James Dee Birding

Discovery of  Eastern Bonelli's Warbler  at Dungeness, 25th May 2025 During one of my regular patrols/ censuses of the Dungeness Bird Observatory Recording Area, (at around 0940), I was alerted to an unusual song at the southern end of the DBO "trapping area".  At a distance, I first thought it might just be an odd sounding Lesser Whitethroat, but as I got closer the more it reminded me more of Bonelli's or even a Wood Warbler.   Although, at first, it remained hidden from view, the bird continued to sing at regular intervals, allowing me to track it along the outskirts of a tree line.  I began recording the song and tried (through the intermittent phone signal), to send it to DBO assistant warden Jacob Spinks to get his input from internet searches.  Finally, after 5-10 minutes I glimpsed the bird and recognised it as a Bonelli's type.   It showed for about a minute whilst exploring some of the less foliated branches, and that's when I manag...

I arrived at LAX by Norwegian Air on the 8th November 2015.  I was thrilled when we flew over Greenland en route, the snowy landscape clearly visible below. In contrast, Los Angeles was bright and sunny.  I took an uber driven be a friendly Mongolian man to my Airbnb, taking his contact humber so I can meet him in Ulaanbaatar one day.  As of 2025, I still haven't been but the idea was there.  Might still linger in some recess of this messed up brain. I explored the LA area trying to learn the common species.  An Osprey  on the Santa Monica pier provided a good subject for my old bridge camera.   I visited a bunch of National Parks, such as; Death Valley, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia, spent a week in Las Vegas before heading to Occidental, Russian River and Point Reyes managing to ID about 180 species over 2 months.  Much of the time was spent exploring rather than flat out birding.  The most interesting mammals seen were Sea Otter, Coy...

  7th Nov The previous day's Pallas's Warbler was still present at Sykes Field in very close proximation with a Yellow-browed Warbler.  They interacted from time to time, with YBW chasing the former.   A late Willow Warbler  was present in the Crown Car Park.   9th Nov A Glossy Ibis  dropped into the flooded area at the corner of Beacon lane. Just after lunchtime, a report came through of a pale Wheatear on the breach.  After about 30 minutes, the advance group located and identified it as an Isabelline Wheatear !  Found by Hannah. On the 15th November, whilst chatting in the Bird Observatory car park at dusk, a Night Heron  flew over heading in a southerly direction.  Unfortunately, it couldn't be relocated despite some searching by several people. An Eastern Black Redstart  was found by Thomas Willoughby at the point on the 17th Nov.  That was just the third and final time I'd head down this visit. On the 17th, a H...

Spurn and East Yorkshire - Autumn 2025 - Part Two 13th October I finally encountered my first two Yellow-browed Warblers  of the Autumn on a day when over five-hundred thrushes were also present in the Spurn recording area.  They were then seen in twos or threes over the following four days. A Lapland Bunting called as it flew south past Pallas's pond on the 15th.   On the 16th, I went to see the long staying and confiding  Pectoral Sandpier at Easington lagoons. There was a large arrival of thrushes across the region on the 17th, when I counted at least 2500 Fieldfare, 2000 Redwing and 8 Ring Ouzel . There was also a Short-eared Owl, Woodcock , and a Glaucous Gull  which flew past Rob Hunton and myself at the Crown Car Park, later alighting on the sea before dusk. The Autumn was hotting up at last and the 20th October would be the day we'd remember most from the Autumn. News of a possible Black-faced Bunting  from dedicated bird finder Andy Mears com...

I arrived at the Kew Villa campsite on the evening of the 22nd September, where I was booked to stay for the first week.  A leisurely stroll turned up a Jack Snipe  on Canal Scrape that first evening.   Next morning, my first 85 Pink-footed Geese of the year were seen heading South, no doubt, on their way to North Norfolk.  2000 Red Knot were amongst the 61 species noted over the course of the day. A Hawfinch  flew over the road outside Kew Villa on the 26th. Due to the lack of Easterlies, it was a relatively slow start, which remained the case through most of the Autumn, but there were at least some better days to come.  In the meantime, I met the Bird Observatory staff, locals and hard-working volunteers with their energetic approach to the census and habitat management tasks that's required of them. Spurn is a special place, visited by a large number of birders throughout the Autumn, a number of whom of whom live in the area.  Many have retire...