field identification

Colombian Mysteries

Colombia has a lot of birds and not all are easy to identify. While in the old days, the info of field guides was scanty and a lot of birds […]

Oh my! Myiarchus identification problems

Identification Quiz. What Myiarchus Flycatcher is this? There are 22 species of Myiarchus Tyrant-Flycatchers. In many places they present no problems in identifying as only or two species occur. However, […]

The Fauna and the Fora

In this guest post, Greg Neise from North American Birding gives a break down of the benefits of using a forum for connecting with other birders – and how to use them.

Slaty-backed Gull in Britain?

A Potential First. A WOW factor adult gull was seen and photographed today by Dominic Mitchell. I think it really looks very cool! A little frustratingly he didn’t manage to see the wing pattern – […]

Going for Gold

Goldcrest Christmas I thought I had managed to get away with going through all of freezing October, November and snow-filled December in the UK without getting some nasty Winter bug. […]

Snow Birding

I like the Snow! But then I did spend 8 childhood years in Canada, 2 of them in Brandon, Manitoba where temperatures reached down to -40 degrees. Cold- you have […]

Leo Musings . . . .

Time Spent with Leo’s . . . Fair Isle can be a special place to enjoy many migratory birds, but one bird in particular stands out to me as a […]

Live with the Mystery…

Someone recently repeated back to me a strap-line I like to use: “Always Discovering”. Well I have really been enjoying November 2010 on the discoveries front. In order to ‘do’ discovery, we also have to admit that […]

Hitchhiking Bunting

Snow Bunting breaking the rules! My family owns a caravan at Sandy Beaches, Spurn. The Snow Bunting above hung out by my caravan; without ME being there. The second bit is the […]

Russian Grey Shrike OK with you?

What’s in  a name Sorry. Was supposed to post last week and just got swamped! Went to do something on Redpolls, to find Rebecca beat me too it and did a much […]

A date with a ‘Horny Man’

One of the most enjoyable ‘groups’ of birds to photograph & get to grips with during a good Autumn on Fair Isle are the various Redpoll sub-species which can arrive on the Island […]

Lovable gulls for gull-haters!

First: ugly Gulls! I admit it: I love gulls.  They are endlessly fascinating and challenging.  If we look at a gull flock closely, we find that no two individuals look […]