Martin Down and Pentridge Hill area yesterday (Dorset side) where Colin and I walked 9.41 miles on a frosty cold but sunny beautiful day. Good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing almost everywhere (impossible to count). 1 Red Kite seen. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #UKbirds #ukbirding

Dorchester/Charminster water meadows today with Gillian where after a wait we caught up with the two Bean Goose (new birds for us). Put up in the air with two white-fronts in front I believe. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #ukbirds #ukbirding

Anybody going to a Boxing Day hunt may care to read this 😳 www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

Lodmoor this morning and early afternoon where the highlight was 500-600 Golden Plover. Photos of the Plovers, Blackbird and Bluetit. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #UKbirds #ukbirding @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Gillian and I walked from home today following the River Frome through Dorchester. We saw a Treecreeper by Hangman's Cottage, the Robin and Blue Tit on the path to Bluebridge and The Mute Swans on the flooded water meadows on the path to the Sun Inn.

Gillian and I walked from home today following the River Frome through Dorchester. We saw a Treecreeper by Hangman's Cottage, the Robin and Blue Tit on the path to Bluebridge and The Mute Swans on the flooded water meadows on the path to the Sun Inn.

Finally found time to catch up with the Desert Wheatear today at The Fleet bridging camp near Weymouth - thank you Bret for the find. Weather not condusive to great pictures but the bird gave us wonderful opportunity to do our best. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #ukbirds #ukbirding

A cracking sunny day on Portland yesterday - no plans to go looking for the Snow Bunting but when walking along East Cliff it was suddenly next to me on the path. Also diving Kestrel, Raven & Stonechat. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #ukbirding #ukbirds #snowbunting @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

I really hope this brave man can pull though. news.sky.com/story/train-...

I have the smallest pond you can get as a structure. I have had it for approx. 5 years and the plant you can see had completely filled the pond up. I removed it and all the mud and was very pleased to find 5 frogs in it. All mud put on side of pond to allow access back into pond. Every little helps

Reform voters please be careful not to demonise all migrants/immigrants. My now daughter in law was paid to come here from India 4 years ago due to a shortage of nurses (she did pay most of the cost back when taking a promotion) and if you suffer from upper GI cancer she is here to help you.

Gillian and I went off this morning to find the Wryneck that has been at Barleycrates Lane, Portland for a few days now and we were successful (thanks to original finder?). It displayed lovely for us. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social #ukbirds #ukbirding

"Today, we clear a soccer field’s worth of tropical forest every six seconds, a loss dramatically worsened by humanity’s growing hunger for meat" Wean ourselves off meat now, or the switch to a Pliocene climate that's locked in will do it for us www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Maiden Castle, Dorchester today birding with Gillian. This Red Kite, 6 Wheatear (one below), 4 Corn Bunting, Buzzard, Kestrel, Meadow Pipit below showing its long toes and flock (40+) of Linnets best of birds. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #ukbirds #nature

A pretty dull day with threat of showers so a trip to Blashford Lakes and it’s hides was the order of the day. Cormorant, Great-crested Grebe, Long-tailed Tit and Grey Heron below. Osprey seen early in the morning and 4 Kingfisher sightings were a highlight of the day. #ukbirding #ukbirds

Some Fungi we came across on a 8 mile walk we did from Tobermory on Mull. One has bracket in the name unsure on other like shaving foam @sebelwood.bsky.social help please? Also where we saw our only Kingfisher taking us up to 76 bird species in the 2 weeks. iPhone photos.

Friday PM Gillian and I went out with Mull Charters who as 5 years ago provided a great trip in difficult conditions of odd heavy showers and swell on the water - glad I knew Alex could handle the boat well. Had great sightings of these White-tailed eagles. Mull ❤️ #ukbirds #mullbirds #uknature

Friday was our last day on Mull (a wet one) but what a superb day. We drove down to Loch na Keal to look for otters. Looking out for suitable habitat from the road at our third stop we struck gold-watching an otter joined by another on rocks, swim across in front of us. #Mull #otters #uknature 1/2

We went out looking for otters on Mull to no avail but did spot this White-tailed Eagle sat out on a small rocky Island and just as capturing it in flight Gillian shouted about some Bar-tailed Godwits flying through. Boat-trip for Orca’s etc cancelled 3rd time adverse weather. #ukbirds #Mull

Mull - from the plantation around Ardmore Bay. Fungi I cannot name but possibly @waxcapscooch.bsky.social can please? The red one had the circumfrence of a football! The one next to it looked like a Dorset Knob. The third fungi had a green tint to it and the last pretty colourless. #ukfungi

5-mile return walk on Mull to Ardmore Bay hide with a testing enjoyable little walk along a bit of the bay (plus 441 feet descent). Dolphin surfing in front of boat, Hooded Crow dropping its shellfish and two Siskin from a flock of 30+ we saw. #ukbirds #Mull #nature #Isleofmull

Pictures from Gillian and I on Mull around the Loch na Keal area. A distant otter and two cubs were caught frollicking around today - best viewed from our scope. Heavily cropped pictures with a juvenille White-tailed eagle. #Mull #otter

20+ Fieldfare in field - Ross of Mull area. Early? #ukbirds #mullbirds

from Isle of Mull with Gillian - Meadow Pipit and Grey Heron and what we believe is a Curlew Sandpiper and a silouette of White tailed Eagle juv. (no white tail) or Golden Eagle? help please. #ukbirds #Mull #birds

A few fantastic days on Mull.We saw 3 otters yesterday none landed but record shots.Also a massive bird flew out in front of us against the sun-unsure whether Golden Eagle or juvenille WTE with no white tail.Today a White-tailed Eagle flew low over us and Golden Eagle high above. #ukbirds #Mull

More birds from the Ross of Mull area of Mull - a Buzzard, Goosanders and a Great Black-backed Gull. Probable Golden Eagle sightings but not 100%. Dolphins viewed through scope into the bay in front of us one evening was fantastic. Mink seen on Mull was a surprise. #ukbirds #Mull

More pictures from Ross of Mull area of Mull. A Dunlin, Grey Seal, Ringed Plover and a Sanderling. Birding between the sporadic heavy rain. #ukbirds #Greyseal #Mull

After a difficult day when our ferry to Mull was cancelled just as we were about to board at 1555hrs we were able to squeeze on the last boat leaving later that night - finding our converted byre in the dark was fun! Hooded Crows and a Whimbrel were taken from the byre the next day #ukbirds.

