Foot It - Corax

98 species - 127 miles - 266k steps

Some of my earlier Foot It posts - from those heady days of early January 2026 - are frankly intoxicating. Maximum miles, maximum birds, maximum awesome… as the species per mile ratio diminishes and the targets dry up, it’s harder to motivate oneself to absolutely crush miles. 

Work and family responsibility held Foot It opportunity at bay, with this afternoon my first opportunity to get out and crunch miles. The weather was beauts yesterday, but other commitments came first. I could’ve chased down Goshawk, I might have kicked out a Woodcock. Life is so cruel…

Once the morning downpour finally eased off - I left the house at 13:20,  for the first time in this Foot It campaign I headed south - water bodies, the river valley and Breckland are all north of my position. But I did want to include at least one southerly march, just to cover the points of the compass… there was also the tease of having seen Red-crested Pochard on a farm reservoir at Rushbrooke back on 14th December 2015. You should’ve been there - it was so magnificent. 

Red-crested Pochard - Rushbrooke, 14th December 2025

Red-crested Pochard - Rushbrooke, 14th December 2025

The southerly bearing, the drizzle, the A14 underpass, the poor visibility. 

Walking into the drizzle 

Farm reservoir 

It is rare that I think something I am doing is mental - at the time - sometimes after the event, hours or even months later I’ll reflect on a life choice and think; that was mad. But I knew marching out on a driech afternoon was, mental. I knew it when I started, I knew it half way through, I knew when I got the the farm reservoir (which held no birds) and I knew it when I got about 2 miles from the house… then…

Through a gap in the hedge I saw a large bird perched on a pylon. I backed up, the large bird was actually two; two Raven perched up and looking absolutely magnificent. 

The now hallowed pylons! You can just make out the Raven on the last pylon

Record shot of Ravens

Raven could’ve evaded me all month even all year locally, given how sporadic they are. That said, I rarely head south and it is covered in pylons! It wouldn’t surprise me if they breed on one of the pylons that way.

Foot It - Regulus

97 species - 119 miles - 249k steps

At this end of proceedings Foot It ticks are occasional drips vs the wild torrent of the first few walks of the year... 

A tip off from my man Joe led me to make the 7 mile yomp to the hide at Micklemere, leaving the house at 06:10 under a crescent moon, I covered the distance in good time and was in position 2 hours and 25 minutes after leaving the house. 

Sun-up West Suffolk style

Despite passing through several territories - I failed to connect with a Barn Owl - which remains firmly off my Foot It list. 

Initially my Pintail targets were not on-view, which did cause an amount of questioning and self-reflection. Why disturb the household stupid early to walk through the frozen darkness, to then sit in an icy hide? Like what is my actual problem?

Drake Pintail - Micklemere 14th January 2026 (image courtesy of local birder Trevor)

I didn’t have to reflect too long before I spotted the two drake Pintail - initially obscured by vegetation. Then in full, glorious view… all self doubt evaporated and I felt like a real-world champion. 

I also gained a new Foot It mammal tick in Fallow Dear. Incredibly, I also learnt that there are Beaver nearby! Albeit penned and on a private estate! 

Footpath crossed a carrot field - took most of it with me

Fallow Deer

Fallow Deer

I decided to cut west, to Livermere, seagulls were my main target - which would prove to be ridiculous - as the mere only held Black-headed Gulls and four Great Black-backed Gulls. On my way through the village I paused to check some hedgerow Goldcrest… hold on one cresty, McCrest Face minute… that isn’t two Goldcrest… it’s a Goldcrest and it’s FIRECREST friend. 

Firecrest - Great Livemere village 14th January 2026 (mobile phone shot hence quality) 

Firecrest - Great Livemere village 14th January 2026 (mobile phone shot hence quality)

Firecrest - Great Livemere village 14th January 2026 (mobile phone shot hence quality)

Firecrest - Great Livemere village 14th January 2026 (mobile phone shot hence quality)

Firecrest - Great Livemere village 14th January 2026 (mobile phone shot hence quality)

Firecrest - Great Livemere village 14th January 2026 (mobile phone shot hence quality)

Firecrest is a seriously good bird locally. I recall a single bird at Livermere Hall about 15 to 20 years ago. Otherwise, you have to get up to Brandon Country Park to see them reliably. 

