Anyone interested in taxonomy, or learning more about it, would do well to register for this Cornell/Birds of the World lecture by the master - professor Per Alström. birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/webin…

When birding in Holland it usually pays to get your ducks in a row…

We were all caught “Waxwing lyrical” today when this surprising first for the Norfolk winter chose a sunlit neon stage to perform on.

I felt privileged to attend the matinee when this 1st Winter drake Scaup gave a highly polished performance in the late afternoon sunlight last week.

I hoped I might catch up with the long-staying Black-necked Grebe at Welney WWT Reserve today, but had no idea it would show quite so well.

A visit to Pak Thale was long overdue, so I thought I’d pop over and see what I could find. This little chap made it all worthwhile this morning.

Spectacular world-lifers were coming thick and fast at Doi Inthanon, in northern Thailand, but when this adult male Siberian Blue Robin hopped out, it stopped me dead in my tracks.

A memorable encounter from southern Thailand was this spectacular female Orange-breasted Trogon perched close to the main track at Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary on the 19th of March.

Welcoming back summer migrants is always a pleasure but I was delighted to find a singing male Spotted Flycatcher today, who has just returned to a regular territory in North Norfolk.

In recent days, small numbers of elegant migrating Wood Sandpipers have been pausing to refuel, at favoured Norfolk wetland habitats, before continuing north to breed. Usually only glimpsed along distant reedy fringes, few are as obliging as this bejewelled beauty.

The number of Temminck’s Stints at Cley NWT has been slowly building over the past week, with ten or more present yesterday and today. This one came a little closer than the others, presenting a rare opportunity not to be missed.

When this beauty dropped in out of the blue I was pleased to capture the moment.

What’s in a name? Would a Rosy Starling, by any other name, smell as sweet as this beauty in Melton Constable today?

A fabulous private birding trip to Finland last week enabled me to catch up with several longed-for world lifers, as well as a hatful of other Scandinavian specialities. At the very top of my list was Ural Owl. With expert guiding by Jari Peltomäki of Finnature, we soon scored!

Another priority target on our Finnish trip was the elusive Three-toed Woodpecker. Remarkably, this nominate race adult male chose a telegraph pole to drum from, while deep in a 1,000 acre old growth forest.

A reverential, hushed silence was observed by all as we waited with bated-breath for an adult Great Grey Owl to fly in to feed its two young. Thanks Jari Peltomäki for providing another spellbinding Finnature experience!

While White-rumped Sandpipers have become a regular bird at Snettisham RSPB Reserve in late July, adults in breeding plumage are much rarer. So it was very rewarding to relocate this pristine bird at high tide yesterday evening.

This fabulous Lesser Grey Shrike at Winterton Dunes in East Norfolk today was another great find by Barry Jarvis. I don’t recall seeing one in this intriguing plumage before. Thoughts on a postcard please…

Luckily, the Greater Short-toed Lark, found by Nathan Pickering at Snettisham late yesterday evening, was relocated at dawn before vanishing for several hours. A teasing glimpse late-morning stimulated further relocation efforts, with rich rewards for those who braved the rain.

A rare trip south of the Waveney border delivered stunning views of my fifth shrike species in East Anglia this year. This adult, male, Red-tailed (“Turkestan”) Shrike showed remarkably well in calm, sunny conditions, in the great company of some fine, old, Suffolk birding pals.