Casual Birder Podcast

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom.  Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above.  Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week?  Photo shows: Hawfinch standing on the ground, side-on view, facing to the right of the frame. The background is brown leaf litter. The Hawfinch is a large finch with ginger-coloured head and black face markings around the thick grey bill. It has a brown back and wings with a prominent white wingbar, and peachy brown underparts. Caption below the photo reads: Hawfinch

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine - from a foggy weekend in Estonia:
1. Lifer Grey-headed Woodpecker ⭐️

And from the French Alps
1. First of Year Hawfinch
2. Alpine Choughs soaring together
3. Small Serin flock
4. Singing Blackcaps
🪶

Yep, currently in a very foggy Estonia - finding birds is very challenging but we have a good tour leader.

Love your birds of the week!

Square graphic design. Pale mint green with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. Portrait format photo on the middle left with grey/ blue text to the right. Photo shows: Close up of a Great Grey Shrike perched on a branch and seen in foggy conditions. The bird’s body is facing the camera and the bird’s head is turned to the left of the frame, showing the left side of its face. The background is grey. Caption below the photo reads: Great Grey Shrike Text on the right reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week?

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine - all from a very foggy day in Estonia:
1. Great Grey Shrike perching by the roadside
2. Lifer Steller’s Eider ⭐️
3. First Brambling of the year
4. 2 White-tailed Eagles feeding on the beach
5. Hearing Long-tailed Ducks calling
🪶

Image description: Square graphic, with pale peach background and orange wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. In the upper half of the graphic grey/blue text which reads: #1stBirdOfTheMonth MARCH [This word is in orange text and capitals for emphasis] What was the first bird you heard or saw today? In the lower half of the graphic, a line drawing of a generic small bird with question marks to the right of its head.

It’s the 1st of March and here in Estonia it is a cold and foggy day!

The first bird I both heard and saw was a Hooded Crow.

What was your 1st bird of the month?

Wonderful!

You are so lucky to have Brambling in your village! I think they have been hard to find this year.

Did the Blackcap fly into the window?
Glad to hear it flew off ok.

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above. Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week? Photo shows: Two Eurasian Spoonbills preening each other. The background is a grassy and stoney shore Caption below the photo reads: Eurasian Spoonbill

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine - all 1st of year sightings:
1. 17 Eurasian Spoonbills in the rain
2. 4 Slavonian Grebes
3. Common Gull amongst Black-headed Gulls
4. Dunlin and Common Ringed Plovers feeding together
5. Spotted Redshank at the water’s edge
🪶

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. No Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above. Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week? Photo shows: Little Owl. A mottled brown bird with pale “eyebrow” strips. The bird is standing on a rock, with green foliage around. The bird’s body is facing towards the left of the frame while the bird’s face looks towards the camera. Caption below the photo reads: Little Owl

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine, on Cambs / Lincs border & all First of Year birds:
1. An amazing 3-owl day with Little Owl, Short-eared Owl and Long-eared Owl
2. Surprise Glossy Ibis
3. Greater Scaup
4. Common Cranes
5. Great White Egret
🪶

Yep! We had a sneaky trip to Abberton whilst visiting my parents! It really is an awesome place!

I haven’t had Common Gull yet - I must try harder! 😁

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. No Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above. Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week? Photo shows: Drake Smew. A mostly white duck with a thin bill, black mask and black ear tufts. The centre of the back is also black. The bird is on grey water and facing to the left of the frame. Caption below the photo reads: Smew

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine, at Abberton Reservoir, Essex:
1. Lifer Smew, duck & drake
2. Big flock of Greater White-fronted Geese landing on the water
3. Several Ruff with beautiful plumage
4. First of year Cetti’s Warbler
5. Close views of Goldeneye
🪶

Wow! 15 Snipe?! Awesome!

Wow! Fabulous!
And isn’t it wonderful hearing all the bird song increasing?

Square graphic design. Pale mint green with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. Portrait format photo on the middle left with grey/ blue text to the right. Photo shows: Common Buzzard standing on a branch. The Common Buzzard is a large raptor with yellow feet and a yellow base on a grey bill. Plumage is variable, some birds are dark brown, and others are much paler. They have broad wings and usually show a pale breast band. The bird in the picture is facing to the left of the frame. The background shows bare branches in a woodland habitat. Caption below the photo reads: Common Buzzard Text on the right reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week?

