Ian Bennell http://ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com

@ianbennell75.bsky.social

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Birds, Moths, Watford FC, Weird Weather, Taxidermy and general moaning about things. Though not necessarily in that order.

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26.6.24. Best night of the year so far with 345 moths of 83 species. 3 main highlights were a new moth for me in Parachronistis albiceps, a garden 2nd Dioryctria abietella and a garden 3rd Ptycholoma leachana. #teammoth

So it turns out the Eucosma conterminana I potted up on Sunday was a garden tick! Micro number 320 and garden list number 626 #teammoth

Nice surprise on the door to the mess room at work this morning with only my 3rd ever Pammene regiana #teammoth

Home from a good morning out in Hants Matt Moreton with the Roseate Tern the highlight. Other year ✔️’s Sandwich Tern, Med Gull, Avocet, Cuckoo then a nice male Hawfinch at Acres Down on the way home + Firecrests. #ukbirding

3.6.24. 124 moths of 47 species. Highlights were my first ever Cream-bordered Green Pea (also the first record for TL00 square) and my first Pale Prominent since 2018. Garden list now on 624 species #teammoth

A blog update featuring 2 county ticks, 2 near miss county mega’s, some odds and sods and some pretty colours. ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/

Holy Moly! Bucket list Aurora over Hemel Hempstead,Herts 😱 #aurora

So after BW Stilt and Alpine Accentor narrowly missing Herts by yards in the last 2 weeks it was finally our turn with Herts 1st ever Lesser Grey Shrike just inside the border near the village of Lilley. Many thanks to Matt Kirkland for his find. #254 #ukbirding

Even though it’s choice of county is very poor this Alpine Accentor is still a totally bonkers record and the old adage of anything can turn up anywhere at anytime has just been proven. Better views than my previous record at Minsmere in 2002! #ukbirding

Winterton Dunes this morning were virtually dead but a seawatch produced 2 Whimbrel and my first ever sea watch Garganey with a nice drake going north at 11.20am plus an adult Yellow-legged Gull in the car park briefly before dogs flushed it and it’s fellow gulls 🤬 #ukbirding 🪶

Is the first one Caloptilia honoratella? And a crappy photo of another Caloptilia sp maybe rufipennella?? Thanks #teammoth

ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/ Finally pulled my finger out and typed up my birding year so far. The usual dross with some bang average photos as per usual! 😂. Enjoy #ukbirding

First moth trap of the year on Monday night. 24 moths of 12 species including this lovely Oak Beauty. #teammoth

Female Sparrowhawk that visited my garden a couple of years ago 🪶

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Other highlights from the trip north were my 3rd Lesser Scaup, my first Black Grouse since 1991 😬 also Red Grouse, Dipper, 3 Purple Sands, 10 Black Guillemot contributing to 15 year ticks. Massive thanks to Brendon Fagan for all the driving and Ricky Flesher’s company. 👍🏻

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My first but hopefully not the last lifer of 2024 with the lovely Myrtle Warbler showing well at Kilwinning. The highlight of a great couple of days t’up north!

Back from a couple of days in Norfolk. 13 year ticks. Most from a 30 min seawatch and a couple of stop offs. 117 for the year 🪶 Common Scoter Oystercatcher Ringed Plover Sanderling Kittiwake GBB Gull RT Diver Gannet Turnstone Hen Harrier Smew Brent Goose Grey Partridge

Seals at Horsey Gap,Norfolk this afternoon followed by a stunning male Hen Harrier on the way back to our accommodation

Not a bad week at work. Found a Firecrest on Monday and saw 25+ Waxwings yesterday 👍🏻

Bit of sun and warmth today stirred a Chiffchaff into song and a Red Admiral into flight in Cassiobury Park,Watford today.

Kingfisher and Peregrine from St.Alban’s a couple of weekends ago

Back home from a great day in the fens with 71 species to kick off the year list. Long-eared, 3 Short-eared, 2 Barn and a Tawny Owl. 4 Cattle + 2 GW Egret, Glossy Ibis and an American Wigeon the highlights.

Well that’s 2023 over and done with. The year that kept on delivering gave me 221 species with 11 of them lifers. Most since 2014 when I also had 11

Merry Christmas everyone 📦👍🏻🌲🎅🏻

@bsky.app any chance in the next update you can make it so that if I don’t come in for a while the last post I read is still at the top and not the latest one meaning I’ve then got to scroll back to where I was please? Many thanks and Merry Xmas

#ukbirding

I’ve finally got around to writing up about my week on Scilly and subsequent twitches. Feel free to peruse at your leisure or to help aid you to fall asleep 😂 ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2023/12/

Ian Bennell's Birding Blogianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com Giving you all my latest sightings no matter how dull they are!!!!

December the 7th that well known time for Foxgloves to be coming into flower 🤷🏻‍♂️😂