Fraser's Birding Website > Recent Bird Sightings from London, Ayrshire and further afield...

Ross's Gull European Bee-eater Barrow's Goldeneye Buff-breasted Sandpiper Ivory Gull

2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

2026

June 2026

Jun 26th

East Tilbury Marshes, Essex

Quail, Great Green Bush-cricket, Roesel's Bush-cricket, Mediterranean Gull, Avocet, Cetti's Warbler, Essex Skipper, Marbled White, Painted Lady (migration).

Jun 5-13th

Blencathra FSC, Cumbria [Trip Report]

Quail, Tawny Owl, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Dipper, Tree Pipit, Goosander, Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear, Stonechat, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Nuthatch, Raven, Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo), Glaucous Shears (Papestra biren), Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola), Common Green Grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus).

Blencathra Dawn Chorus Chronology & Song Meter Micro 2

Blencathra Dawn Chorus Chronology & Song Meter Micro 2 (passive acoustic monitor)

Eurasian Wren Song Types & Sequence � Fraser Simpson

Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes

Blease Road, Blencathra Field Centre, Cumbria, England 54� 37' 13" N 003� 04' 53" W 11 June 2026

Wren singing at dawn with a repertoire of five song types (in 2h at least), singing with eventual variety.

Total of 390 song strophes sung between 04:08 and 06:08.

Dawn singing pattern of Common Redstart � Fraser Simpson

Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Wescoe-Blease Road, Cumbria, England 54� 37' 00" N 03� 04' 18" W 11 June 2026

Dawn singing pattern of an unpaired male Common Redstart in mature oak pasture. Sung 1501 strophes between 03:33 and 07:32 before heavy, continuous rain started. Following sustained singing for 90 mins, peaking at nine strophes per minute, there was a gradual decline in output after 05:00, with occasional peaks until 06:35. Recorded with a passive acoustic monitor (AudioMoth) from 00:00 to 09:00.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) & Glaucous Shears (Papestra biren), Lake District, Cumbria, June 2026

� Birds heard vocalising in June included

Common Sandpiper, Stock Dove, Cuckoo, Tawny Owl, Swift, Skylark, Sand Martin, Tree Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Stonechat, Wheatear, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Raven, Tree Sparrow, Mistle Thrush, Siskin, Redpoll, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Great Black-backed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Oystercatcher, Quail.

May 2026

Diurnal Song Pattern of two territorial Cetti's Warbler, Wennington Marsh, 23.05.26

Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti

Wennington Marshes, Greater London, England 23 May2026

Twenty-four hours passive sound recording (using an AudioMoth) of two territorial Cetti's Warblers (same individuals as 09.05.26 below) on 23 May 2026. Total of 823 song strophes in 19h of territorial singing. A single strophe was uttered at 01:26 but regular singing did not commence until 02:25 with the main peak from 03:00 to 04:00, 1-2 hours before sunrise, during nautical twilight. More song output before noon than after noon (569 vs 254 strophes). Last song at 21:23, half an hour after sunset. Clear blue sky throughout the 24h period, min 13�C, max 27�C.

Night to Dawn Singing Pattern of two territorial Cetti's Warbler, Wennington Marsh, 09.05.26 � Fraser Simpson

Seven hours passive sound recording (using an AudioMoth) of two territorial Cetti's Warblers from midnight through to dawn. Two registrations of song were recorded during the night at 01:27 and 01:59, followed by four between 02:48 and 02:59, before regular singing started from 03:09 during Astronomical Twilight (sun 12�-18� below horizon). Sunrise at 05:16.

Wennington Marsh at dusk, May 2026 � Fraser Simpson

Cycle to work highlights Tilbury > Rainham Marshes > London

May 4th-9th

Nightingale, Black Redstart, Wall, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow Wagtail, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Avocet, Green Sandpiper, Corn Bunting, Cuckoo.

