Tales From An Essex Birder

 After a last minute decision to switch location from Leasowe to Frodsham Marsh, me and Marc headed towards Cheshire in the hope of some ornithological goodies. With a myriad of spring specialities on offer at the marsh - Green-winged Teal, Ring Ouzel and Garganey to name a few. All of the following pictures are taken by Marc. Nevertheless, we crossed the bridge over the M56 and arrived at the marsh at about quarter to 3. The first port of call was to be the paddock, which we both scanned to no avail. A few Blackbirds got the heart racing but me and Marc failed to turn one into a Ring Ouzel. Heading left towards the tanks, we carried on in the drizzle to the soundtrack of Chiffchaffs whilst Swallows flew overhead. A distant Marsh Harrier was a good addition to the day's list. After walking up the incline onto the path, we eventually arrived at the number six tank and decided to have a scan. Nothing of note was picked up on the water, however a male Blackcap provided some worthw...

 With a rare afternoon free from the uni grind, I finally got a chance to do some more birdwatching. The looming deadlines of final year has meant that the amount of time spent in the field recently has been thin on the ground. Nevertheless, it was decided that Kent was to be the destination for this afternoon out - Hothfield Heathland being the first port of call. With a long-staying Great Grey Shrike being frequently reported from the site, I thought I'd hedge my bets and have a look for this species - which would be a lifer and only my second ever sighting of a UK shrike. Accompanied by my father, we arrived just after midday and headed towards the heathland - making a beeline for the specific tree in which the shrike was apparently hanging around. Upon arrival, there was no sign of the bird and I was instead accompanied by flittering Chaffinches and Goldfinches as well as the occasional call of a distant woodpecker. Me and my Dad head in different directions - covering more g...