Will be @ @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social for Migfest this weekend and would like to giveaway my old scope and tripod. If there's any young birders looking for a used but well loved scope that's seen plenty of rare birds please either point them in my direction or come find me over the weekend! #ukbirding

Nae bad birding back in the old haunts of Suffolk birding. Red necked Phal, Barred Warbler, 10+ Reed Warbler, 10+ Sedge Warbler, Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail and 3 Wheatear. Also 2 Wood Sand, Spotshank, 4 Greenshank, 3 Ruff, 2 Common Sand, 4 Blackwit, 6 GWE and 3 Spoonbill #ukbirding

Just returned from a very successful visit to India, my first time visiting this country so lots of new birds seen! A few stand out highlights - Orange Bullfinch, Indian Courser, Kashmir Nutcracker and the critically endangered Lesser (Leaping) Florican. More pics here - ebird.org/tripreport/3...

Recently returned from fieldwork in Orkney counting seabirds. My days were largely spent attempting to avoid being murdered by Great Skua. Despite their unwelcoming energy it was wonderful to see so many after everything that has happened with the population since birdflu.

Going to #GlobalBirdfair? ➡️ Sat 12 July (10am) - Plover Lecture Stage - 'Scarcities & Swallowtails: Celebrating 50 years of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen'. ✅ Learn about this amazing reserve, now in its 50th year, from the perspective of its most addicted patch-birder... me! #birds #NorfolkBirding 😎

Enjoyable morning yesterday watching this bachelor male Honey Buzzard displaying in classic butterfly-esq fashion, often right above my head. One of at least three birds in East Sussex. #UKbirding

Very pleased to find this cracking male Marsh Warbler on my Costessey patch earlier this month. A singing adult male, present for a week on private land. Some superb mimicry, and the last thing I expected on my 20+ miles inland Norfolk patch! Patch gold #norfolkbirding 📷 @henrywynjones.bsky.social

Nice views of Guillemot off Hoy this morning #ukbirding

Another hugely successful Gearty Tours™, this time to Texas. 13 days, 303 species and a few miles cover (hire me tour companies). Will be some pictures here on bluesky as well as updating our trip report on ebird here - ebird.org/tripreport/3.... A fantastic trip and I couldn't recommend it more.

Pretty cool to see six Red-footed falcon this morning at Carlton Marshes. Was fortunate to jam one yesterday morning with @suffolkseawatcher.bsky.social at Cavenham bringing the weekends totals seven!

Drake Garganey with 4 Teal at Arlington Reservoir east of hide + Cattle Egret. #UKbirding @birdguides.bsky.social

When I'm away working & get a bit bored, I'll sometimes disappear down some wormhole or other, birds mainly (or music). That happened last week as I decided to work out (some of) the rare birds I've only seen once & how many years have elapsed since that one sighting... Long🧵1/16 #blastfromthepast

A lovely male Black Redstart - one of seven seen at Southwold during a nice influx on the coast in the week. #ukbirding

Ring Ouzel in scrub west of beach car park, Newhaven. Roughly here - maps.app.goo.gl/LoDcsfLumsy5... @birdguides.bsky.social #ukbirding

More breckland Goshawk action from the weekend, amazing to see the size comparison with a Sparrowhawk which briefly had a go before deciding perhaps best not. At one point one of these birds was displaying directly overhead! #ukbirding

Lastly I finished the day watching a pair of Crane displaying. At one point I had both Crane Goshawk in the same view together. Can't imagine many people have had that privilege! Truly an incredible days birding and what is likely the best I've ever had in the brecks outside of summer. #ukbirding

The lack of reports of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Norfolk this past couple years had me worried about their future as a breeding species in the county. Imagine my delight to stumble across at least one pair away from the Little Ouse valley this morning. Breckland birding at its finest! #ukbirding

Couple from the mid yare - lingering White-fronted Geese from Cantley and a showy Cetti's Warbler from Whitlingham CP. #ukbirding

A pleasant weekend up in Scotland seeing all the usual characters. Absolute pleasure to spend the morning watching near full snowy Ptarmigan forage out on the limited patches of Snow. #ukbirding

Lovely encounter with this Short-eared Owl in the Norfolk broads on Saturday. #ukbirding

A lovely weekend in the north celebrating a good friends wedding meant only one thing... A healthy portion of filthy twitching! A very early start on Saturday produced after a longish walk the wonderful and confiding American (buff-bellied) Pipit at Ross Sands. #ukbirding

Plastic fantastic in Norfolk today big start with two Rhea followed by a Black Swan amongst a herd of Whooper Swan ending up with some Swedish Lesser white-fronted geese!

A lil jaunt south today to visit Abberton Res where there were simply too many birds to list but at least two Egyptian Goose where by far the standout highlight. Nearby this Great Grey Shrike performed well in the gloom!

The lovely Kent Yellow Warbler on a rare venture away from the alders, from Christmas eve. #UKbirding

Happy Christmas to me. Kent Yellow Warbler showing very well!

