Amazing find by Simon H-R! First for UK Western Reef Heron at the Foryd Bay. Looks the real deal 👍Great twitch with @owen27.bsky.social #ukbirding #welshbirds

A duck day at Middleton Lakes RSPB with a Drake Garganey, Pintail, 5 Pochards + Shoveler chicks 👍 also Bitterns, Hobbies + Avocets. Moths included Pine Hawkmoth, Treble-brown Spot and Yellow-barred Longhorn @owenparsons.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social #ukbirding

Wood Warbler are beautiful summer migrants and seem to be holding their own in the Conwy Valley. @penrhynbirder.bsky.social has been surveying the population over the past few years and finding some fascinating trends, while @birdsandbikes.bsky.social ringing dedication is impressive #birdingwales

A good fall of Spotted Flycatcher on the Great Orme this morning with at least 12 birds on the headland. A Cuckoo was a good record on the patch while a Tree Pipit, Sedge Warbler and 2 Wheatears were also on the move. Several Brown Argus and Grayling on the wing too. #ukbirding #birdingwales

What a bird! A successful work break twitch for this stunning Spotted Sandpiper with @owenparsons.bsky.social at Earlswood Lakes, Warwickshire. Sanderling, Wigeon and several Common Tern too. Good to meet some friendly local birders ☺️👍 @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social #ukbirding #warksbirding

A super few hours at the excellent Ladywalk Nature Reserve, Warwickshire @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social - a Drake Garganey was a nice surprise, superb views of Bittern, 2 Hobby, Teal, a thriving Cormorant Colony, 3 Little ringed Plovers , 5 Shelduck and a singing Cuckoo. Great reserve! ☺️👍 #ukbirding

Two cool waders at RSPB Middleton this morning. A couple of Sanderling showing on Jubilee wetlands when a smart Little Stint walked into view! Also Common Ringed Plover, Bittern and lots of Avocet chicks 👍 @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social - worth getting a soaking for! ☺️👍🌧️

A great day with @owenparsons.bsky.social , starting with a Wood Warbler survey in the Conwy Valley. Good views had of this iconic species along with Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, Cuckoos and Tawny Owl. Then taking part in the Pensychnant Biodoversity Quiz day. Great fun and learning! #birdingwales

Montgomeryshire birdrace with Paul and Madelina as part of Ebird Global Big Day. 107 species seen in this landlocked Welsh county. Highlights included sky dancing Hen Harrier, 3 Marsh Harriers, Hobby, Osprey, Tree Sparrow, Willow Tit, Wood Warbler, Whimbrel + drumming Snipe #ukbirding #birdingwales

Highlights this week at Middleton Lakes RSPB; summer plumaged Cattle Egret dropping in, feral Red-breasted Goose, 2 Arctic Terns, a group of 3 Cuckoo, lots of Garden Warblers and several Lapwing chicks (including these 3 swimming!). @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social #ukbirding

A hike up the three peaks of Drum, Foel Fras + Carnedd Gwenllian to look for Dotterel today. Failed to reach Foel Grach as the mist descended 😩 No Dotterel unfortunately but male Hen Harrier, several Red Grouse, Ring Ouzels, Cuckoo, Whinchat, 30+ Wheatear made it worthwhile #ukbirding #birdingwales

I know Redpolls are all lumped but this Great Orme Redpoll this morning was interesting. Very different from the many streaky little brown Lessers passing through at the moment. Even its calls were lower pitched. Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit, 30+ Wheatear and 100+ Swallow too #ukbirding #birdingwales

Stayed local today. First light on Orme; 2 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Tree Pipit, 9 Common Whitethroat + 40+ Wheatear. High tide at Conwy RSPB, 2 Wood Sandpipers were the stars, 2 Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit + 4 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Common Sandpipers, Snipe, Yellow Wagtail, Wigeon #ukbirding #birdingwales

Middleton RSPB this week. Spring in full swing. Bitterns flying around, Lesser S. Woodpecker drumming, 2 adult Med Gulls prospecting the BHG colony, 4 Wood, Green + Common Sandpipers, 4 Hobby hunting, 100+ Swift, 12 LRPs- superb! #ukbirding @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Back at Middleton Lakes RSPB #staffsbirds this afternoon. 4 Wood Sandpipers, Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 10+ LRP, Bittern and Hobby. No sign of Wryneck for me. Earlier the Alvecote Hooded Merganser finally gave itself up to me #ukbirding #WestMidsBirdClub

As the Orme was shrouded in mist I had a walk around #ConwyRSPB reserve this morning. A Yellow Wagtail, a male Whinchat (video), 3 Wheatear, 3 Whimbrel, Lesser Whitethroat, a fly over Tree Pipit, 4 Sandwich Tern, 6 Dunlin and 2 Ringed Plover, all along the estuary track ☺️👍 #birdingwales #ukbirding

Migration is in full flow at the moment and the first hour on the Great Orme was superb today! Pied Flycatcher, 2 Redstart, 50+ ‘Greenland’ Wheatear, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, 7 Willow Warbler, 25 Redpoll and 12 Siskin. #ukbirding #birdingwales

