The Juvenile Birder

Wykeham Forest Wildlife! We arrived at a site just outside of Wykeham Forest in hopes of seeing Turtle Doves. As soon as we arrived, we were  treated to an abundance of activity. Initially we noticed five Yellowhammers  feeding and showing very well, including what looked to be a few fledglings. Suddenly, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew in and started feeding in a tree just opposite us. There appeared to be one juvenile and one adult bird. Although not uncommon, I have not had many views of this majestic bird this year. I then got out of the car (which we were using as a hide) and started looking in and around the bushes, spotting a few Nuthatches , as well as both adult and young Great Tits  and Blue Tits . I then spotted five Tree Sparrows , including at least three young, all perfectly perched on one branch. I didn't expect to see them here, so it was nice to find five of them! I also got a brief view of a Marsh/Willow Tit , however I didn't get to see it long enoug...

 Temporary Tick! Image by @RobsBirding, not same bird We set off at 3.30am, picked up Dave and were taken to Fakenham by Keith. We arrived at around 9:00am. Our target bird was the Rustic Bunting, that had been seen here yesterday, however a Coues's Arctic Redpoll had been seen earlier in the morning, which would also be a lifer. Once we had arrived at the site, we scanned the crop cover at the far end of the field. The first thing that stood out to me was the large flock of Lesser Redpolls  feeding in the crop cover, as well as the numerous Meadow Pipits and Skylarks in the surrounding fields. We also noticed many Red-legged Partridges  in the fields. In the crop cover were a few beautiful male  Yellowhammers . There were also a few Bramblings . I was very happy to see them after only getting brief views of them in the past. Suddenly, someone spotted the Arctic Redpoll in their scope, and they let me have a look. The Coues's Arctic Redpoll was sat on a branch, ...

  Mega Rarity and Passage Waders! We arrived at 5:30am at Wandale Farm to see the Turkestan Shrike, a mega rarity. To get there, we parked in the car park at RSPB Bempton Cliffs- location pinned to post named 'Seabird Galore (and Mega Rarity)'- and walked out past Staple Newk Viewpoint until we got to the end of the clifftop fence. On the way, someone let me get a nice glimpse of the Black-Browed Albatross as it rested on the cliff within the colony of Gannets. Opposite the end of the fenceline is a flattened out path through some crops. Walk through that until you reach the top of the hill. From there, you should see lots of birders and that's where you go. If the birders aren't present yet, then walk along the path on top of the hill. The farmer might have parked his car there and it's opposite that. If the car is also absent, then just go to the other side of the hill and then down towards an old barn. That's where we met up with a ton of other birders. We al...

 Rare Doves And Ano ther Yellowhammer! We arrived at 11:00am, after a successful trip to Wykeham Forest, in hopes of seeing Turtle Dove. We parked in the lay by next to Mill Inn, a pub that has been permanently shut down. Opposite us were feeders and the Turtle Doves often landed in the trees and on the feeding trays. While Collared Doves and Stock Doves were present, the Turtle Doves were remaining elusive and not even calling. We decided to walk round and while we had no luck walking behind the pub, we did hear one as it purred softly trekking further down the road, right to Mill Inn. We hopped back in the car and soon after saw a Yellowhammer land in the tree and then fly off, a much better view of it than my first sighting on Jacob's Lane. Sometime later, I spotted a pair Turtle Doves as they flew into the tree, stayed for a bit and then flew off. Turtle Doves are on of Britain's fastest declining birds and so to see them is a treat. Another new tick to end the trip here, t...

 Quick Drive to See a New Tick! We arrived at 9:00pm for an evening drive down Jacob's Lane (as advised by Rob). We got onto it via Moss Lane West. We turned left and examined the road and then pulled over to check the trees. We then turned and headed to the other side, passing Moss Lane West and Moss Lane East. We then ended up at a road called Blue Moor. We were looking for Yellowhammer, a bird I really wanted to see and something that would be a lifer. I then thought I saw a possible one but judging on how bad the light was and how many Goldfinches were around, I couldn't confirm it. We then drove onto Blue Moor and then an unnamed road. Present was a Buzzard and nearby was where I thought I saw the possible Yellowhammer go. With no luck, we then went for a final time on Jacob's Lane. Presently, I spotted one! I watched in amazement until it flew off. This bird by far gave me the most joy to see. An absolutely fantastic trip!