#Yorkshirebirding #RarebirdsUK

A few more images from my recent trip to Oman. Many influences from Africa with breeding species; African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Spotted Thick-knee and Grey-headed Kingfisher.

A few more pics from my recent trip to Oman. A nice range of breeding species on offer, from Sooty Falcons on an offshore island near Muscat, Crab Plovers on the mudflats of Masirah Island, Arabian Partridge near Salalah, and one of the plainest yet most range restricted species, Yemen Serin.

A few regional specialities from my recent trip to Oman; Arabian Eagle Owl, Wheatear, Sunbird and Warbler!

Oman was a great country for terns. Saunder's and White-cheeked are regional specialities, whereas Lesser and Great Crested are more widespread (Great Crested the most abundant in Oman). #seabirds

Some of the scarcer #seabirds on our pelagics off Oman: Swinhoe's Storm-petrel, Masked Booby, Socotra Cormorant and Bridled Tern.

Juv. Caspian Gull hanging around fishing boat offshore from Whitburn late afternoon, also 13 Little Gulls & 5 Roseates. Skua numbers still low despite NE'ly wind, only 1 Bonxie and 1 Arctic this afternoon. Two Common Dolphins this morning the best sighting of the day (3rd site record). #NEbirding

Flesh-footed Shearwaters reached three figures from pelagics and land based seawatching in Oman. A mix of worn adults and fresh juvs, likely from breeding colonies on St Paul Island in Indian Ocean. #seabirds

Another much wanted but common species off Mirbat, Oman was Persian #Shearwater. As well as small numbers passing close to shore, we had over 500 rafting on the last pelagic, including one aberrant white-headed bird. #seabirds

One of the commoner offshore species in Oman was Wilson's Storm-Petrel. They regularly came within 100m of land, at times even feeding over channels in mudflats! Many were adults in heavy moult, but also plenty of pristine juvs. #seabirds

Just back from a seabirding trip to Oman. Jouanin's #Petrel didn't disappoint, seeing three figure counts from land as well as close views on pelagics. (last image ©Nick Lessof) #seabirds

The Med Gull influx continues at Whitburn with another 10 S this morning, June total now 70. It'll be interesting once juvs start arriving! Also nearly 600 Sandwich terns today, 1 Bonxie and 2 Arctic Skuas, but Manx down to 248. #NEbirding

The Med Gull influx continues to gather pace, a total of 17 flew south at Whitburn this morning. The flock of 13 on its own beat the previous county site record! The majority this week have been adults, presumably pushed from continent by hot weather. #NEbirding

Good numbers of Hairy #Dragonfly at Leven Canal, East Yorks. this week. One even headed straight for me and caught a newly emerged Banded Demoiselle that I'd disturbed from grass, then went to brambles to eat it. Voracious predators!

Quail singing at 7am between Burshill and Hempholme. maps.app.goo.gl/3oggwRegFP6H.... #Yorkshirebirding

Hobbys are still a rare bird in the northeast, so it's a novelty to see them regularly during survey work in East Yorkshire. Stunning birds to watch as they take dragonflies, always on the look out for potential prey. #Yorkshirebirding

Visit to @tophilllow.bsky.social in the sunshine on Tuesday produced lots of odonata, incl egg-laying Hairy Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser. The Temminck's Stint was nice, but the distraction display by the LRPs was more impressive to watch. #Yorkshirebirding

For those on Facebook, some really interesting photos and discussion on what looks like the first Streaked Shearwater for the North Atlantic, off Delaware Bay (Cape May to Lewes ferry). Yet another #seabird species now with potential to appear in UK waters. www.facebook.com/share/p/1Yb3...

Temminck's Stint still at Tophill Low, from south marsh east hide. #Yorkshirebirding

Common Crane currently circling over Bishop Burton college, drifting west. #Yorkshirebirding

Nice afternoon at @tophilllow.bsky.social Blue-w Teal the highlight, also 2 G'eye, 4 Cuckoo, 2 LRP, 5 C.Tern, 5+ L.Egret, Red Kite, Hobby, 8+ Cetti's, Yellow Wag, plus good numbers summer visitors (except hirundines) #Yorkshirebirding

Blue-winged Teal (female) still at Tophill Low, at NW end of D reservoir. #YorkshireBirding #rarebirdsUK

Good long walk covering both sides of R.Hull nr Aike and High Eske. 4 Cattle and 4+ Great Egrets, 1-2 Hobby, Perg, 6-8 Marsh Harriers, Cuckoo, Corn Bunts, loads of Cetti's and good numbers other warblers. #Yorkshirebirding

A bit of tern passage at Whitburn with 287 Sandwich, 6 Arctic & 4 Common. Wildfowl incl 2 Shoveler & 4 RB Merganser. Also 12 RTDiver, 3 Manx & 1 Whimbrel. #NEBirding #seabirds

Some interesting #gulls from my Chile to LA cruise. Franklin's were abundant at Lima, with Laughing only noted from Ecuador northward. Belcher's was restricted to Chile & Peru, whereas California was common in... California! #seabirds

