Lisa G Saw • January 15, 2026

December 25

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS

This is the first post in a new series I'm starting in which I'll be sharing my wildlife highlights from each month, and some of my memorable experiences out in nature. Mostly, the focus is on my outings locally in Sussex, but sometimes Bob and I venture to nearby counties too. I hope you enjoy reading about my outings and seeing the photos. It's amazing what can be found on your doorstep when you look for it, or take the time to notice what might be right in front of you.

I was going to start this series with January - you know: new year, new start, and all that - but, December turned out to be a great month for us. I had a bit more time off towards the end of the month, so I thought why not start with the highlights at the end of 2025.

Bob and I spend a lot of time walking around the South Downs in East Sussex, as it's so close to home. We can literally walk from our front door and be surrounded by fields within minutes. We know we're very lucky to be in this position. Bob knows 'his patch' very well and I'm starting to appreciate the many gems to be found thoughout the year.

On more than one occasion during the month we chose to walk along part of the Cuckmere River and photograph the Scandinavian Rock Pipits that were very ameanable! The best encounters were usually when I waited for them to come towards me. So, crouching down low, I'd patiently wait. I was very pleased with these first shots when the light was lovely and low.

The hardest part about our walks to the Cuckmere River were the walks back uphill afterwards. However, one time, I forgot about the challenge when I saw something else that distracted me - a stunning female Kestrel hovering overhead and then flying passed us. It always pays to have the camera handy for moments like this, which are usually so fleeting.

In December, Bob was particularly pleased to have located some Brown Hairstreak eggs on some Blackthorn on the Downland of Seaford. Earlier in the summer, he'd seen a few of these lovely butterflies flying around this particular area for the first time ever. They're a rarity in East Sussex. That's what prompted him to go back in December and look for the eggs. It's one thing to find eggs just after seeing a female lay them, but another altogether when you only have a vague idea about where they may be. I was well impressed he found some and equally pleased he showed me when I was back in Seaford for my winter break.

Late in the month, we made a few trips to Ashdown Forest, and our first one was the best as we saw some Crossbills. I can now say I've seen them about half a dozen times, but before this day, I'd only seen them once before, with only a few photos to show for it. On this occasion, there was just one pair. The female is shown below trying to get the seeds out of the pine cone. Her colouration is very different to the male, with more subtle colouring and a hint of yellow that can be seen on the chest.

The male is very striking and you can see why it's called the Crossbill.

It was wonderful having them come low enough for us to see them feeding. With my long telephoto lens, I was able to get some amazing shots. You can even see the tongue in the right hand photo, squeezing into the tiny groove of the pine cone.

This is my favourite photo of a male with it's beak open and a seed about to be swallowed.

It was a wonderful session watching them and I was thrilled to finally have some decent photos to show for it.

Sometimes, when you can't get out and about, it's worth staying close to home. We enjoyed a few sessions in the garden watching some of our regular visitors, using a bag hide and a tripod near the feeders. The Blue Tit is a regular visitor and a very familiar species for many people. As such, it's often overlooked, but I do love them. They're so small and that distinctive blue head of feathers is beautiful. They usually dart in and out from the feeders very quickly, never really lingering and perhaps wisely so.

We're also lucky to have Greenfinches often visiting too. This female looks like she's keeping an eye on the skies, before making a dash to get some sunflower seeds.

It was the Goldfinches we were most hoping to see in the garden, often descending on the Buddlheia in large groups. That striking red face is unmistakable and makes them easy to identify. I was equally pleased to have some lovely photos of this species too.

One day we headed over to West Rise Marsh to see what local wildlife we could find near Eastbourne. There wasn't much, but two lovely female Reed Buntings saved an otherwise quiet day. We had lovely views of them perching, eating the seeds from the tops of the reeds.

Winter is a great time of year to watch Starling Murmurations, something that Bob hasn't done a huge amount of in the past. On a few occasions, we visited a place our friend Dom had told us about in the north of the county and met up with him too. It was pretty cold, but we were well wrapped up and the warmed mulled wine and biscuits certainly made our waiting more pleasurable. It made a nice change to overlook a lake and be surrounded by trees, rather than be surrounded by a mass of people on the beach at Brighton Pier.

On our first visit, we were treated to a great spectacle.

I only had my telephoto lens with me, so mostly I only took photos when they were far away. But, one time I zoomed in so I could really get a sense of just how many birds were flying. The numbers kept building as more and more smaller flocks joined the mass over the lake. I think it's the largest number of starlings I've ever seen murmurating. It was so impressive.

