Two new Christmas card designs are still available on my website. A huge thank you to everyone who has bought them, and for the kind feedback, it is really appreciated! Please check out www.robertvaughanillustrations.com for more.

RED-BACKED SHRIKE - An adult from the spring, watercolour on Arches paper for the cover of a publication. #birds #ukbirding #birdart

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, Blithfield, Staffs – From a couple of weeks back, stayed asleep for the first half hour in low sun and semi concealed which made picking out the ID features difficult but educational, showed well as morning progressed. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

HEN HARRIER – Watercolour on daler Rowney watercolour block for publication #ukbirding #birdart #birds

GLOSSY IBIS – Watercolour on Arches HP, lucky to catch up with a few of these birds consisting of over 600 birds recorded in the UK and a good number in Ireland, a very rare breeder in UK, most birds being juveniles with a small proportion of adults also amongst the frenzy. #ukbirding #birds

Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius), Waterswallows Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK, 07/10/2025 ebird.org/checklist/S2... This arctic-breeding wader, no doubt blown inland by Storm Amy, was found by @rayscally.bsky.social this afternoon #ukbirding #birding #birds #rarebirdsuk #ukrarebirds

WATERSWALLOWS Reservoir, Buxton, Derbyshire - Started slowly with 2 Teal which was a site tick, 4 Tufted Duck, 35 Lapwing, 1 Little Grebe and on the main quarry pool was gobsmacked to find a GREY PHALAROPE spinning in the distance. @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #ukbirding

AUDENSHAW RES, G Man - Start of the WHOOOPER SWAN arrival in Manchester, 12 arriving first thing and departing, another 6 dropped in at 2pm when I was there with a banded bird 53F that was recently ringed in Iceland on 11.08.25 @kanebrides.bsky.social @dan-gornall.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

Birthday present from Mrs B. a @rayscally.bsky.social - American and Pacific Golden Plover, Kentish Plover on the Humber off the Warren, Spurn autumn 2023.

HALE HEAD, Cheshire - Excellent few hours from the lighthouse this morning 1 LEACH'S PETREL blogged for 5 mins or so, 2 Kittiwake, 1 Common Scoter, 2 Pintail, 2 Gadwall, 10 Wigeon, 20 Teal, 29 Golden Plover, 5 Sanderling, 3 Swallow #UKbirding

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbys. - Good movement this morning, 7 RING OUZEL, 2 WHINCHAT, 1 LITTLE EGRET, 30 skylark, 57 Mistle thrush, 120 Swallow, 100 House Martin, 10 Siskin, 120 Meadow Pipit, 1 Stonechat, 29 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall, 5 Wigeon, 140 Teal @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #ukbirding

MIDDLETON MOOR Derbys. - 126 Glag Goose, 1 Shoveler, 1 Gadwall, 55 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck, 5 SWIFT, 1 W Rail, 1 GOL PLOVER over, 2 RED KITE, 4 Skylark, 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 1 Gar Warbler, 4 Redstart, 5 WHINCHAT, 4 Stonechat, 4 TREE PIPIT over, 5 Reed Bunt @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #ukbirding

Start your journey into birding and wildlife watching on our new Spurn Residential Retreats! Last chance to book upcoming dates - 29th to 31st Aug and 5th to 7th Sept inclusive. Booking and more info here: spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/news/spurn-r...

Migfest migration festival at Spurn is the hottest nature event of the year & tickets were sold out weeks ago, such is the demand for this prestigious event. For anyone with a ticket, I will be doing my usual two hr workshop on both days between 9am and 11am. martin-standley.squarespace.com/blog

MIDDLETON MOOR, Nth Derbys. - A steady passage today ended this evening with 1 GREENSHANK, 1 Redshank, 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing, 1 Water Rail, the first to be seen in many years, 2 Shoveler, 30 Teal, 42 L B B Gull, 3 Raven being the highlights. @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #ukbirding #birdinguk

AUDENSHAW RES, Gtr Manchester - A bit of passage this morning, 1 RUFF, 1 B t Godwit, 1 Common Sand, 1 LRP, 1 Green Sand, 2 Little Egret, 22 R N Parakeet, 1 Yellow Wagtail, LESSER SCAUP still present with @simonghilks.bsky.social @alexanderlees.bsky.social #ukbirding

