Gavia immer, the Great Northern Diver, at #SlaptonSands on 19/9 - an unexpected sighting just offshore as I was about to leave to start my journey home. A single Sandwich Tern also flew along the tide-line calling. #Devonbirding #ukbirding

Perhaps incongruous to see Yellow-horned Poppy on a Slapton Lee NNR welcome sign in a wood but there are a variety of habitats including the shingle bank separating the largest SW freshwater body from the sea. I saw my first Cetti’s Warbler here many years ago (1st Devon breeding in 1975).

Calvatia gigantea - Giant Puffball - appearing on the verge of our #HighWeald Sussex lane just in time for #MushroomMonday. #FungiFriends

Excited to see 5 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna gambolling in the sea at #StartPoint on 16/9, first time I have seen them! Native to British waters and subject to ‘world renowned’ recreational fishing in the 1930s but disappeared in the 1990s (hmm). Tricky to photo though but note seabird size comparison!

Seven days to go to the Big Kent Migration Watch! To celebrate bird migration KOS and partners are organising activities on 28 September at Dungeness, Samphire Hoe and Sandwich Bay. Please join us. For details: kentos.org.uk/index.php/ev...

The Tuckenhay Thatched Bird. Non-thatched feathered birds here seen before supper: Black-headed & Herring Gull; Buzzard; Chiffchaff; Common Sandpiper; Green Woodpecker; Little Egret; Long-tailed Tit; Mallard; Raven; Swan #Devonbirding #ukbirding

A walk along #FrogmoreCreek here in the #SouthHams this morning provided sunshine and: Black-headed & Herring Gull; Bullfinch; Grey Heron; Kingfisher; Green WP; Little Egret; Oystercatcher; Raven; Redshank; Swallow #Devonbirding #ukbirding

Wild and windy in the South Hams today and 6 Grey Seals and only a few birds seen around #LannacombeBeach and from along the SouthWest Coast Path: Cormorant; Great Black-backed Gull; Herring Gull; Little Egret; Pied Wagtail; Robin. #devonbirding #ukbirding

Aster tripolium (Sea Aster) still hanging on along the Sussex coast for #WildFlowerHour.

Still hanging on as a traditional English pastoral association: Yellow wags and cattle. These in a field near #ArlingtonReservoir seen during the @sussexornitholo.bsky.social outing today. Motacilla flava flavissima is a scarce summer visitor, red-listed. #sussexbirding #ukbirding

15 joined me for the #ArlingtonReservoir @sussexornitholo.bsky.social walk today (14/9). Star species: flock of Yellow Wagtail with cattle, a Kingfisher and a Wheatear. Also: Chiffchaff; Common SP; Canada, Domestic, Egyptian & Greylag Goose; Kestrel; Sand Martin; Stock Dove; Swallow #sussexbirding

Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) and Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) two of the outgoing migrants seen during the @sussexornitholo.bsky.social outing to #ThorneyIsland on 7/9. Whilst the former last bred in Sussex in 1999 the Redstart fortunately continues to do so. #sussexbirding #ukbirding

Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) described in Sussex by Blencowe & Hulme as “the most widely distributed and numerous of our ‘blue’ species”. This one in East Sussex at #CuckmereHaven whilst the following day I also saw them in West Sussex at #ThorneyIsland. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social

A Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe Oenanthe) blending in with the pebbles at #CuckmereHaven - it had 2 companions all obvious with white rumps when flying but disappearing when landing. All on their way to tropical Africa. A common Sussex passage migrant (Sussex Bird Report @sussexornitholo.bsky.social )

Tringa nebularia, the Greenshank, the “wader of the fog” but here on a sunny day (6/9) at #CuckmereHaven and down from northern taiga. A ‘fairly common migrant’ (Sussex Bird Report 2023 @sussexornitholo.bsky.social ) #sussexbirding #ukbirding

Saturday’s warm sunshine and humans and pinnipeds enjoying the chalky sea at #CuckmereHaven - in this photo a Grey Seal, which although common around the British coast is probably one of the world’s rarest seals.