On the back of the drake Pintail, I felt like a champion. A legend. Transcending normal birding boundaries. Who finds a Firecrest in the middle of nowhere, in a hedge backing onto a children’s playground people’s gardens?

Off the shitting scale. 

I won’t pretend today’s mileage haven’t taken a toll. I am pretty wrecked - but the satisfaction I feel makes it all worth it. Just three more species to hit the big 100 target... 

Foot It - Monday, Monday

 

95 species - 100 miles - 208k steps

The long forecast for the remainder of the month looks very wet, with the wind resolutely from the south and rain until the 25th. As such, I am dropping steps when the weather is somewhat cooperative. 

I was out the door by 07:30 and couldn't believe how mild it was, already 8° with the wind coming from the south, for the first time this year. I got up to Hall Farm and checked the top reservoir, where I was richly rewarded by a single Coot and literally no other birds. I carried on, enjoying winter thrushes, Meadow Pipits and Skylark - but no year ticks. 

Sunrise at Hall Farm

I was stopped in the café for some breakfast and was pretty despondent, resided to my fate; walking the three mile walk home with no further species added. Not to be defeated, I decided I'd extend proceedings by checking the other reservoir. 

Empty reservoir 

Checking the bottom reservoir was pointless, there literally wasn't a single bird on it. Absolutely pointless. 

The lack of birds did nothing for my mood and I questioned my life choices as I started to trudge home. 

Then, when I needed it most, a year tick came speeding into view, a small falcon labouring with a prey item. I have no idea what the prey was - perhaps a Skylark or even a Redwing? There was plenty of Redwing around. 

This is the second time I've had Merlin in the same spot - with the previous back in the Covid lockdown days, some years ago. I marched up the hill and then got seconds of the male Merlin as it flew across my view and then away from me. Merlin is a very, very good bird locally and could easily have evaded me all month or indeed year. I only had two records last year, one at Lackford and another at Knetishall Heath:

Merlin - Knettishall Airfield, 30th November 2025

There is some moral to this tale, about not giving up and ensuring you jeep on walking and trying or something... insert your own inspirational quote here.  

On the way home, I checked the muck heap again. Still no Jack Snipe, Richard's Pipit or Eastern Yellow Wagtail!?! Which is ridiculous really. 

Muck heap and nearby pool

Be sure to catch up with the latest Two Jonnies for a summary of the first full week of Foot It and to find out who your Foot It leaders are:

Foot It - Splodging

 

94 species - 93 miles - 194k steps

We are very much at the business end of proceedings now. My target for the month is 100 species and the species to mile ratio is almost in sync! 

Yesterday was a massive Foot It day for me, it had it all; 18 miles of walking, suspense, hyperthermia, disappointment, flooded footpaths, wet feet and absolute birding glory. You should’ve been there man. 

Here’s a breakdown of proceedings; out the door at 05:45. In position at Lackfrord by 07:35 - taking 10 minutes off last weeks march time. Covering the six miles cross-country and in waterlogged field edges more efficiently than my past self. Impressive stuff. 

A Tawny Owl calling away at Hengrave was the first Foot It tick of the day - it would be nice if I could embed the Merlin recording here, but that is a technology too far, so have a screenshot instead:

I also had a calling Green Sandpiper fly over in the darkness, which would have been a welcome wader addition, if I didn’t have four wintering up at Hall Farm and another at Fornham sewage works (the glamour). 

By 08:30 my vigil had paid off and a Bittern came out of roost and looked particularly fed up in a squally, sleety, snow shower. What. A. Bird:

Bittern, from Steggall’s hide, Lackford Lakes

I probably glimpsed the bird last weekend, but couldn’t pin it down in the reeds, so it was good to confirm a week later. An absolutely massive Foot It addition in a West Suffolk context and away from Lakenheath Fen RSPB. Lakenheath Fen is another 15 mile to the north and on the absolute limit of the County; with Norfolk over the river and Cambridgeshire not far to the west. I could walk there, but with the short daylight hours and mileage involved, it would be a bit hysterical. 

