A very good day out around East Anglia. Much better views of Zitting Cisticola than I had back in August, plus Black-winged Kite, Eastern Black Redstart, Bittern, Cranes and Spotted Redshanks #ukbirding #rarebirdsuk

Rarity finders: Redhead in Co Kerry After a morning's gulling in south Co Kerry, a quick stop at Lough Yganavan produced a monumental discovery for Brian Power:

Absolutely made up to see the grackle this morning on #patchbirding ( not sure what sp but more experienced birders will know I’m sure ) It’s doing circuits of the fields at Speke hall I’ve marked in red on map .lots of happy birders there now 👍🏻 I’m no photographer but here’s a few pics

Killdeer still Ripley Farm Reservoir #ukbirding

American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Garganey still Noah's Lake 2pm. Also Tufted x Pochard hybrid #ukbirding #somersetbirding

An unexpected Penduline Tit Meare Heath this afternoon, one of three adults though I didn't see the others #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Two Pacific Divers off Roskilly (12th Jan). These are probably the third & fourth for Cornwall. Photo includes four Great Northern Diver and two Pacific Diver (extreme right and second left). This is the first time that two Pacific’s have actually been seen and photographed together in Cornwall.

Red - flanked Bluetail at Crockham Hill, Kent this afternoon. Quite elusive, kept disappearing into the undergrowth and while we were there only offered brief views in a wooded gully in poor light. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @kentishplover.bsky.social

Very chuffed indeed to pick out this drake American Wigeon on Noah's Lake, Shapwick Heath this afternoon. Pretty poor shots but it was a long way !! @birdguides.bsky.social

2 Tundra Bean Goose west of Ilchester ST488230 #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Inexplicably haven’t seen a Great White Egret in Yeovil since 2019, despite them being common around Illchester, so finding two in an egret roost scopable from Combe Street Lane was a really nice bonus tonight. No geese but 3+ Cattle Egret flew NW #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Pretty galling to distantly see c50 grey geese flying S between Yeovil and Illchester this am. Couldn’t refind them but 2 Cattle Egrets at Lower Carents Farm & 1 Cattle Egret, 2 GWE, Marsh Harrier & 7+ Green Sand on the floods around Illchester. 300+ Lapwing through south #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Dusky Warbler Herbury. Currently lost in one of the three(!) bushes along the stone wall maps.app.goo.gl/NFZnDmxM3uNL...

Yeovil this pm: Wyndham Estate: 1w male Black Redstart still on Drake Road. Ninesprings: 4 Firecrest, 16 Mandarin. Lufton: 236+ Lapwing, 128+ Golden Plover, 1 Little Egret #ukbirding #somersetbirding

The Kingfishers at Ninesprings have always been tame but lately taking it to a ridiculous degree. It was surrounded by a decent crowd of onlookers all afternoon while it caught a good number of small fish #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Yeovil Riverside this pm: Mediterranean Gull, Green Sandpiper, 29 Lapwing, Snipe, Water Rail & Peregrine. Key Hill Flood: 6 Teal. Lufton: Barn Owl, Woodcock, c6 Snipe & c10 Golden Plover #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Went to see this interesting gull found in Cork city yesterday by Alex Lynch. It seems most likely to be an adult Black-headed x Bonaparte's Gull, a very rare pairing and not conclusively proven anywhere as yet, as far as I can see, but with two strong candidates from Spain and France.

What a way to start the year on my local patch. Landed on the beach for a few minutes then flew off west.

2 Tundra Bean Geese still Dorchester Water Meadows and 7 still at Winterbourne Monkton #ukbirding

5 Tundra Bean Goose on Wet Moor + 3 Bewick’s Swan, c50 White-fronted Goose, 11 Cattle Egret, 7 Crane #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Bonaparte’s Gull Wet Moor found by Dave Chown, not seen since 14:15 #ukbirding #somersetbirding

The recent cold snap brought a flock of 6 Tundra Bean Geese and 31 White-fronted Geese to the Arne Road yesterday, just a few miles from home by bike - Beans pictured here (2 in flight with a White-front on the right) @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