A walk at #CuckmereHaven on 6/9 provided my first departing Whinchat of the year plus: Black-tailed Godwit; Buzzard; Dunlin; Fulmar; Goldfinch; Greenshank; House Martin; Knot; Little Grebe; Meadow Pipit; Ringed Plover; Stonechat; Swallow; Wheatear #sussexbirding #ukbirding

For #MushroomMonday - spotted these last week on scattered wood chips in a gateway down our High Weald lane: Sheathed Woodtuft.

10 on the @sussexornitholo.bsky.social circuit of #ThorneyIsland yesterday and a good selection of birds: Cattle & Little Egret; Greenshank; Little & Sandwich Tern; Marsh Harrier; Osprey; Pintail; Redshank; Redstart; Wheatear; Whinchat; Yellow Wagtail #sussexbirding #ukburding

Some wildflowers have seed heads that are truly spectacular! The challenge this week is to find some and then share your lovely pics for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #SeedHeads! Any wild or naturalised blooms you find too are of course always welcome!

A view from today’s walk at #RSPBBroadwaterWarren before a lashing of wind and rain got going again. My bird list was curtailed but at this point incl: Blackbird; Chiffchaff; Goldcrest; Great Tit; Robin; Tree creeper; Woodpigeon. #sussexbirding #ukbirding

A repeat of yesterday’s @sussexornitholo.bsky.social walk at #BeachyHead (WhitbreadHollow) with 10 joining me today. Again many had their first Clouded Yellow of the year. Birds incl: Blackcap; Cetti’s W; Chiffchaff; Jay; Sparrowhawk; Stonechat; Whitethroat; Willow Warbler #sussexbirding #ukbirding

Friday’s hurricane Erin’s remnants having crossed the Atlantic and passed through I took a walk at #RSPBBroadwaterWarren Apart from Crow, Kestrel, Robin and Woodpigeon a case for listening: Blackcap; Chiffchaff; Great-spotted & Green WP, but there was a feel of the heathland settling towards Autumn.

Unusually only 3 joined me for the usually popular #BeachyHead(WhitbreadHollow) @sussexornitholo.bsky.social walk today - at the Ringing Station we learned the website listed the wrong date so I will be repeating tomorrow! The list today though included a Grasshopper Warbler… #sussexbirding

It’s looking a bit like autumn! Plump, luscious fruits are brightening the hedgerows like vibrant jewels, beautiful, but can you identify them? This week find the fruits of wild plants, snap away & post your lovely pics for #wildflowerhour this Sunday 8-9pm using #fruits 🍒

A good selection of Larids on the Burrowes Pit islands at #RSPBDungeness at the weekend: Common; Great & Lesser Black-backed - predominantly the latter); Herring; Yellow-legged (just about visible R far R) and even a ringed Caspian. #kentbirding #ukbirding

I don’t often come across leaf mines on Hazel leaves locally here in the High Weald though they are common. This is caused by the mining activities of one of the Stigmella moth larvae called appropriately Hazel Leafminer Moth. #WildWebsWednesday

Some colour coordination going on at #RSPBDungeness at the weekend with Pochard (Aythya ferina) and ARC island. Over at Burrowes were 2 Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina), a bit distant but appeared to be a female and juvenile. #kentbirding #ukbirding

Constable might have made something of this if he had lived in Kent: a wetland scene at #RSPBDungeness on 23/8. Common Tern dropping in for successful fishing, Migrant Hawkers hawking… #kentbirding #ukbirding

#GentianFamily for #WildflowerHour

Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) from Dungeness just in time for #WildflowerHour

Don’t seem to have noticed many grasshoppers this summer but this Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) appeared just in time to rectify matters. They like dry sunny condition and we have a few of those. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social

Cinclus cinclus - first time I have had a chance to snap a Dipper, living in Sussex means this was a rare opportunity but have now seen them in both Devon ‘moors’ - this in Exmoor last week. #devonbirding #ukbirding

Had time for a late morning walk at #RSPBBroadwaterWarren, heathland quiet at this time of year: Blue, Coal & Great Tit; Chiffchaff (many!); Crow; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Nuthatch; Whitethroat;Woodpigeon; Wren. #sussexbirding #ukbirding