The weather deteriorated for a bit and I was loosing all the heat generated by the six mile march, the snow was pretty cool even if it made the Bittern look proper hacked off:

Snowy Lackford 

I decided to motion towards the visitor centre which I know has hot things; hot water, hand dryers and coffee. My feet were that cold I assumed they were wet - they weren’t - just totally frozen. On my way through the reserve I picked up a drake Goosander, flying west over the frozen lakes. You might say ‘big deal ‘who cares’ ‘get a life - it’s just a Goosander’. It’s actually so, so much more than that…

Goosander used to roost in double figures at Lackford. With the males glow-in-the dark plumage, you could pick them up on January 01st pre-dawn. Now, I am lucky to see one Goosander a year in West Suffolk, for the last few years they have all been red-head females. Which are only about 5% of the absolute peachy majesty of the males. A mint bird and a species which could easily have evaded me for the month and even year, locally. 

The visitor centre proved executive; raising my temperature as I watched Kingfisher and Water Rail through the glass. I took a couple of mobile phone shots, which have a weird arty pixelation to them:

Mobile phone pap of Kingfisher, Lackford Lakes

Mobile phone pap of Water Rail, Lackford Lakes

Leaving Lackford I picked up Bullfinch for the year the fourth and final year tick of the day. I then headed south-east along the Lark Valley Path towards town. The ‘lark’ in Lark Valley Path refers to the River Lark. Because of the recent rains and snow melt, the river and the path had become one. At first I thought I was just crossing a couple of breaches, then the entire path was totally flooded, to knee height. Having watched a lot of Van Damme films as a child, I knew better than to turn back and find a different route home. No retreat, no surrender:

Flooded Lark Valley path

Flooded Lark Valley path

Flooded Lark Valley path

Moist

There are a few reasons this was regrettable; I didn’t have any spare socks in my pack (I usually do), the water was f’in freezing and I had really wet feet and legs. I stopped to wring out my socks and empty the water from my boots… some locals admired the hobo and checked I knew where I was and that I would be moving on soon. 

Back towards town, the non-flooded Lark Valley Path was really good birding, with tit flocks and at least four Chiffchaff feeding. As well as the resident Ring-necked Parakeet flock, which is now into double figures. I indulged a few more mobile phone paps, for the fans: 

Chiffchaff - mobile phone pap

Mobile phone pap of Parakeets - kissy kissy

Once I got back into town I procured some dry socks and spent a few hours hydrating in a hostelry and oggling wenches. This is my standard Foot It celebration. 

We have to keep these things in perspective. Will my Foot It month and watching Bittern in the snow form one of the ornithological highlights of 2026?

Yes, I suspect it probably will. 

Foot It - Reckoning

 

90 species - 75 miles - 156k steps

A leisurely, borderline idle, start to proceedings really. Not leaving the house till 06:45… this got me to my first target location for 08:45. Sadly, the hoped for Tree Sparrow didn’t perform… 

Sun-up in Suffolk town

I left Ampton, making the short walk towards Livermere pretty dejected. Wondering what I was playing at. What kind of mental patient walks out into inky darkness over black ice to try and see Tree Sparrows? Do I need to calm down? What’s the point? Am I walking miles for no reason?

I thought about these thoughts, pondering the futility of life and existence as I haemorrhaged steps in the bitter westerly, thinking I wasn’t going to add any ticks today… 

About the same time I pulled myself together and realised it was too early in the day for a pity party, six squillion Mallard flew up off the fields. In amongst them was a small goose - I initially saw it silhouetted and going away from me into the sun. We’ve had single straggler/ feral Pink-footed Geese in West Suffolk before and assumed that was what I was seeing… I continued down the track and there on the frozen mere amongst the Greylags was an orange legged, orange billed - f’ off beauty of a Tundra Bean Goose. I corrected the news and revelled in my epicness.  I called all three of my friends for a sanity check and to gently brag, none of them answered - pricks. Still, makes this year’s Christmas card list a bit simpler. 

Livermere - looking almost pleasant in the sun. You cannot make it out - but the Bean Goose is in front of the church 

Anyway, as well as a Foot It tick - Tundra Bean is a self found tick. Hoping one of the other West Suffolk birders gets a photo - which I can get printed massive on a banner for the front of the house:

Also on the mere was my first Barnacle Goose of the year, as well as a Stonechat feeding on the shoreline. 

Walking away from Livermere I was a different man. All buoyant and elegant, skipping over ice patches. Basically prancing with self-confidence. Jonny hasn’t called to tell me I am the best birder he knows - but I am sure he will. 

