Last week’s S Spain #FlywayBirding hol with the wonderful @ingloriousbustards.bsky.social was truly memorable. An uplifting antidote to world madness & evil, & UK’s pitiful state of nature. Leaders Simon&Nikki top people! Highly recommended! Huge thanks! #UKBirding #birds

Lovely pulse of waders into & through #RSPBMinsmere this morning: 3 Wood Sands, 5 Spotted Redshanks, 9 Whimbrel, 12 Barwit etc. Best though was a superb pale Arctic Skua over East Scrape. Absolute stunner against the blue sky! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

Amazing what a new hip and hearing aids can do for an ageing birder! 101sp seen/heard in 22k steps at #RSPBMinsmere today without trying too hard! 2 Garganey, Spoonbill north, 2cy Caspian Gull, Little Gull, Nightingales & some passage waders the best. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

Not posted much lately (not seen much that’s not already posted) but highlights at #RSPBMinsmere today were Cuckoo, Short-eared Owl ( roosting in tree!) 3 Bramblings, Nightingale, a steady (50?) northerly Med Gull movement + a decent array of passage waders. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

The undoubted highlight at #RSPBMinsmere today was a Hooded Crow flying north. A flashback bird, recalling the 1970s when they were fairly regular winter visitors here. I hadn’t seen one at Minsmere since then! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

Great to see this important study now out in #BirdStudy. Here’s the link to the paper: doi.org/10.1080/0006... @btobirds.bsky.social #ornithology #ukbirding

Sizewell’s Kittiwakes are back on the A station’s offshore platforms for their 30th year! 18 around the rigs today (first returning birds of year?)inc 3 on nesting ledges on the old sea water intake platform. First nested here 1995. Welcome back! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds #Gulls

Another excellent assessment of Govt (in)actions on the #StateOfNature & their 'green" growth at any cost greenwash by @herdyshepherd.bsky.social unherd.com/2025/02/labo...

Wonderful outpouring of Wood Lark song on heathland near #RSPBMinsmere this morning. My new-ish hearing aids helped me enjoy it to the full after several years of mufflement ( and latterly silence!). Close Water Pipit at Island Mere Hide, Mins too. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

A mixed bag at #RSPBMinsmere today in glorious sunshine again. Best: L-t Duck still offshore, c250 C Scoter, 1 Purple Sand, 4 Bewick’s & 4 Whoopers, 2 Red Kite, 2 Cranes, 1 Dartford Warb in dunes & 2 frisky Ravens #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

At last a calm, blue-sky day at #RSPBMinsmere today! Best: Long-tailed Duck with c150 Common Scoter, 1 Purple Sand, 4 Whoopers, 4 Bewick’s, 2 Red Kite, 2nd cal yr Caspian Gull & 2 Russian White-fronts. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

Labour's simplemindedness will be its downfall - and ours. You can't build and bulldoze your way out of the housing crisis. Unless you also change the system, you'll still leave millions without decent homes. My column today explains why. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Meanwhile in Europe's largest area of lowland heath, the New Forest Dog Owners Group's motto is "On the Forest, off the lead" + object to dog restrictions in the National Park, even after a dog destroyed Curlews nests. And the Kennel Club has guidance to object to restrictions. Just depressing :(

Personal highlights from #RSPMinsmere today: Spoonbill dropped in mid-afternoon, 1 Purple Sand, 1 Water Pipit, 1 Med Gull, 2x1st winter Caspian Gulls & 1x1st winter Yellow-legged Gull. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

Visit to #RSPBMinsmere marred by arrogant, entitled dog owners with dogs on trails clearly signed (signs way too small) ‘no dogs’. Both on North Wall( free parking for romp on the beach) One was a slobbering off-lead Alsatian! Sick of this issue! #Natures_Voice #RSPB

Highlights from a few hours around RSPBMinsmere today: Bonxie offshore, 6 Caspian Gulls (4x1st w, 2x2nd w), 1 Purple Sand, 103 Pintail, 11 Goosander but no White-rumped Sand (I saw it briefly yesterday). Also sunshine & blue sky! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding #Birds

Apologies for repeating myself but the White-rumped Sandpiper was still at RSPBMinsmere today. Also at least 4 Caspian Gulls ( 2ad, 2 1st winters), 1 Purple Sandpiper & 4 Goldeneye south offshore in a small wildfowl movement. Best wishes to all Bluesky birders. Cheers! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

The 1st winter White-rumped Sandpiper paid a return visit to RSPB Minsmere’s East Scrape this morning after a few days’ absence, or at least no reports. Also 3 Caspian Gulls (2x2w, 1x2w) #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

I looked into the ecological assessment for a site bought for development near my flat in London. Its conclusions were based on a visit of a handful hours across the middle of one day in May. The idea that nature gets fair consideration in any normal planning assessment is laughable.

cool, shut it down

There are some excellent field trips coming up in 2025, all put together by @wildlifegig.bsky.social. The trips are good for those new to birding and for the more experienced. For information on membership of Suffolk Bird Group go to www.suffolkbirdgroup.org SuffolkBirds

Nice to welcome back last winter’s drake Ring-necked Duck this morning. It’s returned to Thorpeness Meare and was in the extreme north-west corner late morning. Mobility improving daily ( mine, not the duck’s) after my hip replacement! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

My main worry with this whole 'grey belt' thing is how they're defining it. I see the housing minister refers to "low-value scrub land" alongside things like... disused petrol stations. Low-value scrub sounds suspiciously like high-value habitat. www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Suffolk Birds 2023 is now out. Looks like yet another masterpiece of a county bird report. Compiled by Suffolk Bird Group, published by Suffolk Naturalists’ Society. Congrats to all for all the hard work! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

Great to be back out birding! First time out today after hip replacement-it had to be Minsmere! White-rumped Sandpiper, at least 4 Caspian Gulls, 2 Bewick’s & 2 Goosander. Such a pleasure to hobble about pain-free! #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

After just my first 2 Bluesky posts I’m entering an enforced ‘radio silence’ as I’m having a hip replacement op. Will be back birding&posting asap. Cheers my Bluesky friends! Good birding to all. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

Mixed bag at a bitterly cold RSPBMinsmere today: Hoopoe and Whoopers in same field of view! Childishly, I found that quirky! Also Little Auk north, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Spoonbill went north, 2 Bewick’s Swans, a Woodcock in from sea, a drake Goosander & a late Swallow. #ukbirding #suffolkbirding

My first Bluesky post… and it’s not very interesting! Just back from a two-hour seawatch in my van at Slaughden. Despite the north wind little seabird action. Goldeneye north, a few Red-throated Divers and a few Common Scoter the best of a meagre bunch. #SuffolkBirding