Origanum vulgare, Wild Marjoram, at #RSPBBroadwaterWarren recently. In folklore apparently useful for warding off the devil and I am sure I can see a scary face in this photo… @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Circus aeruginosus, the Marsh Harrier, at #RSPBHamWall on 13/8. Fortunately a more frequent sighting across the country but at one time they had almost disappeared as a British breeding bird and a trip east to Norfolk would have been needed. @btobirds.bsky.social #somersetbirding #ukbirding

Haematopus ostralegus adjusting its plumage at #RyeHarbourNR where although a scarce breeder in Sussex pairs of Oystercatcher do enjoy some success (around 77 pairs breed here suggests the 2023 Sussex Bird Report @sussexornitholo.bsky.social ) @sussexwildlife.bsky.social #sussexbirding #ukbirding

Vipers Bugloss, not the blue flowers at this time of year but more often changed by galls induced by a mite. This at #RyeHarbourNR recently. #WildWebsWedneaday

Chroicocephalus ridibundus, the Latin translates to laughing not Black-headed, which it isn’t, especially at this time of year when it is moulting but it does look neatly rakish (this one at #RyeHarbourNR recently). #sussexbirding #ukbirding

Enjoyed a visit to #RSPBHamWall 13/8, quiet at this time of year but: Great (mainly) & Little Egret; GC & Little Grebe; Gadwall; Marsh Harrier; Moorhen. (No swords emerging from the Avalon water though and Ham I read refers to water meadows.) #somersetbirding #ukbirding

Ardeids (Great & Little Egret and Grey Heron) on a hot parched waterscape - somewhere exotic? Well perhaps it is: Chew Valley Lake on 12/8 (with a count of around 40 Little Egret). #sussexbirding #ukbirding @btobirds.bsky.social

Tringa nebularia, the Greenshank, at #RyeHarbourNR when I was there on 9/8 perhaps, perhaps tired after a flight from northern taiga. This I think is a First Summer bird. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

It’s late summer and the Asteraceae or daisy family are looking just splendid. Perfect for this week’s #WildflowerHour! See if you can find one & share your pics this Sunday evening 8-9pm using the hashtag #DaisyFamily. Happy Asteraceae hunting!

A long hot drive from Sussex to reach my old patch of #ChewValleyLake. A circuit provided: Black-tailed Godwit; Cattle, Great & Little Egret (tens of the latter); Green Sandpiper; Grey Heron; Ruff; Tern certainly Common (and perhaps Arctic). #Somersetbirding

Wasn’t sure whether this Cormorant at #RyeHarbourNR on 9/8 was being far too ambitious with this eel almost as long as the Cormorant but it eventually swallowed it whole. Bonus Shelduck in background. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social #Sussexbirding #ukbirding

Tachybaptus ruficollis, the delightful Little Grebe, perhaps one of the few birds to have a folk name that most know and still use: Dabchick. This one at #RyeHarbourNR on 9/8. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @drrjwarren.bsky.social

Aster tripolium (Sea Aster) at #RyeHarbourNR on Saturday and there were also some at #PaghamHarbour when I travelled west the following day but in both cases I didn’t see any rare Sea Aster Mining Bees - next time perhaps… @sussexwildlife.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Tadorna tadorna, the Common Shelduck, “a scarce breeding species” in Sussex (Sussex Bird Report 2023) and I am trying to recall how often, or indeed if, I have seen ducklings but here is a juvenile at #RyeHarbourNR Castle Water on 9/8. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @sussexwildlife.bsky.social

Plenty of Amanita around at #RSPBroadwaterWater this week for a #MondayMushroom post, like many of this group I think the Blusher is broad minded about its mycorrhizal partners. #fungifriends

Pelophylax ridibundus, although the ‘laughing’ (ridibundus) frog is called Marsh, first introduced into Romney Marsh in the 1930s now found in many places - these in the “Discovery” area at #RSPBPaghamHarbour @sussexwildlife.bsky.social