Happy Holidays.

Merry Christmas to you all, and thank you for visiting my page in the last year. It's great to know that people like to connect with my blog and leave comments. They are all read, and it means an awful lot to me. I am aiming to get out a lot more in 2026, so I hope I can bring you more regular posts than in 2025. I am also looking to do something exciting next year, that will involve video as well as pictures. So please stay tuned for updates as I have them.

As it is pretty cold here at the moment, I've chosen to add some pictures of warmer times for my last post of the year. These pictures were taken at RSPB Bempton Cliffs back in May, when I was walking about in shorts and a t-shirt. How I long for these warmer days, and some quality birds. 

Puffin

Gannet

Redesmere Gulls

Redesmere doesn't really get many different species of gulls through the year. Black-headed are the most common by far, with the odd Lesser Black-backed some months, and even rarer here is the Common Gull. During the winter months there can be 100+ Black-headed gulls on and around the water. Some of these have been ringed birds, and traced back to Lithuania. The records show that they travel from Redesmere to Lithuania to breed and then return to entertain me for the rest of the year. It's quite amazing really when you think about it.

Common Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Stonechat

I'm fortunate to have a few pairs of Stonechats locally. They're one of the birds that really triggered my interest and excitement in birds again over 20 years ago. Unlike most other birds, they allow you a few opportunities to ID them, as they will often sit up nicely on a branch, bush, fence or fence post. Regularly dropping down to pick up a snack. 

This pair were doing what they do best along the East Bank, Cley Marshes. Luckily for me the sun was out, and they were not too far away.

Female Stonechat

The male. So frustrating that the blade of grass wouldn't blow out of shot.

Jack Snipe - Cley Marshes

A bird that I'd only set eyes on twice before was the Jack Snipe. Once at Spurn and once at Snipes Pool, Cley. On both occasions the views were distant. The first bird was asleep for the duration, while the second bird did give me it's bouncy bobbing dance for confirmation. (Well worth a Google if you get a chance). Just a couple of weeks ago I got my third and best look at this cracking little wader, from Bishops hide at Cley. It was asleep most of time, but being probably no more than 10 feet away, it was not a problem. Every 5-10 minutes it would bob a little and then pop it's head up to have a look, before assuming it asleep with one eye open position. 

I was chuffed to be able to get some decent pictures.

Jack Snipe. Asleep with one eye open. 

During one of it's fleeting awake moments.