Drake Green-winged Teal, Noah’s, Shapwick - proper one! The ducks are well-flighty today though… @birdguides.bsky.social

Pacific Diver, Glamorgan #Wales in January 2022, in the glow of sunrise #Birdoftheday #Winterlight

Another day on the Levels today which began wrong when I had my first bust scope in 40 years of birding 🥲Despite that and endless rain it was still great. Water rails at Greylake, double RND at Long Drove, penduline tits and whooper swans at Shapwick @somersetbirds.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds

Surviving a British winter? How do Green Sandpipers cope? wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/w... Blog based on research by Ken Smith, Mike Reed & Barry Trevis, published 18 Jan 2019 🎂 #ornithology

Well worth ten minutes of your time. Some of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper footage is simply phenomenal, with some rarely documented behaviour. Talk about up close and personal. youtu.be/s0zZpbo1Jbg

A library of nocturnal flight calls from Beijing, including many eastern species that could be recorded in Europe. See wildbeijing.org/beijing-noct... #nocmig #china #beijing #migration #birds

Happy New Year. Here’s to 2026 and a few more little gems like this Penduline Tit seen this week at Aust , S Glos.. 1 of 3 seen together #ukbirding

Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff also feeding around the reedbed and frozen channels at @rspb.bsky.social Ham Wall yesterday @somersetbirds.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds #nikon #naturephotography

Marsh Harriers from @rspb.bsky.social Ham Wall #Somerset yesterday @somersetbirds.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds #nikon # wildlifephotography

Another set of Water Rail pics from @rspb.bsky.social Ham Wall yesterday in #Somerset @somersetbirds.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds #nikon #wildlifephotography

I enjoyed a glorious afternoon on the Levels yesterday, capped off with American Wigeon at Shapwick but starting with watching Water Rails feeding along frozen reedbed channels at @rspb.bsky.social Ham Wall. @somersetbirds.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds #nikon #wildlifephotography

Very chuffed indeed to pick out this drake American Wigeon on Noah's Lake, Shapwick Heath this afternoon. Pretty poor shots but it was a long way !! @birdguides.bsky.social

A last couple of flight shots of Bewick's Swans from Slimbridge on Monday. It's so sad that the Euro population of this species declined by >1/2 in 25 years and 86% in the UK over 50 years. Birds are also arriving later and later @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social #ukbirding #nikon #naturephotography

Bewick's swans at Slimbridge on Monday - a beautiful evening for watching them coming in to roost @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds #nikon #naturephotography

Bewick's swans coming in to roost at Slimbridge on Monday with the sun setting ahead of them @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds #nikon #wildlifephotography

Every day I'm shovelin' Shoveler's feed by filtering aquatic invertebrates and plant matter through the bristles (lamellae) on their bills, as do many other ducks and flamingoes. The shoveler just takes it a step further 🦆. Pics from @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social on Monday #ukbirding #birds

Female Pintail coming in to land at Slimbridge WWT on Monday #ukbirding #birds #nikon #naturephotography @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social

Eurasian Teal - male and female. At Slimbridge WWT on Monday. The colour named after the duck can be seen as irridescence on the inner secondary wing feathers, as in the female on the right #ukbirding #birds #nikon #naturephotography @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social

Admit it - when was the last time you looked at a mallard for longer than it takes to recognise it? Just look at that iridescent green🤯At Slimbridge on Monday #ukbirding #birds #nikon @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social

There was quite stunning light at Slimbridge on Monday afternoon coupled with birds concentrating in unfrozen areas. I might be boring you with some duck pics today 😍 First up a very dandy pair of shoveler #ukbirding #birds @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social

The unexpectedly malevolent eye of a male tufted duck #BirdOfTheDay #BlackandWhite

Beautiful afternoon today at a frosty Slimbridge, with a sprinkling of snow. 16 Tundra Bean and 97 Russian White-Fronted Geese on Tack Piece with 51 Bewick's Swan between there and the Dumbles were the highlights @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social

3 penduline tit at Aust Wetland again today. Unfortunately they flew off after I'd been there for just 10 minutes - leaving me with 1 decent photo 😂 @severnsidebirds.bsky.social @bristolbirding.bsky.social

An interesting behaviour I saw from the Bonaparte's gull at Wet Moor, Somerset yesterday was upending while feeding. I don't remember seeing this in gulls before and Bonaparte's tend to pick food from the surface, often in flight. Has anyone seen this before? #ukbirding #birds

I was watching a couple of drake ring-necked duck at Shapwick yesterday lunchtime when news of this crisp 1st winter Bonaparte's gull at Wet Moor came in. A lovely little Boney Bonus 🫣w/ 4 cranes, 2 Bewick's Swan, and 35+ white-fronts thrown in. Also nice to meet @griffinwildlife.bsky.social there.

