I joined a two week summer camp in England from 28th July to 11th of August. After the summer camp, the rest of my family joined me and stayed in the area for one more week. So in total, we stayed in the UK for three weeks and visited multiple places as it was my first time in Europe.
Day 1 – 14 ( Summer Camp )
As it was my first time in the country, most birds were new for me around the school that we were staying in. The school where we were was near Caterham, and every free time I would try to find birds.
Around the school grounds and the buildings there, Western House Martins were nesting in the roofs and I spotted a single common swift.
Western House Martin
Common Swift
Red Kites and Common Buzzards were a regular at Caterham, though the latter was easier to find. One of the common buzzards that I found was on the ground and being mobbed by a flock of Eurasian Magpies, though it was likely a juvenile.
Red Kite
Common Buzzard – being mobbed by magpies
Eurasian Magpie
Common species such as Rose Ringed Parakeet, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Common Wood Pigeon.
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Eurasian Blue Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Wood Pigeon – most abundant species
On a sightseeing trip to London organised by the camp, we saw the famous places like Elizabeth Tower and The Houses of Parliament. The only new birds I got there were a few lesser black backed gulls, european robin and a peregrine falcon.
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Peregrine Falcon
European Robin – juvenile
Other than birds, we had a fox at the edge of the fields, seemingly hunting birds.
Fox
Day 15 – 12th Sunday 2024 :
At 10:20AM, the rest of my family arrived at the school to pick me up. As they had landed earlier in the morning, they were incredibly tired but we still drove the hour long drive to Brighton.
We checked into our first hotel of the trip, Double Tree by Hilton Brighton which was pretty good.
As we were next to the ocean, there were many large gulls. They mainly were herring gulls, where I could photograph as we headed to lunch.
European Herring Gull
After lunch, we decided to visit the South Downs National Park to see the Seven Sisters cliffs near the Birling Gap. After an hour of driving there, the first bird that I got was a pair of Eurasian Jackdaws.
Eurasian Jackdaw
Black headed gulls were really common. There were a few hundred or so of these dotted around.
Black Headed Gull
After half an hour of walking, we arrived at the Seven Sisters cliff viewing area from the beach. As we were enjoying the view, we got a large flock of over thirty eurasian oystercatchers and a great cormorant.
Seven Sisters Cliff
Great Cormorant
Eurasian Oystercatcher – large flock far away
On our way back to the car, other new birds that we added were mute swan, house sparrow, eurasian kestrel, willow warbler and white wagtail.
Mute Swan
House Sparrow
Eurasian Kestrel – far away
Willow Warbler
White Wagtail ( british )
After dinner near the hotel, we slept early as we were all exhausted and we had booked a full day birding tour with Wildstarts birding around east sussex area.
Day 16 – 13th Monday 2024 :
We met up with our guide, David, at our hotel at 7:00AM and we started driving to Hastings Country Park, where my target was for the Dartford Warbler and some whitethroats.
The first birds that we saw when we arrived were a pair of European Goldfinches, which allowed for closer photos
European Goldfinch
After a few more minutes of walking, David told us to wait next to the footpath overlooking the gorse and heather bushes where the warbler resides. A few birds started flying around in the bushes, and using our binoculars we identified it as a few greater whitethroats.
Dartford Warbler Habitat – gorse and heather bushes
Greater Whitethroat
Suddenly, David whispered to me the he had spotted a male Dartford Warbler, and looking at where his hand was pointed, I managed to grab a few photos before it flew off.
Dartford Warbler – male!
We decided to try another spot for the warbler to get closer views of it, and whilst walking we got a Eurasian Wren.
Eurasian Wren
We spotted a huge flock of gulls feeding in the sea from our point on the cliff, and a in a quick scan, David pointed out Northern Gannet and Mediterranean Gull to us from the Herring Gulls, which I managed to see using binoculars.
Mixed Gull Species feeding far out – gannet somewhere there
We soon arrived at the second spot, and suddenly a Dartford Warbler flew across the road and skulked inside. A juvenile warbler slowly hopped up the horse bush and came out to open view for over ten seconds!
Dartford Warbler – juvenile
We continued on walking in the area, and as we looked into the sea, we got a few common seals down swimming near the beach, though only my dad could get a photo. Other new birds that we added were Lesser whitethroat and meadow pipit.
Common Seal – photo by my dad
Lesser Whitethroat – only one of the trip
Meadow Pipit
We started walking to a cafe near the car park, and just before we got there we got a European Greenfinch.
European Greenfinch
After our breakfast, we drove down from the heathland cliffs and to sea level, where there we were a large pond with some waterfowl in it. All of the birds in the pond I had seen before already, with the exception of a flock of Canadian Geese and Greylag Goose. Other birds in the area that we got were Mallards ( 1 with all white feathers ), Great Cormorants, Black headed gull and Eurasian Coots. Suddenly, David exclaimed “Mediterranean Gull!”, and we got great view of it flying pretty close to us.
Greylag Goose
Canadian Goose
Mallard – white feathered one
Eurasian Coot
Mediterranean Gull
On the other side of the road, there was a beach, where we spotted quite a few Sandwich Terns and a few Common Terns resting by the waterline. There were a few ruddy turnstones were spotted on the beach, though the light was not in our favour for photography.
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Ruddy Turnstone
Suddenly, David announced that he had heard the Bearded Reedling, and with a few quick bursts of playback a male flew right out of the reeds lining the pond and gave full view for a few seconds! As we headed back to the car, we added a pair of rooks feeding on a field.