📢New blog is out! @joanne-morten.bsky.social shares details of the collaborative research project to identify marine flyways using seabird tracking data seabirdtracking.org/delineating-marine-flyways-from-seabird-tracking-data/ Full paper here: doi.org/10.1111/geb.70004

You can't beat a Pomarine Skua (or Jaeger for my American friends), the king of all #skuas in my opinion. A few images of Poms off the Ecuador coast during my cruise, migrating north to breed in the Arctic. #seabirds

A few terns moving with the s'ly wind at Whitburn this morning, incl 99 Sandwich, 2 Common, 1 Arctic and 1 Little. Wildfowl incl 24 Pink-feet north & 65 Common Scoter, with 11 Manxies continuing the decent early spring for them. #NEBirding

A few more pics of #seabirds from recent Chile to LA cruise. Boobys featured well with 6 species, from Peruvian and Masked in south, through to Nazca, Red-footed, Cocos and Blue-footed in more equatorial waters. Great chance to watch at close range as they were often at touching distance at the bow.

More #seabird pics from my cruise. We passed through distinct zones where some species were common, often just for a day. Thousands of Red-necked Phalaropes off northern Peru, Cooks Petrels and Bl-f Albatrosses off Baja California Sur, Tahiti Petrels off Nicaragua. Each sea day was quite different.

More #seabirds pics from my cruise. Storm #Petrels featured well incl interesting Pacific sp. Dark-rumped Leach's (aka Chapman's), White-bellieds breeding on Juan Fernandez Is., both forms of Wedge-rumpeds & good views of Townsend's (& always helps when Steve Howell is giving a rundown of features!)

More #seabirds from my recent cruise... Equatorial currents to north of Ecuador brought sought-after birds from the #Galapagos, such as Swallow-tailed Gulls, Galapagos Petrel, Galapagos Shearwater and Band-rumped Storm Petrel (likely 'Darwins').

Six albatross species were seen between Chile and California; Salvin's, Buller's and Chatham in the south, Waved just south of the equator, and Laysan and Black-footed off Baja. Limited opportunities for photography from a large ship compared to chumming around a small boat. #seabirds

Just back from a cruise from Chile to LA. Pics of a few of the special birds on the southern stretch of the Humboldt Current, names in AltText. Hornby's Storm P. is remarkable in that nesting areas were only discovered in 2017, in the Atacama Desert, over 70km inland! #Seabirds

First Common & Arctic Terns of the year past Whitburn, also 150 Sandwich by 08:30 and 2 Whimbrel. #NEBirding

A bit of early morning passage into a brisk N'ly at Whitburn, with 351 Fulmar, 2 Velvets, 29 Eider, GCGrebe & 13 Rt Divers. Auks and Gannets down on yesterday. #NEBirding #Seabirds

A flock of 12 Whooper Swans (11 ads, 1 juv) passed Whitburn this morning, 30 mins later they passed St Mary's Island. 9 miles, a fairly leisurely 18 mph into a moderate northerly. #NEBirding

White-billed Diver north at Whitburn at 07:39, adult winter type plumage. #NEBirding

A couple of images of the Cattle Egrets near Hempholme on Thursday. #YorkshireBirding

Great to see so many Marsh Harriers during bird surveys in the R.Hull valley, north of Beverley, last week. Clearly doing very well in arable land in this area. #YorkshireBirding

A few photos from @tophilllow.bsky.social last week. Species names in AltText. #YorkshireBirding

Sign of the times... 8 Cattle Egrets together in grazing field north of Hempholme. #YorkshireBirding maps.app.goo.gl/7fadknNYyFzK...

Nice afternoon at @tophilllow.bsky.social . Highlights of 2 Egyptian Geese, drake Smew & Green Sand on Watton, Jack Snipe, Peregrine, 4+ Marsh Harriers incl 2 males, Scaup, GW Egret, Marsh Tit, Cetti's etc. #YorkshireBirding

Drake Smew still at High Eske NR, nr Beverley. Also 2 GW Egrets. #YorkshireBirding

1st w. Caspian Gull on rocks north of Whitburn obs from 08:40. Also 4 Whoopers north, 4 Goosander, ad Med Gull. #NEBirding

A Red Kite north a mile out to sea was the highlight of the morning seawatch at Whitburn. Signs of spring with Grey Wag & Siskin over, plus LBBGull. 8+ Bottlenose Dolphins north and 2 Harbour Porpoise best of cetaceans. #NEBirding #CetaceansUK

Substantial increase in Gannets and Fulmars at Whitburn after the overnight northerly, but other than 2 Gadwall, little out of the ordinary. #NEbirding

Humpback Whale currently off Whitburn CP. About 1.5km out, not moving very far. Occasional blows & fluking. #CetaceansUK #NEbirding

A few photos from my visit to #TophillLow on Tuesday. Species names in AltText. #YorkshireBirding @tophilllow.bsky.social