April 2026

Cycle to work highlights Tilbury > Rainham Marshes > London

Apr 27th-May 1st

Black Redstart, Hobby, Raven, Spoonbill, Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Tern, Shoveler, Gadwall, Corn Bunting, Cuckoo, Avocet, Little Egret, Shelduck.

Cycle to work highlights Tilbury > Rainham Marshes > London

Apr 20-24th

Cetti's Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Yellow Wagtail, Common Tern, Corn Bunting, Cuckoo, Avocet, Mediterranean Gull, Bar-tailed Godwit, Marsh Harrier, Little Egret, Shelduck, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral.

Apr 12th

RSPB Rainham Marshes

Bittern (booming), Mediterranean Gull (calling), Avocet, Redshank, Lapwing, Whimbrel, Shoveler, Pochard, Gadwall.

Warblers singing: Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap.

Phragmites, Rainham Marshes, April 2026 � Fraser Simpson

Mar 30th - Apr 9th

Costa de la Luz, C�diz, Andaluc�a, Spain

Alpine Swift, Andalucian Wall Lizard, Audouin's Gull, Barbary-nut, Bath White, Bedriaga's Skink, Bee-eater, Black Kite, Black-eared Wheatear, Black-winged Stilt, Booted Eagle, Broad Green-winged Grasshopper, Bumblebee Orchid, Calandra Lark, Caspian Tern, Cattle Egret, Cleopatra, Common Digging Grasshopper, Common Maquis Grasshopper, Common Stick Grasshopper, Crag Martin, Crested Lark, Earthling Stone Grasshopper, Egyptian Grasshopper, Firecrest, Garden Locust, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Griffon Vulture, Hairy Rose Beetle, Hawfinch, Hoopoe, Iberian Chiffchaff, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Iberian Mantis, Iberian Three-toed Skink, Iberian Water Frog, Iberian Yellow Wagtail, Kentish Plover, Ladder Snake, Lamenting Grasshopper, Marsh Harrier, Mediterranean Banded Centipede, Mediterranean Field Cricket, Mediterranean Turtle, Melodious Warbler, Montagu's Harrier, Mylabris hieracii, Nightingale, Northern Bald Ibis, Orobanche densiflora, Pallid Swift, Provence Hairstreak, Provence Orange-tip, Purple Heron, Raymond's Grasshopper, Red-rumped Swallow, Sardinian Warbler, Serin, Short-toed Eagle, Short-toed Lark, Short-toed Treecreeper, Slender-billed Gull, Slender Digging Grasshopper, Spanish Dung Beetle, Spanish Festoon, Spectacled Warbler, Spiny-footed Lizard, Spotless Starling, Stone Curlew, Swallowtail, Tawny Pipit, Thekla Lark, Vagrant Emperor, Velvet Ant (Ronisia barbarula), Vineyard Mole-cricket, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Western Subalpine Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Woodlark, Zitting Cisticola.

Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) � Fraser Simpson

Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) nesting colony, La Barca de Vejer, Andalucia, Spain, April 2026 � Fraser Simpson

Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) nesting colony, La Barca de Vejer, April 2026

Hairy Rose Beetle (Tropinota squalida) & Common Stick Grasshopper (Pyrgomorpha conica), Andaluc�a, Spain, April 2026

blister beetle sp (Mylabris hieracii) & Lamenting Grasshopper (Eyprepocnemis plorans), Andaluc�a, Spain, April 2026

Mar 28-30th, Apr 9-10th

Return train trip: Essex > London > Paris > Perpignan > Barcelona > Madrid > Malaga

Cetti's Warbler, Shoveler, Lapwing, Marsh Harrier, Little Egret, Black Redstart, Short-toed Treecreeper, Euarasian Green Woodpecker, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Black Kite, Cattle Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Greater Flamingo, Whiskered Tern, Little Egret, Red Kite, Griffon Vulture, Spotless Starling, Monk Parakeet, Woodchat Shrike, White Stork, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Serin, Common Swift, Avocet, Booted Eagle.

