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

Foot It - Sunday incursion

 

86 species - 45 miles - 94k steps

I wasn’t going to Foot It today, I thought about maybe doing some chores, working or trying to maintain a Foot It - life balance. Then I saw the long weather forecast and couldn’t ignore the blue sky. However, bitterly cold. By midday I was out the door…

As a barrier to the cold I trialled wearing a pair of joggers underneath my trousers, with no pants. It was certainly warm - but absent pants the resulting chaffing is pretty bad. Why do these things happen to me?

The target was Timworth Church, some 4 miles as the Raven flies from my house. There is a stream, wet woodland and some set aside and game cover which can be good:

Timworth Church 

Whilst I couldn’t locate the hoped for Stonechat, I did add Snipe and a particularly pleasing drake Brambling. I was worried Snipe were all frozen out, so this one on the stream was ideal. Brambling are also really thin on the ground. I heard before seeing the Brambling - so when a black-faced male came into view - the hype was very real!

Redwing are absolutely abundant at the moment, literally everywhere apart from my garden apparently. I’ve only seen singles of Fieldfare this year till today, when a 20+ strong flock was chacking about near the church. I even papped one with my phone - mental the quality of phone cameras these days:

Fieldfare - Timworth Church

The only other addition to the list today was Great Black-backed Gull. There has been an adult hanging around Hall Farm for over a year, so it could be that bird - or a different one. Who knows?

Great Black-backed Gull - Hall Farm, November 26th 2024

Great Black-backed Gull - Hall Farm, November 26th 2024

Tomorrow, I have actual meetings and have to work. Which is distressing. The only chance of a Foot It tick would be if I see something on my lunchtime run with Mira. We did find a Black Redstart on a lunch run back on 04th December. I’ve also had Waxwings up on the same airfield - I’ll be sure to walk out to the start - just in case… 

Foot It - prolonging the assault

 

83 species - 36 miles - 74k steps

I am typing this on approximately two hours sleep. Two hours is sub-optimal in terms of how much sleep I would ideally have. I much prefer eight to ten hours. 

Anyway, I left the house at 05:30 on. the. dot.

05:30 moon - shortly after seeing a shooting star! 

The sky was clear and a near full moon was casting, bright-white light, helpful for the nocturnal navigator. I paused to take a photo of the moon and before I got my phone out a shooting star descended in front of me. An extremely strong portent and proof that the gods smile on mile-eating, all day birding. 

The next portent, assuring me I am on the correct path, was an urban fox running around like a nutter as I walked into town.

I covered the six miles to Lackford in darkness and in under two hours. Efficient moving given the circumstances. 

The moon - pre-dawn at Lackford

On the recent Two Jonnies podcast Chris warned Foot It participants to ensure they have the correct kit for conditions and their environment:

I also posted a kit check last night, to assist the more inexperienced Foot It'er:

People are always asking what core #FootIt kit looks like for 20+ miles in zero temps. I always tell 'em to mind their own business and shut up. ♠️ Seeing as it's cold this weekend - in the name of safety I've decided to share my base kit... #FootIt #Unlimited #MileEater

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— Jonny (@suffolkseawatcher.bsky.social) January 2, 2026 at 8:12 PM

One other safety point is around trespassing. The UK is full of overzealous land owners who would lay an egg if a birder took a short cut across their land or dared access a field. You will trespass in pursuit of Foot It greatness, a little bit or even a lot of a bit. But you will trespass. The only rule of trespassing is; do not get caught. You can trespass for three metres or three miles, it really doesn't matter, as long as you do not get caught. Now that is cleared up; happy trespassing and Foot It!

Moving onto the todays birds; I secured no less than 15 addition Foot It ticks. In order of appearance:

1. Tufted Duck
2. Great White Egret
3. Reed Bunting
4. Crossbill
5. Siskin
6. Water Rail
7. Wigeon
8. Common Gull
9. Pochard
10. Shelduck
11. Marsh Tit
12. Mistie Thrush
13. Red poll
14. Chiffchaff
15. Treecreeper 

Added to yesterday's haul that puts me 83 up. I believe 100 in achievable this month, with a fair wind and not just a little bit of luck... 

Crossbill - Lackford

White-fronted Geese in flight - Flempton

Some of the same White-front flock when I found them on December 30th 

Record shot of the 4 Green Sandpipers wintering at Hall Farm

Sun up at Lackford 

Sun down close to home 

Foot It - commencement of the assault

68 species - 18 miles - 37k steps

My first - your second - Foot It day of the year. Literally given away a days advantage to the field. 

First bird was Wood Pigeon, second was Red Kite, right over the garden! Can you imagine?

