School of Birding

06/09/2024

Spurn Bird Observatory update! If you missed my International talk at BirdFair, you can bring your lunch and come see me tomorrow (Saturday) at 12 noon in the Sandy Beaches lecture room for 25 mins of migratory thrills and spills!

Yorkshire Coast Nature ZEISS Birding

04/09/2024

Sometimes you just have one of those days... I was lucky to be leading Monday's Yorkshire Coast Nature wildlife adventure when all hell broke loose about five nautical miles off the North Yorkshire coast. Here's those seven incredible hours distilled into a few minutes for your pleasure: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/09/humpback-in-anger-staithes-pelagic-2nd.html

Dolphin Photos Scarborough and North East Coast Scarborough Porpoise North York Moors National Park Trust YWT Living Seas Whale and Dolphin Conservation Cetacean News

21/07/2024

The latest of 'things found on a morning run, an occasional series' - Northern Flicker (of the appropriately named Yellow-shafted subspecies) flight feather, almost glowing in the summer sunshine.

10/07/2024

Global Birdfair '24 - see you there? Looking forward to catching up with friends and acqaintances from around the world! Here's my schedule: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/07/birdfair-24-where-and-when.html

Friday 12th - 1300-1500hrs - ZEISS Birding Osprey Walk - with Toby and I

Saturday 13th - 1000hrs - Avocet Stage TALK - Filey International -
Autumn migration thrills on the Yorkshire coast

Sat p.m and Sun a.m - on the Yorkshire Coast Nature stand (S103)

Sunday 14th - 1330hrs - Avocet stage TALK - School of Birding - How to become a better birder! With Simon and I

15/05/2024

Our third School of Birding took place in April, and was another wonderful, memorable week of great birds, people and learning - we think it was a huge success, but don't take our word for it, have a look at what our guests said here! http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/05/school-of-birding-third-class-dismissed.html

Thanks ZEISS Birding and BWWC at The Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey for support!

Our third School of Birding took place in April, once again based at the Grant Arms Hotel in the heart of the Highlands, and it was once a...

25/04/2024

T-minus three days until my first (and last?) half-marathon, raising money ofr the wonderful Jean Thorpe Wildlife Rescue, and look at that fundraising total! Latest update here: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/04/raptor-run-latest-update.html

10/04/2024

*Migration nerd-heavy post*.... If you've ever wondered what it's like to bird the hell out of a prime east coast migration hotspot, during prime migration season (all of October), during a killer run of prime migration conditions, set aside a 15-minute tea break and join me for a blow-by-blow account of an especially exhilarating season...
... I witnessed huge falls and massive movements, was lucky to find various scarcities and rarities, and effectively lapped up every drop of classic North Sea coast bird migration for as long as I could. Put your feet up, it's all here: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-of-year-2023-october.html

Yorkshire Coast Nature ZEISS Birding

(Pics - Redwing, Snow Bunting, Whooper Swans, Goldcrest)

30/03/2024

This one's for migration junkies, especially those who, like me, turn into sugared-up toddlers when the stars (and weather systems) align perfectly, and all your avian wishes come true, as if inhabiting the ubernerdy Disney film of your dreams ....

I finally got around to writing up last October's spine-tingling migration adventures, from a month spent effectively immersed in birds and birding here on the Yorkshire coast - 31 days distilled into ten minutes, for your pleasure. Boy, it was good.
Read on: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-of-year-2023-october.html

(Pics - Snow Bunting, Redwing, Short-eared Owl)

ZEISS Birding Yorkshire Coast Nature

15/03/2024

"I didn't want the week to end! It has encouraged me to go out more and make the time for birding. Thank you both so much for sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge" Debbie Redmond

Second Class Dismissed! A quick report on a wonderful School of Birding from last month - http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/03/school-of-birding-second-class-dismissed.html

15/02/2024

We've just completed our second successful School of Birding in the beautiful Scottish Highlands (more of that soon) and, with other priorities, the camera barely saw daylight - but when there's Long-tailed Ducks displaying at point-blank range in a sunny harbour, exceptions are made... more here: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/02/long-tailed-ducks-burghead-feb-24.html

02/02/2024

26/01/2024

An essential ten-minute read for birders everywhere (it's U.S-focused but recommended for everyone) - brilliantly articulates a lot of the issues (and solutions) involved in the birding community, at small and larger scales, and provides inspiring, meaningful ways forward. http://tinyurl.com/4dmfucyf

(Thanks Nathan for sharing this)

Before I get into this, here is a little bit about me. My pronouns are he/him. I am a citizen of Cherokee Nation and white-presenting (that is, I look like a white male). 1. Everyone likes birds. E…

12/01/2024

You'll likely have heard mention of our School of Birding via our feeds in recent months, and we're happy to say our first School (in Nov) was a huge success - read all about it (and our newly available dates!) here: http://tinyurl.com/5y8f5z5m

Thanks again to our friends at ZEISS Birding for supporting our venture from the start!

The first ZEISS supported "School of Birding" in the Scottish Highlands in November 2023 was a huge success. Read more about it in our newest blog story.

09/01/2024

So what's the School of Birding all about, how does it work, and is it for you? All is explained in our blogpost on the ZEISS Birding website here:

The first ZEISS supported "School of Birding" in the Scottish Highlands in November 2023 was a huge success. Read more about it in our newest blog story.

28/12/2023

Black-tailed Godwits, North Killingholme, Humber Estuary this morning. More here: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2023/12/wader-wallpaper-killingholme-lincs-28th.html

ZEISS Birding Wold Ecology Ltd

23/12/2023

A windy, gloomy, muddy, but bird-filled stomp around the Top Fields here in early p.m - highlights included 36 Snow Buntings (pic), 22 Lapland Buntings and five Corn Buntings, plus 110 Skylarks, nine Snipe etc. Amazing what happens when a coastal field is left in winter stubble..... 🤔 More here: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2023/12/filey-23rd-dec-23.html

21/12/2023

Really enjoying writing various blogposts for the Yorkshire Coast Nature website of late, with the last couple part of mini-series entitled 'Where To Winter Wander'.....

Scarborough seafront - https://yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/506/where-to-winter-wander-scarborough-seafront

Bempton Cliffs - https://yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/505/where-to-winter-wander-bempton-cliffs

20/12/2023

🐦❄️ Rise and shine, bird lovers! There's nothing quite like the magic of birding on a crisp winter morning. The world is quiet, the air is fresh, and our feathered friends are out and about, making it the perfect time to spot them. Bundle up, grab your binoculars and spotting scope, and join the dawn chorus. Remember, in the hush of winter, every chirp counts! 🐦❄️

20/12/2023

Imagine pressing the red button on your mp3 player, jamming it in the crack of your study window in downtown , and recording the biggest ever night of Redwing migration in Europe (and the biggest ever nocturnal Song Thrush migration in the UK)...... more here: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-big-thrush-night-filey-7th-october.html

Trektellen.org Yorkshire Coast Nature ZEISS Birding

11/11/2023

Welcome to our page! Our first three Schools - November '23, February '24, April '24) have all SOLD OUT, but we're about to release new dates very soon - watch this space!