Rufford - 3rd January 2026

Back at the start of the year, when we'd had a couple of days of very cold weather, I went across to Rufford, for my first visit of the year. I love going when there is a lot of ice (c.80%), as this means many of the ringed gulls are sat on the ice, and therefore, their rings can be more easily read. as a result, on my first visit of the year, I saw 28 ringed birds!

The birds seen were: 206A (3rd sighting this winter), 258A (7th sighting this winter) , 273A (4th sighting this winter), 284A (2nd sighting this winter ), 208B (3rd sighting this winter), 272B (3rd sighting this winter), 274B (my 1st sighting since ringing in November 2022), 280B (3rd sighting this winter ), 293B (1st sighting since November 2024), 202C (5th sighting this winter), 207C (12th sighting this winter), 209C (1st sighting since March 2023), 215C (2nd sighting this winter), 258C (9th sighting this winter ), 273C (4th sighting this winter), 298C (5th sighting this winter), 207F (1st sighting this winter), 221F (7th sighting this winter), 222F (1st sighting since ringing on 2nd November 2024), 230F (1st sighting since March 2025), 2V05 (2nd sighting this winter), 2V16 (5th sighting this winter), 200H (3rd sighting this winter), 208H (2nd sighting this winter ), 209H (1st sighting this winter), 225H (3rd sighting this winter), 230H (1st sighting since ringing in Dec 2025) and 233H (1st sighting since ringing in Dec 2025).

274B

293B

209C

In addition to these birds, I also spotted a Swedish metal-ringed bird. Annoyingly, I only managed to see six of the seven numbers (_449368!!!)

Ring-necked Duck!

 In my last post, I mentioned a male Ring-necked Duck (77), I went to see last weekend. Unfortunately, the bird had left Shipley before I could get, but, luckily, it was re found a few miles away at another site, Straw's Bridge LNR. I popped down yesterday, and managed to get some nice photos, as it fed about 4m away!!

As you can see, it's a male, and other people's photos show a few brown feathers still, so it's been aged as a 1st winter (2nd second year) bird. It would be nice to think that it was the same birds seen in July last year, as Ogston Reservoir (see here).

Comparison shot, with a male Tufted Duck.

Most of the main lake was covered with ice (85%), and it was minus 1 when I arrived, so all the other birds (Mute Swan, Canada and Greylag Geese, Mallards, Shovelers, Pochard, Moorhen, Coots, Black-headed, Herring and Common Gulls) were also feeding close in.

Straw's Bridge

Year List Continues

 Travelling back from Northumberland on Friday, an then having the weekend, Jayne and I managed to add a few more species to the "Year List".

The first new additions, both seen on the journey home, were: Sparrowhawk (51) and Red Kite (52). Blue Tit (53) was added in the garden.

On the Saturday, I drove down to Shipley CP, near Ilkeston, in search of a male Ring-necked Duck (no luck), but I did see: Gadwall (54), Raven (55), Lesser Black-backed Gull (56), Little Grebe (57), Goosander (58), Long-tailed Tit (59), Chaffinch (60), Snipe (61), Mandarin Duck (62), Pochard (63) and Tufted Duck (64).

After Shipley, I drove across to Rufford and added: Great Tit (65), Coal Tit (66), Nuthatch (67) and Siskin (68).

The final call of the weekend was RSPB Old Moor were we saw: Mistle Thrush (69), Greylag Goose (70), Peregrine Falcon (71), Marsh Harrier (72) and Shelduck (73). We also saw 2 ringed Mute Swans and a very confiding male Stonechat.

Y774 and Y173

Stonechat

The last 3 species were Tawny Owl (74 - heard from our bedroom), Greenfinch (75 - in the garden) and Collared Dove (76 - in Dronfield).

Year List 2026 - Here we go again!!!!

I started the new Year List whilst in Northumberland on Thursday. By the end of the day, I had managed to spot 50 species, including my first lifer of the year.

