Usual selection on offer at Elmley NNR this afternoon... Fun watching the waders power up The Swale on the rising tide. #KentBirding #ElmleyNNR #birds

Harbour (Common) Seal on The Swale at Elmley NNR this afternoon - a very inquisitve beast who approaching to within ten metres to see what I was up to... #KentNature @kentfieldclub.bsky.social #UKMammals

Five Little Gulls (3x 1st winter + 2x adult) off Folkestone harbour arm this afternoon - all passing by quite close. Lots of fun! #KentBirding @kentishplover.bsky.social #UKBirding

Crowned Earthstar at Faversham yesterday under Hawthorns - a new one for me (if ID is correct!). #kentnature #mycology

A few bits today at Faversham Water Treatment Works, in addition to the Pallas's Warbler briefly but well (twice) at 3:30pm. @kentishplover.bsky.social #kentbirding

Sibe Chiffy stood out amongst the mass of Chiffchaff at Faversham Water Treatment Works this morning. A very grey bird with clean white underparts. Very pale super and black legs - didn’t hear it call. @kentishplover.bsky.social #kentbiridng

Red-flanked Bluetail today at Crockham Hill Common, doing a flipping good job of avoiding my camera. Poor light, fleeting glimpses, usual excuses… #rarebirdsuk #kentbirding @rarebirder.bsky.social @kentishplover.bsky.social

Hooded Mergansers at New Hythe lakes today. Female (left) = brown eye + yellow in bill; male (right) = yellow eye and black bill. Presumably frozen out of smaller lake/pond somewhere. Unringed, fully-winged and confiding... @rarebirder.bsky.social @kentishplover.bsky.social #KentBirding #UKRareBirds

Part of the flock of 15 Tundra Bean Geese seen (distantly) at Stodmarsh NNR this afternoon. #KentBirding @rarebirder.bsky.social #UKBirding

Purple Sand was the pick-of-the-bunch for me at Swalecliffe today - alas the Ross's Gull didn't play ball and return (but we keep our fingers crossed!). #KentBirding #UKBirding #Waders

Black-winged Kite at St Benet’s and then coming roost at Ludham Bridge - still only record shots of this super-smart raptor. #NorfolkBirding #UKRareBirds @rarebirder.bsky.social

Eastern Black Redstart in Sheringham is a bit of a stunner! #BirdingNorfolk #NorfolkBirding #UKRareBirds

1w drk Harlequin Duck at Magheraroarty, Co. Donegal, this morning - a wee stunner as it surfs the waves just a metre from the shore. #IrishRareBirds #birding @rarebirder.bsky.social

Fun time with the Crested Tits at RSPB Boat of Garten - a fabulous way to start Christmas Day! @rspbscotland.bsky.social #BirdingScotland #ukbirding

Lots of lovely Mountain Hares at Glenshee this afternoon - keeping an eye out for predators and waiting for snow... @mammalsocietyyouth.bsky.social @mammalsociety.bsky.social #UKMammals #nature @scotwildlife.bsky.social

Ptarmigan at Glenshee this afternoon - well worth the hike (they started the chairlift as I was half-way back down!). A brilliant experience. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding @scottishbirding.bsky.social @scotwildlife.bsky.social

1w drake King Eider at Dornoch today + male Surf Scoter, Scaup, LTDucks, Slav Grebes, etc - all very nice! #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK #UKBirding

Adult Red-breasted Goose at Wallasea Island RSPB this afternoon from the access track. Distant, poor light…usual excuses… #RareBirdsUK @essexbirdnews.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social #UKBirding

Drake Scaup (right!) with Tufties at Brookland Lake, New Hythe, today. It needs another visit from me when the sun is shining… @kentishplover.bsky.social #kentbirding #ukbirding

Possible Xylaria cinerea #fungi at Ranscombe Farm, Kent, @plantlifeuk.bsky.social this afternoon. Would be interested in ID comments please. @kentfieldclub.bsky.social #fungifriend #kentnature

Dusky Warbler at Westgate, Kent, this afternoon - calling frequently and showing well occasionally. #KentBirding #RareBirdsUK

Lachnus roboris, Variegated Oak Aphid, found by a colleague at East Malling, Kent, this lunchtime. Not many records on the NBN Gateway of this super duper ginormous wee beastie! @kentfieldclub.bsky.social @nbntrust.bsky.social #KentNature #Nature

Yellow-necked Mouse at East Malling today - had found dead ones in local buildings, so nice to get a live one! #KentNature #ukmammals @kentfieldclub.bsky.social

