A BIGGER BIG YEAR!, SOME WINTER VISITORS & A RARITY WE CAN'T COUNT.

We travel to the south east looking for more birds for our year list, we look for a wading bird that we have failed to find so far this year. We look for some scarce winter visitors, a rarity we are not allowed to count, and we increase our big year target!

[@brighteyedbirding]

I really enjoyed the Snow Buntings! Great video and finds!

[@michaeltrotter814]

Very enjoyable, great work.

[@johnflanagan44]

Keep going in till Christmas 😂😂

[@markshen3280]

Good morning to you both from Singapore 🇸🇬. May I please ask what do you do after you have completed your bird count challenge ?

[@TheDutchBirder]

A shame the Ortolan Bunting was gone. Hopefully you saw the Pallid Harrier, but I guess we'll see next time ^^

[@kevineldred8171]

Great to meet you at Freiston Marsh. Great video.

[@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures]

Cheers, nice to chat!

[@deanbrookes7711]

another red flank blue tail at Bempton today, hawfich been spotted aswell along with radde's warbler and dusky warbler, and black Redstart

[@clarkwgriswold157]

1st impression was Kestrel. That RNG was a belter. Great stuff. I saw the same Stilt a few months back. ID’d as an escape about 2 days after I saw it. So off the year list it came 😢😅

[@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures]

shame!

[@crashtest4585]

Your Sanderling at 12:10..... Interesting Bill... Optical Illusion or Spoon Billed Sandpiper? Or something it's feeding on?

[@elliotthorton8431]

I thought the same thing!

[@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures]

food i think.

[@chrisburris1036]

I'd vote for Eurasian Kestrel rather than Merlin -- the bird seems too lanky, and the flight too leisurely (was this full speed?) for Merlin. Merlins are shaped more like mini-Peregrines -- barrel-chested with a wide wing base -- and are typically fast, direct flyers even in windy conditions. Hope this helps...

[@patrickhawkins9087]

Another Great Upload Nigel.

[@ianelliott518]

kestrel

[@GaryLewis-z5z]

Another great video. Just out of curiosity how much mileage have you covered this year?

[@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures]

I have absolutely no idea, although i would imagine we travel between 800 and 1000 miles per month.

[@tonycritcher3419]

I love snow buntings, not seen any for some time though. Darker primaries on your raptor looked more kestrel to me. Years ago, there was a long staying black winged stilt at Titchwell (one of my favourite reserves), he was nicknamed 'Sammy'. I got to see a little stint at Minsmere last week and a shorelark at Kessingland, a raven at Benacre and today at Abberton, 3 black necked grebes. Retirement is great, I should have done it 60 years ago! Sounds like your next video will be on the only west coastline of East Anglia, if I'm 'Knot' mistaken! Most enjoyable video again, I wonder if you went back to the two you dipped the next morning?? Hopefully, and we'll see the results next week!

[@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures]

Next video, ooh, I can tell you, it's none of the things you mentioned......tune in.

[@tonycritcher3419]

@@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures You can count on me doing that!

[@tonycritcher3419]

Thanks

[@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures]

Thanks so much Tony. this helps more than you think.

[@tonycritcher3419]

@@TheBackyardAviaryAdventures
hopefully a few tins of kidney beans for the next chilli on the road!

[@zangider2739]

I would say that that bird of prey was a merlin

[@arandomuser8818]

Yeah, me too
That head definitely does not look like a kestrel's