randombirder

A truly memorable encounter during an unprecedented period in British birding history heralded by a fall of American passerines as a result of a fast-moving warm weather front emanating from the North American eastern seaboard. While many had predicted the precipitation of some New World passerines, I don't think anyone would have predicted the scale of the fall. The west coast from the Outer Hebrides, down to Scilly and across into Ireland have produced a variety of forlorn vagrant birds blown across the Atlantic into isolated patches of vegetation within our shores. South Wales has fared particularly well. And as many have commented, for those found, how many birds are still out there waiting to meet their finders, and also the sobering thought of those wayward vagrants that would have inevitably perished along the way. But vagrancy highlights the brutal realities of nature and the anomalies within the natural order.  The draw of the rare that sets birders and notably twitchers i...

8th September 2023 It was only a week but it felt like a lifetime of adventure that would generally fill a month but that I guess is why it's always a thrill to visit places like Turkey, a country bristling with life, great food, and exceptional birding. Flights were booked with Turkish Airlines, there really isn't any better alternative, flying to Gaziantep from Gatwick transiting through the impressive Istanbul Airport. The flight was really comfortable having the complete row to myself settling down to enjoy the IFE and views over continental Europe. A late evening arrival at GZT, sharply leaving the arrivals terminal and jumping into a cab for my hotel located next to Gaziantep Castle before a morning start back to the airport for my hire car pick-up and straight to Biricek. 9th September 2023 It was sweltering, too hot to bird really, but ignoring all that, headed straight for the cemetery which was largely bereft of anything interesting other than a singing dead sea sparr...