Baird's Sandpiper currently in residence at Rutland Water - a superb little performer which, although not actually aggressive, does approach cameras with little hestitation...! #RareBirdsUK #UKbirding #Waders

Turkestan Shrike at Dunwich Heath NR - a stunning wee chap! #RareBirdsUK #SuffolkBirding

Whinchat at East Malling Resaerch Station this lunchtime - has been knocking about with a few Stonechats this week. #KentBirding @kentishplover.bsky.social #birding

Red-breasted Fly showed well, but briefly, in South View garden at Dungeness this lunchtime. #KentBirding #RareBirdsUK

Clouded Yellow (F) and Common Blue at East Malling this week - enjoying some wildflower-smothered headlands. Best we enjoy them for last few weeks we have them! #KentNature #UKButterflies

Lesser Grey Shrike (Winterton) and Lesser Yellowlegs (Etton Maxey) - a great double-act in the sun today. #RareBirdsUK

Kentish Plover found by @seasalterbirder.bsky.social - distant by the time I got to it... #KentBirding

Lovely Grey Phalarope at Mercer CP, Surrey, after the office today. Hopefully it’ll reorientate back out to the open ocean. @rarebirder.bsky.social #UKBirding

Male Red-footed Falcon at Elmley NNR this lunchtime - a stunning little performer! #RareBirdsUK #kentbirding @rarebirder.bsky.social #UKBirding

Tiny (3mm) Ant on the office desk this afternoon (East Malling). ObsIdentify comes up with Crematogaster scutellaris (mainly). Possibly rare: probably imported. @ianbeavis.bsky.social @kentgrasshoppers.bsky.social @kentfieldclub.bsky.social

Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly at Pantlife's lovely Ranscombe Farm reserve, this afternoon (14:05). @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #KentNature

A particular feature of the site is that is has a population of Sitaris muralis that was first noted by @baldbirder.bsky.social in 2024 and was back in force this year. The beetles parasitise nests of Anthophora plumipes. [2/]

Orange-shouldered Blister Beetles starting to emerge at their colony in East Malling today. #KentNature @kentfieldclub.bsky.social

Stunning Rose-coloured Starling at @dungenessbirdobs.bsky.social this evening - one of two great finds today by Jacob at the Obs (other being Bee-eater). #KentBirding #RareBirdsUK

Slightly late to the Hudsonian Godwit party at Titchfield Haven NNR this afternoon - ten years after my first. Very smart adult female bird that had the decency to lift her wings on a few occasions... @rarebirder.bsky.social @gnhbirder66.bsky.social #RareBirdsUK #UKBirding

Whiskered Tern on Hookers Pit, RSPB Dungeness, this evening. A super little performer! #KentBirding #RareBirdsUK @rspb.bsky.social

The Roseate Tern at Normandy Lagoons is sporting a ring - didn’t feel like a @btobirds.bsky.social ring given ‘different’ address line at the top…or perhaps I’m imagining things! #seabirds

A few caterpillars showed well yesterday, including: Small Eggar (Martin Down NNR), and Blossom Underwing, Mottled Umber and Lackey all in woods near Chiddingfold, Surrey. #TeamMoth #nature

Wood White in woodland near Chiddingfold yesterday - seemingly delicate butterflies as they tentatively investigate flower heads. #UKButterflies

Marsh Fritillary at Martin Down NNR yesterday - lots on the wing there at the moment. Always fun to see. #UKButterflies

Roseate Tern at Normandy Lagoon, Hants, yesterday putting on occasional stunning ‘fly pasts’ as it heads out to feed. #UKBirding #Seabirds

Five Red-footed Falcons yesterday evening at Carlton Marshes SWT - a bonus end to the day! #UKRareBirds

Blue-winged Teal, Spot Sand and Great Reed Warbler - a busy day in the field which started with Poms, Whimbrel, Barwits and CScoter passage at Dunge. #UKRarebirds

Lots of fun Water Shrew action near Newington at the weekend - 20-30 sightings in an hour’s watch. Nice! Yellow Wags in adjacent sheep field. #KentNature

Black and Red Pot-beetle (Cryptocephalus bipunctatus) at Holly Hill yesterday - a super smart wee beetle. #KentNature @kentfieldclub.bsky.social #UKColeoptera

Conyer yesterday: Nice selection in a brief visit inc. Whimbrel, Lesser Whitethroat, Nightingale, Cuckoo.

Male Grasshopper Warbler reeling away at New Hythe Lakes this morning - a nice bit of Lucestella undertail coverts...if you like that sort of thing. #KentBirding #UKBirding