I had some great views of 3 1st W penduline tits at Aust Wetland yesterday morning flying around in a little posse, calling and feeding on both Phragmites and Typha seed heads. Then off to the Levels ... @bristolbirding.bsky.social @severnsidebirds.bsky.social

Happy Christmas from Severnside Ringing (birding/vismig) Group 🪶

Penduline tit at Aust Warth this morning. A great bird to see on a Monday morning in an hour before work. First Severnside record I believe !! #UKBirding #birds

A feature of my week on Scilly was the 'fall' of jack snipe after 14th. My totals included 8 at Porthellick, and 7 at Lower Moors at dusk when they fly in to feed, and then become much more active. I've not managed good photos before so this one more than made my day #Scillybird #UKbirding #birds

17th October we went to Bryher (wryneck, ring ouzel) and then around St. Mary's (lapland bunting). The bird of the day was black redstart with a total of 34 across both islands 🤯 I didn't get close to any of the males so these photos of a female/imm will have to do 😉 #UKbirding #Scillybirds #birds

Belatedly back to Scilly again - 16 October we went to St. Martin's and had a lovely day's birding with plenty of migrants, the best of which were two red-breasted flycatchers both very showy and an absolute treat 😍 #UKBirding #Scillybirds @matthall95.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social

So pigeon day came around again in Gwent with mine (+ the UK @trektellen.bsky.social 2nd ever highest count of 242,160 woodpigeons from Goldcliff - usual watchpoint fogged in. Most moving in huge streams up to 15k strong S/SW over the Severn east of me #UKBirding #Vismig @birdguides.bsky.social

Just back from a family+friends trip to Newquay, Cornwall. Managed a morning of rampant twitching on 30th seeing steppe grey shrike, ring-necked duck and lesser yellowlegs. Here's the shrike at Gunwalloe on the Lizard @cbwps.org.uk #ukbirding 1 of 3

As we left Carn Friars, St. Mary's on 15th @matthall95.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social and I heard a prob. Radde's warbler calling unseen for 10 min from a hedge bank. We got recordings (sorry can't upload!) + it wasn't seen/heard again. Very cool + frustrating! #ukbirding #birds #ScillyBirds

15th October on St. Mary's, Scilly was pretty much more of the same - ring ouzel, black reds, firecrests, jack snipe and great views of wryneck at Carn Friars in the afternoon after a tour around the island #ukbirding #birds #ScillyBirds

We are still interested in any found twite feathers for a study on the relationships and genetic diversity between the British groups - particularly now for birds of Scottish origin in the NE of England or, birds on the Avon. DM me for me more info. #birdringing

The afternoon of 14th we looped around the west of St. Mary's and through the centre via Content, Holy Vale, Porthellick etc. Plenty of migrants around - 2 YBW, brambling, 5 black redstart, 7 jack snipe, 5 firecrest but no luck with the greenish seen by @scottinscilly.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds

Scilly day 4 was really nice with the expected thrush arrival right on cue. Headed to the Garrison first with lots of redwings/fieldfare moving through/dropping in and 4+ ring ouzels showing well and calling. Also 2 spot fly, lots of chiffs/blackcap, redstart, and black redstart #ukbirding #birds

My first try at the woodpigeon superhighway this autumn (Portskewett, Gwent) led to a pretty decent count of 119,800 in good conditions (NW2, 8C) but with too much cloud and still quite early in the season. #ukbirding #birds #vismig www.trektellen.org/count/view/1...

Day 3 on Scillies (13th) was quiet and mostly spent on Tresco with black redstart, firecrest, cattle egret, white wagtail, YBW and also this interesting yellow-legged gull which may be of Atlantic origin (cantabricans is suggested) at Penninis #ukbirding #birds

2nd day on Scilly (12th) w/ @matthall95.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social @aravindsrinivas.bsky.social was quieter than the 'day of mourning' on Aggie, and around St. Mary's - highlights inc. rosefinch, rosy starling, spotted fly and a very cool leucistic pied wagtail #UKbirding #ScillyBirds

The final quality bird of our first remarkable day on Scilly was a lovely confiding (of course) lapland bunting on Wingletang #UKbirding #Scillybirds

So mourning dove, hoopoe, American pipit down we had to walk another 200 m to see the next Yankee prize, a juv. spotted sandpiper. Birding is not supposed to be this easy and delirium began to set in 🫠#UKbirding #ScillyBirds

After the mourning dove and hoopoe onto the American pipit at the end of Barnaby Lane, St. Agnes. This took a bit longer but then just walked closer and closer for more frame-filling views - amazing 😁 #UKbirding #ScillyBirds

Next stop Periglis beach where I unwittingly stepped on to the path just above the hoopoe. It didn't seem to mind at all and I had to step back to photograph it !! #UKbirding #ScillyBirds

Back from a week on Scilly 11-18th October with @matthall95.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social @aravindramesh19.bsky.social. The first afternoon was a twitcher's dream on St. Agnes. Off the boat and to the nearest chicken coop for the 1st English record of mourning dove 😂 #UKbirding #ScillyBirds

Tremendous seawatch at Pendeen today 0630-1315 with huge seas in a strong westerly. Just fantastic #Cornwall 12 Sabine's 37 grey phalarope 89 sooty 69 great shear 41 Cory's 69 balearic ca. 17000 Manx 1 Leach's 28 Euro storm 6 black tern 26 arctic tern 18 bonxie 19 arctic skua

My first post on Bluesky ! A real Father's Day treat - male desert wheatear at Keynsham #Bristol Such a crazy record and a quite stunning delight.