Lady Amherst's Pheasant

Headed down to Bedford yesterday after news of one of the last 5 wild Lady Amherst's Pheasants left in the Western Palearctic broke on twitter last week. It appeared within a few minutes of me arriving but it was a fleeting sighting as it walked from one area of forest through the clearing to the next. Sadly I had no further sightings in the next 2.5 hours.
Heard my first Chiffchaff of the year

                                                 Library Picture, sadly not mine!

Welsh Wonders

Black Grouse lekking in Denbighshire, an approachable Lapland Bunting on Anglesey at Cemlyn Bay, Chough at South Stack and a very friendly Iceland Gull at Pensarn

Black Scoter

Distant scope views of a Black Scoter at Cheswick Sands Northumbria yesterday. On route we had good close but sadly brief views of a male Goshawk at Kielder Forest plus several Common Crossbill. we also saw several Common Buzzard both dark and pale morph one which has a pale rump base and got us excited briefly as we thought we were onto a Rough legged but sadly not!

Laughing Gull

Excellent views of the long staying Laughing Gull at New Brighton today

Shorelark at Fleetwood

Great to see again the long staying Shorelark at Rossall Point Fleetwood. Other highlights of the day were Corn Bunting at Eagland Hill and Hawfinch at a new site in Cumbria Witherslack seen only by Dave ( I believe you!!)

Pomarine Skua and Great Grey Shrike

Yesterday me and Dave went birding in West Lancashire. First off was the juvenile Pomarine Skua at Pilling. Great close views of a great seabird. Also present were a flock of around 100 Twite and an adult Mediterraean Gull. Next up were all 3 species of swans at  near Upper Thurnham. It was really nice to see a small group of Bewick Swans a species that eluded us last year and are only present in small numbers in the North of England. We finished off seeing the long staying Great Grey Shrike at Lytham moss.
At home in the garden I am seeing a Goldcrest daily probably the same bird that came last winter and spotted a single Lesser Redpoll a few days ago. Lets hope he returns with his friends!