Following a good common migrant arrival on Sunday evening great to see the lovely Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Holme yesterday morning and finish the day with a brief Wryneck at Friary Hills.

NEW BLOG: Cyprus moths. A photo-rich exploration of what was attracted to the pair of LED lights that Mike Buckland and I ran on our hotel balcony. Spoiler alert: the catches overall exceeded expectations... jameslowen.com/blog-26-apr-24…

Found this lovely drake Green-winged Teal at Cley NWT this morning. Initially distant at the back of Pat’s it moved around the reserve and eventually gave some better views. NWT Cley Marshes

With James Lowen I spent some time around Troodos watching the four Cyprus endemic sub-species: cypriotes Coal Tits, glaszneri European Jay, dorotheae Short-toed Treecreeper and guillemardi Common Crossbill

It took James Lowen and I two days to find some photogenic Cyprus Wheatear but more patience was rewarded on our way up to Troodos.

More Cyprus specialities with James Lowen included the very smart Cyprus Warbler, which given time and patience gave some great views.

Just back from a short trip to Cyprus with James Lowen where we enjoyed some stunning views of a wonderful endemic Cyprus Scops Owl over a couple of days and nights.

A Swedish colleague bought this John Davis picture, but left it on the train at Farrington on the 24th March. The train continued to Three Bridges. It is the original from the book Jewels Beyond the Plough. He is really keen to refind it. Any kind person know where it is? Thanks

The smart adult Black-crowned Night Heron at Cley NWT this morning was not getting much of a welcome from the local Little Egrets!@NWTCleyCentre

Cley NWT’s returning male Long-billed Dowitcher just starting to show some colour on its flanks this morning NWT Cley Marshes

A couple of heavily cropped screen grabs from a phone scoped video of the stunning Coue’s Arctic Redpoll at Helhoughton this morning found a few days ago by Ashley Saunders . It’s a real snowball. There are some very striking Mealy’s around too….

Great to see the Long-billed Dowitcher back at NWT Cley Marshes this afternoon after its short winter break in Suffolk.

Chasing a rare bird can be as stressful as it is exhilarating—especially when the bird has disappeared. Follow these tips from @thebirdist to make sure you use your time at a stakeout productively and respectfully. audubon.org/news/dos-and-d…

The 2w female Pallid Harrier arrived at Warham Greens this evening having fed rather well today. That is some bulging crop!

This image of a male Black Scoter ( #BirdsSeenIn2024 ) was taken earlier today showing well his all-black appearance apart with a distinctive orange-yellow knob at the base of his bill [BirdingInChina.com].

There just aren’t words are there - this is what we are dealing with - selfish brain dead ethically bankrupt savages who want to kill wildlife for fun . . . this so called ‘sport’ needs some serious regulation and fast

Back at Holkham first thing scanning the 5000 scoters when the lifeboats flushed & scattered them across the bay and beyond. With less than 20 scoter left I couldn’t believe it when the Black Scoter was one of them! Thanks to James Lowen and Stuart White for believing!

Scanning the 5000 Common Scoter at Holkham this am when a bird with a bold yellow/orange globe swims into view. Distant in a swirling feeding frenzy, impossible to track, 5 views in 2 hrs convinced me it WAS a Black Scoter. Unfortunately not seen again - back tomorrow….🤞

A huge thank you to CleySpy and particularly Suzanne for managing my ZEISS Birding repair. Fantastic customer service and support even when unexpected things happen.

The brilliant returning / wintering 2w female Pallid Harrier at Warham Greens has given some great views this week as she comes in to roost.