Phil Bishop

Several singing locally over the last week on sunny days.

Its a common gull with well marked bill

22 years ago 😱

The sunspot groups today.
#astro #sun # sunspots

Giant sunspot group taken with my white light solar equipment on the phone this morning.
TMB 115, 10mm eyepiece, continuum filter, polariser and solar wedge.
#astro #sun #sunspots

...female Shoveler, 2w Yellow Legged Gull, Caspian hybrid X307
##UkBirding #hertsbird #vismig

First proper bird movements Fairlands Valley Stevenage this morning. Over 150 Redwing west in small flocks. Several Skylarks Pied Wagtails and Song Thrush. Big unidentified finch flock-chaffinch brambling and Crosshill reported nearby.
Also 5 Egyptian Geese, first three Wigeon of autumn...

Pectoral Sandpiper showed well at Stanborough GP this afternoon. My second county tick in four days, having seen the Red Throated Divers at Tring at the weekend. #UkBirding

Lesser Grey Shrike showed very well this morning at Winterton ##UkBirding

Long awaited by most Herts birders.😄

Had a good 90 minutes mid morning from the sea watching hide. Had 45+ Sooty, my highest ever total, 4+ Balearic and loads of terns and skuas. Missed the Long Tailed though.

No sign of the Stork on the way home. Long time since we visited Snettisham and with the tide in our favour it was absolutely brilliant. 82 sp in total, including Titchwell which was a bit quiet. Great to bump into you again as well.

Hertfordshire tick this morning with the Rye Meads Night Heron. Phone scoped through a friend's scope.
#Ukbirds #RSPB

White Letter Hairstreak Chicksands Wood Beds. #butterfly

Played a blinding set. Glad I got home in time to see it.

Always felt the Wayland car park was a bit risky, but at least you could still get Willow Tits back then

Yes, a bit beyond the second viewing mound

Having failed yesterday, the RSPB Ouse Fen Great Reed Warbler is showing very well this afternoon #UkBirding

Stayed till 4pm, but gone quiet.

I assumed you were still out there when the news came out. Might try myself first thing but have other commitments later in day.

Stroll around Fairlands Valley lakes Stevenage this morning. Third singing Willow Warbler ( only a passage Bird these days).
First two Sand Martins and a single Swallow of the year, but carried on through the cold head wind.

Fun day in the Fens. Cold start at Deeping Lakes but got the Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret and 1w Little Gull.
Nine cranes at Willow Tree Fen with my first Swallows and House Martins.
Three Garganey on Ouse Fen and finally my first Yellow Wagtail on the Ashwell (Herts) dung heaps.
#UkBirding

Very warm today, and my first local butterflies this year. Several Brimstones and one or two Peacocks. None made it into the garden though.
Also heard my first singing Chiffchaffs.

First clump of frogspawn in my Stevenage garden yesterday

With the recent warm spell, the frogs are starting to get a bit frisky in the pond. Expecting spawning soon.

Expecting cold weather to bring in birds in the garden, but not this 😲

And I managed to get 93 of them , a personal best for the site #Ukbirding

Looks like a Pochard Tufted Duck hybrid

Hopefully will get refound 🤞

Spent 4.5 hours there . Apparently far fewer birds around (per LGRE) than in recent days, but it’s a vast area and few strayed far from the alders.
It is supposed to be very vocal and can be heard from some distance.