Feeling so proud my new book The Rarity Garden has a long list of great reviews. I am donating 5% from all the sales to The North Yorkshire Turtle Dove Project so your purchase really helps wildlife. Read more and buy using this link: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/products/139...

The science behind how butterflies hibernate is very cool. To find out what's the difference between a quiescence and a diapause read my new blog here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/413/sle...

2026 Kingfisher Photography Experience Come and join us in March and April next year to photograph one of our iconic British birds the Kingfisher. #blueflash #kingoffishers #kingfisher For more information and availability please click the link below; www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/workshops/67...

Our 2026 Yorkshire Goshawk Safaris are now up on our website! Book a trip or buy a Gift Voucher. All the details here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/events/categ... @birdingdad.bsky.social @mboyd7.bsky.social @markthebirder.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Write-up of today's birding adventure now on the blog: birdingdad.blogspot.com

This little waif is a Dusky Warbler, all the way from Siberia to the Yorkshire coast. A very vocal and surprisingly showy bird @flamboroughbird.bsky.social South Landing this morning.

Eight confiding Snow Buntings near the fog station @flamboroughbird.bsky.social today. I sat down on a path and they shuffled within a few metres, feeding on grass seeds. More on the blog later birdingdad.blogspot.com

Enjoyable day despite the foggy start in the @yorkbirding.bsky.social trip to Staveley and Ripon City Wetlands, two super @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserves. Four Whooper Swans dropped in for a rest at Staveley, with Otter, two Great Egrets, heard Bearded Tits and 100k Starlings into roost at RCW.

Castle Howard this morning, dog Otter fishing at east end of Great Lake, 2 Red-crested Pochards, 5 Pintail, Goldeneye, 10 Whoopers circled and headed north with another three dropping in. No sign of the interesting aythya. @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A new proposal from a group of peers could disarm the most damaging aspect of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and reduce the risks that it currently poses to the UK's wildlife:

Last week we struck migration gold at Spurn @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social with our one day Spurn Migration Birding Discovery Days led by @markthebirder.bsky.social. Read all about it in his new blog hot off the press here: www.yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk/blog/550/spu...

Castle Howard this morning. 6 Whooper Swans, Red-crested Pochard, 3 Pintail, 85 Tufted Ducks, 55 Wigeon, Cettis Warbler @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Juvenile Aythya at Castle Howard lake this morning which looks promising for Lesser Scaup. Wingbars not seen. Worth a look if you're passing.

Big waves at Flamborough Head today. Quiet, buy enjoyable seawatch, with Sooty and Manx Shearwaters, Long-tailed Duck, Mediterranean and Little Gulls,Arctic Tern. 11 Twite flying around with several others at North Marsh. @flamboroughbird.bsky.social

Three days birding @flamboroughbird.bsky.social during #MigWeek was massively enjoyable, with loads of migrants coming 'in off' the sea - always humbling. Blog here: birdingdad.blogspot.com Well done to the organisers at the Obs and all the volunteers who helped with walks etc.

Yesterday it was ace to see a Short-eared Owl fly in off the sea, making its way to the UK for winter. This morning, a Long-eared Owl did thr same, landing in a nearby hedge. Migration in action. @flamboroughbird.bsky.social

Pleased to find this Jack Snipe at Grafham Water this afternoon (only the 5th time I’ve seen this species here). Also happy to find 5 Common Scoters @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social #ukbirding #cambirds

Anybody know if you can get a replacement rubber eye ring bit for a Swaro scope eye piece? Cant find online. Mine fell off...

Cracking to witness an East Coast fall today, @flamboroughbird.bsky.social. 800 Redwings, 50 Fieldfares & 120 Blackbirds literally fell out of the mist & into Old Fall plantation. Most appeared in great condition despite the long sea crossing, heading inland rapidly. Also 42 Bramblings, 1 Woodcock.

For many birding mates, the last few days will have been one of their most exhillarating experiences as they watched the White-throated Needletail scythe through Yorkshire skies. For me, and probably many others, it was a rather painful dip! birdingdad.blogspot.com/2025/10/a-pa...

Painted Lady enjoying the October rays and a slurp of Ivy juice, Bishopthorpe.

Blue skies at Whitby, hoping the Needletail shows up!

