National Nest box Week 2010 runs from 14-21 February Organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Britain’s leading bird research charity, NNBW aims to encourage people to put up nest boxes in their local area which will promote and enhance biodiversity and assist with the conservation of our breeding birds and wildlife. As urban and suburban gardens and woods become increasingly ‘tidy’, the natural nest sites on which many of our bird species depend, such as holes in trees […]

30 January 2010 We had a great trip on the river today – fantastic weather considering the forecast with only a short flurry of sleety snow, otherwise bright and sunny with that perfect clear light a northerly wind brings. Highlights were a total of 7 Spoonbills including two ringed birds; the juvenile that has been with us since November and a new one that is possibly the same bird that Nigel Climpson photographed on Kingsmill Lake last year. I’ll need […]

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place this weekend. It’s very easy to take part and you’ll be joined by over half a million fellow garden birdwatchers across the country. All you have to do is look out of a window overlooking your garden or a local park and count the highest number of each species of birds you see at any one time over a period of one hour. Any time of the day is fine although I usually […]

On the Dec. 13th Tamar cruise a Spoonbill was observed with the following colour rings. Left Leg- light green over yellow over light green Right leg- Red over yellow flag over metal. Otto Overdijk of the Dutch Spoonbill Workng Group replied to the request for information with the following news: ‘Indeed, now I can identify this bird. A juvenile bird ringed at Den Oever 29/7/2009 ( just North from Amsterdam, Wadden Sea Coast Lat 52.934N Lon 5.031E ) This is a […]

This article was recently written for ‘ Palores’, the newsletter of the Cornwall Birdwatching and Preservation Society. Are you a member? BACK FROM THE BRINK A HISTORY OF THE CIRL BUNTING IN CORNWALL. PART 1           THE 19TH and 20TH CENTURIES. The first of this two part article examines the decline of the Cirl Bunting in Cornwall and later will report on the success of the re-introduction project in the county as part of the RSPB recovery programme. The Cirl Bunting […]

Dennis Gilman sent me these photos that he digiscoped at Pennington Marshes, near Lymington, Hampshire on 4 May 2008. From the colour ring combination it was confirmed to be one of the birds seen earlier on the River Lynher and was presumably on its way back to the Netherlands.