Bearded Reedling – adult male
Rook
Our next and final birding spot was for the Northern Fulmar on the cliffs near Newhaven Harbour. Once we arrived, David showed me one nest of a young Northern Fulmar. Soon after, he found another one with a view of the whole body. Other notable birds that we saw there was a juvenile European stonechat.
Northern Fulmar – young and photo by iPhone from scope
European Stonechat
Just as we were about to leave, David shouted “FULMAR!”, and to our right an adult fulmar flew right over us at a close range.
Northern Fulmar – adult
We got back onto the car where we drove forty more minutes before we arrived back at the hotel in Brighton. After we an early dinner, we got back onto our rented car and drove the 3 and a half hour drive to Cambridgeshire. We check into Graduate Cambridge after it was fully dark, and all went to bed early as we were exhausted.
Day 17 – 14th Tuesday 2024 :
We mainly did some touristy things today around Cambridge, but we got some birds while we were around the city such as Eurasian Jay, Mallard and Mute Swan.
Eurasian Jay – flyover
Mallard – female
Mute Swan
Day 18 – 14th Wednesday 2024 :
For the afternoon of today we were going to the RAF Museum, and our original plans were to go to Grafham Water, but it the end we did not have time, so we went to an area a bit similar to it, Fowlmere RSPB Reserve.
One of the first bird that we got when we arrived were a flock of Chaffinches feeding on the footpath, though they remained far away. We soon neared the first hide, and except for a few Eurasian Coots, there was not much activity.
Chaffinch
I noticed a small, bunting like bird which flew into a dense bush and started to preen, and after reviewing the photos I thought it was likely to be a female yellowhammer. As we were about to leave, a great spotted woodpecker flew up onto a dead tree and perched there for a while.
Yellowhammer – female, I think
Great Spotted Woodpecker
On the way back to the car, we got a common chiffchaff, a large mixed flock of Long Tailed Tits with a single willow warbler and around a dozen Eurasian Green Tits. It was interesting to see at least one blue tit which was ringed.
Common Chiffchaff
Long Tailed Tit
Eurasian Blue Tit
We got back onto the car, and for the afternoon we visited the RAF Museum before we headed to London and checked into the Royal Garden Hotel overlooking Kensington Gardens.
Day 19 – 15th Thursday 2024 :
For the morning, we decided to take a walk around Kensington Gardens and then to Hyde Park. First, we visited the round pond, where there were a large diversity of species of waterfowl. Some birds include Egyptian Goose, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck ( with ring ) and Common Pochard.
Egyptian Goose
Mute Swan
Tufted Duck
Common Pochard – female
European Starlings were common around the edge of the pond, some bathing and other feeding on insects on the water. There were quite a few of squirrels in the park, one stayed long enough for a photo.
European Starling
Squirrel
We walked over the bridge towards Hyde Park, and under the bridge there were a few new waterbirds such as great crested grebe, and a close great cormorant.
Great Crested Grebe – breeding plumage
Great Cormorant
After some time in Hyde Park, we got a European Robin, Eurasian Blackbird and Eurasian blue tit.
European Robin – with worm
Eurasian Blackbird
Eurasian Blue Tit
For the afternoon, we went to the British Museum and watched the Matilda and slept late.
Day 20 – 16th Friday 2024 :
For the morning, we arrived a the doors of the Buckingham Palace to watch the red coats guards marching at 11AM. After the marching, we headed to St. James’s Park to take a walk. One of the first few birds that we got was a singing European robin.
Red coats soldiers marching
European Robin
Some waterfowl there are part of the waterfowl collection, such as Bar headed goose, ross’s goose, black swan, eurasian wigeon, red breasted goose, barnacle goose…. I won’t put any photos for these.
For the afternoon we visited the natural history museum, where I looked at the bird exhibition, which was really interesting and interactive.
Decline of birds shown on poster on exhibiton
Day 21 – 17th Saturday 2024 :
For most of the day today, we were going to Richmond Park which I saw on ebird was a pretty good hotspot. One of the first few birds when we arrived was Eurasian jackdaw, European robin and a Eurasian kestrel.
Eurasian Jackdaw
European Robin
Eurasian Kestrel
David had given the location of a roosting little owl in Richmond park, though after half an hour of searching we still could not find it. The only bird that I got was a couple of eurasian green woodpecker, though there were only record shots.
Eurasian Green Woodpecker – record shots
As we walked on towards the Isabella Plantation, where we got a common chiffchaff. Other birds near the plantation was eurasian moorhen, eurasian blue tit and eurasian jay.
Common Chiffchaff
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Blue Tit
Eurasian Jay
Towards the Pen Ponds, we spotted a few Grey Herons, but other than that there were mainly a few gulls.
Grey Heron
There were a few fallow deer next to the pond, where they where resting in the shade of the trees. The deer was released in the 17th century and it was used for hunting and food.
Fallow Deer
Next to the main pond, there was a smaller pond where we got Canadian Geese, Great Crested Grebe, Common Tern and a tree pipit.
Canadian Geese
Great Crested Grebe
Common Tern
Tree Pipit – I think
Day 22 – 18th Sunday 2024 :
For the last day we didn’t do much and left London from our 7:30 PM back to HK.
All in all, this trip turned out to be pretty good, and the total real birding time within the three weeks was only a few days. As it was my first time in Europe, I got 96 species of birds, with 46 of them being lifers. The only few notable birds that I missed was the Little Owl and Western Marsh Harrier. Thanks to David from Wildstarts for guiding us for one day around the Sussex area, or else we wouldn’t get as much species as we did.
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