Trip to Brean Cove - 4th January 2016

Although raining again today, I had arranged to pick up brother Paul from Bristol Airport. Paul has returned from Spain for a week to help celebrate my sister's (Sandra) 50th Birthday.

I had heard on the grapevine about the presence of a couple of Black Redstart at Brean Cove. They frequently winter in this spot each year.

My brother was easily persuaded to join me on the short drive to Brean Cove. After no more than 5 minutes on the beach and we spotted the Redstart along with a Stonechat and several Robins flitting between the rocks on the shoreline. The best 30 minutes of weather followed, along with some great photo opportunities.

11 species now photographed...just 189 to go!

A female Black Redstart is pictured below, and there are some more shots from the trip in my 2016 Bird Gallery

BIG Year Update - 2 Jan 2016.

Although, a lousy start in terms of the weather, I'm thrilled to report my BIG Year has kicked-off. With a target of 200 species photographed by the end of 2016, I was keen to make a fast start but, of course, the weather had other ideas!

The rain meant the only bird photography I managed during the first two days of 2016 happened with the aid artificial lighting in my garden. I'm happy with the results nonetheless, and I can report the tally stands at 6 birds down, 194 to go!

I'm visiting a care home on 6th January to discuss the installation of the first "BIG Year" bird garden...I hope to begin work in early February. I will keep you posted on the outcome.

We have one big trip planned in January and that's to the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. We also have a several other trips planned throughout the year, including Spain, Shetland and the Isle of Scilly and lot's of local trips also. If you would like to join me on a day out, please let me know.

If you would like to support the fundraising, you can do so here.

Thank you for reading!

Goldfinch - taken in my garden.

Weekend in Devon 9th-10th October 2015

My wife and I took advantage of my sister's kind offer to look after the boys at the weekend, to take a trip to Devon. We stayed in a small hotel in the quaint fishing town of Teignmouth and kicked things off, on Friday night, with an excellent meal at the Trade Winds Restaurant. 

The target for the weekend was to find and take a picture of the Cirl Bunting, a bird local to this part of Devon. We were out in the field by 08:30, following a hearty "full-English" and searching RSPB Labrador Bay for our elusive target. What a beautiful location!! Two hours later we found our target. In fact, we found at least a dozen of them. Tarn played the role of "beater" and I laid in wait to take the shot.

Buoyed by our success, we paid a visit to Bowling Green Marshes on our way to visit the boys who were staying with my sister and their second cousins at Rockbeare. It was very quiet at the Marshes, so we continued our journey. We took the boys to Exeter to visit the KFC and watch Transylvania 2...all in all an enjoyable weekend.

Cirl Buntings