This amazing partially leucistic Greenland Wheatear gave me a bit of fright on the Great Orme this morning. One of 50+ Wheatears that stopped off on the headland today. What a bird! #BirdingWales #UKbiding

Back in the Midlands for the spring so Middleton Lakes RSPB becomes the temporary patch again. Good to be back there. Lots of year ticks; 3 Swift, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and this cracking male Whinchat. Avocets + Little Ringed Plovers displaying and Bitterns booming too #ukbiring #WMBC

What a morning up the Great Orme! Vismig Green Woodpecker, Redpolls, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wheatears, Whitethroat, Siskins, Hirundines + Pipits on the move. Offshore the 2000+ Common Scoter flock contained a drake Surf Scoter and drake Velvet Scoter! A classic morning ☺️👍 #ukbirding #birdingwales

Migrants arriving last few days in North Wales. 4 Ospreys together! Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warblers, Cuckoo, Tree Pipit, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warblers ++, all 3 hirundines + ‘Greenland’ Wheatears. Great to share the Great Orme patch with top man Geoff Hawkins today #birdingwales #ukbirding

2 Sandwich Tern, Great Northern Diver, 5 Red throated Diver + 30 Common Scoter off Ynyslas beach, Ceredigion this morning. Nearby, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, 6 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, 4 Sand Martin, 7 Great crested Grebe at the Dyfi around mouth of the River Leri. #birdingwales #ukbirding

A cracking couple of hours in a brisk NW wind at New Brighton with Wirral legend Allan Conlin @wirralbirder.bsky.social - 5 Little Gulls (3 adult, a 2nd winter and a 1st winter, 80+ Kittiwake, Razorbill, Bar-tailed Godwit, Purple Sandpiper and this ringed Cormorant in mouth of R.Mersey #ukbirding

Two adult Bonaparte’s Gulls at Llanrhystyd, Ceredigion this morning. Amazingly I found one and the same field in 2004 and @arfonwilliams.bsky.social found one there last year! 17 Med Gulls, 5 Sand Martin + 3 Wheatears too. One bird still present when I left at 12pm. #ukbirding #birdingwales ☺️👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

An enjoyable walk around Conwy RSPB. At least 6 singing Cetti’s Warbler including the stunning leucistic bird. A pair of Long tailed Tits building a nest, adult Med Gull, Great White Egret, 8 singing Chiffchaff and a Black-tailed Godwit. #UKbirding #birdingwales

A superb few days in the arid desert south of the Morocco’s High atlas. 116 species up for the trip so far (in 4.5 days!). Thick-billed Lark, Temminck’s Lark, Pharaoh Eagle Owl, Lanner Falcon, Cream-coloured Coursers and loads of migrants. A superb Desert Horned Viper too. Off to the Desert today🇲🇦

First few days in Morocco just a bit special. We haven’t even left Marrakesh area yet and we’re on 70 species. Thanks to Jack Pettit for the photos. Moussier’s Redstarts, Rock Sparrows, Plain Martin and ‘Moroccan’ Wagtail in pics. Up to the High Atlas today, can’t wait ☺️👍 🇲🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

What a morning to be in the Welsh uplands. Great to show Mark and Sophie some March highlights of North Wales for Birdwatching Trips. Lekking Grouse, displaying Goshawks, bobbing Dippers and buzzing Willow Tits. Great scenery, amazing birds! @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social #birdingwales #ukbirding

Enjoyable day travelling back from Norfolk. 13 Cranes and hundreds of wild Swans at Walney with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social , Corn Buntings, drake Ring-necked Duck, Red-necked Grebe and a Hume’s Warbler (its chosen habitat below) at various stops on the way home #ukbirding

Last full day on the North Norfolk coast with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social - Black necked and Slavonian Grebes at Brancaster, along with flock of Long tailed Ducks, A Red throated and Great Northern Diver. Several Grey Partridge at Docking, Scaup, Water Rail and Firecrest at Titchwell #ukbirding

Another superb day in Norfolk with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social and co. 27 Snow Buntings showing superbly at Holme, Fulmars playing in the wind at Hunstanton and a grey ghost male Hen Harrier giving sublime views at Stiffkey Saltmarsh. Thousands of waders, ducks and geese too ☺️👍 #ukbirding

Another great day in north Norfolk with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social The Eastern Black Redstart showed superbly at Sheringham, 3 Glossy ibis and 3 Cattle Egret at Stiffkey, Goshwaks, Dartford Warblers and Woodlarks up on the heaths and Spoonbills, thousands of Geese, waders and ducks! #Ukbirding

Good day at Holkham, Norfolk with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social and co. A mega flock of 685 Russian White-fronted Geese, 13 Bean Geese, 200 Barnacle Geese, 12 Spoonbill, 15 Woodcock, Bittern + thousands of ducks and waders. This c-r WFG has been seen in Latvia, Poland, Germany and Holland! #ukbirding

