Siberian Lesser Whitethroat in the sun today by the bowling green at Seaton, Devon. Also saw a few female / juvenile Black Redstarts. Read Steve Waite's most interesting blog: stevesbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-se… @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @axebirder.bsky.social

The red listed Mistle Thrush was frequently seen when we visited the New Forest yesterday. We even saw small flocks of up to 15 birds often mixing with Fieldfares and Redwings. Usually flighty but this one posed for the camera 😊 #newforest @hosbirding.bsky.social

A Tawny Owl roosting only a few minutes from our doorstep. Lovely to see, had it to ourselves and left it alone after just a couple of minutes with the camera at a respectable distance. #tawnyowl #Berkshire

Two Tundra Bean Goose at Ufton Green, Berkshire this afternoon. Sharing a flooded field with Lapwings, Greylag and Canada Geese. No surprise that they were the most distant. @berksbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Black Redstart at Green Park Lake, Reading this rainy afternoon. Often flies over to the other side of the lake if a pedestrian walks by so patience is key. @berksbirdclub.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Richardson's Cackling Goose at Clifton, Worcs today with a flock of Canada Geese. Apparently unringed and flew in this morning. Nice to see the differences in this picture I took today. @birdguides.bsky.social

Siberian Chiffchaff at PC World Drain, Poole this afternoon. Very active and stood out so pale amongst the other Chiffchaffs present. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Killdeer at Ripley, Hants this morning. Last county record Sept 1980 makes this a 46 year gap. What a mega and there were a lot of happy birders today! @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @hosbirding.bsky.social

Eastern Black Redstart, Sheringham, Norfolk this morning. What a handsome fella! A lot of arriving birders like us got confused with the reported location, the bird is actually and has been all week a couple of hundred yards up the same road, WEST of the memorial. @birdguides.bsky.social

Black-winged Kite at Stubb Mill this morning and afterwards a Merlin seen from the raptor viewpoint. A great day out! @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @norfolkbirds.bsky.social

Red - flanked Bluetail at Crockham Hill, Kent this afternoon. Quite elusive, kept disappearing into the undergrowth and while we were there only offered brief views in a wooded gully in poor light. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @kentishplover.bsky.social

Russian White-fronted Goose at Ashgrave, Otmoor this afternoon. At least 50 present along with about 20 Tundra Bean Geese amongst hundreds of Canada and Greylag Geese. Also a few Barnacles too. @rspbotmoor.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social

A distant Snow Goose at Insh Marshes, Highland late this afternoon when the light was going. Was with a large flock of Greylags. @rspbscotland.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

My last photo of 2025 taken this afternoon. Seeing out 2025 on a crest of a wave (see what I did there😉) with 3 lifers in Scotland in 2 days. 31 lifers in 2025 bringing me up to 372. Hopefully will get a little closer to the magical 400 in 2026 Happy new year to you all.

1st Winter Male King Eider at Dornoch this afternoon enjoying feeding in the breakers crashing against the rocks. Along with over a hundred Long Tailed Ducks and a mix of Common/Velvet scoters out at sea with 3 Surf Scoters. @rspbscotland.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

Went to Glenshee yesterday and it was busy due to nice weather. Saw lots of Mountain Hares but no Ptarmigan. Returned early this morning in freezing mist with no one around and quickly got lucky! Thanks to @baldbirder.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

Ferruginous Duck at Brownwich Pond near Titchfield, Hants on Friday afternoon. What a handsome bird! It was with a few tufties and there was also a drake Goosander present. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

This Bufflehead showed well for many of us this morning in the embankment pool on the west side of Foryd Bay. Loving the iridescence in the sunshine. Took hundreds of pictures but this one is my favourite 😍 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Scops Owl at Dunvant Park, Killay, Glamorgan this evening in the rain! Happy to get this torch lit picture, the torch was on for only a few seconds. Life ✅️ 368 @birdsinwales.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Lesser Crested Tern viewed this morning from the Dawlish Warren Hide flying over a distantly moored Stuart Lines Cruises boat. If only someone was on it ... would have had much better views than we did! Lifer no. 367 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Green-winged Teal this afternoon at Langstone, Hants. It was in the sea with other wildfowl and waders, and after a while flew into the pond behind me for a bit then onto a nearby flooded field. Nice to meet Jason Crook the finder. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Hume's Leaf Warbler this morning at Marston Vale Forest Park in Bedfordshire. Had several good views but tricky to get the camera focused on this very mobile bird. @birdguides.bsky.social @wildlifebcn.org @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social

Finally got round to see the Boat Tailed Grackle today at Holbury, Hants. That journey it had on a ship across the Atlantic - if only it could tell us the full story it would be amazing I'm sure. Thanks to Sue Knight for letting us in her garden.

