NT
1975
An evening visit to Chew Valley lake where we saw 2 male Garganey, a few other ducks and 4 Hares.
1977
An overnight drive to Welches Dam in the Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, to see a Wilson's Phalarope, a new bird for us. A female in full summer plumage which was difficult to see, as it spent much of the time in long grass about 200 yards from the hide. Sightings were restricted to the bird flying up from the grass and sometimes it would circle around with Redshanks before dropping back into the same patch of grass. We were lucky on 2 occasions, during our 5 hour watch, when the bird came to within about 150 yards, into shorter grass dotted with larger clumps and we were able to see it clearly as it passed between them.
Also seen in the area were c10 Black-tailed Godwits, 20+ Redshanks, 30+ Snipe, 2 Greenshanks, 2 Curlew, a few duck and 4 Yellow Wagtails.
1982
An overnight drive to Suffolk reaching Lakenheath by dawn, here we saw 9 Cuckoos, 2 Redshank, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Snipe, 2 Red-legged Partridges, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Grey Herons, 23 Mute Swans, 8 Canada Geese, a Common Tern, several species of ducks, 3 Whitethroats, 6 Garden Warblers, a Whinchat and 2 Golden Orioles hearing 4 more.
At Wheeting there were 14 Wheatears, 5 Red-legged Partridges, 3 Cuckoos, 10 Stone Curlews - 6 adults and 4 juveniles, linnets and Greenfinches, a Kestrel and a Turtle Dove. We continued to Santon Downham where we saw 4 Yellowhammers, 3 Willow Warblers, a Siskin, 4 Tree Pipits, 3 Cuckoos, an adult and a juvenile Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Blackcaps, a male Red-backed Shrike, a Whitethroat, a pair of Redstarts, a Woodlark and a Curlew.
We returned to Lakenheath this time seeing 3 male and 2 female Golden Orioles, and, adding 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Green Woodpecker, 4 Woodcocks and 9 Tree Sparrows to our site tally.
1984
In Arizona leading an Ibis Tours group, 22 new birds, 5 new mammal and 4 new reptiles seen today.
Western Curve-billed Thrasher.
1989
In Colorado on a sound recording trip for the BBC series 'Land of the Eagle'. 3 new mammals seen today.
Richardson's Ground Squirrel.
1991
In Kazakhstan on a Sound Recording trip for the BBC series 'Realms of the Russian Bear'.
1 new bird seen today.
Ibisbill.
2004
A day filming along the Severn Estuary, firstly at the Grebe Pond on Northwick Warth where there was a family of Little Grebes, then a Reed Warbler at the nearby Western Approach Pools, by the very noisy distribution centre.
2019
An all day trip to the Farne Islands, firstly to Staple Island where there were tens of thousands of seabirds, mainly Guillemots and Puffins, but also Razorbills, Shags, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Eiders, there were smaller numbers of 4 other gull species with the Black-headed Gulls giving the Puffins a hard time when they returned with fish. Off-shore there were at least 6 Gannets.
Later, the boat stopped at one of the Inner Farne Islands where again there were lots of Guillemots and Puffins, as well as the other seabirds, and, 1,000's of Arctic Terns, also around 100 Sandwich Terns.
Photos: Guillemots.
Shags.
Puffins.
Kittiwake.
Eider.
Fulmar.
Razorbill.
Arctic Terns.