Train to Spain � Fraser Simpson

� Birds heard vocalising in April included

Grasshopper Warbler, Mediterranean Gull, Tufted Duck, Bittern, Pochard, Gadwall, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Common Swift, Monk Parakeet, Ring-necked Parakeet, Short-toed Treecreeper, Serin, Coal Tit, Stone Curlew, Reed Warbler, Peregrine, Kestrel, Northern Bald Ibis, Jay, Melodious Warbler, Calandra Lark, Red-legged Partridge, Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Caspian Tern, Turnstone, Iberian Yellow Wagtail, Curlew Sandpiper, Sanderling, Grey Plover, White Wagtail, Little Stint, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Dunlin, Collared Pratincole, Hoopoe, Iberian Green Woodpeker, Iberian Chiffchaff, Hawfinch, Crested Tit, Sand Martin, Tawny Pipit, Spectacled Warbler, Pallid Swift, Woodchat Shrike, Stonechat, Sandwich Tern, Black-winged Stilt, Willow Warbler, Crag Martin, House Martin, Greater Short-toed Lark.

March 2026

� Birds heard vocalising in March included

Thekla Lark, Woodlark, Cuckoo, Kingfisher, Western Bonelli's Warbler, Firecrest, Serin, Crested Lark, Bee-eater, Nightingale, Sardinian Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Barn Swallow, Spotless Starling, Stone Curlew, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Yellow-legged Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Dunnock, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Wren, Eurasian Green Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Black Redstart, Cetti's Warbler, Chaffinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mute Swan, Water Rail, Red-crested Pochard, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Grey Heron, Egyptian Goose, Cetti's Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Avocet, Corn Bunting, Chiffchaff, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Pheasant, Linnet, Lapwing, Chiffchaff, Redshank, Moorhen.

February 2026

� Birds heard vocalising in February

Feb 13h

Essex: Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming in a Horse Chestnut, Purfleet-on-Thames. Common Sandpiper calling in flights along the River Thames, Purfleet.

Feb 9th

Essex: Goldcrest singing, North Stifford. Two Blackcaps singing from edge of an old chalk quarry, Grays.

January 2026

Cycle to work highlights Tilbury > London

Jan 5-15th

White-fronted Goose, Pintail, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Harrier, Water Pipit, Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, Little Egret, Curlew, Sparrowhawk, Redwing, Buzzard, Snipe, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Grey Heron, Goldcrest, Shoveler, Teal, Stock Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Little Grebe, Pochard, Ring-necked Parakeet, Grey Wagtail, Shelduck, Lapwing, Skylark, Rock Pipit, Yellow-legged Gull, Dunlin, Redshank.

Cycling to work along the River Thanes January 2026

� Birds heard vocalising in January

Jan 23rd

London: Coal Tit calling, Ridgmount Gardens, Blommsbuty.

Jan 16th

Purfleet-on-Thames: 3 Blackcaps subsinging.

Jan 12th

London: Robin singing and Grey Wagtail calling in flight, St. Paul's Cathedral.

Jan 6th

Rainham Marshes: Redwing, Rook, Jackdaw, Canada Goose, Skylark (singing), Great Black-backed Gull, Dunlin.

Jan 5th

London: Great Tit singing West Ham station; Goldcrest singing, Bedford Square, Bloomsbury.

Jan 3rd

Benfleet Creek-Two Tree Island: Feral Pigeon, Green Sandpiper, Greylag Goose, Brent Goose, Wigeon, Jack Snipe, Fieldfare, Wren, Curlew.

Jan 1st

East Tilbury Marshes: Ring-necked Parakeet, Long-tailed Tit, Green Woodpecker, Blue Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Pigeon, Lapwing, Coot, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Cetti's Warbler, Stonechat, Skylark, Oystercatcher, Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Teal, Mallard.

Tilbury Docks-Tilbury Fort: Water Pipit, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Magpie.

Tilbury: Dunnock, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Robin, Starling, Pied Wagtail.

2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

� Fraser Simpson � www.fssbirding.org.uk