Eastern Subalpine Warbler at Cow Gap, Beachy Head this afternoon. Thanks to @beachybirder.bsky.social for finding it! Legs aching after steep walk uphill back to car! @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Summer plumage Cattle Egret, one in a breeding colony high in tall bushes surrounded by water. A treat to see. Viewed from a well used public footpath (had to mind the dog poo!) in Sussex.

I'm sure the weather's better where you came from! Lesser Kestrel this afternoon at Goonhilly Downs, Cornwall. @cbwps.org.uk @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

I'll tell you a funny story. I arrived at Landguard at 6.50am today to see a few birders looking into the fenced area. And there was this Tawny Pipit in front of me on the grass before the fenced area! ✅️ no 376 @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social

Another view of the Woodchat Shrike at Pagham on Saturday. For once it left the field side hedgerows and perched by the central scrape catching food around it. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @selseybirder.bsky.social

A few more pictures of the Basingstoke Hoopoe seen at the weekend. Does anyone know what is the mid air food item? @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

A close up of the confiding Hoopoe at Basingstoke this morning. What a delight to see this stunning bird only 20 mins from home. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Woodchat Shrike this afternoon at Pagham Rife. Lovely to see in the sunshine. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @selseybirder.bsky.social

Here's one of my many photos of the Red-spotted Bluethroat we saw yesterday near Wareham, Dorset. So confiding that it would hop up the path until a few feet away from us. Pre 9am is best time. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Forgot to put this one up from our recent Ireland trip. Looking over Tacumshin at all the amazing water birds in front of you it pays to look at the bushes behind you. There was this Merlin only a few yards away watching us! #eireroadtrip

Went to see the American Bittern again last night near Cork. Photo is the best I could come up with as dusk and dawn are really the only times it makes a show. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social #eireroadtrip

I love those red feet on Black Guillemots. Took the opportunity to take some pictures of some close to the pier at Magheraroarty while we were there to see the Harlequin Duck. #eireroadtrip

This morning we visited Magheraroarty in Donegal to see the Harlequin Duck. It was just awesome to see it, the colours were amazing for a first winter drake especially in good light. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social #eireroadtrip

American Coot at Lady's Island, Wexford this morning. Nice to get better pictures in calmer conditions after seeing it in yesterday's storm! #yankbird #eireroadtrip

One of four Stone Curlews we saw today on Salisbury Plain along with a pair of Grey Partridge. The photo might not be pin sharp, that's because it is about keeping a good distance to avoid disturbance. 600 lens with 1.4 TC and heavily cropped. @wiltsbirdclub.bsky.social

Saw a few Firecrests at our local Fleet Pond on Sunday, they were very active and territorial. Difficult to keep the camera on them as they can be so quick. Luckily this one kept going back to the same perch. @hosbirding.bsky.social

Great Grey Shrike today at Pig Bush in the New Forest. Amazing to watch it catch a lizard and fly up to impale it onto a thorn in a small hawthorn tree. Also saw Dartford Warblers and distant Goshawks. @hosbirding.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social

Forster's Tern at Poole Park after a short wait this morning. Nice to catch up with it again after seeing it three years ago. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Saw quite a few Firecrests over the weekend in various locations in West Cornwall. Couldn't resist taking a picture of this one at Boscathnoe Res while dipping the Dusky. @cbwps.org.uk

Ring-necked Duck a few days ago at Fleet Pond, Hants. Literally half a mile from home. What a handsome fella, those white markings on his bill really do stand out.

Popped in this morning to see the Lesser Yellowlegs at the back of Tesco at Truro. To say it showed well would be an understatement, such a confiding bird! @birdguides.bsky.social @cbwps.org.uk

Ring-billed Gull this morning seen from Lelant Station on the Hayle estuary at low tide. @birdguides.bsky.social @cbwps.org.uk

Another picture of today's sighting of the 1st winter Ross's Gull at Newlyn Harbour. @birdguides.bsky.social @cbwps.org.uk

Ross's Gull at Newlyn Harbour today with the harbour wall making a nice back drop to make the bird stand out. This first winter gull showed well visiting the harbour a few times today. @birdguides.bsky.social @cbwps.org.uk

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