http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk Birding from around the world Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:41:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/black-headed-gull-ring-reading-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/black-headed-gull-ring-reading-british-birding/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2021 12:58:12 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=23174 For photographers large congregations of birds at close range are a blessing so it was with this expectation that I took Michael Wong to Erith Pier, on the River Thames, in early August. Although for many people a bunch of gulls might not seem that exciting, the bright early morning light, variety of species and [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/black-headed-gull-ring-reading-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-great-cormorant-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-great-cormorant-british-birding/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2021 17:51:58 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=22786 I always encourage birders to report colour ringed birds to those who run the ringing programs involved. It is only by receiving reports that ringers can build up a bank of knowledge which can then potentially be used for bird conservation strategy formation. That is not to say that every report of a ringed bird [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-great-cormorant-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/herring-gull-from-russia-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/herring-gull-from-russia-british-birding/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2021 17:34:51 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=22756 When birding is slow, or I feel like I want to see lots of birds at close range, a trip to a local gull hotspot is always interesting. Sites such as beaches, tips and even ploughed fields often host hundreds or even thousands of gulls and the possiblity of finding a rare species. Even if [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/herring-gull-from-russia-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/ringed-gulls-at-beddington-farmlands-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/ringed-gulls-at-beddington-farmlands-british-birding/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2020 14:50:59 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=22678 Although birding is a relaxing hobby that takes birders to lots of interesting and often beautiful places I also find it rewarding to be able to contribute towards a greater understanding of birds which can provide information useful in their conservation. One of the easiest ways I have found of doing this is by reporting [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/ringed-gulls-at-beddington-farmlands-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/herring-gull-first-winter-with-colour-leg-ring-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/herring-gull-first-winter-with-colour-leg-ring-british-birding/#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2020 15:45:51 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=22577 On 16th October 2020 I enjoyed a nice birding day at Minsmere and Southwold with David Scott. Although the day had not turned up any rarities we saw a wide variety of nice birds including big groups of Redwings feeding on berries, Coal Tits on the feeders, a Mediterranean Gull on the scrape, a male [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/herring-gull-first-winter-with-colour-leg-ring-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/pied-avocet-with-colour-rings-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/pied-avocet-with-colour-rings-british-birding/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2020 17:09:29 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=22515 On a quite grey and gloomy day on 3rd October 2020 I made a visit to RSPB Rainham Marsh which is just inside the boundary of London. Rather than enter the reserve immediately I walked along the River Thames where there were an intriguing group of gulls and waders which tricked me into thinking there [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/pied-avocet-with-colour-rings-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-herring-gulls-x-3-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-herring-gulls-x-3-british-birding/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2020 15:19:28 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=22473 A few weeks ago I came across three different Herring Gulls with colour rings on their legs within the space of just a few days, all in roughly the same area; the Swale in North Kent, UK. The first of the three birds I noticed briefly on the shoreline before it took off. I took [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-herring-gulls-x-3-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/great-cormorant-colour-ring-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/great-cormorant-colour-ring-british-birding/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2020 19:04:09 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=22364 Abberton Reservoir is a well-known birding site in the county of Essex, Southeast England, but one that I had never visited before last week. I had a really great time at this nice spot, with a very good selection of species and the two causeways across the reservoir were great spots to stand and photograph [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/great-cormorant-colour-ring-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-great-black-backed-gull-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-great-black-backed-gull-british-birding/#comments Thu, 09 Aug 2018 15:51:02 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=21186 In July I took a boat trip from Amble, in Northumbria, UK, out to Coquet Island to see the Roseate Terns that nest there. It was a nice, one hour, boat trip that gave me good views of lots of Roseate Terns feeding their chicks as well as plenty of Puffins, Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Guillemots, Sandwich [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/colour-ringed-great-black-backed-gull-british-birding/feed/ 0 http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/reporting-a-ringed-mediterranean-gull-british-birding/ http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/reporting-a-ringed-mediterranean-gull-british-birding/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2018 16:09:20 +0000 Nick http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/?p=20696 Most bird watchers have an opinion on ringing/banding regimes and not everyone views this practice positively. Whether or not you think that ringing should be done to the degree that it is, the only way that there can be any meaningful things to be learned from it is if birders report sightings of ringed birds. [...]]]> http://dartfordwaffler.co.uk/reporting-a-ringed-mediterranean-gull-british-birding/feed/ 0