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This mornings offering from the pond opposite house. Male Wigeon with Gadwall. Patch/house year tick #pwc2026 #ukbirding #cheshirebirding

A great ringing demo at Ness Botanic Gardens today despite the dire weather forecast. Lots of smiling faces and 68 birds processed including good numbers of Siskins #birdringing #birdbanding #nessbotanicgardens

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Finally the pond opposite the house has filled with water after being dry for most of the year. It’s only since Christmas it’s held enough water to start attracting wildfowl including the 1st Shoveler of the year. Mallard & Gadwall also present & the Coots are back #ukbirding #cheshirebirding

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Another beautiful species of pheasant on our recent “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social at Kaeng Krachan National Park- Kalij Pheasant.

Lovely winter plumaged adult Mediterranean Gull on wet fields behind house with Black-headed Gulls this morning. Lesser Black-backs & Common Gulls moving as well #cheshirebirding

A few of the other animals we saw on our “Spoonful of Thailand’ tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social. Pig-tailed Macaque, Malay-crested Porcupine, Red Muntjac & Water Monitor

Another gorgeous flycatcher seen on our recent “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social. Hill-blue Flycatcher

New blog post : wirralbirders.blogspot.com/2026/02/pak-... #Thailand

New blog post: wirralbirders.blogspot.com/2026/02/a-sp...

Verditer Flycatcher. One of the many species of flycatcher seen on our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Back to mundane local patch birding in the cold & wet after the warmth & biodiversity of Thailand. Managed 40 species in 2 days with these Mandarin on pond opposite house the highlight this morning

One of the most stunning birds I’ve ever seen. Black-naped Monarch on our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Thailand has some beautiful birds such as this gorgeous Slaty-blue Flycatcher seen on our “Spoonful of Thailand’ tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social officially ended on 449 species with Burmese Shrike at Chang Rai airport. Thanks Jay for all your help, enthusiasm and expertise. Probably the best birder I’ve met anywhere

Hardcore Burmese Shrike at Chang Rai airport. Most shrikes use thorn bushes as a larder. These bad boys use razor wire. Great bird to bring up 445 species on our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Beautiful Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher up in the mountains of the Doi Pha Hom Kok national park on our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social. The country and the food is fabulous. Been to Thailand working but 1st time birding

A birders dream and one I’ve been lucky enough to find on Shetland a few years ago- Siberian Rubythroat. A bird we’d hoped to see on our “Spoonful of Thailand tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social and one appeared alongside us as we were walking

Another target bird today on our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social was the scarce and range restricted Scarlet-faced Liocichla. It didn’t disappoint!

A successful stakeout on our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour for Mrs Hume’s Pheasant with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social. A very early start saw us in position well before 1st light sitting in absolute silence until suddenly they appeared.

Collared Falconet on our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social @jay-shrike.bsky.social. Not an easy bird to see but we had 4 in one small area including 3 in one tree. Tiny raptor the size of a Greenfinch!

Another dream bird seen in Thailand today. A male Siberian Blue Robin. A bird that has very occasionally made it to the UK! We’d seen a female earlier in the trip and hoped for a male and today we struck lucky @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marchug.bsky.social @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Beautiful White-capped Redstart in a stunning location on our ‘Spoonful of Thailand’ tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Can’t beat a broadbill. Long-tailed & Banded Broadbill on our ‘Spoonful of Thailand’ tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Great to catch up with the range restricted and only Thai endemic bird species this morning before heading to airport and flying north for the rest of our “Spoonful of Thailand” tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social

Sound up! Pileated Gibbons calling in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Bonkers views of Siamese Fireback at the Sakaerat Biosphere reserve this afternoon with @jay-shrike.bsky.social @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social & @marcbuzzard.bsky.social

Four species of Beeeater on our Thailand trip so far with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @jay-shrike.bsky.social Blue-tailed, Chestnut-headed, Asian Green and, the largest Beeater in the World, the Blue-bearded Beeeater

Another bird I’d hoped to see in Thailand - Forest Wagtail. An iconic species that I’d seen in books as a kid! We’ve seen 4 in Khao Yai National Park

Five species of owl(et) on our ‘Spoonful of Thailand tour so far with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social & @marcbuzzard.bsky.social. Barred Owlet, Brown Boobok, Collared Scops & Spotted Eagle Owls. Fantastic birding. At a new area for next few days

Spoon-billed Sandpiper on our ‘Spoon full of Thailand’ tour with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social & @marcbuzzard.bsky.social. A bird I’ve always wanted to see after seeing pictures in a book as a kid #birdsseenin2026

Bird I’ve been dreaming about for years. Finally got to Thailand to see Spoonbilled Sandpiper with @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social & @marcbuzzard.bsky.social

Fantastic pre-tour birding in Thailand with @marcbuzzard.bsky.social & @alandaviesbirds.bsky.social. One of the highlights being this Orange Headed Thrush in the grounds of our hotel. A local scarcity.

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A common garden bird here in Chiltern, Vic. Crested Pigeon. Not a bad looking bird and mostly overlooked #australianwildlife #birdsseenin2026

What’s that skippy? She should have used a 9 iron? Interested spectators on Albury golf course with our grandson today

Galah’s on Howlong golf course. One of the many exotic birds on golf courses in Australia #australianwildlife #birdsseenin2026

Better views of New Holland Honeyeaters in the garden now the winds dropped! #australianwildlife #birdsseenin2026

Suns going down here in SE Australia & the Grey Kangaroo’s are coming out of the surrounding trees to feed in the paddocks adjacent to the house #australianwildlife

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Good deed of the day. Driving back from a lovely day out at Bright when we came across this little koala in the middle of the road. Jan did a U turn & I shoo’ed him to the other side where he promptly shimmied up a tree

Sound up! Early morning walk in the cooler temperatures around local bushland reserve where the cicadas were deafening!

Big male Kangaroo in the paddock next to the house last night. Conditions here ‘critical’ as temperatures and winds making likelihood of wildfires more likely. Animals struggling to find food

A New Holland Honeyeater is a regular morning visitor to our daughters garden in Chiltern, Vic. It’s feeding on Banksia flowers and is very active and quite elusive #birdsseenin2026 #australianbirds

The dry conditions are forcing the local Kangaroos into town to look for food. This mob were on the local school playing fields in Chiltern, Vic

Red-capped Robin a new species for my adopted Australian local patch

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It just shows you’re never old to learn. I’ve been a birder for more years than I care to remember but today I learnt that Emu’s & Cassowary are the only birds that have bifurcate feathers!