The list began before dawn, as I drove down to St Mary's Island, with not one, but two, Barn Owls (1)! No other birds were seen before I arrived (as it was still dark!), but, on arrival, the following birds were seen: Carrion Crow (2), Herring Gull (3), Pheasant (4), Turnstone (5), Mallard (6), Black-headed Gull (7), Magpie (8), Oystercatcher (9), Cormorant (10), Dunnock (11), Redshank (12), Red-throated Diver (1 flew south past the Island - 13), Eider Duck (14), Great Black-backed Gull (15), Rock Pipit (16), Starling (17), Golden Plover (18), Lapwing (19), Dunlin (20), Curlew (21), Sanderling (22), Pied Wagtail (23), Stonechat (24), Grey Wagtail (25), Water Pipit (26), Shag (27), Blackbird (28), Great-crested Grebe (29) and Pink-footed Geese (c.40 in fields behind the Island - 30).

Water Pipit

The next few birds were seen on the drive back to Togston, and in a quick visit to Queen Elizabeth II Country Park: Jackdaw (31), Rook (32), Mute Swan (33), Coot (34), Common Gull (35), Canada Goose (36), Moorhen (37), Kestrel (38), House Sparrow (39), Fieldfare (40), Redwing (41) and Robin (42). A Whooper Swan was also seen here, but, as it is a resident bird, I'm not going to count it in the Year List.

Whooper Swan

The final birds were added in Berwick upon Tweed (numbers 43- 46) and on Budle Bay (numbers 47 - 50): Goldfinch (43), Wren (44), Purple Sandpiper (45), Buzzard (46), Shoveler (47), Wigeon (48), Teal (49) and Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 2 in fields just outside Seahouses (50).

A Tale of Three Pipits - Rock, Meadow and Water.

 I have to be honest, and say that, even as a "birder", I don't often look that closely at pipits. They are, after all, the very definition of an LBJ (Little Brown Job). For the last couple of years, however, I've been trying to find a lifer, in the form of a Water Pipit, so, whilst in Northumberland this week, I had to take notice of the various pipits at St Mary's Island, in order to see this particular species.

We started off on 30th December and spent an hour and a half looking at each and every bird!! Despite taking a lot of pictures, we only managed to find Rock and Meadow Pipit (photos below).

Rock Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Not to be beaten, I returned on New Year's Day, and after spotting several Rock Pipits, I managed to find, and photograph my first "lifer" of 2026, in the form of a Water Pipit.

Water Pipit

Rufford Gulls - 21st and 23rd December 2025

 This last week, whilst off school for the holidays, I had a couple of visits to Rufford to see the Black-headed Gulls. The first visit was on 21st December, when I recorded 21 green-ringed and the Lithuanian-ringed bird P519. A quick, 1 hour visit on 23rd had 12 green-ringed birds, P519 and, best of all, an adult Caspian Gull (thanks Luke!).

The green-ringed birds seen on 21st were: 206A, 273A, 284A, 208B, 272B, 202C, 207C, 269C, 270C, 273C, 298C, 2V10, 2V16, 221F, 227F, 241F, 292F, 200H, 207H, 208H and 225H.

284A - my first sighting since March 2023!

Birds seen on 23rd were: 258A, 208B, 202C, 207C, 273C, 298C, 234F, 292F, 2V16, 200H, 208H, 225H. P519 was also seen again.

208H 

Year List 2025 - The final total

 Over the last two days, I've managed to add another 2 species to my "Year List" for 2025, namely Purple Sandpiper (209) and Waxwing (210).

The Sandpiper was sent yesterday, at St Mary's Island, while the Waxwings (2 birds) were seen briefly at Edlingham, Northumberland. 

As you can see, my total of  210 is quite a high number for me (!), and is one of the best years for a long time. The three lifers were: White-billed Diver, Lesser Scaup and American Black Tern.