park! Leaving the recepti ..read more

S’Albufera National Nature Reserve and surrounding areas Another recce to our favorite Mediterranean island for a very short two day excursion in order to experience some Spring migration and sunshine! We flew from Bristol airport arriving late at our hotel in Can Picafort. The following morning after breakfast we jumped in a taxi (8 Euros) to the S’Albufera Parc Natural. We did this on both days having decided not to bother with the Boquer Valley on this trip, walking back to the hotel each evening from the reserve, birding all the way, a walk that included the Ses Puntas and Depuradora Wate ..read more

We’ve been rather busy over the past few weeks with tours! The Spring season kicked off with a day tour in the east of the county. Vic had a day tour voucher bought for his birthday by his daughter, which turned out to be a great prezzie which involved two Lifers! We started in warm sunshine and blue skies at Rame Head where we soon located some stunning singing Yellowhammers and whilst watching these our target birds flew into a nearby bush. Male and female Cirl Buntings! The male flying down to the ground to feed, giving amazing close views. These were the first of 6 or 7 birds we encounter ..read more

Tour Report 3rd to 10th October 2022 DAY ONE Our intrepid group of 7 (plus Paul as guide) headed off to Scilly for our first week long tour on Monday 3rd October aboard the Scillonian III. We set of from Penzance harbour at 9.10am having already started our tour list with Kingfisher and Purple Sandpiper! Little did we know that we would soon experience one of the best pelagic crossings to or from Scilly EVER! Just after we passed Land’s End, things started to get interesting with a few Balearic Shearwaters and two Arctic Skua. However, as we approached the Wolf Rock light house we picked up a ..read more

This field guide to the rare birds of Britain and Ireland is the result of an innovative new partnership between Collins and the esteemed British Trust for Ornithology. It brings together the most authoritative and current information. The Collins BTO Guide to British Birds is accompanied by this book. As of February 2015, it includes all rare and endangered birds that have been spotted four or more times in Britain and Ireland. Every species of wild bird that has ever occurred in Britain is mentioned in the section titled “The Rarest of the Rare,” which includes all the species that have onl ..read more

If you are wanting to experience Mediterranean birdwatching then you need look no further than the island of Mallorca. Set in the northern Mediterranean off the coast of Spain, Mallorca is a great place to ‘cut your teeth’ with species associated with the Mediterranean area. We normally go in the last week of April or early May, but on this occasion we decided on an autumn excursion. Flying from Bristol Airport, we booked with Easy Jet holidays and stayed for four nights at the BQ Holiday Village in Alcudia. The cost included bed, breakfast, evening meal, flights and transfers from Palma airpo ..read more

The weather wasn’t great for our day tour today with showers and drizzle most of the morning followed by wind and fog in the afternoon! However, we still managed 73 species including 16 types of wader! The tide was still high at Hayle first thing so we started at Lelant Saltings where the waderfest began. Unfortunately, so did the rain but we had great views of 6 or more Curlew Sandpipers, a Little Stint, 7 Common Snipe and 7 Sanderling among hundreds of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers. To avoid a further soaking we re-located to the hide at Ryan’s Field. Again, there was still plenty of water and t ..read more

With the internet so accessible these days, sadly a good ID book is often overlooked for, in my opinion, an easier option to identifying birds. It’s all too easy to grab a photo and ask on a Facebook Group, “can anyone help with this?” and whilst I understand this is probably the changing face of Bird ID, there are still some fantastic guides available and lets face it, who doesn’t like a new book on their shelf! With the Autumn migration season upon us, we have chosen our Top 5 books that will assist you with identifying birds or wet your appetite with some of the rare and scare birds we lo ..read more

The most thorough, current, useful, and user-friendly book of its kind, Britain’s Birds has become a best-seller since it was originally released and has swiftly become the standard photographic identification guide for the birds of Great Britain and Ireland. The handbook, which has received praise from all levels of birdwatchers, from novices to experts, has just undergone a comprehensive revision and updating to become even better than before. This widely awaited second edition keeps the best of the first edition while adding twelve newly documented species and delivering a number of enhance ..read more

“This book covers difficult identification issues by looking at tricky species pairs or groups of birds, and comparing and contrasting their respective features. Designed as a field companion, it supplements the standard field guides and provides much additional information. As well as detailed texts, the books include extensive illustrations of all relevant ages and plumages of the species concerned”. “Anyone interested in honing their bird identification skills should read this book. It is not a recognition guide like the authoritative Collins Bird Guide or the very best Helm field guides ..read more