Epic recovery report just received! ⚠️ A Turnstone I trapped using a homemade walk-in trap has been recaptured in the 🌍 world’s 🌎 northernmost continuously inhabited settlement. Ringed on 12 February 2024 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex 🇬🇧, it was re-trapped on 08 June 2025 in Alert, Nunavut… 🇨🇦 (🧵 1/2)

The last of three supermoons in 2025 occurred last night. December's full moon is also known as the 'Cold Moon', so you could describe last night's as a #SuperColdMoon. This uncropped image was taken at 6.30am today with a Nikon Coolpix P1100, using the moon mode.

Dusky Warbler! This morning's sunny and calm weather provided the perfect window of bird-finding opportunity. So my pre-work visit to Brancaster turned out to be a good call, when I found this little chap 'tuk'ing away in a hedgerow near the Branodunum Roman Fort. #ukbirding #norfolkbirding

Dawn to dusk birding at Horsey, from the village, out along the Nelson Head track, and south to the Winterton plantations. I never found that 'biggy', but Sibe Chiffy, a VERY late Willow Warbler, Hen Harrier, and fabulous Caspian Gull made it a very nice day ebird.org/checklist/S2... #ukbirding

There's been a really good influx of Firecrests into East Anglia this week, with double-figure counts on the north Suffolk coast. Here's one bird that put on a nice show at Horsey, Norfolk this morning.

I love finding Pallas's Warblers, so I was delighted to find this bird at Sidestrand, Norfolk today. There was also a really nice mix of birds along the coast today, including Firecrests, YBWs, Chiffs, Bramblings and other finches, thrushes, Skylarks, pipits, and more.

One of the most incredible WTF!! moments I have witnessed in 41 years birding Belvide. 8 White-rumped Sandpiper on the north shore between 4pm-5.30pm. Just short of a British Record of 11 on the outer Hebrides. Thought I'd lost the plot when I saw them. Still pinching myself. #UKbirding

Yellow-browed Bunting trapped, ringed and released at the Swannery. It's flown to the hedge which runs alongside the Swannery grounds and the bird may be viewable from the permissive path heading west from Grove Lane.

Wowzer! Now that's a Black-throated Blue Warbler. Back into Central Park for my last morning in the US. Lots of migrants around, including 11+ Swainson's and 1 Grey-cheaked Thrush, 2 Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Ovenbird, N. Waterthrush, Myrtle Warbler ebird.org/checklist/S2...

A small flurry of migrants in Central Park, New York on Friday. Palm, Black-throated Blue, and Chestnut-sided Warblers were new for the trip, plus a few other migrants such as Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireos, Brown Thrasher, Parula, Magnolia Warbler, and lots of Redstarts.

Today's birding destination, Central Park, #NYC

Today's birding destination, Central Park, #NYC

Today, I've been on the fabled Monhegan Island. A great dawn flight included 8 Cape May, 6 Yellow, 3 Myrtle, 1 Black-throated Green, and 2 Black-and-White Warblers, 5 Parula, 2 American Redstarts, Dickcissel, Scarlet Tanager, 9 Red-eyed and 1 Philly Vireo, Clay-coloured Sparrow, and 50+ Flickers.

Although tame by their standards, the annual Maine Audubon Society Bar Harbor pelagic was still very enjoyable. Loads of Wilson's Petrels (500+), Pom Skua (8), Great Shearwater (20+), Cory's Shearwater (1), Red-necked (200) and Grey (2) Phalaropes, and Humpbacked, Minke, and Fin Whales were great.

We had the day in Acadia National Park, near Bar Harbor, Maine. Good diversity with passerines, waders, and gulls. Below is White-throated Sparrow, Solitary Sandpiper, a juvenile Ring-billed Gull, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

My last morning in Lubec, Maine, was really good for warblers and vireos. In one bush alone, I had Black-and-White, Blackpoll, and Black-throated Green Warbler and Northern Parula. Also had both Red-eyed and Philadelphia Vireo, White-throated Sparrow, plus Yellow and Myrtle Warbler and Yellowthroat.

