27th December 2013

With news breaking of a MEGA in Dorset on Boxing day Arch quickly assembled a carload for the following morning......... Destination Portland Harbour.Target Brunnich's Guillemot (1st mainland twitchable bird) we  arrived on site in appalling weather to news that it had been seen but briefly after an hour or so the bird finally appeared out of nowhere & gave decent views but due to a time limit we had to leave (Shame as the bird put on quite a show after we left!!............

21st December 2013

Took a trip up to Budby Forest,Notts for the Parrot Crossbills which had been present for some time & occasionally showing well! Almost as soon as we arrived at the site the birds were seen singing & preening above the large drinking pools & eventually a few of the 14 came down!!

6th-8th December 2013

A little bit of local birding on the 6th produced 5+ Common Chiffchaff & a Siberian Chiffchaff showing well & calling at the outflow on Edison Rd,Coleshill (Pity I didn't have the camera!!) Whilst on the Saturday met up with Archie,John & Jules & travelled up for the Baikal Teal which was eventually found by our very own Arch so a big thumbs up other birds seen included Great White Egret & Merlin a few pics below... Sunday 8th was spent down in the Wyre Forest,Shropshire with Andy Jones looking for Two-barred Crossbills which we heard well but getting onto them was difficult & only managed several flight views but still a good weekend in all.......

23rd November 2013

Had a trip down to Holt,Norfolk with Archie & Jules for the Parrot Crossbills arriving on site about 8:30am & soon watching upto 11 Birds feeding actively in the Spruces!! After a cpl of hrs we headed for Cley but not much doing apart from a male Merlin & a Imm Marsh Harrier showing reasonably well off the east bank...