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine:
1. Buzzard flying alongside the road
2. Cheeky Magpie eating from a feeder
3. 1st of year Tawny Owl calling in the early hours
4. Noticing the dawn chorus featuring Blackbird, Robin and Wren
5. Nighttime call from Canada Goose
🪶

Fabulous! Love me a Goldfinch!🙂

Image description: Square graphic, with pale peach background and orange wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. In the upper half of the graphic grey/blue text which reads: #1stBirdOfTheMonth FEBRUARY [This word is in orange text and capitals for emphasis] What was the first bird you heard or saw today? In the lower half of the graphic, a line drawing of a generic small bird with question marks to the right of its head.

It’s the 1st of February and here in Essex it is a cold and calm day!

The first bird I heard was a Blackbird singing in the darkness. The first bird I saw was a Woodpigeon

What was your 1st bird of the month?
🪶

That is good news!🎉

Sometimes we are lucky!🙂
Nuthatch and Treecreeper are 2 of my faves, so I am envious of you!

Hope the Sapsucker does ok. It must be so hard on them to be pushed into a new location by storms.

I bet those cardinals were a sight to see!

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above. Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week? Photo shows: Close view of a Great-tailed Grackle. A glossy black bird with a pointed bill, yellow eyes and a long, wide tail. The bird is standing on green grass and facing to the left of the frame. Caption below the photo reads: Great-tailed Grackle

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine:
1. Finally seeing the long-staying Great-tailed Grackle. So pleased to see it’s in such great condition
2. Lifer Killdeer!
3. First of year Little Gull and
4. Mediterranean Gull
5. Wonderful close views of a Common Snipe
🪶

Oh wow! What a wonderful collection of sightings!

Ooh, well done spotting the Redpoll. I was hoping to see one yesterday but no luck.

How interesting to get the Common Gull, Shovelers and Teal. Are they new for your village?

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above. Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week? Photo shows: Close view of a Mistle Thrush perched on spiky shrub with blueish berries visible. The bird is facing away from the camera but half-turned to the right, showing its plain brown back, face in side profile and spotted breast. Caption below the photo reads: Mistle Thrush

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine:
1. Singing Mistle Thrush
2. Magpie carrying a twig. Maybe nest-building?
3. Lots of bird song in a woodland setting
4. Big flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing flying over
5. Singing male Crossbill, seen against a blue sky! Stunning!
🪶

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above. Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week? Photo shows: Close view of a Tree Sparrow perched on a fence, showing its rufous head and black cheek spots. The bird is facing to the left of the frame. Caption below the photo reads: Tree Sparrow

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine-
At WWT Welney, Norfolk:
1. First of Year Tree Sparrow
2. Two Bewick’s Swans with Whooper Swans
3. Watching Greylags land on ice

And at Hayling Island, Hants:
4. First Purple Sandpiper for 4 years
5. Nice views of Goldeneye
🪶

Not a bad list though!
I’ll be back to garden birds next week probably 😁

Square graphic design. Pale mint green background with blue/grey wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. Landscape format photo in the lower middle with grey/blue text above. Text reads: #Top5Birds What were your best bird moments from the past week? Photo shows: Close view of an Eastern Black Redstart perched on a rooftop, showing its rufous breast and black face and throat. Bird is facing to the left of the frame. Caption below the photo reads: Eastern Black Redstart

What were your #Top5Birds or bird moments from the past week?

Mine, in Norfolk:
1. Beautiful Eastern Black Redstart
2. Lifer Taiga Bean Goose
3. Close views of a Treecreeper foraging
4. First of year Firecrest and
5. Jack Snipe
🪶

Ooh, fabulous!

Image description: Square graphic, with pale peach background and orange wavy-edged bands at top and bottom. In the upper half of the graphic grey/blue text which reads: #1stBirdOfTheYear #1stBirdOfTheMonth JANUARY [This word is in orange-coloured text and capitals for emphasis] What was the first bird you heard or saw today? In the lower half of the graphic, a line drawing of a generic small bird with question marks to the right of its head.

Happy New Year!
It’s the 1st of January and here in Norfolk it is still dark outside and quite windy!

The first bird I heard was a Herring Gull and when I looked outside the first bird I saw was a Blackbird foraging on the lawn.

What was your 1st bird of the month?

Fingers crossed! It was a beautiful bird!