I decided to cut west, through Ingham and towards Culford. There is a relatively new farm reservoir there - which proved MAGNIFICENT providing a first winter drake Goldeneye, as well as the second Barnacle Goose of the day. Nearby was also a pair of Stonechat - only my second record this year. 

The return mileage to home* (*the public house I am typing this from) didn’t deliver any further ticks - but it did provide a record West Suffolk count of Ring-necked Parakeet. With two birds perched I had at least eight, and probably more, birds in flight. 

Ring-necked Parakeets

Ring-necked Parakeets

Foot It - the gathering storm

 

86 species - 56 miles - 118k steps

As with yesterday, work stopped Foot It play. I extended the walk back from the office by taking the 'bird watchers way home' which involved walking exactly the opposite direction from the house and then reorientating. I hoped to be rewarded with a Bullfinch or Woodcock for my efforts, but it wasn't to be. I even poked about a large muck heap looking for Jack Snipe. No cigar. 

I spent a few minutes with a tick flock on the way to work, hoping to conjure up a Firecrest or wintering Yellow-browed. It wasn't to be - but time spent with Long-tailed Tits is always good:

Phone-papped Long-tailed Tit

Tomorrow I have a full Foot It day ahead of the weather turning. I intend to inflict serious damage to the competition. I mean like multiple fatal wounds type damage. Success is in the lap of the birding gods, but imagining the smug, self-righteous faces of birders like Chris, Jonny and Pete always spurs me on to cover the miles.

Keep #FootIt on Blue Sky and we'll do an end of first week summary on The Two Jonnies podcast: 

Back to work this week, so fewer chances to walk or watch from the house. Current #FootIt total is 60 species. Pretty happy with that, six days in. Highlights have been White-tailed Eagle and Kingfisher. My seen within 25k of the house is at a respectable 88. With Common Scoter and WF Goose best.

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— Pete Carroll (@petecarroll.bsky.social) January 6, 2026 at 12:59 PM

A distractingly beautiful morning meant I couldn't resist a much longer walk from home than planned. Siskins *everywhere* glowing in the low sun. Lapwing and Golden Plover flocks going over bring #footit total to 47 species.

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— Chris Foster (@chrisfoster.bsky.social) January 5, 2026 at 7:02 PM

Foot It - Paranoia

 

86 species - 52 miles - 109k steps

Today wasn't a Foot It proper day. Just a couple miles walk out to meet a friend for a lunch run round the airfield, then the return dawdle home.  

Such is the Foot It paranoia I couldn't bring myself to drive to the start point. A Stonechat seems possible up there, so does a Bullfinch in one of the perimeter hedges. The Foot It fear was too great. So, another 7 miles - albeit to no avail. I regret nothing. What if a White-tailed Egret had flown over? Or we saw a Short-eared Owl hunting the airfield? The sighting would be rendered pointless. Utterly pointless. On foot - always.  

(Heavy metal) run club - no Foot It ticks - just miles

So, happy Foot It'ing - tomorrow is just the walk to the office and back. Then Wednesday, we go again with the big miles! Be sure to follow @FootIt on Blue Sky and #FootIt your updates including your scores. We'll be dropping Foot It updates on upcoming The Two Jonnies podcast episodes:

Still not brave enough to run on the icy pavements so Bert 🐕 and I walked through Exeter suburbs to reach an unassuming stream. Found at least 2 Green Sandpipers but couldn’t find a Dipper. Jay, Chiffchaffs & Siskin also new for year, moving #FootIt total to 88. #LowCarbonBirding #BirdingOnFoot

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— Martin Elcoate (@melcoate.bsky.social) January 5, 2026 at 1:08 PM

A few snaps from the first 4 days of #footit A snowy Ben Ledi on the horizon A red squirrel in Holmehill Two of the red-breasted merganser on the River Teith A grey heron on the Allanwater in Dunblane

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— uforthbirder.bsky.social (@uforthbirder.bsky.social) January 4, 2026 at 9:19 PM

After a day off yesterday, making my debut for the NOA sponsored birdwatch around Holme and Titchwell, back to #FootIt today. Walk round my usual running route yielded 5 additions, total now 86. Best were 11 Corn Buntings in amongst 80+ Yellowhammers and a drake Goosander on the cut #NorfolkBirding

— Ben Rackstraw (@benracks.bsky.social) January 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM