Microbirdology

The white‑tailed eagle was once native to much of England but had been absent from the southern coastline for many decades. A reintroduction scheme on the Isle of Wight (led by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England) has been releasing young eagles in recent years. Poole Harbour has emerged as an important area for these returning eagles: rich in fish and water‑birds, the harbour’s estuarine system gives the eagles good foraging and roosting opportunity. G466 is a female white‑tailed eagle, translocated to the Isle of Wight in 2020 from a nest near Uig on the Isle of Skye. After spending time in Scotland and then returning south, she became a regular at Poole Harbour from 20 November 2021. She has paired with male G463 in the Wareham Channel area of Poole Harbour. Their territory covers roughly 125 km ² , centred on the Wareham Channel and stretching to the Purbeck Coast and Wareham Forest This year, the pair became the first WTEs to breed in southern England, pr...

A week in Devon in October. Unfortunately the weather was constantly cloudy due to an anticyclone sitting on top of the UK. Trip to Portland Bill I really enjoy excursions to Portland Bill, it has a unique 'feel' than reflects its unusual geography.  This time I was looking for the Red-backed Shrike near the Pilot Inn.  I appeared to have 'just missed it' but I did get brief and distant views of a Wryneck in the quarry.  Parking at the bill is very expensive, so I joined the PB bird observatory, for their free parking. Female Blackcap in the quarry Wryneck in the quarry One of the many Stonechat in the area Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Sanderling at Ferrybridge Seaton Wetlands The marsh level was low, so much so that the exit stream looked positively unhealthy (black).  All the usual suspects present. Jurassic Coast cruise I was hoping for a few seabirds but the sea cruise was cut short due to the rolling swell.  We did see a small pod of Common Dolphin, a rea...

Minus the Shrikes! Sculthorpe Moor Visited twice, once with the Ely u3a group. Holme Cley Snettisham Very early morning Spectacular. Really too dark for photography. Winterton-on-Sea

The Red-tailed Shrike (Lanius phoenicuroides), also known as the Turkestan Shrike, is a striking bird with a reddish-brown tail, pale underparts, and a distinctive black mask across its eyes. It breeds in Central Asia and migrates to the Indian subcontinent for winter. Like other shrikes, it is known for its habit of impaling prey—such as insects and small vertebrates—on thorns or barbed wire. The Red-tailed Shrike is a rare vagrant in the UK. Fewer than 10 individuals are typically recorded each year, usually during autumn migration (September–October). Most sightings occur along the east coast, where migrating birds may be blown off course. This adult male bird was reported on the 2nd October at Dunwhich Heath, next to RSPB Minsmere. I visited on the 7th, and the not only was the bird still there, it was showing well and surrounded by quite a number of admiring birders.