After a blank this morning around St Benet's Abbey, we were a few minutes away, after the Great Shearwater (!), when Andrew Bloomfield text us to say the Black-winged Kite was back. And so it was! Brilliant performance, poor scope pix 😅 Superb👌 @linnetincley.bsky.social #NorfolkBirding #RareBirdsUK

A couple of cleaned up shots of the Tundra bean geese on my patch this Am (Dorchester W/Ms) 🦉 #dorsetbirds #ukbirding #birds #ornithology @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Tundra Bean Goose still Dunster Hawn from western pond 14:50 #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Today's Tundra Bean Goose Throop near BRIANTSPUDDLE.

Bean Goose Middlebere Channel, Arne, Dorset @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

This Bufflehead showed well for many of us this morning in the embankment pool on the west side of Foryd Bay. Loving the iridescence in the sunshine. Took hundreds of pictures but this one is my favourite 😍 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

Ooh, poop sample from the grackle from Calshot, Hampshire, Nov 25, shows it was Great-tailed, not Boat-tailed as thought. Analysis by @tessaroo.bsky.social poop by @wjrpb.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

A pleasant couple of hours in Ninesprings early afternoon eventually yielded 2 Firecrest at the very top of the valley. Also 2 Water Rail on the lake but oddly not a single Mandarin #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Exciting to catch up with the drake Bufflehead that graced Point of Ayr #RSPB over high tide today. No sign of rings & behaving like a wild bird. @rspbcymru.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social #birdingWales @birdsinwales.bsky.social @rspbburtonmere.bsky.social @penrhynbirder.bsky.social

Scops Owl still Dunvant Park, Swansea #ukbirding

Desert Wheatear at Bolberry Down 06/12/25

How extraordinary it was to see a Eurasian Scops Owl tonight, locally here in Gower, and in December of all months! A fabulous little bird that was hunting in a suburban park. #GowerBirds #ScopsOwl @gowerbirds.bsky.social

Royal/West African Crested Tern still in front of hide Dawlish Warren #ukbirding

Royal or African Crested Tern still distantly from both Cockwood and Dawlish Warren Hide #ukbirding

1w m Black Redstart Wyndham Estate, Yeovil on Jellicoe Road #somersetbirding #ukbirding

A quick dash to Spiggie this afternoon to see this female SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT released back in to the ‘Bumblebird’ wild bird crop. Clearly autumn isn’t over for us here in Shetland! #BirdingScotland #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK #Birds #UKWildlife

Killdeer on South Slob Co. Wexford this morning. Another fantastic find by Stephen King 👍

Desert Wheatear still Bridging Camp but distant, also Cirl Bunting #ukbirding

Cracking day on patch at Littlesea, The Fleet. Highlight was finding a ♀️ Desert Wheatear in Bridging Camp. ♀️ Long-tailed Duck, 2 Slavonian Grebes & singles of Atlantic Brent Goose, Whimbrel & Water Rail, plus a Harbour Seal made up the rest of the highlights.

When I drive around the island I get sheep in the road. Others though get Franklin’s Gull blocking their way. Vatersay, Caolas this afternoon

Pacific Diver at Crookhaven Harbour, Co.Cork, Ireland. November 2025

Eastern Black Redstart at the point near the green beacon. Pic: T Willoughby. #spurnbirds @rarebirder.bsky.social

YBW at SBR by outflow stream at 13:55 though mobile. @somersetbirds.bsky.social

Pine Bunting seen briefly with mobile Yellowhammer flock at St Aldhelm's Head Quarry at 1030hrs & not relocated as of 1250hrs. Ltd parking available in Renscombe car park, otherwise park in Worth Mattravers village car park and walk down, staying out of private fields @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

On Shetland for the weekend to do some jobs in & around the house but kept getting distracted by birds in the garden! Started with a Coues's Arctic Redpoll then Rory Tallack had brief views of a pipit which eventually gave itself up as a Pechora. Lastly, a Bullfinch was a most welcome addition.

Incredible pics of the Pallid Swifts at Dawlish Warren today by Luke H shared with his permission