Once the starlings went to roost, dropping down into the reedbeds and disappearing from sight and sound, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

On our next visit, the weather was definitely not as good, but what we lacked in the way of colour was more than made up for with activity. The murmuration was stunning and probably one of the best I've ever seen. It's mesmerizing!

On the final day of the year, we decided to try our luck with the murmurations over Eastbourne Pier. Whilst we've driven past the pier before, this was my first proper visit photographing it, along with the starlings. It can be hit and miss as to whether you're standing in the best location, which we weren't on this occasion. But, we still had a great time.

I think this person had the best view in the house!

What a great end to the year!

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January 26

By Lisa G Saw • February 7, 2026

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS January can be a difficult month for many people. I don't usually suffer from the January Blues, but I did notice this year I felt a certain flatness. I think it was largely because there were days when Bob and I would go out for a walk and hardly see anything at all. Well, that is, anything out of the ordinary. There's no doubting it - I get a real lift when nature reveals its beauty to me in its many wonderful and surprising ways. But, it's been a good reminder that even the simple things can give great pleasure if we take the time to appreciate them. Sometimes, it's worth looking with more careful eyes and appreciating even the ordinary. The year actually was off to a great start, when the snow fell early on in the month. I love the snow! I'll leap at any opportunity I have to walk in it! Living close to the coast meant we didn't have any on our doorstep, but Ashdown Forest had a good covering and it wasn't too far away to visit. Even the car park looked lovely, with the sun shining through the wintry trees on this gorgeous sunny day. It might have been crisp and cold, but we were dressed for it and of course had some welcome hot drinks after our walk. The highlight of the day, aside from the snow, was having some brief glimpses of a couple of Crossbills at the top of the fir trees, though not as good as we'd had in December .

Autumn in Scotland 2025

By Lisa G Saw • November 23, 2025

This autumn Bob and I returned to the Highands, two years after our last trip to the area. With his son Matt and fiancée Emily now living there, it was a great opportunity to see them, enjoy some wildlife watching and spend time out in nature. The weather forecast for our time away was less than ideal, but we were determined to make the most of our visit, even if that meant wearing waterproofs most days! We stayed in two different self-catered accommodation in the Aigas Valley near where Matt and Emily live, on the west side of Loch Ness. It was lovely staying somewhere new and very picturesque, especially during the autumn. The only downside about the holiday was that I managed to hurt my back the day before leaving. It was very frustrating, but I didn't want it to ruin the holiday, so I tried to focus more on enjoying the experience of where we were and not worrying too much about the photography. That being said, I did use my camera on the first morning as a little test. On that first day, and on two subsequent days, we explored Glen Affric. It looked beautiful with the autumn colours (top and below). On every visit, we stopped at Dog Falls, where the picturesque River Affric tumbles and cascades over the rocks. For a stretch, a path runs alongside it, providing us with plenty of opportunities to stop and look out for any Dippers. As luck would have it, I did spot one very early on. It flew across the river to the far side and proceeded to bob up and down, periodically diping its head into the water looking for food. It was wonderful to have some time watching it, and keeping up with it as it worked its way down river. But eventually, it flew off and we lost sight of it. Unfortunately, it was to be our only Dipper sighting the whole time we were in these parts and none of the photos were worth keeping.

A Day at Minsmere

By Lisa G Saw • July 6, 2025

Bob and I had just experienced a wonderful four days in Norfolk in search of the Swallowtail butterfly , which I'd never seen before, and we decided to head home via RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. Both of us had only ever been to this reserve once before, many years ago, before we knew each other. That first visit for me was a memorable occasion because it was the first time I saw Eurasian Otters in the wild and my first ever sighting of an Eurasian Bittern. Aside from it being a lovely nature reserve to visit anyway, it was the lure of the bittern that was calling me back. We'd already had two lovely sightings of this shy and elusive waterbird in Norfolk, but I had higher hopes for a better, closer sighting at Minsmere having seen some fabulous photos on social media from a few weeks prior. So, whilst we were sad to be leaving Norfolk, I was eager for the day ahead and what we might see. Things were off to a great start as we followed the woodland trail to one of the hides and saw a small cluster of people on the path ahead looking up. Someone had spotted a Tawny Owl high up in the trees. There was even a scope set up pointing towards it. The gentleman who owned it kindly invited us to have a look. It was fabulous to see the owl nestled close to the tree trunk and with its eyes shut, having a few winks. They sleep a lot in the daytime since they're mostly nocturnal. After looking through the scope, it was a case of trying to locate it it with my bins and see if I could take a photo. I was pleased with the image I was able to capture. More people came along the path and some people were struggling to spot it. Bob and I both ended up helping others try to locate it. It can be very difficult describing to others which line of trees and branches to follow with their eyes!