One of the great things about staying in Lubec, Maine, is that if you get up early enough, you get to be the first person in the USA to see the sun rise.

Lots of good video opportunities at Lubec Bay, Maine this morning. Here is a juvenile Least Sandpiper sheltering in the tide line.

Last photos from Lubec Bay, Maine, for today. Adult White-rumped Sandpiper, Adult and juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpiper, and juvenile Least Sandpiper.

Lots of good video opportunities at Lubec Bay, Maine this morning. Here, White-rumped Sandpipers feed with adult and juvenile Semi-palmated Sandpipers

Over 1,000 Semi-palmated Sandpipers on the falling tide at South Lubec Bay, Maine this evening, along with a good smattering of White-rumped Sands (last two photos), Least Sands, Sanderling, and others. Looking forward to doing it again on tomorrow's rising tide!

Today we travelled from Biddeford to Lubec, Maine, USA's most easterly point. On the way, stopped for Saltmarsh Sparrow (I think this is one, and not a hybrid), then birded the falling tide in South Lubec Bay. Other than the waders (see below), some nice views of raptors (Bald Eagle and Peregrine)

My favourite photos from around Bidderford Pool, Maine today. Black-and-White & Canada Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and White-rumped Sand with Semi-p Sands. Also Philadelphia Vireo, Eastern Kingbird, Bonaparte's Gulls, both Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitchers, Willets, plus lots of other goodies!

Fab start to my New England road trip, with a morning full of migrants at the N tip of Cape Cod. Red-eyed + Yellow-throated Vireo, Magnolia, Cape May, Prairie, Pine, and Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ovenbird, American Redstart, Dickcissel, and 2000+ Tree Swallows. Mega! ebird.org/checklist/S2...

Nice evening at Titchwell RSPB gull roost, which has really good numbers of Yellow-legged and Capian Gulls. Lots of adult Yellow-legged too, which I don't see many of. Curlew Sand, 3 Little Stints, and Wood Sand there too. Sadly no sign of the Pec Sand, even though I was there until dark.

I nice stop off at Ringland this afternoon to see the fairly showy Dotterel. It's been ages since I last saw one, so it was nice to spend some time watching it popping up and down furrows with a flock of Golden Plover.

I felt like going full Michael Douglas at #McDonald's today. The first image is how they advertise their Grilled Chicken Fajita. The second image is what it actually looks like when you buy one. No wonder it's only 361 calories - they only half fill it! #Whammyburger www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy5v...

In Liverpool for #ISMB2025 where the theme of science stretches across the city. This restaurant owner is obviously a Python programmer!

It's back for a second year! This heart-stopping aberrant Common Swift put in a nice show over the garden this morning. Thankfully, I didn't choke on my bagel when I first saw it this time.

Today was a great butterfly day! Buxton Heath and Foxley Wood produced White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Purple Emperor, Silver-studded Blue (photos in that order), along with Common Blue, Red Admiral, Comma, Green-veined White, Ringlet (loads), Small Copper, Essex, Large, and Small Skippers.

Final day of my Estonia trip today. I had 71 species at Ilmatsalu, before heading back to Tallinn. Finally managed to photograph a red Rosefinch, and Marsh Warbler, and this female Red-backed Shrike was also very nice to see. A bit left field was a Crested Tit feeding in a boggy deciduous wood!

Estonia - Day 6. Birded around Tartu, east to the Russian border today. Highlights were at least 6 Great Snipe at a lek in the evening, and just before that Booted Warbler nearby thanks to @debalmer.bsky.social, and 2 Middle-spotted Woodpeckers in Tartu...

1/2 Estonia - day 5. A 3.30 am rise, but rain halted play at Soomaa NP from dawn until 9 am, but after that, things started to show. Best was this White-backed Woodpecker, getting some post-rain preening going. Also, a day flying Pygmy Owl, being mobbed by Nuthatches, and quite a few Hawfinch.

1/2 Estonia day 4. I've been birding around Parnu today, and I've seen so much, I'm posting it over two messages. Some cracking forest birding this morning. Black Woodpeckers really put on a show, a noisy Nutcracker was hard to ignore, and a single Middle Spotted Woodpecker, was a nice tally....

