Snow Bunting, Salthouse, 28th March 2014.  Just the one: they have been almost non-existent at Cley & Salthouse this winter.

Mediterranean Gulls, Pat's Pool, Cley, 26th March 2014.

Firecrest, Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk, 24th March 2014.

Two-barred Crossbill pair, Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk, 24th March 2014. The male appeared to courtship-feed the female briefly. Another male was feeding in the same tree.

Firecrest, Walsey Hills, Cley, 21st March 2014. This arrival - and the 10 Wheatears in the Eye Field this evening - confirmed that spring has truly sprung.

Red Kite, Cley, 21st March 2014. West over the West Bank at 11.30am.

Goldfinches, Cley, 21st March 2014. Recycling material from a 2013 nest.

Red Grouse, Strines Moor, Derbyshire, 18th March 2014. We managed not to see any Red Grouse in Scotland, but Strines Moor held dozens - and they provided compensation for dipping on the nearby Broomhead Reservoir Two-barred Crossbills.

Curlew, Yellowcraig CP, Lothian, 17th March 2014. Unfortunately the female King Eider, though present, was too distant to photograph.

Drake Black Duck, with female Mallard, Strontian, Highland, 15th March 2014.

Dipper, Findhorn Valley, Invernessshire, 15th March 2014. Nest-building. A pair of Golden Eagles was also in the valley – our eighth and ninth of the trip (more than we saw Kestrels).

Goldeneyes, Loch Flemington, Invernessshire, 14th March 2014.

Cormorant, Loch Flemington, Invernessshire, 14th March 2014.

American Coot, Loch Flemington, Invernessshire, 14th March 2014.

Beaver, Knapdale, Argyll, 13th March 2014. One showed very briefly at dawn and then this second one at 7.00am.

Otter, Knapdale, Argyll, 12th March 2014. The beavers failed to show during an evening watch, but this Otter watched catching frogs in the reeds was fine compensation.

Common Seal, Islay, Argyll, 11th March 2014.

Grey Wagtail, Islay, Argyll, 11th March 2014. A pair was present on the river on just one of our three trips to the Woollen Mill, but on a different day from the Dippers being present.

Hen Harrier, Islay, Argyll, 11th March 2014. We saw only two Hen Harriers in five days on Islay, but including this roadside male south of Bowmore.

Peregrine, Islay, Argyll, 11th March 2014. At the Mull of Oa.

Common Buzzard, Jura, Argyll, 10th March 2014.

Golden Eagle, Jura, Argyll, 10th March 2014. One of four Golden Eagles seen together on Jura.

Red Deer, Jura, Argyll, 10th March 2014.

Red-breasted Merganser, Jura, Argyll, 10th March 2014.

Dipper, Islay, Argyll, 9th March 2014. A pair were present on just the middle of our three visits to the Woollen Mill stake-out.

White-tailed Eagle, Islay, Argyll, 9th March 2014. One of two seen on Islay, this one was resting on the sands at the head of Loch Indaal.

Fulmars, Islay, Argyll, 9th March 2014.

Rock Doves, Islay, Argyll, 9th March 2014.

Great Northern Diver, Islay, Argyll, 9th March 2014. Great Northern Divers were in virtually every bay around Islay – and Jura, and Mull.

Hares, Islay, Argyll, 9th March 2014.

Chough, Islay, Argyll, 8th March 2014. Of the dozen seen by Ardnave Loch, only this one was unfettered with colour rings.

Greenland White-fronted Geese, Islay, Argyll, 8th March 2014.

Richardson's Cackling Goose, with Barnacle Geese, Islay, Argyll, 8th March 2014.

Barnacle Geese, Islay, Argyll, 8th March 2014.

Shag, Islay, Argyll, 7th March 2014.

Hooded Crow, Islay, Argyll, 7th March 2014.

Golden Eagle mobbed by Raven, Islay, Argyll, 7th March 2014. Three different Golden Eagles seen, all on the Oa in one afternoon - a single and then two together at the Mull of Oa itself.

Bonaparte's Gull, with Black-headed Gulls, Ormsary, Argyll, 6th March 2014. The fish farm outflow stream at Ormsary is a magnet for feeding gulls.

Common Eiders, Ormsary, Argyll, 6th March 2014.

First-winter American Herring Gull, Campbeltown, Argyll, 6th March 2014.

White and intermediate morph Snow Geese, Tayinloan, Argyll, 6th March 2014. These two birds have been wintering with the Greenland White-fronted Geese at this site

Common Scoter, Campbeltown, Argyll, 3rd March 2014.

Todd's Canada Goose, Campbeltown, Argyll, 5th March 2014.

Todd's Canada Goose, with Greenland White-fronted Goose, Campbeltown, Argyll, 4th March 2014.

