Simon Patient
@simonpatient1.bsky.social
Essex Birder and Abberton Reservoir local patcher. Amateur photographer and artist. Also interests in astronomy and wildlife in general especially Butterflies. Colchester based.
I’m enjoying sticking my head out of the bathroom window for the Lesser Redpolls. They are feeding on the new buds on our Elder tree #essexbirding
February 5, 2026 at 1:42 PM
I’m enjoying sticking my head out of the bathroom window for the Lesser Redpolls. They are feeding on the new buds on our Elder tree #essexbirding
2 Lesser Redpolls enjoying the rain in our Colchester garden again this morning. Plus Blackcap still singing away #essexbirding
February 5, 2026 at 12:47 PM
2 Lesser Redpolls enjoying the rain in our Colchester garden again this morning. Plus Blackcap still singing away #essexbirding
A gloomy start to the day here in our Colchester garden. 1 Lesser Redpoll still around and a sign that spring is not too far away, here’s our male Blackcap singing which it’s been doing since Jan 26th. ( my earliest singing bird ) #essexbirding
February 2, 2026 at 9:10 AM
A gloomy start to the day here in our Colchester garden. 1 Lesser Redpoll still around and a sign that spring is not too far away, here’s our male Blackcap singing which it’s been doing since Jan 26th. ( my earliest singing bird ) #essexbirding
This Lesser Redpoll dropped down into our Colchester garden early this morning. Only my 3rd that has landed here. Also the Firecrest is still visiting our Holly tree. #essexbirding
January 31, 2026 at 10:17 AM
This Lesser Redpoll dropped down into our Colchester garden early this morning. Only my 3rd that has landed here. Also the Firecrest is still visiting our Holly tree. #essexbirding
This male Blackcap ( one of a pair ) is still feasting on Ivy berries in our Colchester garden today. Also 60+ Redwing have been hanging around also feeding on nearby Ivy berries. In the past couple of days a few Goosanders have flown over SW towards Abberton in the evenings #essexbirding
January 14, 2026 at 4:00 PM
This male Blackcap ( one of a pair ) is still feasting on Ivy berries in our Colchester garden today. Also 60+ Redwing have been hanging around also feeding on nearby Ivy berries. In the past couple of days a few Goosanders have flown over SW towards Abberton in the evenings #essexbirding
Enjoyed a visit to Abberton this morning with the kids. The 3 Tundra Bean geese and 5 Smew ( 3 drake) were my highlights. Plus 6 RCPochard and Scaup. The Essex birding massive were out in force, and nice to see some friendly faces. #essexbirding
January 1, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Enjoyed a visit to Abberton this morning with the kids. The 3 Tundra Bean geese and 5 Smew ( 3 drake) were my highlights. Plus 6 RCPochard and Scaup. The Essex birding massive were out in force, and nice to see some friendly faces. #essexbirding
Happy New year! 🎉 These are some of our garden highlights from this year including Osprey, GWE and Crossbills as garden ticks. Also adding Brown Argus as our 28th butterfly species. And discovering White Admiral larva. Looking forward to what 2026 has to offer 🤞 All the best #essexbirding
December 31, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Happy New year! 🎉 These are some of our garden highlights from this year including Osprey, GWE and Crossbills as garden ticks. Also adding Brown Argus as our 28th butterfly species. And discovering White Admiral larva. Looking forward to what 2026 has to offer 🤞 All the best #essexbirding
A visit to Abberton this morning produced the 4 Little Stints in hide bay still ( lost to view when birds spooked ) plus a Raven flew through, 1 BNGrebe and fem Scaup from island hide. 2 Slav grebes together and 77 Goosander from LDLH c’way. #essexbirding
December 9, 2025 at 12:38 PM
A visit to Abberton this morning produced the 4 Little Stints in hide bay still ( lost to view when birds spooked ) plus a Raven flew through, 1 BNGrebe and fem Scaup from island hide. 2 Slav grebes together and 77 Goosander from LDLH c’way. #essexbirding
Our Colchester garden White Admiral larva is still in situ today. Having made a hibernaculum leaf which later shrivelled up, it has chosen to stay where it is rather than make a new one elsewhere on the branch.
December 6, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Our Colchester garden White Admiral larva is still in situ today. Having made a hibernaculum leaf which later shrivelled up, it has chosen to stay where it is rather than make a new one elsewhere on the branch.
