What's better than a Siskin on your feeders? Two Siskins! The species that kicked off my interest over four decades ago @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #Acomb #UKBirding

Chiffchaff singing in the garden this morning! Beckfield Ln @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Short walk on the Ings today with dog and child. Busy herons, busy frogs and around 40-50 Redwings still. Male Sparrowhawk and then 2 Red Kites over Great North Way on the way home @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Spring has sprung! Warm enough to take the dog out without a coat, birds singing everywhere, including full throated Skylarks drifting out from the fields to over Beckfield Lane! Siskin passage overhead and here's one that stopped off for a feed on Monday @yorkbirding.bsky.social

At least 17 Herons back in the heronry, plus 3 Little Egrets on Rawcliffe Ings. 16 Lapwings over Clifton Ings dropped down but then circled up and away again, a full summer plumaged Black-headed Gull on the shrinking flood and too many noisy Parakeets! @yorkbirding.bsky.social #UKBirding

Enjoyed the Acomb Landing-Clifton Ings murmuration tonight, the patterns, the noise of wingbeats and the splat of droppings all added to the atmosphere! @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #UKBirding

H/lights of an icy visit to @rspb.bsky.social St. Aidan's and Fairburn Ings today. Red Crested Pochard still present, lots of other wildfowl on any bit of open water. Single Blackwit with Curlew, and a Water Rail in flight. Overwintering Chiffchaff feeding on debris in Lin Dyke #UKBirding

Wandered round @rspb.bsky.social St. Aidan's this morning. Finally caught up with the resident Beardies. Ducks were frisky! And 3 Glossy Ibis dropped in #UKBirding

Garden Mistle Thrush enjoying the omens this morning. #ShepherdsWarning #Stormcock @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social #UKBirding

Pleased to see the influx of Blackbirds had finally settled down to the surplus windblown apples, and then this appeared in the garden @yorkbirding.bsky.social #UKBirds

Visited the patch this morning. Chiffys in with every group of tits, calling Bullfinches, 19 Cormorants in River Ouse roost, Cettis behind Acomb Waterworks, Parakeets displaying at nest holes. Then... Short-eared Owl high over Manor School when I was walking home @yorkbirding.bsky.social #UKBirding

Took the dog for an evening empty with a near constant soundtrack of Redwings overhead #tseep #York

Been neglecting the patch so jumped at the chance to get out this am. Lots of migrants either leaving or arriving including Chiffy, Blackcap, Stonechat, Redwing and Pinkies over. A few snaps here #UKBirding

Still a few House Martins over Tadcaster today @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Also from last week in Scotland, I finally got up An Teallach! And remembered to do a write up for @walkhighlands.co.uk #Munro

From last week's trip to Scotland. The eldest enjoying Maol Chean-dearg, my final Torridonian #Munro

You can tell it's "autumn" when York's feral geese fly between the city centre and the fields to the west every day (volume up) #evening #UKBirding @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Took advantage of the 'dead time' twixt end of exams and end of school for a bit of bonding time with the eldest. Quick intro to Lakes ridge scrambling in a brief spell of decent weather. Helvellyn then Blencathra on consecutive days

@rachaelmaskell.bsky.social Thank you Rachael. I'd rather have you as my MP than someone who votes to make kids and disabled people poorer. @teamlabouruk.bsky.social are a disgrace and seem afraid to do what most people voted for. They will let Reform in unless they change #York #Acomb

Quite often have a lull in patch enthusiasm in high summer but dragged the youngest and the dog out today. Was going to be all about the K's: Kestrels have fledged a juv, Kingfisher's along the river and a Kite over the cut meadows, but then had a couple of Jays! #UKBirding @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Had drawn a (scientifically important) nil result from 3 Woodlark squares in @btobirds.bsky.social #heathlandsurvey which was disheartening, but one square was also down for Nightjars, so the relief last night when this happened was immense! Few roding Woodcock too

More of a day for dragon, damsel and butter-flies than birds, but a min of 4 Little Egrets and 14 singing Sedge Warblers between Redhouse and Poppleton along the river this morning, lots of Reed Bunt, other warblers and hirunds too @yorkbirding.bsky.social #UKBirding

More #Swift spam! Enjoyable screaming parties over the Tadcaster Viaduct. Looked like a few fledged Sand Martins around the Bridge too @nybirdnews.bsky.social #UKBirding

A good 40+ Swifts over the house this morning. Feeding over the fields between Acomb and the ring road then heading back to the colony. Managed a couple of snaps @yorkbirding.bsky.social #YorkSwifts #Acomb #UKBirding

At least one of the Kingfisher pairs on the Ouse has been successful. Great to see two fledged juveniles sitting in a Willow waiting to be fed this morning @yorkbirding.bsky.social #Ings #UKBirding

Finally! Some clear justification for having a "messy" garden.... @mammalsociety.bsky.social #York

We’re calling on everyone who cares about nature: write to your MP now. Show them we won’t stand by while vital protections are ripped up: action.rspb.org.uk/page/159517/...