Edit - It's in January's issue (I don't know how these things work) so you will have to wait

I wrote an article (my first and probably last) in the latest copy of Birdwatch magazine on my time strolling around Stronsay from earlier this autumn. A beautiful island with some real potential with better coverage! #Ukbirding #OrkneyBirding

Pleasant weekend bimbling around Norfolk with some winter birds seen - no less than 7 Merlin recorded throughout the county including this lovely fly past at Blakeney Harbour. On Sunday it was a enjoyable surprise to bump into this biscuity beast of a Glaucous Gull at Sea Palling! #UKbirding

**Shameless plug** I'm very behind but if anyone would like a Christmas present for yourself, family or friend. Please consider purchasing one of my birding calendars for £10 all pictures taken this year from my various birding escapades around the world, near and far. DM if interested.

Oh and here's a really showy Olive-backed Pipit from an oasis in the absolutely middle of nowhere. Really cool to see it creep around the base of a few trees with nothing but Egyptian Nightjars, Pied Wheatears, Asian Desert Warblers and Water Pipits as company!

Went to Oman recently and had a reet good time 10/10. Between four people over 12 days we recorded 233 species, drove a bunch of miles, completely self guided (with the occasional tips from a few friends) at the cost of £1300 including flights. If anyone would like some tips drop me a message!

Ornithology meets trendy memes

Omani Owl seen. One of eight species of owl seen in this trip and very likely the last new bird we'll see before we fly back tomorrow. An absolutely magical moment that will live on in memory.

Oman has been an absolute delight. I can completely understand why so many people have been coming here in recent times. A beautiful and safe country with a plethora of wildlife on offer. One bird stands in our way before we fly back tomorrow morning.... 🦉

A blurry story told on four parts (1 Stoat chases mouse up a tree and into a hole 2) Mouse finds another way out and leaps for its life out of said tree 3)*freebird starts to play* as the mouse flies through the air 4) Stoat flies out the tree, the the chase continues.

We also found a couple of others bits and pieces on Stronsay including several Siberian Chiffchaff, a couple Barred Warbler andseveral 'Blythi' type Lesser Whitethroat. Helped break up the YBW onslaught at least! #UKbirding

Stronsay was fun, just about recovered! Although the mega alluded us we did see 30+ Yellow Browed Warblers are certainly got my autumnal fix for them.

Finally Southwold had a Yellow-browed Warbler this autumn and whilst looking for it in the churchyard I found a Pallas's Warbler. Passed 200 for the year on my patch today (Pallas's was 201) #suffolkbirding #ukbirding

Damn Orkney is pretty!

If you ever get the chance to visit the south of Spain the Little Swift colony at Chipiona is a must. With over 100 nests recorded in 2022 it is the most important Little Swift colony in all of Europe, and its fantastic!

Another bird my dad really wanted to see was Montagu's Harrier. We'd seen them together many years ago when I was but a wee boy in Norfolk but he hadn't seen one since. Fortunately La Janda is still a very reliable place for the species and we managed several including a stunning dark morph!

I took my dad to Spain for his 60th birthday. He'd never seen Honey Buzzard and I thought lets just go to the bottle neck where literally thousands past through every year. To say he enjoyed himself was an understatement!

The patch sadly didn't produce the desired sibe today. Fortunately the Winterton Lesser Grey Shrike more than made up for the days disappointments. A brilliant bird and fantastic to watch catching multiples of beetles and insects! #UKbirding

Very nice views yesterday of the confiding Black-necked Grebe currently residing at Kessingland on the shore pools. I think it may well be a county tick? #Lowlister #UKbirding #SuffolkBirding

Migfest was great! Despite seeing literally hundreds of birds of birds every day I took very few photos but a couple highlights. Was lovely to meet so many people and make some new friends! Until next year... #ukbirding

Some highlights from the afternoon fall on the east coast. Whinchats, Willow Warblers, Wheatears and Redstarts making up the most with a few Pied Flycatchers thrown in for good measure. Birding is fun, more people should get into it. #ukbirding

Lowestoft North Denes: 5 Whinchat (there weren't any at 17.30 y'day), Hobby, Yellow Wagtail & Tree Pipit sth + Lapwing in off. Noticeable increase in Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Dunnock. First 2 Whitethroat for several days. Chiff and Whitethroat at Ness Point.

An excellent evenings birding locally with over 600 Common, 140 Sandwich, 4 Arctic and 4 Black Tern. A scattering of common migrants including my first Whinchats of the autumn, one bird posing kindly with its not too distant cousin (Stonechat). Also a Caspian Gull. #UKBirding #Suffolk

Excellent views of a Spotted Redshank that flew past me today on the Blyth estuary giving its iconic 'chu-it' call which alerted me to its presence. A nice comparison was this Greenshank also in the area. Lastly a tidy flock of Egyptian Geese to keep me ticking over. #ukbirding #Suffolk

juv/1w Caspian Gull still at Walberswick yesterday amongst the crabbers - my first post was always going to be this... #UKbirding