Daryl Rhymes

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@BirdGuides Arctic Warbler at Gt Wigborough, Essex. Please note that there is a church service at St Stephens tomorrow morning, so access to the car park will be limited. Alternative parking for tomorrow only has been arranged in a field directly opposite the car park entrance

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@birderkettle @HughHarrop @yellbirder A mere 33 years ago, remember it well. We saw the Sibe Thrush on N Ron the day before as well!

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

I had another couple of hours at Hanningfield Res this pm. It may not attract rarities, but there's always something of interest, today a lingering Osprey & a Black-necked Grebe were the best. Also 1w Med Gull, 45 Little Grebe, 34 RC Pochard, 5 Common Sands & 2 Hobby

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

Here's a few more shots from The Naze yesterday. As well as the bird & Red Admirals, there were plenty of Painted Ladies, Holly Blues, loads of Whites, Speckled Woods, Small Heath, Willow Emerald, darters & hundreds of Migrant Hawkers.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

Yesterday I had my first full day's birding at The Naze for 2 years. 10 hours & 10 miles later l left after a very enjoyable day, seeing 7 Pied & a Spot Fly, Tree Pipit, 14 Wheatear, 4 Whinchat, hundreds of hirundine, lots of common warblers & a large passage of Red Admiral.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@jrmjones @ecoevoenviro Thanks Josh - yep, certainly looks the same. It's a bit messier at the moment but assume it's moult-related. I'll try to locate it again tomorrow and maybe get some better shots. Bizarre looking bird!

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

I had a few pleasant hours at Hanningfield Res this morning in the company of 2 Black Tern, 4 juv Little Gull, a Garganey, 2 ad Yellow-legged Ģull, 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Pintail, 35 RC Pochard & one of the oddest aythya-type hybrids I've seen (parentage unknown, suggestions welcome)

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@ecoevoenviro Thoughts are that it's a Tufted x Rosybill. Latter is a pretty cool South American species but frequently kept in collections too.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@AH_birdartist Cheers Alan - same thought from others too. Possibly Rosybill x Tufted.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@birderkettle I'd give up mate if I were you - just twitch birds found by Tracy 😂

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@step_dove @ukbirdingpins I'd have one but have dropped from 300 to 298 with the Redpolls. Guess I'll have to try harder. How about a separate one for self-found anatidae, the UK35 club?

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

Quick visit to Hanningfield Res this pm, not too many birds of interest today - but good counts of 40 Little Grebe & 26 RC Pochard, 3 Common Sandpiper, Marsh Harrier, lots of Willow Emerald, a Lesser Emperor & a few Speckled Wood.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

The Marsh Harriers at Abberton today were good value, five of them seen including two juvs that were hanging around together at west end (probably locally bred).

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

It was a Migrant Hawker festival at Abberton today, they were everywhere in good numbers. Also Willow Emeralds in one of their usual spots.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

Two of the ten Garganey at Abberton Res this morning were quite close in & not too worried about people wandering past.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

Birding was slow at Abberton, but still 10 Garganey W of LDLH causeway, 28+ GW Egret, 2 fem RC Pochard, 3 Blackwit, Snipe & 5 Marsh Harrier (incl 2 lingering juvs at west end). Stanway GP devoid of gulls (landfill is not operating) but 4 LR Plover, 8 Green & 1 Common Sand there

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

In keeping with the rest of 2024, it was a very poor butterfly transect at Abberton today - total of just 50 of 9 species. The only Painted Lady was nice though. Also several Southern Hawkers & Southern Migrant Hawkers in the same area.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@AduBrodie I was only on Layer Breton causeway for about 15 minutes at about 4pm. There were quite a few birders & photographers there.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

I took Jan & my Mum to see the Canvasback today (had to take them blackberrying & for a pub lunch first though!). They were suitably unimpressed. Also seen at Abberton were 9 Spoonbill, juv LR Plover, Ruff & lots of Egrets of various sizes!

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

@birdbrainuk Not really sure - but seems to have happened since they raised the water levels at Abberton. Doesn't seem like a coincidence.

[Daryl Rhymes @DarylRhymes]

Abberton WeBS total today was really poor at just below 4k, but that did include Canvasback, 33 GW & 10 Cattle Egret, 5 imm Spoonbill, a Black-necked Grebe (not seen by me), LR Plover, 11 Common & 3 Green Sand & a Greenshank. Also good arrival of 300+ Swallow & 30+ Sand Martin.