Common Sandpiper moving up the Ouse this morning @yorkbirding.bsky.social Didn't have my camera, so here's one from earlier this week! #UKBirding

Garish, but always photogenic. Mandarin on the River Don near Long Sandall today @s-yorksbirding.bsky.social #UKBirding

Decent walk in the woods (volume up).... #UKBirding #joy #Yorkshire

Full patch tick Cettis today and a Gropper (1st for 3 years) yesterday giving typical views. #Patchbirding #York #UKBirding

WFH today with occasional distractions. Pair of Buzzards displaying really high then grappling each other in a dizzying spiral, Sparrowhawk through setting everything off, and this beauty being harassed... #raptors #UKBirding #York

In time for @btobirds.bsky.social #BlackbirdsInGardens survey I finally worked out where 'my' resident pair were nesting. Unfortunately, so did the local Magpies...

Cracking walk up Ingleborough with the family today. Added Wheatear and Redstart to the year list. No Ringo's but there was a full adult fem Marsh Harrier passing below the summit headed to Morecambe Bay which I assume had returned from warmer climes #UKBirding Bonus Green Hairstreak too

Working down the Humber today. Which was nice. Yellow Wag took me to #152 for the year but no pic as I was enjoying just watching it! #UKBirding 🪶

Great day out, started with Willow Warbler in the garden, then ALL the herons and 4sp Grebes @rspb.bsky.social #Fairburn #StAidans today #UKBirding 🪶

Celebrating another circuit of the sun.... in the office. But Tadcaster's Sand Martins are back over the river, noisy Oystercatchers on the sports pitches behind the leisure centre, Red Kites and Buzzards displaying overhead and birds singing everywhere. #Spring @nybirdnews.bsky.social #UKBirding 🪶

Patch wander this afternoon, and yesterday, and Friday evening. Still no Sand Martins! Had a pair of Buzzards fly from Acomb Waterworks to escort a Red Kite from over York Cricket Club, noisy Parakeets, and these.... #UKBirding 🪶 @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Anyone ever seen Grey Wagtails in trees? Had a pair today who appeared to be prospecting a cavity! Plus some other birds in trees.... #UKBirding

Cracking night with @psbhq.bsky.social and #SheDrewTheGun at the Barbican

Aren't Cranes brilliant! Near Beverley today #UKBirding

I've spent hours on the patch looking for my first Sand Martin of the year. A couple of mates have seen Swallows. My first hirund of 2025 was..... A House Martin! Chittering away over Tadcaster at 1130. @nybirdnews.bsky.social #UKBirding

Walked the patch 3 times this weekend looking for Sand Martin. Drew a blank. So here are some piscivores... #UKBirding #York

Dusted off the moth trap yesterday and ran it overnight, wasn't expecting much... Diurnea flagella 1 Small Quaker 2 Common Quaker 22 Clouded Drab 5 Hebrew Character 2 Early Grey 2 Satellite 1 Turned out alright despite the rain #mothsmatter

Farewell Winter! 18 Whoopers N up the west edge of York this morning sparked a mad scramble from my desk for a camera..... #UKBirding @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Not so often you find yourselves inside a murmuration! Guessing this is a group of pre-migrating Starlings feeding up before departure #Humber #UKBirding

A couple (of couples) from along the Ouse today @yorkbirding.bsky.social and some Magpies.... just because it seems kind of apt! #UKBirding

Plenty of raptor action on the patch today. Kestrels noisily 'enjoying' themselves, a Red Kite which was first chased by a Buzzard before being escorted high up by this Sparrowhawk before drifting towards Holgate #York plus bonus Marshie pic from Thursday nr Beverley #UKBirding

My resident garden Goldcrest is a bit confused about their reflection! @yorkbirding.bsky.social #Acomb #UKBirding

Chiffy day! 1 nr Poppleton and 3 along Clifton Ings. Pair of Oystercatcher nr Poppleton too. 2 Herons eating frogs in the middle of the Ings and a Lil Egret on Rawcliffe Ings. Pr of Goosander down then back up the river, displaying Buzzards all over and a Kingfisher at Scarborough Bridge #UKBirding