Isabelline / Red-tailed Shrike at Woods Mill, West Sussex this afternoon. It was always distant but good to see! @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Two Spotted Redshanks in the foreground, picture taken from the Rushy Hide at WWT Slimbridge. It was a great afternoon in spite of the blusteryconditions. @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social @wwtworldwide.bsky.social

Temminck's Stint from the Rushy Hide at WWT Slimbridge this afternoon. Saw it for ten mins before it flew away. @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social @wwtworldwide.bsky.social

Bittern from the Zeiss Hide at WWT Slimbridge this afternoon, one of 2 birds seen. @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social @wwtworldwide.bsky.social

Dusky Warbler at Walsey Hills NOR yesterday morning. Showed well a few times before it disappeared! Nice to meet @shaunevans.bsky.social Went on to see the Pallas Warbler at Sidestrand which showed well too. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Tuesday morning saw me dipping the Radde's Warbler at Reculver but walking back to the car I was delighted to find this Yellow Browed Warbler in a small flock of tits. Also saw another one a couple of miles away! @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social

Rather than post the usual shots of the Rutland Baird's Sandpiper I thought I'd offer up some alternative angles of what must be currently the most photographed bird in the UK. @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

After seeing the Rutland celebrity yesterday we decided to re visit the Greater Short-toed Lark at Snettisham as I wanted better pictures now the weather has improved. It didn't disappoint. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Brown Shrike at St Davids, Pembrokeshire this morning. At first we saw it by the road with other birders but it disappeared, so I followed a footpath to the east and found it again. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social

Greater Short-toed Lark this afternoon at Snettisham Beach, Norfolk. It was very windy and the bird was on the beach path which had long grasses on one side sheltering it. Life ✅️ no. 363 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Went to see the Turkestan Shrike at Dunwich Heath, Suffolk yesterday. Waited nearly three hours before it left a small copse with thick shrub onto the heathland by the cliff. The wind, rain and poor light made taking pictures tricky. Happy to get a life ✅️

Pied Flycatcher. Saw good displays and singing from the males against a back drop of fresh Forest of Dean greenery on Sunday. A most enjoyable few hours at one with nature. @rspb.bsky.social

Nightingales are showing well at the moment in West Sussex as this one did on Saturday. Saw at least four as well as two Cuckoos. At Pulborough Brooks. @rspb.bsky.social

Grasshopper Warbler at Pinkhill, Farmoor very early this morning. Being deaf we found it difficult to find the two birds we saw as we had the place to ourselves and can't locate by sound! @birdguides.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social @rspbengland.bsky.social

We saw three White Billed Divers on Saturday afternoon from a boat within a mile of Portsoy. They were constantly diving and it was nigh on impossible to get close views despite the skipper trying. Hence record shots. @rspbscotland.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

At the Boat of Garten Woods we came across a small flock of these Crossbills by a glade near the known cross tracks. They kept us entertained for a good while, even dropping down to drink from the small puddles. 12/04/2025 @rspbscotland.bsky.social

Subalpine Warbler at Weymouth yesterday. Tricky photography conditions with the sun behind the bird and twigs making focusing difficult. Best of hundreds of photos! 07/04/2025 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Good size comparison between Dunlin and Least Sandpiper. RSPB Medmerry Stilt Pool. 6th April 2025 @rspb.bsky.social @rspbengland.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Amazing how many aquatic larvae this Dipper can hold in its bill. I took this picture from the Steps Bridge at Dunsford Nature Reserve in Devon. Tried looking for more during an evening walk upstream but sadly too many dogs swimming even though notices say must be on a lead. #birds #ukbirds

Spotted this beautiful male Yellowhammer by the RSPB Medmerry car park just before going down to the Stilt Pool to see the Least Sandpiper. 4th April 2025 @rspb.bsky.social

This is just one of about forty Red Kites feeding on worms in a Berkshire field being ploughed. It was a spectacular experience watching them from behind a fallen tree. #BirdPhotographer #birds #ukbirds

Nice to see the Little Ringed Plovers returning to a local country park only 5 mins from our home in Hampshire ❤️ #ukbirding

Serin at Restharrow Scrape, Sandwich Bay on Friday morning (7th March). Perched in the small tree by the first hide soaking up the emerging sunlight early morning. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Jack Snipe, Lemsford Springs this afternoon. Always a good place to see one or two when it is freezing @rspb.bsky.social #birds #ukbirds

Red Necked Grebe showing well this afternoon at Denham Quarry. It was feeding on small Roach and was at the southern end of the lake, not too far out at all. @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social #birds #ukbirds

Saw a pair of Bearded Reedlings eating grit from the paths to the hides at RSPB Greylake last week. Most interesting is the male's black eyes instead of the normal yellow. Apparently these unusual sightings go back to the 1960's so it is debatable whether bird flu is the cause. @rspb.bsky.social

Visited RSPB Greylake last week after seeing the Least Sandpiper at Steart Marshes. Had wonderful views of a Merlin which is the best I've ever had of this bird. @rspb.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social #birds #ukbirds