Ian Misselbrook

The winter edition of Country Eye is now on line as well as all the earlier columns. To view go to www.country eye.org.uk

@andy_goodey @EssexBirdNews Nice collection Andy

Some birds around Colchester area today: distant Red-necked Grebe in a bit of a flap at Ardleigh Res., ♂Smew and Kingfisher at Abberton Res. and Lesser Redpoll at Stanway Quarry. @EssexBirdNews

Wild Goose chase. Tongue End near Bourne, Lincs 1 Snow Goose, 3 Tundra Bean Geese, 14 White-fronted Geese c 180 Whooper Swans, 8 Bewicks and a Goosander.

@NorthernSeeds Merry Christmas Sean!

Just tidying up a few loose ends, before starting my leave. Thanks everyone out there for the business, loyalty, support, dedication and laughs, which have made 2025 a very memorable year. So here's wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy & Healthy New Year.👍

@andy_goodey @EssexBirdNews Merry Christmas Andy!

Visit to Blake’s Wood and Braxted Park, Sunday. Highlights: pairs of Raven at both sites and at least 1 Hawfinch at latter site, an elusive individual seen calling for 1 minute from tree top before dropping into Yews among a loose flock of 60 feeding Redwing @EssexBirdNews

I think that this is Neophrotoma flavescens found in Callan’s Lane Wood Lincs. Is this right?

Labour are backtracking on a plan to help save birds: by blocking a new rule that would make developers put a £35 nest brick in every new home. They think it'll help win them votes - we need to show it would do the opposite. Sign the petition 38d.gs/pa9y

Good bbs with quarry now no longer being worked. 26 birds and 4 mammals. My first garden warbler for the site in a scrubby area of a wood replanted after felling a few years ago. @Lincsbirding @_BTO @BTOLiincs

@alanball101 @Lincsbirding I heard on at Langford Lowfields on Friday; my earliest ever !

First Willow Warbler of Spring in my garden this morning. Earliest ever for me @Lincsbirding

@philespin @DEBALMER @BLI_Jim Wow! Corn Buntings really struggling in this part of Lincs. The coast area around Boston has some but hardly any west of the Forty Foot drain .

@DEBALMER @BLI_Jim @BBS, birds were feeding in an unharvested mixed crop of wheat and barley in a 100 acre or so field. Magical. The largest flock of Corn Buntings I’ve ever seen in my life.

Mind blown this morning. Went with a farmer at Dovendale near Louth to identify a large flock of small birds. 300+ Corn Buntings including 1 leucistic bird almost certainly the bird on my BBS last June 2.5km away. Also 250 Yellowhammer, 200 Linnet, 100 Chaffinch, 100 S, 30 RB

Drax Biomass Power Station is burning the equivalent of 27 million trees a year and getting paid public money to do it! Tell the UK government to stop subsidising forest destruction. act.gp/3CNWh2h

Due to difficulties with this , my old “Twitter “ I have opened an account on X as @IanMisselbrook. I hope to see you there!

Finally caught up with a Hawfinch today. Inevitably I did not have my camera with me as I was just walking up to the post office in Rippingale but did have my travel binoculars. @Lincsbirding @SLArchive @lincsbirders @BTO_Lincs

The autumn addition of Country Eye can be found on countryeye.org.uk

The autumn edition of Country Eye can be found on countryeye.org.uk

Peter Levy is the worst interviewer on the BBC. He does not listen to the interviewees and clearly has an objective to score points rather than listen to reasoned arguments. Furthermore when is he going to realise that X replaced Twitter many months ago?!! @peter_levy

4 species of shrike in Lesvos today including 3 Masked. Also Roller Bee eaters 2 each of Montague’s and Marsh Harrier Little Gull and 4 Slender billed Gulls. Also 4 Night Herons

Synchronised Spoonbills ⁦@RSPBFrampton⁩

Opal OCUGroup the contractors for Quickline are a bunch of cowboys. When installing fibre broadband in our street they cut off the water supply to our house and wrecked the grass verges. Despite numerous emails letters phone calls no compensation has been forthcoming.

A family of stoats at #RSPB Frampton Marsh today.