Foot It - Konungr

101 species - 158 miles - 331k steps 

Friday 30th January 2026

The rain. Paddling through literal shit. Crippling anxiety. Work calls. General unpleasantness. This was not the penultimate Foot It day I would wish on my enemies. On the upside, I did find the entire west Suffolk population of Tree Sparrow - at least 20 birds - round a pheasant feeder and gathered in a hedgerow to the north of Ingham. You should’ve been there. 

I clocked 15 miles to Elveden is decidedly unpleasant conditions. It did stop raining for the last hour or so, but in terms of effort for reward - it wasn’t very inspiring. Not for the first time in this Foot It campaign I questioned my life choices. 

99. Tree Sparrow

Saturday 31st January 2026

What a difference a day makes - blue skies were visible first thing and the cloud burnt off to reveal a cracking blue-sky day. 

As I walked out there were plenty of thrushes, masses of Skylark and my first Woodlark of the year singing. Initially the Woodlark were distant over arable blocks - then territorial birds close-to on the heath. Eventually I had birds song-flighting right overhead! Stay mystical. 

Woodlark was a much hoped-for and very worthy 100th species. At this point I transcended from mere mortal to a Foot It deity. One ton up. A three digit bad boy. New found self respect blossomed with each step.

Without the spring-like weather window my 101st Foot It tick would not have fallen, but fall it did in raw magnificence; Goshawk. 

With the best part of 10 miles left to march home I had plenty of time to reflect on Foot It. My performance. The lows. And the spiralling highs of just one month, birding on-foot from the house:

Through literally every denomination of weather I marched 158 miles, witnessing 101 species of bird!

We need to keep this in proportion:

• Rosa Parks refusing to move from her seat;
• Neil Armstrong mincing about on the moon;
• John Prescott punching the protester that threw an egg at him;
• Michael Phelps winning 8 Olympic medals at the 2008 Olympic Games - having also won 8 at the preceding 2004 games; and
• Jonny Rankin walking up on 101 species, in inland West Suffolk with no estuary or coastline for miles, in the month of January. 

All of these feats give the youth something to aspire to. Will anyone post a Foot It total of 101 in West Suffolk again? No.

It relied on a series of coincidences:

• A perfect combination of genes, creating a pedigree walk-birding machine;
• Solid nocturnal and diurnal navigation skills;
• Recently installed hearing aids (19th December 2025);
• A grey goose influx;
• An efficiency of trespass without getting caught that the invisible man would envy;
• Masses of Crossbill after a few years drought;
• An ability to suffer, for hours; and
• A not insignificant dose of raw, unbridled, luck (eg self finding Bean Goose and Firecrest).

Some other reflections:

• Grey geese, Goosander and Merlin will continue to get harder in future Januarys;
• I think Cattle Egret will be a January bird in coming years, I’ve only seen one locally - but if they follow the trajectory of Great White - an egret trio is a real prospect; and
• Yellow-browed Warbler will be there for the taking in the future, with birds arriving in larger numbers and wintering.

I think the January Foot It record could be boosted to the 130 mark, in a south coast or North Norfolk location and with serious mileage and reasonable luck.

Almost all Foot It 2026 participants were gifted White-fronted and Bean Geese, owing to the influx. Locally there was far more Crossbill than there has been for several years. The cold-snap to start the year definitely assisted in adding species for me, I could have done without the prolonged rain mid month, but beggars cannot be choosers. Till next January Foot It’ers… 

100. Woodlark 

101. Goshawk 

I include my full Foot It 2026 19 species - coloured red - for which there was one sighting on one day and the two that are bolded and red are just absolutely mental patient records and prove the potential for Foot It - in just getting out there! 

1. Greylag Goose
2. Tundra Bean Goose
3. Greater White-fronted Goose
4. Barnacle Goose
5. Canada Goose
6. Mute Swan
7. Egyptian Goose
8. Common Shelduck
9. Northern Shoveler
10. Gadwall
11. Eurasian Wigeon
12. Pintail
13. Mallard
14. Eurasian Teal
15. Common Pochard
16. Tufted Duck
17. Goldeneye
18. Goosander
19. Common Pheasant
20. Grey Partridge
21. Red-legged Partridge
22. Rock Dove
23. Stock Dove
24. Common Woodpigeon
25. Collared Dove
26. Water Rail
27. Common Moorhen
28. Eurasian Coot
29. European Golden Plover
30. Northern Lapwing
31. Snipe
32. Green Sandpiper
33. Black-headed Gull
34. Common Gull
35. European Herring Gull
36. Lesser Black-backed Gull
37. Great Black-backed Gull
38. Little Grebe
39. Great Cormorant
40. Little Egret
41. Great White Egret
42. Grey Heron
43. Bittern
44. Eurasian Sparrowhawk
45. Goshawk
46. Western Marsh Harrier
47. Red Kite
48. Common Buzzard
49. Tawny Owl
50. Little Owl
51. Common Kingfisher
52. Great Spotted Woodpecker
53. Eurasian Green Woodpecker
54. Common Kestrel
55. Merlin
56. Peregrine Falcon
57. Ring-necked Parakeet
58. Raven
59. Eurasian Jay
60. Common Magpie
61. Eurasian Jackdaw
62. Rook
63. Carrion Crow
64. Coal Tit
65. Marsh Tit
66. Eurasian Blue Tit
67. Great Tit
68. Eurasian Skylark
69. Woodlark
70. Common Chiffchaff
71. Cetti's Warbler
72. Long-tailed Tit
73. Goldcrest
74. Firecrest
75. Eurasian Nuthatch
76. Eurasian Wren
77. Common Starling
78. Mistle Thrush
79. Song Thrush
80. Redwing
81. Eurasian Blackbird
82. Fieldfare
83. Stonechat
84. European Robin
85. Dunnock
86. House Sparrow
87. Tree Sparrow
88. Grey Wagtail
89. Pied Wagtail Wagtail
90. Meadow Pipit
91. Common Chaffinch
92. Brambling
93. European Greenfinch
94. Redpoll
95. Common Crossbill
96. Common Linnet
97. European Goldfinch
98. Bullfinch
99. Eurasian Siskin
100. Common Reed Bunting
101. Yellowhammer

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 - 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

[image or embed]

— 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