Treasure hunting again on the magical Quantock Hills, a very good year for fungi 😀 #quantockhills #ukfungi

A flock of 20 Glossy Ibis flew into Herriots Pool for a while for a wash and brush up before flying high and heading to Herons Bay. So uplifting to see and watch, amazing to see such a large flock of Ibis in the UK. #avonbirds

‘Look up!’ Porcelain Fungi (Oudemansiella mucida) amongst the Beech trees on the Quantocks. A beautiful looking fungi and one of my favourites, good to see a good crop of them this year. #quantockhills #SomersetWT #ukfungi

A very misty and damp start to our walk on the Quantocks yesterday. After an hour or so the mist cleared, the sun appeared and so did the Fly Agarics. Found them in several areas along our route, a good year it would seem for these beauties 😀🍄 #ukfungi #quantockhills #somersetwildlife

A few fungi from a good few hours ‘shrooming’ on the Mendips. Treasure hunting at its best! 🍄🍄‍🟫 #ukfungi

A lovely morning in East Devon at the LORP with great scope views of the Baird’s Sandpiper before it flew high and north. Continued with a very relaxing autumnal walk around the reserve, beautiful place and environment. #ukbirding

A very good and enjoyable local birding day. The R B Shrike showed well this morning at Portbury Wharf and at Cheddar Reservoir a plethora of birds from Grey Phalaropes, Curlew Sandpipers, Black Terns, Glossy Ibis etc. Cheddar well worth a visit at the moment. #somersetbirding #avonbirds #ukbirding

The Wryneck gave brilliant views in the area around the Turf locks on the River Exe this morning to the delight of many people. Glad it stayed for another day, a magical bird to see 😀 #ukbirding #devonbirds

For the briefest of moments the Sabines Gull at Burnham, Somerset this morning. It flew by, landed for seconds and was then lost to view. Many thanks to Andy @burnhambirder.bsky.social for putting the news out and glad we got there in time #somersetbirding #ukbirding

Caspian Gull following the boat ‘Kellys Hero’ out into Lyme Bay on Friday. Many thanks to Mike @clennonvalley for his sharp gull skills 😀👍 #ukbirding

A brilliant Lyme Bay pelagic from Brixham on Friday aboard ‘Kellys Hero’. Common Dolphins, Balearic & Manx Shearwaters, Arctic Skuas, Black, Common & Arctic Terns etc but the highlight for us a stunning Caspian Gull which followed the boat for a while #ukbirding

A day trip to the stunning Isles of Scilly yesterday our first ever visit, couldn’t believe we would also get our first ‘Scilly twitch’ and a UK lifer a Western Bonelli’s Warbler #ukbirding

A brilliant morning trekking on the Quantocks the scenery stunning as always. Several species of bird ‘youngsters’ busily feeding up, plenty of Grayling & Small Heath butterflies, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly & the first ‘shroom’ of the season etc #somersetbirding

Couldn’t resist taking a look at the White-winged Black Tern at Frampton this morning, a beautiful looking bird #GlosBirds #ukbirds

Pretty sure this is a Yellow-legged Gull viewed from Woodford Lodge at Chew Valley Lake this morning? #avonbirds #ukbirding

Stars of the show for me at Slimbridge today were numerous Ruff giving great views from the Discovery Hide, and would you believe the first ones we have seen this year! … 🤔 #ukbirding

A pleasant morning at Slimbridge between the showers and despite the ‘unknown origin’ of the Tundra Bean Goose nice to see it amongst the Greylags. #ukbirding

Black-crowned Night Heron at Camp Lane Pools, Grimley Worcestershire this morning gave good views through the branches of Willow etc if you peered through the right gap … 😀 #ukbirding

An early visit to Barrow Tanks near Bristol this morning and pleased to see that the juv Wood Sandpiper was still in residence and feeding busily on small frogs etc. 2 common Sandpipers also seen as well as at least 5 Cattle Egrets #ukbirding

Small Copper - Draycott Sleights on the Mendips. We don’t see many of this species out and about these days, so nice to spot one amongst the grasses. #ukbitterflies

Essex Skippers also from SWT Draycott Sleights on the Mendips this morning #ukbutterflies

So uplifting to see a good number of Chalkhill Blues on the wing at Draycott Sleights on the Mendips this morning. Numbers definitely up on last year and plenty of wild flowers as well 😀 #ukbutterflies

Beautiful walk around Great Breach Woods on the Polden Hills, Somerset. Blown away by the number of beautiful Silver washed Fritillaries seen, they were everywhere the most I’ve seen in a few years #ukbutterflies

Arctic Terns at Long Nanny, Northumberland. A beautiful place full of wild flowers to visit and see these amazing birds at close range. Thoroughly recommended 😀👍 #ukbirding

A visit to Alners Gorse in Dorset yesterday, so uplifting to see so many butterflies and wild flowers after last year’s grim season. I was like a kid in a sweetshop at the wonder of it all! #ukbutterflies