RUDYARD LAKE, Staffordshire - 1 MARSH HARRIER thru, 3 Teal, 9 Ringed Plover, 6 LR Plover, 1 Snipe, 3 Common Sand, 1 Green Sand, Peregrine, 2 Spotted Fly, 3 Yellow Wagtail this morning, full list on ebird. @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social #ukbirding

WATERSWALLOWS RES, Buxton - 11.08.25 - Migrants starting to go through, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 YELLOW WAGTAIL, a scarce bird north county, fledging Redstart, 1 Mandarin, 4 Tufted Duck, 11 Lapwing, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social

SVALBARD – a Chapter header painting for ISLAND EXPEDITIONS by Nigel Winn, the latest book I am working on, 18 Chapter header paintings for far flung birding destinations around the world, Falklands, Lena Delta, South Georgia to name a few, watercolour on Daler Rowney Langton Prestige Block. #birds

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbys. - 2 RINGED PLOVER & 1 LRP juv this morning which gave good comparisons side by side for biro sketches, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3-4 Reed Warbler, 1 Shoveler, 1 Gadwall, 23 P Wagtail, 7 Teal being the highlights @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #ukbirding

TRAFFORD INDUSTRIAL PARK, G Manchester - Nice to see some hope in urban decay on an old warehouse site, 1 RINGED PLOVER, 5 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Med Gull this morning #ukbirding

AUDENSHAW RES, Gtr Manchester - MEGA!! SURF SCOTER found by Rob Adderley this morning! first for GM apparently @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social #ukbirding

WOOLSTON EYES – Cover for the latest Woolston Eyes 2024 Annual Report, should be hitting members ‘in boxes’ in the near future, watercolour on Arches paper, a prolific year for Yellow-browed Warblers at the site, prompted me to use this species as its one that may not turn up in the future. #birds

I'll be in London next week discussing misinformation and the #biodiversity crisis with @amydickman.bsky.social and @clarecarlile.bsky.social at an event organised by the ‪@linneansociety.bsky.social ‬https://members.linnean.org/events/67fd2addd5f1de00084dd431/description 🌍

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbys. - OSPREY was surprise thru this afternoon, 6 Gadwall new in and no wader movement today. @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #UKBirding

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbys. - Wader morning but all fly thru's, 4 SANDERLING, 13 RINGED PLOVER, 3 LR Plover, 1 Curlew, 1 Cuckoo, 1 HOBBY, 2 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, 1 Garden Warbler, 8 Linnet #UKBirding @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social

HOOPOE - A rare visitor to the UK, this bird frequented an oak tree on Sandy Lane, Cheshire for a number of days, easily located by its prominent call as it perched high in the tree top, watercolour on @DalerRowney Langton block. #BIRDS #UKBirding

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbys. - No new birds today, 10 Ringed Plover still from yesterday, 1 Cuckoo, 2 LRP, 2 Curlew, 15 Lapwing, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Redstart being the highlights @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social #ukbirding

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbys. - Finally after years caught up with a site tick of KNOT courtesy of @andysbutler.bsky.social bird stayed into its second day allowing some sketches today. also 2 Oysterc, 5 LRP, 1 Shelduck, 2 Curlew, 20 Lapwing @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @waderquest.bsky.social

MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE - Pair of SAND MARTIN nesting on a canal basin in the northern quarter, COAL TIT also feeding young, SWALLOW early morning, a rare bird within the ring road, Jay and Goldcrest in St John's Gardens and a R N Parakeet right in Piccadilly Gardens #ukbirding #urbanbirding

PIED FLYCATCHER - Watercolour. One of my favourite birds and pleased to say I have a few breeding areas close to my house in Cheshire & Derbyshire so great to see annually. A lot of birds now back on the breeding grounds and paired up. This illustration will be published next year. #ukbirding #birds

AUDENSHAW RES, Gtr Man - Better today than yesterday, 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, 1 Yellow Wag, 1 Lssr Whitethroat (rare here) 2 Oyc's, 2 Comm Sandpiper, 1 LRP, 70 Swift, 2 Blackcap, 3 Barn Swallow, 40 Sand Martin, 2 Gadwall, 1 Buzzard (scarce here) #ukbirding

