Not a bad balcony bird!

Walking silently through thick woodland. Pictures don’t do justice the feeling of trepidation as I watched every step for snakes. Spotted flycatcher, Serin, Sardinian warbler and then, as if by absolute magic, Woodchat shrike. A goosebumps moment in the midday heat.

Sunset on Ibiza. Drink in hand. Swifts above. What a way to end the trip.

And what was waiting for me as I got home to my garden? More swifts. As if smuggled into my hand luggage and let free. Incredible.

May is a great month to leave your garden behind for a week. I came home to massive peonies, iris, California poppy in yellow and orange, black elder about to explode, columbine. The path is disappearing gloriously.

May/June reading sorted. Jake Fiennes Sarah Langford

Swifts circling, red kite soaring, house sparrows busy delivering to their nests - all seen from my desk window in the past 10 minutes.

Sunday morning swift above my garden again. Feeling incredibly lucky to have them in good numbers on a daily basis.

First time visiting my local patch in over 2 weeks and it’s looking better than ever. Reed warbler blasting it out. Dunlin, GS woodpecker, Sedge & Garden warbler. Juvenile starling.

Some days just stop, take it in and remember the world still works …. Cuckoo, Reed warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed bunting & Skylark all singing in the same field 👍 Lapwing & Yellow Wagtail in next field …

Swifts racing around by my front door.

What a great day at RSPB Frampton Marsh 🌍 - 12 lifers including particular highlights Lesser yellowlegs, juv Bearded tit, and a non-bird highlighting the form of Bee orchid. Thanks to fellow bucks bird club members for the company.

Common spotted orchid, Grey wagtail, Vetch, Hobby, Tern and Swift. Not bad for the day after Frampton!

A highlight this morning at Linford Lakes NR - common grass snake. The Parks Trust

Relatively quiet on the birding front but lots of other things to delight the senses. Scarlet tiger moth in my garden was a particular highlight.

A truly crap picture of a fantastic Green sandpiper. Patch tick and thoroughly made my day. FFNR abundant with life. Nesting Lapwing in good numbers, Broad-bodied chaser, Cuckoo, GS Woodpecker. The Parks Trust

Back in Yorkshire for the weekend. Yellowhammer everywhere, Barn owl scanning the field edges. What sounds like thousands of geese somewhere in the distance. Not bad at all!

Merry Christmas from the Bucks Bird Club. Thank you for supporting the club in 2024. If you are not yet a member, please consider giving yourself a present and joining our ever growing tribe. bucksbirdclub.co.uk/club-news-and-… it’s only £15 a year. See you in 2025.

For a short moment this morning I had blackcap, Robin, house sparrow, dunnock and wren all in one tree at the same time. Happy New Year to all and I wish you a great year of birding!

Hear from @nickmarriner1 about the Chalk Cherries and Chairs Team project and their efforts to develop a robust biodiversity monitoring scheme at a landscape scale. Chilterns National Landscape NFBR NBN Trust Check out the Biological Recording: Local To National Virtual Symposium. eventbrite.co.uk/e/1002992566767