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This seabird just stood still on the seawall at Ramsgate whilst I took a few pics in December 2011. Thank you TeeJay for the correction.

That was the quote from a keen local birdwatcher yesterday following what can only be described as exceptional conditions for seawatching. As i mentioned in a recent blog, seawatching is one of the more extreme types of birdwatching. It takes considerable patience, and many years of practice to be...

Sunday was one of those strangely unpredictable days that seem all too familiar here at Minsmere. Despite a poor weather forecast, we were actually treated to good weather, resulting in lots of visitors - avian as well as human. For some it started early. John Grant, familiar to many as a volunteer...

Sunset at St. Bees, Cumbria.

Great walk yesterday morning to celebrate National Farmhouse Breakfast Week. It was cold but clear with a red dawn sky over the sea when we started at 7 am. Gorgeous sunrise as we reached East Hide, and not too cold when sheltered from NE wind. We had some cracking views of wildlife too, before returning...

Wow! What a way to start the new year! Here's a few of the highlights from the first three days of the year: seawatching on 1st - slavonian grebe (very rare at Minsmere), velvet scoter , three eiders , 200+ red-throated divers , 50 great crested grebes geese on 1st included 12 tundra beans...

You know how sometimes when one thing goes wrong, so do several others. Well, yesterday was one of those days. there was definitely an air of midwinter madness about proceedings - and it wasn't just from the people concerned! I should have known it was going to be one of those days from the start...

Firstly, apologies for the lack of an update for the last week - not enough time in the office between meetings and a weekend off are to blame. It's been an excellent few days on the reserve - typically as I've not been out looking for anything. Two groups of birds have stolen the show - raptors...

There's something special about autumn gales, and I don't just mean the prospect of rare birds! Walking down North Wall at lunchtime, listening to the reeds whispering in the wind as swallows battled into the teeth of a north-westerly blow or gulls soared effortlessly south , pushed along...

Taken from a boat trip with Albatross Encounters, Kaikoura, New Zealand. These beautiful birds could be extinct in a few years. Is that ok with you? If not, go to www.savethealbatross.net and find out how you can help. Now. Thank you.

View from clifftop path, near bird reserve, St. Bees, Cumbria. (2007)

On holiday in Germany during the summer, my mate and I visited the Baltic Sea early in the morning. The sun was coming up and the sea looked fantastic and it felt as if the shot came together all in one go.

I love beaches and being there made me feel special for many reasons.

A beautiful (cold) sunny day by the coast and we were the only 2 people as far as we could see. Where were all the other idots!

A misty morning by the coast. Quiet as you like. It's like the huge space you can see suddenly rushes into your head and you've got room to think.

Newly hatched and struggling to haul itself into the surf, this little fella was smaller than my hand. It amazes me that it will grow into a 2m giant! I hope that this fragile creature, is still struggling on and swimming gracefully through the ocean