AUDENSHAW RES, Gtr Manchester. - Superb morning 8 Arctic Tern thru' first thing, 1 GROPPER, site mega, 1 HOBBY earliest ever site record, 2 Com Sand, 1 Dunlin, 3 Oyster, 7 White Wagtail, 70 Sand Mar, 10 Swallow, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 H Martin, 1 Linnet, 6 Goldeneye #birds #ukbirding

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbyshire - An influx of new birds this morning, the best being 3 RING OUZEL which flew towards Longstone, singing REDSTART, 1 Shelduck, 5 Tufted Duck, 20 Lapwing, 1 Curlew, 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 5 Wheatear being the highlights. #ukbirding

WATERSWALLOWS RES, Buxton, Derbys. - This evening produced this fine RING OUZEL, couldn't relocate the bird when leaving, also 3 Mallard, 8 Tufted Duck, 3 Coot, 2 Lapwing, 2 LBB Gull, 1 Little Grebe, 6 Sand Martin, 4 Swallow, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Meadow Pipit. #ukbirding #birds

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbys. - 1 KITTIWAKE, a site tick dropped in for 15 minutes, scarce inland bird, 1 Dunlin, 2 Shoveler, 17 Teal, 23 Tufted Duck, 35 Lapwing, 1 Curlew, 75 Common Gull, 4 Lesser B B Gull, 1 Little Grebe, 18 Raven, 4 Skylark, 3 Chiffchaff, 10 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 3 R Bunting #ukbirding

AUDENSHAW RES, Gtr Man – LITTLE GULL down to one, 1 ROCK PIPIT, 1 BLACK REDSTART a site rarity, the continuing SMEW, 1 Ringed Plover, 5 Little ringed Plover, 1 Dunlin, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Skylark, 2 WHITE WAGTAIL and 1 RN Parakeet being the highlights, full list on ebird #ukbirding #birds

WOODCOCK, winter scene from the Goyt Valley in Derbyshire, using acrylic on gesso board, a rare medium for me, this was done nearly 10 years ago #birds

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbyshire - this AM - 11 CURLEW through in one flock, record site count of 43 Tufted Duck, 36 Teal, 8 Coot, 1 Oystercatcher, 51 Lapwing, 2 Common Gull, 3 Raven, 7 Skylark, 15 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 3 Meadow Pipit, 3 Reed Bunting. #ukbirding

HAWFINCH - Watercolour on Daler Rowney Prestige block, a few of these currently, locally, in Cheshire and Derbyshire. #ukbirding #birds #birdart

HEATON PARK, Greater Manchester - 1 GREAT SKUA over the Manchester Suburbs, not one you see everyday, a great find the day before by a Simon Johnson, still present at first light this morning. #ukbirding

AUDENSHAW RES, Gtr. Manchester - Wasn't expecting this AVOCET swimming with the gulls this morning, a county rarity, 2 Pintail also present, Goldeneye, Pochard, Gadwall. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social

SPURN WILDLIFE 2023 - Hitting the door steps shortly, large thrush movements in 2023 so I decided to paint that, rather than a single bird for this issue, watercolour on block. #ukbirding #birds

SPOONBILL - Pencil sketches of a once rare bird in the UK which is now resident in many parts. #birds #ukbirding #birdart

Distant Great Grey Shrike seen briefly at Middleton Moor, Derbys this afternoon #ukbirding

MIDDLETON MOOR, Derbyshire - Quality over quantity in storm force winds this morning HEN HARRIER for a short period which was chased off by crows, my second December record up here, 4 WHOOPER SWAN, 2 Greylag Goose, 2 Shoveler, 45 Teal, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Lapwing, 2 Buzzard, 1 Snipe. #ukbirding

ROBIN - Watercolour Daler Rowney Prestige Block, its that time of year again! #ukbirds #birds

Finally, after buying it 2 years ago @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social Migfest, I’ve got this superb original Leach’s Petrel painting by @rayscally.bsky.social framed ready to go up in my study. The emblem of @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social #UKBirding #seabirds #cheshirebirding

TODDBROOK RES, Whaley Bridge, Derbys. - 1 KITTIWAKE on a quick stop off on the way to Tesco was a surprise, 6 Teal, 2 Goosander, 12 B H Gull, 1 LBB Gull. @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social