What's been your birding highlight so far this year

[zoober]

and what are you hoping to capture that seems to have eluded you for now?

Mine has to be the Golden Eagle at Mull in January and a lot of birds are eluding me for now but if I have to pick one only it will be a Swift.

[pammosley]

I had a really good view of some Bramblings the weekend, they were new for me & very beautiful.
Welcome to WAB

[~T~]

The bullfinches or bramblings feeding in my garden.

[Simon Davey]

Managed to get a picture of a red kite in flight.
Been watching them instead of keeping an eye on the road through the Chilterns, but finally managed a "working" trip by myself and stopped in a lay-by near Marlow to get a few pictures.

All my bird sightings are highlights, I'm very new to birding and really enjoying rushing for my Collins to get an I.D.
Simon

[darrenm]

Three Bittern in the space of three minutes at Attenborough

A Water Rail swimming past me within about a two foot of the bank when i was taking a nice misty landscape shot but quickly realised i had the wrong lens on the camera.....grrrrrrr!!! this photography lark can be very cruel at times

The two Barn Owls at Netherfield the first in years on the site were a much needed boost for myself and the local patch watchers but the Owls soon left when the developers put refelctive anti bird reflective strip all over the field next to the site

[aeshna5]

Several things come to mind.

Best day was a trip to Titchwell with so many goodies- close views of c40 Twite + 12 Shorelarks lots of waders, Red-necked Grebe amongst other species on the sea, a confiding Water Rail below us in the ditch + the icing on the cake, the Northern Harrier showing well + briefly interacting with a Hen Harrier.

Seeing the Oriental Turtle Dove at Chipping Norton a couple of weeks back from the comfort of somebody's kitchen- such a beautiful bird with so many other birds in the garden including several each of Brambling + Bullfinch.

Certainly some good local days out too.

[FUDGEY]

This weekend when I will see my first Hawfinch in Cumbria (I really hope any way)

[turntostone]

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in my local patch.

Only 2nd I've ever seen there.

Gordon

[thebeard]

definately the day i had in hoveringham watching pinkfooted geese, white-fronted geese and a great white egret, on a beautiful, if cold, sunny february day.

[Joella52]

Lucky enough to have had several sightings of both male and female hen harriers early this year and also of a barn owl.
Hen Harriers left for higher ground we think, not seen them since early Feb.
Looking forward to seeing white tailed sea-eagles in West Highland in a few weeks and hopefully some sky dancing Marsh Harriers at Leighton Moss as spring progresses
Jo x