14th May 2021 - Longham Lakes, Dorset

Managed to pop down to Longham Lakes in Dorset in the afternoon to try for the Whiskered Tern which has been present for around a week. After parking the car (not easy around there) and finding the footpath to the lakes, I located the bird within 30 seconds of arrival. It was sat on a yellow buoy near the Northern end giving nice views. It remained on the buoy for the next 15 minutes before going for a fly around and at times getting quite close. The bird always returned to the yellow buoys! A particularly easy twitch and a bird I was very happy to catch up with after dipping the Dungeness bird in May 2019.

Whiskered Tern, Longham Lakes, Dorset

6th May 2021 - Goring Gap

Quick pit stop at Goring Gap produced excellent views of the male Whinchat also two Wheatears and a Whitethroat.

3rd May 2021 - Rochford, Essex

Dad and I ventured into Essex mid-morning for the adult male Woodchat Shrike. Unsurprisingly, the site was busy with other birders but upon arrival the bird was sat out on a bramble bush adjacent to the horse paddock showing really well. This has been a bird, I was very keen on seeing in the UK for a long time so to twitch this bird was a no brainer. On the way home, we stopped at another site in Essex where we had reasonable views of Grasshopper Warbler although the ever increasing windspeed did not help our cause. When I got home the windspeed was near gale force so I headed down to Goring Gap. I was very happy when a Manx Shearwater flew east at 15:58, an excellent end to a very good day. 

Woodchat Shrike, Rochford, Essex