The morning session produced 46 species, with Lapwing and Skylark within a few hundred metres of the house. Pleasingly, I am having lunch and haven’t seen a Red-legged Partridge - but I have seen two Grey!

Grey Partridge - digi-binned

Grey Partridge - phone papped 

Grey Partridge could have evaded me all month, so a solid species to secure early doors. The other highlight of the morning session was finding not one - but two roosting Little Owls! Who does that?

Exquisite roosting Little Owl photo - taken through bins

This is where Little Owls roost

Mobile phone pap of roosting Little Owl

That is some expert level birding and a helpful reminder I remain at the tip of the birding spear. Well, well, above the shaft which comprises birders like Peter, Jonny and Chris. Those sort of people. Classic shaft birders.

~~~~~

The afternoon session started strong, with views of the local Peregrine displaying and terrorising feral pigeons. I really like that sort of thing. An otherwise, unremarkable patch of woodland - more game cover than woodland proper - provided both Jay and Nuthatch - within a mile of the house! A single Fieldfare was the only one I had all day - whereas Redwing have been literally constant. 

The closest to a Local Patch I have in West Suffolk is Hall Farm, an unremarkable bit of farmland with two farm reservoirs and concrete tracks. It absolutely delivered today, with a flock of Golden Plover, a female Marsh Harrier - which flew over twice! Plus, no less than 4 Green Sandpiper on the top reservoir. 

There was 4 Green Sandpipers here

It was also really nice to not see a Red-legged Partridge until 13:34 - having already seen Grey Partridge. They are so abundant locally they scrat about the car park at work, so don’t know how this even happened.

Whilst at Hall Farm I did, however, receive the phone call which ruined my day and month and year and the whole of Foot It - just as it was getting going for me. My beloved co-host called and was audibly emotional, having just found a drake Wood Duck! A bird that was un-ringed and wary, which will undoubtedly go down as the first for the UK. I’d cry too to be honest. 

Drake Wood Duck - my dream find - found by other Jonny

With his contempt for wildfowl and constant lite abuse - Jonny is the least deserving person to find a Wood Duck. I’d literally rather Hitler found one. But that’s the sick, cruel world we are living in. The good (me) further ornithology and science - the bad (Jonny Holliday) do six minutes of birding and find a drake Wood Duck. Basically a war crime. 

Despite Jonny’s best efforts I carried on - so valiantly - if you were to take two valiances and put them together, they would still be less valiant than how valiant I am. 

Aside from the Green Sandpipers the farm res held literally no birds! It was a relief to then get Mute Swan, Gadwall, Little Egret and a smattering of other birds on unfrozen pools up the Lark valley path. 

Lark Valley Path

This is the spot on the Lark where I will find a Black-bellied Dipper. Nothing you can do about it

The last of the light was used to walk across the golf course and back into town, safely securing Greylag, Kingfisher and Ring-necked Parakeet for the month. 

Ring-necked Parakeet 

At last knocking I also had the second Cetti’s Warbler of the day - right on the town limits and behind the UPS depot. That’s the sort of glamour you can expect from me. 

~~~~~

Interestingly, I broke the 2 mile OG Foot It 2 mile radius, but only by 1 mile, with everything just 3 miles radius from the house. Tomorrow the 3 mile radius with be well and truly smashed and by smashed I mean obliterated. To dust. 

That’s just the way it is for us elite Foot It’ers. 

Foot It cold weather base kit. This is in addition to what is on my person. Stay safe out there Foot It’ers

Today’s bird list in full:

Greylag Goose

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Egyptian Goose

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

Mallard

Eurasian/Green-winged Teal

Grey Partridge

Common Pheasant

Red-legged Partridge

Rock Dove

Stock Dove

Common Woodpigeon

Collared Dove

Common Moorhen

Eurasian Coot

European Golden Plover

Northern Lapwing

Green Sandpiper

Black-headed Gull

European Herring Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Little Grebe

Great Cormorant

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Western Marsh Harrier

Red Kite

Common Buzzard

Little Owl

Common Kingfisher

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Eurasian Green Woodpecker

Common Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon

Ring-necked Parakeet

Eurasian Jay

Common Magpie

Eurasian Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Coal Tit

Eurasian Blue Tit

Great Tit

Eurasian Skylark

Cetti's Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Goldcrest

Eurasian Nuthatch

Eurasian Wren

Common Starling

Song Thrush

Redwing

Eurasian Blackbird

Fieldfare

European Robin

Dunnock

House Sparrow

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail

Meadow Pipit

Common Chaffinch

European Greenfinch

Common Linnet

European Goldfinch

Yellowhammer