The 2 Firecrests were back in my Colchester garden again today, and showed very well for a few minutes. Also a Redpoll sp flew over #essexbirding
November 7, 2025 at 11:44 AM
The 2 Firecrests were back in my Colchester garden again today, and showed very well for a few minutes. Also a Redpoll sp flew over #essexbirding
Showing Ivy a Raven that just cronked over our Colchester garden this a’noon. 2 Red Admirals still on our Buddliea. Y’day 4 Crossbills flew over plus a pair of Blackcaps in the garden. #essexbirding
November 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Showing Ivy a Raven that just cronked over our Colchester garden this a’noon. 2 Red Admirals still on our Buddliea. Y’day 4 Crossbills flew over plus a pair of Blackcaps in the garden. #essexbirding
A nice surprise whilst washing up were 2 Firecrests in our Colchester garden this morning. My first locally this autumn/winter and maybe the same returning pair that overwintered here last year. #essexbirding
November 5, 2025 at 11:13 AM
A nice surprise whilst washing up were 2 Firecrests in our Colchester garden this morning. My first locally this autumn/winter and maybe the same returning pair that overwintered here last year. #essexbirding
A Swift species Common/ Pallid was feeding back and forth over the junction of Warren lane and Maldon road Colchester at 11:00 this morning. I was on the way back from the shops with the kids and had no optics ! I alerted the local birders and wizzed home and back but no sign of it. #essexbirding
October 31, 2025 at 12:22 PM
A Swift species Common/ Pallid was feeding back and forth over the junction of Warren lane and Maldon road Colchester at 11:00 this morning. I was on the way back from the shops with the kids and had no optics ! I alerted the local birders and wizzed home and back but no sign of it. #essexbirding
A record phone shot of Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon in yesterday’s evening sky. (Just Below centre) #astronomy
October 25, 2025 at 8:18 AM
A record phone shot of Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon in yesterday’s evening sky. (Just Below centre) #astronomy
This Great White Egret flew E over our Colchester garden today and was a nice garden ✅. Also our first autumn Siskins and y’day 4 Redwings over #essexbirding
October 8, 2025 at 12:37 PM
This Great White Egret flew E over our Colchester garden today and was a nice garden ✅. Also our first autumn Siskins and y’day 4 Redwings over #essexbirding
10+ Crossbills flew low east over my garden here in Colchester, NE end of Fridaywoods just gone 11am. #essexbirding
October 7, 2025 at 10:34 AM
10+ Crossbills flew low east over my garden here in Colchester, NE end of Fridaywoods just gone 11am. #essexbirding
Managed to get over and see the Turkestan Shrike y’day at Dunwich. As always with Shrikes an absolute cracker… #rarebirduk
October 7, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Managed to get over and see the Turkestan Shrike y’day at Dunwich. As always with Shrikes an absolute cracker… #rarebirduk
2 Clouded Yellows at Gt Wigborough church this morning also 2 Wall Browns, Small Heath and Common Blues still on the wing. 6 + Goldcrests there also. Water levels still dropping at Abberton #essexbirding
September 30, 2025 at 12:57 PM
2 Clouded Yellows at Gt Wigborough church this morning also 2 Wall Browns, Small Heath and Common Blues still on the wing. 6 + Goldcrests there also. Water levels still dropping at Abberton #essexbirding
I hadn’t check on our garden White Admiral larva for a while, and checking today I noticed its hibernaculum had completely shrivelled up leaving the caterpillar still active outside of it. Hopefully it will make a new one soon.
September 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
I hadn’t check on our garden White Admiral larva for a while, and checking today I noticed its hibernaculum had completely shrivelled up leaving the caterpillar still active outside of it. Hopefully it will make a new one soon.
A fantastic mad rush to locally twitch the Arctic Warbler in Essex at Great Wigborough church this evening. Initially a no show, i felt a dip coming on and then refound by Stuart. Well done on the finders @snixon66.bsky.social and @chrispoole050.bsky.social. 👍 My 2nd for Essex #essexBirding
September 5, 2025 at 7:07 PM
A fantastic mad rush to locally twitch the Arctic Warbler in Essex at Great Wigborough church this evening. Initially a no show, i felt a dip coming on and then refound by Stuart. Well done on the finders @snixon66.bsky.social and @chrispoole050.bsky.social. 👍 My 2nd for Essex #essexBirding
This very worn male Brown Argus was briefly in our Colchester garden today. And was a long awaited garden tick. In the last 8 years of living here It becomes garden butterfly species number 28.
August 31, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This very worn male Brown Argus was briefly in our Colchester garden today. And was a long awaited garden tick. In the last 8 years of living here It becomes garden butterfly species number 28.
Going through some photos taken in our Colchester garden from last week and this Small White has recaught my eye. It has an interesting concave outer edge to the wing spot ( Southern Small White like? ) but I’m guessing it’s within range and variation of a late summer Small White.
August 26, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Going through some photos taken in our Colchester garden from last week and this Small White has recaught my eye. It has an interesting concave outer edge to the wing spot ( Southern Small White like? ) but I’m guessing it’s within range and variation of a late summer Small White.
This Hummingbird Hawk-moth was still around our Colchester garden today. Plus another Willow Emerald Damselfly this time in our conservatory. Plus a Small Heath on our Water Mint.
August 25, 2025 at 2:29 PM
This Hummingbird Hawk-moth was still around our Colchester garden today. Plus another Willow Emerald Damselfly this time in our conservatory. Plus a Small Heath on our Water Mint.
This Willow Emerald Damselfly was nice to see in our Colchester garden today. ( 1 or 2 annually in last few years ). Plus 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moths together. Our best year by far for this species with almost daily sightings.
August 17, 2025 at 12:12 PM
This Willow Emerald Damselfly was nice to see in our Colchester garden today. ( 1 or 2 annually in last few years ). Plus 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moths together. Our best year by far for this species with almost daily sightings.
On the 27th July our garden White Admiral larva had already made its hibernaculum. First photo. The leaf cut off squarely and symmetrically folded over and joined by silk. I believe it started hibernating soon after. Today’s photo shows it all still intact. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social
August 17, 2025 at 12:09 PM
On the 27th July our garden White Admiral larva had already made its hibernaculum. First photo. The leaf cut off squarely and symmetrically folded over and joined by silk. I believe it started hibernating soon after. Today’s photo shows it all still intact. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social