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With all this rain maybe we should be building an ark .... come to think of it the reception building here is a safe bet if we get any floods! Returning waders are stealing the show at the moment and despite what you may have heard on the news this week some waders do return this early. Despite...

I don't get the chance to lead guided walks very often, so when John Grant asked me to return a favour and stand in for him leading today's walk, I didn't need much persuading. It was, therefore, with great frustration that I opened the curtains this morning to see a thick cloaking everything...

The RSPB IS people have apparently solved my continuing website problems, although it's now dependent on the mobile phone company to action the change. Something they're being frustratingly slow to address. So anyway, back at Northward Hill office, so access to the website has allowed an up...

Another 2 weeks has passed & still no joy in getting onto the RSPB website at Elmley - a real conundrum. I have been sent another possible fix that I will try when I return to Kingshill Farm, but I'm currently at Northward Hill, hence the chance for a further up-date about what's hip &...

A golden oriole was singing from the woodland (the 'black wood') next to the bridleway yesterday afternoon. Found by one of our volunteers, Russ Tofts, it was infuriatingly elusive (as golden orioles tend to be). I went to look/listen for it early this morning without any luck, although I did...

Having been away over the bank holiday at Spurn Bird Obs (am I the only person in the world not to have seen "that" dress?) and only now seeming to get 10 minutes to myself since my return, I thought it was about time that we had a bit of a catch up. The drought continues: there was 0.3mm...

With light winds & sunny skies, I was quite hopeful that today would produce our first yellow wagtail or garganey of the year. Alas, I was disappointed, but the variety of raptors around today made up for it. Both male & ring-tail hen harrier were seen, along with a merlin, at least 3 buzzards...

Well, the promised sunshine finally arrived today. And what a difference! Splendidly sunny (although still with a cool northerly breeze), it's really starting to feel more like spring. One of the sure signs was evident this afternoon, when a distinctive squealing call revealed a male marsh harrier...

A promising start went downhill fairly rapidly after lunch, with mist, drizzle & a fresh northerly breeze arriving. I was out bright & early & it was a pleasure,with lapwing and now the first redshank displaying over the marsh and the "kluut, kluut" of the avocets on the Flood getting...