Alan Ball

Local Peregrines now getting vocal.

Cracking photo of a very difficult bird to snap. I saw Blue Pitta as well as Eared, Mangrove and Gurney's on my only trip to Thailand....would love to go back.

Such a small fine acts as no deterrent at all !

Yes both sets of parents. Boxes are dual sectioned, so the owls and kestrels are separate from each other.

The boxes are dual chambered so separated from each other. Kestrels nesting in the 'roof' section, above the Barn Owls in the main part of the box

Its the poorest year for owls thus year due to lack of food, and I have ringed only a hundred of each of Barn Owls and Kestrels. So a big surprise on the Humber Bank this week to find 6 Barn Owl and 4 Kestrel chicks in the same nestbox ...and with uneaten prey items too!

All three Peregrine chicks have now fledged at St Wulframs Church, Grantham.

The first Lincs record was in Lincoln.....1986 at North Hykeham - remember it well.

Checking our Little Owl boxes today and was surprised to find 7 eggs, as it's a very poor breeding year,....then found there were two females in the box (photo shows both with brood patches) Polygyny is very rare in Little Owls.

One for you @djrlincsbirder.bsky.social

These Raven chicks in south Lincolnshire today were nearly 80 metres up a communications tower !

Earliest ever Willow Warbler for me in my Sleaford gardem this morning @lincsbirding.bsky.social

I come across them every few years or so. Last year we came across some chicks with intergrade features, only a few miles from this sighting, so makes you wonder if this bird was around last year, and has bred locally?

Nice change of scenery today in neighbouring Yorkshire... we dont get Red Grouse in Lincolnshire.

Hedge accentor!

Bit warmer a year ago today in the Gambia, whilst getting these photos of Blue-cheeked and Little Bee-eaters.

Good start to 2025 with a Water Rail ringed at Marston STW... the 18th of this autumn/winter.

Unexpected Firecrest caught and ringed at Dunsby this morning

Just received details of one of our Siskins, ringed at Bourne Wood in April, thst was caught in the Russian Federation just 9 days later.

The 16th Water Rail ringed at Marston STW this autumn. Only around a hundred are ringed annually in the UK.

It has been a record autumn for ringing Water Rails (13) and Moorhen (18) at Marston whilst targetting Moorhen for the colour-ringing scheme. Grey Wagtail this morning also.

I know it's mild, but was not expecting to see our male Peregrine nest "scraping" this afternoon at Grantham.

Thought I would just play mp3 of Bearded Tit at Marston on the off chance of one passing through! Very rare here, only a couple of records on 30 years. Will buy a lottery ticket for today!

The drake Mandarin on the river Slea, in Sleaford, is in excellent plumage now.

34 Years ago today.... Lincolnshire's 3rd ever Olive-backed Pipit caught and ringed at Seacroft Golf Course.

Siberian Chiffchaff (tristis race) was unexpected at Marston STW this morning.

Rather smart Stonechat caught and ringed at Marston STW today.

Nice morning bird ringing at Marston STW. Meadow Pipits starting to move through, 2 Cetti's Warblers and Water Rail ringed among the commoner Sedge and Reed Warblers and Chiffchaffs.

Two years ago today, this juv. Red-backed Shrike was ringed at Marston STW, Lincolnshire. It was the only one ringed in England in 2022, with two others in the UK (Fair Isle and Shetland). A real surprise find inland.