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Big Day in the 10k - November in Manchester

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In my youth, those dim and misty days of yore before the internet, mobile phones and the wide availability of GPS, I was lucky enough to be involved in the Bolton Bird Race in the January of each year.  I was perhaps 14 to 17 during this period, and took part as one member of a four person team.  It was a day I looked forward to each year.  If I remember correctly, the rules were that you could visit any site within 5 miles of Bolton town hall, starting at any time you wanted and finishing at 7pm at one of the organisers houses in Horwich.  It was a slightly competitive adventure that encouraged people to cultivate a patch and knowledge of the wildlife around Bolton.  The benefits of that knowledge were obvious - if more people know what's present in an area, the more people can be in a position to help conservation efforts locally.  It was a rule that 3 out of 4 members of your team had to see the bird to be able to count it, and only birds seen would be a...
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North of England: into the wild hills and exposed coasts for Hen Harrier, Black Grouse and Purple Sandpiper

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I've been very fortunate to meet some excellent people this year, and some of those friendships have led to the best wildlife experiences of the year.  My 12 months of birding has given me plenty to reflect on, but one of the weight-bearing beams that forms the foundation of my enjoyment of birding is that I get more enjoyment helping others see birds than I do twitching new birds for myself.  I'm not averse to a twitch, and I enjoy seeing the novel, but nothing comes close to finding birds to help others see them for the first time.  Lee suggested a couple of days birding in Northumberland to try and see Snow Bunting, Bar-tailed Godwit, Hen Harrier and other highlights of the area, and I'd been in a bit of a much-needed break from birding after pushing so hard on the Big Year.  This was the perfect chance to just spend time having a laugh with a good bloke who is growing and learning fast as a birder, and see some wildlife in a way that creates connections with the ...
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Manchester Birder's October 2025 Summary

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October was a month where birding was, though the obvious focus of a week on Scilly, a secondary concern due to some serious life situations.  This has been the poorest October in memory for me, unable to travel far to see any of the wildlife that has concentrated itself a less than convenient 5 hours drive from home.  There have been highlights and good bits, and it's good to remind myself of them in the midst of the personally difficult time.  It's been a month of "seconds" - my second American Pipit, Spotted Sandpiper, Rosefinch and Rosy Starling were all birds that Scilly gave me, and I am grateful to have had the privilege to see them all. This worse-for-wear juvenile Rosy Starling that sat on the wire above the Old Town Inn for 90 seconds was bird species 300 for the year. October was also the month where I reached 300 species in the UK in a year for the first (and honestly, the only) time.  A brief, scruffy, tailless juvenile Rosy Starling was species 300 (oh,...
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