Estonia day 3. Haapsalu to Parnu, via Matsalu Bay. Highlights of the day were Pygmy Owl, a particularly showy Corncrake, Citerine Wagtail, 2cy Montys (all pictured), 2 Black and 1 Grey-headed Woodpecker, 2 Marsh Sands, Savi's and Great Reed Warblers, 3 Honey Buzzards, and Thrush Nightingale.

I birded Cape Põõsaspea, Haversi, Leidisso, and Puise today. More Broad-billed Sandpipers (9), Temminck's Stint, Marsh Warblers, and Monty's (all pictured), as well as Common Rosefinches, Honey Buzzards, RBFs, Wood Warblers, Crested Tits, Ickys, Pied Flys, Osprey, and Sprosser!

One species that certainly wasn't on my radar for Estonia was Broad-billed Sandpiper, so I was delighted when I found a flock of 8 birds a few kms north of Puise Spit, Matsalu this evening. Always distant, but still a thrill to see. I always considered them a bird of the far east!

What a great first full day in Estonia! White-tailed Eagles, Red-backed Shrikes, Wrynecks, Icterine, Savi's, and Great Reed Warblers, Golden Orioles, 150 Little Gulls, 42 Black Terns, 9 RN Grebes, Montague's Harriers, Corncrakes, plus a bunch of other great stuff. Marvelous!

First day in Estonia, and the last few hours of daylight around Haapsalu provided some nice birds. Thrush Nightingale, 6 White-tailed Eagles, Blue-headed Wagail here, and also Marsh Warbler, and breeding Cranes. Can't wait for a full day tomorrow!

What an incredible, yet frustrating day! Found Booted Eagle, White Stork, Hen Harrier, and had 2 Cranes fly over my Norwich house. Frustratingly, the Booted Eagle was the only thing I didn't photo. Convinced it was heading north, I was frantically scanning and hadn't realised it had gone south!

This female Red-footed Falcon was a really nice find by @debalmer.bsky.social and Pete Wilson at Potter Heigham Marshes today. Thankfully, the sun came out for 10 minutes and it decided to have a quick fly about before heading off towards Hickling.

Fantastic day at the north end of Cap Corse. Found a national rarity in the shape of an Arctic Skua, plus 50 Yelkouan and 16 Scopoli's Shearwater, Corsican Finch, Moltoni's and Sardinian Warbler, 8 Black Storks, 35 Bee-eaters, Blue and Ashy-headed Wagtails, Crag Martin, and Woodchat Shrike.

Now the rain and wind have died down, my second day on Corsica brought quite a few target birds. Corsican Nuthatch, Marmora's Warbler, Audouin's Gull, and Scopoli's Shearwater photo'd, and other goodies such as Moltoni's Warbler, Hoopoe, and Nightingale were also great to see.

First day in Corsica produced a few nice birds around Étang de Biguglia (Bastia). Here are Purple Heron, African Sacred Ibis (introduced), female Sardinian Warbler, and Serin. eBird lists here: ebird.org/checklist/S2... ebird.org/checklist/S2...

5 hours on my Waxham Dunes patch this morning produced this lovely female Black Redstart, along with 6 Willow Warblers, 3 Common Whitethroat, and 202 Golden Plover.

This is SO Norfolk. Whilst there's obviously a sad side to this story, if this was going to happen anywhere, it would have happened in Norfolk!

Lovely #solareclipse going on at the moment. This photo taken over Norwich. Olympus OM1, 300mm Pro lens, ISO 100, 5 stops underexposed

Well, that was a nice surprise! My wife and I were strolling around Aylsham this morning when a Hawfinch popped up in a nearby tree and stayed long enough for me to go to my car and get my bins and camera. Then one Hawfinch turned into a flock of at least six, feeding in Yews along Palmer's Lane.

Lovely paper using age-ratios to study migration status of Yellow-browed Warbler and Sibe Chiffchaff in W. Europe. Autumn YBWs are juveniles, so their occurrence is down to vagrancy. 9.4% of Sibe Chiffchaffs are adults, which form part of an established route. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...