A good start to a week in Norfolk guiding with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social Good group and great birds on our first afternoon around Titchwell RSPB @rspbtitchwellsnett.bsky.social 80 species in half a day inc. Long-tailed Ducks, Scaup, Water Rail, Barn + Tawny Owl 👍 #ukbirding #birdingnorfolk

Finally caught up with some Russian White-fronted Geese. 63 of these beauties next to the road south of Holt in the Dee Valley, Wrexham. Great Egret, 100+ Wigeon, 3 Goosander, 4 Shoveler, 2 Curlew and 300+ Lapwing on flooded fields too. #birdingwales #UKbirdinv

A few hours pre-rain at Welshpool, Montgomeryshire this morning. Adult Yellow-legged Gull (with 50+ LBBG and 25 HGs), 12+ Great White Egrets, 15 Little Egret, 9 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 130 Lapwing, 44 Wigeon and 2 Goosander being the highlights. #Birdingwales #UKbirding

A walk at Gronant, Flintshire - Water Pipit, Jack Snipe, 2arsh Harrier and 4000+ Common Gulls. A Norwegian ringed and UK ringed Common Gull amongst the throngs. Gulls were arriving all the time so an evening visit in calm conditions is on the cards! #ukbirding #birdingwales #cr-biring #euring

Distant + pouring with rain, but I think there’s just enough to i.d this as Anglesey’s second Caspian Gull. Dark tertials, long gangly legs (especially tibia), thin black bill + white rounded head, size. It also showed a nice black tail band + white auxiliaries when it flew #birdingwales #ukbirding

Great day out on Ynys Mon (Anglesey) and North Wales coast with Paul Leafe yesterday. bufflehead, 3 Great N Diver, 3 Slavonian Grebe, Caspian Gull, Med Gulls, Yellow-b Warbler, Green winged Teal and this superb Peregrine chasing 1000s of waders! #ukbirding #birdingwales

Finally caught up with the Morfa Madryn LNR Green-winged Teal today. The Yellow-browed Warbler showing well in its usual spot with 2 Chiff-chaff. All birds vocal today with YBW calling regularly and Chiff-chaff in full song. #ukbirding #birdingwales

Nice to Year tick the Welsh Bufflehead this afternoon. An Anglesey tick to boot. Good to catch up with the Anglesey birders who were celebrating a good bird on their patch. ☺️👍 #birdingwales #ukbirding

Catching up with a few local year ticks after being out of the country. The Yellow-browed Warbler was at Morfa Madryn NR along with a showy Firecrest. 11 Greenshank and 5 Pale-bellied Brent Geese on the saltmarsh too. #birdingwales #ukbirding

This card in my Brooke Bond tea card collection as a boy has always excited me. Today I finally saw my first species of Archer Fish, and even saw it squirt water! Also Needle Fish! Awesome Thailand! With @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @philwoollen.bsky.social

The last few days have been awesome! Too many highlights to mention. Pics here of Collared Scops Owl, Orange Headed Trogon, Crimson Sunbird + Great Hornbill, of which we saw 24 in one tree! 282 species in the first 6 days😜. Off up north now with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @philwoollen.bsky.social

Bingo! A Spoon-full of Thailand with Birdwatching Trips is a success! With @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @philwoollen.bsky.social with ace Thai birder @jay-shrike.bsky.social Walk away views. Now to enjoy a fortnight of Thai birds ☺️👍 #thailandbirds #birding

A few of today’s Birdwatching Trips tour highlights from around our hotel in Bangkok. Orange-headed Thrush, Black Baza, Grey-headed and Red-wattled Lapwing. Without really trying we amassed 84 species on our ‘rest day’! ☺️👍🇹🇭#birdingthailand @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @philwoollen.bsky.social

Great start to a two week birding trip with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social in Thailand. Orange-headed Thrush, Chestnut-sided Starling, Pink-necked Pigeons + Eastern Yellow Wagtail amongst the 44 sp. seen around our Bangkok hotel this p.m. I think this is going to be good ☺️👍 #birding #birdingthailand

A brief early visit to Anglesey with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social came up trumps with great views of the Bewick’s Swan. Initially at Cors Ddyga it flew to Pont Marquis with 20 Whooper Swans. 3 Egyptian Geese + Cattle Egret too. 6 Great N Diver + 5 Slav Grebe near Holyhead #birdingwales #ukbiring

70 species seen at @rspbburtonmere.bsky.social Burton Mere RSPB today. I wasn’t expecting Willow Tit here, calling and showing on the track to Bridge screen. 3 Short-eared Owls, Barn Owl, Little Owl, 4 Ruff, 15+ Marsh Harrier, 2 Water Rail, 12 Fieldfare the highlights. #ukbirding #birdingwales

The day started with the Lesser Yellowlegs showing continuously for an hour on the River Clwyd. 2 Kingfisher, 5 Goosander, 5 Pink-footed Goose + good numbers of waders + ducks. This evening 25+ Marsh Harriers came into Neston Reedbed to roost along with at least one Bittern #ukbirding #birdingwales