School of Birding

30/10/2024

Short-eared Owl arriving in off the sea at and past the old war defences at Sandy Beaches, Kilnsea this morning - a perfect start to a great migration-filled day here at ! Well spotted, Annemarie King 👏💥

Yorkshire Coast Nature ZEISS Birding

22/10/2024

A beautiful morning on the north bank of the Humber, where we continue to survey the use of protected land for waders (shorebirds) to feed, roost and commute between here and the river. Lapwings are always a joy, but especially in the autumn sunshine, well ....

Wold Ecology Ltd ZEISS Birding Yorkshire Coast Nature

13/10/2024

STOP PRESS: due to a late cancellation, we now have one space left on our November School of Birding! If you fancy a week of unrivalled, fully guided Scottish birding and learning as part of small, supportive team - with all meals, lectures, transport, materials (and even ZEISS Birding optics!) included - then now's your chance!

Full details here: https://www.cairngormsbirding.co.uk/school-of-birding

November is one of, if not THE, best of time of year to join us - with everything from eagles, seaducks, divers and grebes, Crested T**s, Crossbills, harriers, Goshawks, waders and MUCH more on offer - as well as all the tools you need to tell them apart!

BWWC at The Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey Grant Arms Hotel

13/10/2024

STOP PRESS: due to a late cancellation, we now have one space left on our November School of Birding! If you fancy a week of unrivalled, fully guided Scottish birding and learning as part of small, supportive team - with all meals, lectures, transport, materials (and even ZEISS Birding optics!) included - then now's your chance!

Full details here: https://www.cairngormsbirding.co.uk/school-of-birding or send me a message!

November is one of, if not THE, best of time of year to join us - with everything from eagles, seaducks, divers and grebes, Crested T**s, Crossbills, harriers, Goshawks, waders and MUCH more on offer - as well as all the tools you need to tell them apart!

BWWC at The Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey Grant Arms Hotel Simon Pawsey

11/09/2024

Catching up.... for a week at the end of August I was once again back at the mighty Spurn Bird Observatory guiding for Yorkshire Coast Nature. And what a week it was - sunshine, great birds and birding, and 20-odd lovely clients over five days to enjoy it with. More here: http://northernrustic.blogspot.com/2024/09/guiding-at-spurn-late-august-24.html

(Pics - Pied and Spotted Flycatchers)

ZEISS 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