Iceland Gull, Campbeltown, Argyll, 4th March 2014. One of four different Iceland Gulls seen, with all four together, feeding with Herring and Common Gulls in a slurried field, at one point.

Black Guillemots, Campbeltown, Argyll, March 2014.

Barnacle Geese, Mersehead, Dumfries & Galloway, 3rd March 2014.

First-winter Scaup with female Pochard, Titchwell, Norfolk, 24th February 2014.

Avocets, Titchwell, Norfolk, 24th February 2014.

Common Buzzard, Norfolk, 21st February 2014.

Meadow Pipit, Salthouse, Norfolk, 20th February 2014.

Reedcutters, Cley, Norfolk, 18th February 2014.

Robin, Cley, Norfolk, 18th February 2014.

Sparrowhawk, Cley, Norfolk, 18th February 2014.

Marsh Harrier, Cley, Norfolk, 17th February 2014.

Chinese Pond Heron, Hythe, Kent, 13th February 2014.

Glossy Ibis, Cley, Norfolk, 11th February 2014.  He's still here.

Apparent Tree Sparrow × House Sparrow hybrid, Cley, Norfolk, 8th February 2014.

Richard's Pipit, Salthouse, Norfolk, 7th February 2014.  This wintering bird was again on and by Gramborough Hill, but is still very elusive.

Little Egret, Salthouse, Norfolk, 7th February 2014.

Great White Egret, West Lexham, Norfolk, 4th February 2014.  This bird has been present at this roadside site beside the River Nar near Swaffham for several days now.

Parrot Crossbill, Edgefield Woods, Norfolk, 2nd February 2014.  We saw the eight Parrots and a separate flock of 11 Common Crossbills. More shots on my other website (www.sgbirdandwildlifephotos.co.uk ).

Glossy Ibis, Cley, Norfolk, 21st January 2014.  He's still in the Glaven Valley between Wiveton Bridge and the A149, but often elusive.

Parrot Crossbills, Edgefield Woods, Norfolk, 19th January 2014.  A party of eight still present and feeding on Red Oak buds this morning – and also singing, courtship-feeding and carrying nesting material (though not actually nest-building).

Great Northern Diver, Blakeney Harbour Pit, Norfolk, 14th January 2014.  Also about 40 Goldeneye, about 20 displaying Red-breasted Mergansers and about 1,000 Knot there.

Glossy Ibis, Cley, Norfolk, 14th January 2014.  Still present today in the same area, but still elusive. Slightly closer today, when it was on view, but in much duller light.

Glossy Ibis, Cley, Norfolk, 13th January 2014.  At last 'showing well' (if not particularly close) with the Curlews for at least part of this afternoon; this bird has been lurking in the Glaven Valley between Wiveton and Cley for two days, but has been very elusive.

Peregrine, Salthouse, Norfolk, 13th January 2014.

Greenshank, Blakeney Harbour, Norfolk, 10th January 2014.

Barn Owl, Holme, Norfolk, 10th January 2014.  No sign of the Titchwell Glossy Ibis though.

Black Brant, Cley, Norfolk, 10th January 2014.

Glaucous Gull, Edgefield Rubbish Tip, Norfolk, 7th January 2014.  This wintering bird can be seen daily in the fields beside the tip.

Red-throated Diver, Salthouse, Norfolk, 6th January 2014.  Close inshore just east of Gramborough Hill. Once again, we could not find the elusive Richard's Pipit that is wintering in the area (though we did see it briefly in mid December).

Guillemot, Cley, Norfolk, 5th January 2014.  On the tide-flooded Main Cut right next to the East Bank Sluice.

Common Scoter, Cley, Norfolk, 2nd January 2014.  Close inshore off the East Bank.

Cirl Buntings, Devon, 31st December 2013. Cirl Buntings can be seen easily in south Devon in winter, with the most well-known site being Broadsands, where they regularly frequent the area of the beach carpark (dog walkers willing!).

White-billed Diver, Brixham Harbour, Devon, 30th December 2013.  Just as couple of hours beyond Portland Harbour, this made a superb double twitch with the Brünnich's Guillemot. We actually first saw it on the afternoon of the same day (29th December), but it was quite distant and elusive in the outer harbour. We stayed overnight and next day it toured the inner harbour, where it showed down to about 10 yards, albeit it was diving constantly and very mobile.

Brünnich's Guillemot, Portland Harbour, Dorset, 29th December 2013.  This delightfully confiding bird was well worth the trip – it was only my second Brünnich's ever, after twitching one in Shetland in early 1987.

Stonechat, Cley, Norfolk, 28th December 2013.  A pair are wintering along Cley's West Bank.

Red Kite, Edgefield, Norfolk, 26th December 2013.  Nowadays Red Kites are more or less guaranteed to be seen on any visit to Edgefield Rubbish Tip, but the tip is apparently due to close soon, so the days of this productive gull and kite watching site may be numbered.

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