@tonyjw.bsky.social first picture shows potatoes, leeks and parsnips coming on well, runner beans still producing well, 2nd a late crop of dwarf beans and 3rd squash ready for picking in a couple of weeks. The 2nd early spuds were poor due to buying poor quality seed I think-100mm shoots on them.

Pulled over to check my phone to find water cress beds so parked up and saw this sign - my kind of people 😊. Not a Green Sandpiper as I hoped but Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail below. Swallows and House Martins resting on their buildings, Mute Swans, Magpies also present. #ukbirds

From yesterday at Swineham where we saw White-tailed Eagle chase Osprey (below) for its fish and later a WTE chase another WTE (below) for its fish - both birds dropped the fish - great watch. Shame the light was poor in morning for photos. Wheatear from Middlebere heath in afternoon. #ukbirds

RSPB Arne today with Gillian and our 7 year old grandaughter who left with a toy Osprey and a book on birds for her 8th birthday. She loved seeing 2 Ospreys and this Willow Warbler that showed very well for us. #UKbirds @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #RSPB

Oops deleted my post about the Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar by mistake. It has done two circuits of our garden covering 25-30mtrs and I am scared to move for fear of standing on it. Currently 1 mtr from me when previously 6 mtrs away. #UKmoths

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers like lots of woodland, but not woodland management and forestry. Interesting implications for the remaining populations in Britain: expanding unmanaged (or lightly managed) natural native woodland seems helpful. #ukbirding #ornithology

Out with Gillian today where we walked arournd The Verne on Portland and saw this Buzzard (not a lot else) and on to Lodmoor where I captured a Carrion Crow, Great Egret and a Grey Heron. Other birds seen included Common Tern, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Dunlin, Little Egret, 500+ Gulls #birds

RSPB Arne early today which started in poor light where Colin and I saw this Greenshank (1 of 2), Linnet (juv.), Barn Swallow and Wren (prob. Juv). Also saw Osprey (distant), Dartford Warbler and heard at the Raptor Hide a Water Rail and a Reed Warbler. #UKbirds @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Our last evening out watching the Long-eared Owl hunt on the ile de re - walking down a path we could hear the young crying out for food. Couldnt miss a juvenile 10 mtrs from the path - little did we know that there were 3 there (4 eventually seen). 3 birds in 1 picture.500mm lens cropped pictures

More pictures taken from our cycle rides around the ile de re (136 miles in our two weeks there - 19 down on last year!). Black Kite, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt and Common Tern chased by BHG. The Stilt we monitored on her nest off the nest end of holiday - no chicks evident sadly.

Whilst walking with Gillian just outside of Loix (ile de re) wondering what we would see we saw a bird being mobbed and took it to be an Osprey. Heavily cropped photos - just a little doubt as no black marking through the eye. Any comments please? #Francebirds #Frenchbirds

From the ile-de-re a Turtle Dove constantly purring from the tree viewed from our chalet. Black-winged Stilt that we see when cycling the Island near to its nest where partner sat on eggs. A Scops Owl is constanly calling out at night - we saw it fleetingly late one evening. #Frenchbirds

From my 3rd evening out on the ile-de-re watching a Long-eared Owl hunt I felt like I was learning its habits - it felt very special. In the distance I could hear it's young calling out for food. I am stood on the edge of a cycle path next to a vineyard. #Frenchbirds

Gulls eat at the table on the ile de re 😳

Unusual links to Thomas Hardy who lived not far from me. A great shame that one of the places he worked in Dorchester has recently been destroyed in a fire. A fantastic writer. #ThomasHardy www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

Another night just off our campsite on the ile de re watching the wonderful Long-eared Owl. It caught the prey within 30 seconds of flying from where it feeds its young.The following day our quest was to find a Bluethroat and 10 mtrs from where we had parked our bikes 2 days previous I spotted one 😊

Gillian and I recently stayed on the ile de re in France on a cycling/birding (beach) holiday where we saw these birds - Long-eared Owl, Turtle Dove, juvenile and adult Black-winged Stilt. The Owl had 4 young which it was out feeding for every evening close to our campsite.Turtle Dove numbers up.

@tonyjw.bsky.social Strawberries doing well from 12 plants on my allotment. Used with Yogurt, Blueberries, Pumpkin seeds and honey drizzle for a scrumptious sweet high in vitamin D which I need as a vegetarian.

Also from Martin Down NNR yesterday a Bee Orchid (only one we saw), Common Spotted, Fragrant and Greater Butterfly Orchids. Thanks to Colin Chainey for naming. Some orchids appear to have benefitted and others not from lack of rain. #ukorchids

Martin Down NNR yesterday where Whitethroats were in double figures, Skylarks singing everywhere, 5 Yellowhammers seen along with Cuckoo, Red Kite, Red-legged Partridge. Pictures Corn Bunting, Skylark, Tree Pipit and Whitethroat. One long purr from a Turtle Dove. #UKbirds #ukbirding noted on eBird.