Dawn at Bempton...we wait, in nervous anticipation. @flamboroughbird.bsky.social

Leach's Petrel, with Black-headed Gull, Wirral, yesterday #SuperSeabirdSunday

Trip over the Pennines into the teeth of Storm Amy yesterday paid off with cracking views of Leach's Petrel off Wallasey, plus an 'in-off' Grey Phalarope which dropped on the marine lake for a few minutes. With Dunc Poyser

Leach's Petrel off Wallasey GC currently @birdguides.bsky.social

Traditional birthday birding visit to @flamboroughbird.bsky.social. Quiet, as expected but good to see my first Yellow-browed Warbler of the autumn. Great to catch up with @spurnandyg671.bsky.social and Josh Jones from @birdguides.bsky.social

Natural England confirms ongoing & relentless illegal persecution is reason why Hen Harriers are still rare in England. #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime #Ornithology raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/10/02/h...

Much booty shaking at The Crescent, York, with the fabulous @moonchildsanelly.bsky.social Top participation from the audience too. With @duncbye.bsky.social

Pimpla rufipes, the Black Slip Wasp, a fab Ichneumon checking out my car door in Bishopthorpe earlier.

Looks like the Empire are invading the outskirts of York! #Starwars

Fair Isle bird observatory caught and ringed 2 yellow-browed warblers yesterday. This one is also colour ringed so look out for black over red this autumn! #birds

A review of another wonderful Yorkshire pelagic season with @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2025/09/end-... And a Sooty Shearwater, one of the stars this season, for #SuperSeabirdSunday @markthebirder.bsky.social @mboyd7.bsky.social

Guided my last two @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social Seabird and Whale pelagics of the season today. Seven Minke Whales off Robin Hood's Bay, plus 10 Little Gulls, 5 Caspian Gulls, a Redwing heading in 2 miles off, Merlin, Barnacle Geese etc. Cracking end to the season!

Two Whooper Swans checking out the new island at Ripon City Wetlands, whilst reed cutting took place in front of the hide to create age diversity in the reedbed. Should be good for Teal, Snipe and Bitterns this winter. 🤞 @yorkswildlife.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Spent the afternoon with volunteers from LUCT Nosterfield at @yorkswildlife.bsky.social Ripon City Wetlands planting Carex elata & paniculata and Cladium mariscus to add structure to the reed edge around Canal Lagoon.

Build it and they will come. Island reprofiling at @yorkswildlife.bsky.social Ripon City Wetlands today. Work undertaken by Coxons of Bedale.

Another farm hedge ripped out on the outskirts of York for no apparent reason. :-(

On the 6 Sept leading one of our pelagic boat trips approx. 2.5m N of Staithes this amazing petrel appeared only 50m from the boat. It was fairly rough at the time my guests were sat sheltering from the splash zone. I shouted Pterodroma everyone thought I had gone mad! A moment I will never forget.

Seven Pink-footed Geese over Wheldrake Ings this morning, plus Whinchat. @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Pec Sand still showing well at Blacktoft Sands, then flew west at 12.48pm @birdguides.bsky.social

Picked this juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper up on call as it flew past Ousefleet Hide, Blacktoft Sands, fortunately it looped round and landed. Cracker! @birdguides.bsky.social

Garganey at Blacktoft Sands this morning. Osprey reported earlier. @birdguides.bsky.social

I didn't realize that yesterday was #WorldDolphinDay !

Write-up of yesterday's @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social pelagics: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2025/09/back...

Two enjoyable @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social pelagics off Staithes, North Yorkshire, yesterday, with a pod of c30 Bottlenose Dolphins the highlight, plus Minke Whale, 3-4 Caspian Gulls, 7 Swifts, Arctic Skua and Harbour Porpoise.

Led the annual @yorkbirding.bsky.social field trip to @flamboroughbird.bsky.social with @duncbye.bsky.social. Sadly, we couldn't pin down the Greenish Warbler at Thornwick, but saw 8+ Pied Flycatchers, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Arctic Skuas, 2 Pochards and best of all, 6+ Bottlenose Dolphins!

Great Egret at Castle Howard Great Lake this morning, plus Red-crested Pochard, 17 Crossbills. @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Honored to be part of the official launch of the extended Ingleborough National Nature Reserve today, with my fab colleagues and partner organizations. The future in this part of the Yorkshire Dales is bright.

Nigel Farage looks uncomfortable as Jamie Raskin uses his opening statement to absolutely demolish him