NT
On the 26th October:
1975
A return to Holkham Woods where we saw a Great Grey Shrike and eventually a Radde's Warbler, a new bird for us. An extremely skulking bird which only showed for 2-3 minutes during the 3.5 hours we were there. Finally good views when the bird came out onto an open branch.
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Right: Radde's Warbler.
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Below: Crowd at Radde's Warbler at Holkham.
Later, we drove south to Leigh-on-Sea where there was a Red-breasted Goose with c4,000 Brent Geese and c1500 Wigeon. The 2nd new bird of the day.
Red-breasted Goose by Laurel Tucker.
1980
A trip to Steart seeing a Great Northern Diver, 1000+ Dunlin, an adult Little Stint, 650+ Redshank, a Greenshank, c50 Grey Plovers, Sanderlings, Ringed Plovers, 6 Spotted Redshank, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, c160 Knot, 400+ Curlew, a Bar-tailed Godwit, and, lots of Oystercatchers, Shelducks and Mallards.
1987
In North Carolina on a BBC sound recording trip, no new birds seen today.
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Ring-billed Gull.
1996
In Hungary, in the Hortobagy National Park on a sound recording trip. 1 new bird seen today.
2002
A visit to Portbury Wharf seeing lots of common birds including c10 Bullfinches, 30+ Redwings, 3 Fieldfares and 4 Water Pipits.
2003
On St. Mary's, during an early morning walk around we saw Redwings, Fieldfares, 2 Kingfishers, a Water Rail, 11 Snipe, a Little Egret, a Merlin, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 5 Firecrests and a Brambling.
Then we took the boat to St. Martins where we saw 4 Little Egrets, a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull, 4 Red-legged Partridges, 3 Ravens, 3 Firecrests, an Isabelline or Daurian Shrike which we watched for a while, a very active, aggressive bird which was feeding on Goldcrests which were feeding on the ground. We saw it impale a Goldcrest on thorns then start tearing it apart, feeding on part of it, then leaving the rest. The shrike often sat in the open watching for prey, it was also seen to take a Bumble Bee which it also tried to impale, but failed, letting it drop to the ground.
Nearby, along one of the hedgerows we saw a Pallas's Warbler, which was on show for several minutes as it fed along the line of bushes.
2012
In the garden in Portishead the male Brambling was still visiting the feeder.
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