On your marks .. get set … go! Always a treat to see Puffins, this one preparing to dive from the harbour wall on Coquet Island. #ukbirding

Roseate Tern on Coquet Island from a ‘rocky’ boat, good to hear that numbers are increasing and get our first decent view of this beautiful rare Tern. #ukbirding

Good views of a stunning Red throated Diver in Amble Harbour a few days ago, love the grey and red combination. #ukbirding

Whilst exploring the brilliant reserve at East Chevington Northumberland, we stumbled upon this juvenile Cuckoo happy to be admired for a good 10 minutes before flying off to some nearby sallows. #ukbirding

Ortolan Bunting at Wykeham Forest on Thursday. 3 glimpses in a space of 2 hours and a UK first for us. A fly over Honey Buzzard was a nice little bonus 😀 #ukbirding

Always a joy to see Large Blue butterflies in Somerset. Very few seen so fingers crossed there are more on the way. #ukbutterflies

A lovely close encounter with a beautiful Hare in the fields of Norfolk a couple of days ago. Magical sums it up!

A brilliant couple of days in Norfolk. Purring Turtle Doves, Temminck’s Stint, Spotted Flycatcher, Hares and beautiful breathtaking fields of Poppies amongst the many highlights.

Just back from a brilliant few days in Norfolk and hoping all the time that the Spotted Sandpiper would stay a few days at Chew V Lake. This morning between the heavy showers the Sandpiper gave some brilliant views, a real stunner of a wader! #ukbirding

Beautiful Dragons, a great source of entertainment while waiting for the Purple Heron to make an appearance at Shapwick on Sunday. Emperor, Red eyed Damselfly, Four spot Chaser, Banded Demoiselle, Scarce Chaser, Large Red & Common Blue Damselfly #somersetwildlife

Great Bustard, Salisbury Plain. You suddenly realise how big they are when they literally fly over your head! …#ukbirding

An epic day in Hants & Wilts yesterday with highlights Roseate, Little, Common & Sandwich Terns + Curlew Sandpipers at Normandy Marshes. A little sea watching produced an Arctic Skua & Salisbury Plain Corn Buntings, Stone Curlews, Whinchat etc & a Woodchat Shrike. #ukbirding

Male and female Black winged Stilts at BHM, Seaton Devon on Wednesday. So beautifully elegant and graceful, hope they return to the area #ukbirding

A very pleasant few hours spent in Seaton, Devon this morning. The B W Stilt pair showed very well, singing Reed Warblers everywhere a few Sedge W and the Sand Martins were mesmerising to watch. Brilliant to see a few Wood Whites around the under-cliff, flighty though! #ukbirding

After the excitement of watching the Dotterel in Wales we made a slight detour on our way home to visit Ham Wall. Over the moon to get fairly decent views of the Red footed Falcon, a great end to a brilliant day’s birding! #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Early morning visit to Cefn Cadlan, Glamorgan to hopefully see the Dotterel. Freezing cold biting wind at the top of the hill but the Dotterel didn’t seem to mind and gave brilliant views. So pleased they stayed another day! #ukbirding

A very pleasant sunny few hours on the Mendips this morning. Great to see a good number of butterflies.

Amazing day of birding and walking on the Quantocks. Singing Wood Warbler, at least 5 LSW’s, Several Pied Fly’s, Redstart, Yellowhammers, Tree Pipits, Cuckoo the highlights all in glorious scenery. #ukbirding #somersetbirding

A brilliant days birding on Dartmoor between the showers. Redstarts put on show with at least 6 seen, Cuckoo’s vocal but always distant,wonderful to hear them 🎶. A Wheatear pair, Tree Pipit, a few Pied Flycatchers & a great surprise when a L S Woodpecker appeared mid morning. #ukbirding

An early morning walk across Sand Point & Middle Hope etc. North Somerset. Whitethroats everywhere, 2 reeling Groppers (one seen briefly), 3 Whimbrel (more heard calling), Dartford Warbler on the point, several Swallows and Sparrowhawk the best. No Wheatears found … ☹️ #ukbirding

A few Orchids seen on our Cyprus trip. Naked Man, Pyramidal, Tongue, a Bee Orchid species plus one other …. I think 🤔 #cyprusorchids

Cyprus part 4 - Great Spotted Cuckoo, Cream Coloured Courser, Collared Flycatcher, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Masked Shrike #cyprusbirds

Cyprus part 3 - Semicollared Flycatcher, Woodchat Shrike, Cyprus Wheatear, Masked Shrike, Cretzschmar’s Bunting #cyprusbirds

Cyprus part 2 - Collared Pratincole, Lesser Moorhen, Laughing Dove, Cyprus Warbler, Black-eared Wheatear #cyprusbirds

Cyprus last week, part 1 - Sardinian Warbler, Yellow Wagtail, Cream-coloured Courser, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt #cyprusbirds