The first of two new additions to the Marden flock of '23 received their ID badges today. Hopefully they'll reward the local farmers with a visit to show off their bling. Lots of weedy field margins warrant one! 😉

My first time whoosh netting on Wednesday with Jacques Turner-Moss and Rob Duncan at Rob’s Obs was a success, managing to catch a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 3 Herring Gull. What an awesome experience to be a part of!! Viking Optical Ltd

Dungeness today with Jacques Turner-Moss Lots of butterfly, damselfly and dragonfly, far too quick to photograph ... including a Brown Argus Lots of wind too! Thanks Jac - fabulous day #naturereserve #dungeness #insectwatch

Day 1 at Donges, France:, mindblowing! 409 birds of 23 species ringed including 6 new Aquatic and also a Belgium ringed bird as well as a Danish ringed Wryneck and a British ringed Sedge Warbler (not from Trimley Marshes SWT - yet). Eugene Archer EURING #acrola

Day 2 at Donges, France. Another brilliant day with 356 birds of 23 species ringed. Only 3 Aquatics today but an Ortolan Bunting was exceptional for the site. 11 Bluethroat, 9 Wryneck, 2 Savi’s, Great Reed Warbler and Melodious too. Eugene Archer EURING #acrola

Day 3 at Donges, France and another good day with 350 birds of 20sp. Another 6 Aquatic Warblers 📷, 18 Bluethroat, 6 Wryneck, 5 Nightingale and 2 each of Blue-headed Wagtail and Savi’s Warbler. Running out of time for Trimley SWT Sedge Warbler. Eugene Archer EURING #acrola

Day 4 Donges, France. Sadly rain stopped play after 90 minutes as after processing 150 birds, our penultimate day could’ve been our biggest? A juv Cuckoo was a good start and check out the streaks on this adult Aquatic Warbler, one of two caught. Eugene Archer EURING #acrola

After some Aquatic excitement, finally a belated Donges post. From 1225 new, a staggering 656 Sedge Warbler, 17 #ACROLA, 50 Bluethroat, 10 Savi’s Warbler, 4 Great Reed, 3 Zitting Cisticola, Cuckoo & an Ortolan Bunting. An amazing week thanks Eugene Archer EURING Viking Optical Ltd

A morning walking the pine forests of Gran Canaria, the spectacular scenery was just as beautiful as the four Gran Canarian Blue Chaffinches we found!

Fuertaventura was just as rewarding, with a couple of mornings spent on the Tindaya Plains. Houbara Bustards, Cream-coloured Coursers and flyover Black-Bellied Sandgrouse...which then showed far better in the local goat farm!

The most northerly population of Iris vartanii, flowering in perfusion in the Upper Galilee, a year ago today, a different time.

Unexpected and mobile. A group of 25 Waxwings stripping the last of Mistletoe berries, high in some Poplars close to home today.

A good day yesterday at the Ebro Delta, plenty of great birds including this Bluethroat to make up for the foggy weather

The non-avian highlight of my recent visit to Spain. Spanish Greenish Black-tip (Euchloe bazae ssp. iberae) in the wonderfully fragrant hills near Lleida.

Niche botany. Possibly three different Ranunculus auricomus microspecies from around Slinfold, West Sussex from the weekend.

Yellow/Black fattening up for her 5TH annual migration to West Africa. Ringed with her probable mate Yellow/Green by Jacques Turner-Moss in 2022, both are still being seen regularly together on camera.