Recent trip to East Anglia: 3 Zitting Cisticola (p1) at Walberswick; Black-winged Kite, 22+ Crane & Bearded Tit at Hickling Broad; Iceland Gull (p2) at Sea Palling; Eastern Black Redstart (p3) at Sheringham; 5 Tundra Bean Geese (p4), Red-necked Grebe & Merlin at Burnham Overy @birdergaz.bsky.social

ZItting Cisticola, BwKite, Eastern Black Redstart, Iceland Gull, Tundra Bean Geese, Rn Grebe, Caspian Gull, Bewicks Swan, Cranes, Bearded Tit, Merlin, Spotted Redshank plus more... Great day with my dad @kevin-clements.bsky.social also decided @manchesterbirder.bsky.social is my good luck charm.

Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland

After years of watching Up Helly Aa on line, I'm in Lerwick, Shetland to see it in person

Great to watch an Otter feeding with her two kits off Bressay, Shetland, this morning. Also a Snow Bunting along the coast south of Heogan this afternoon.

Great to see my third Killdeer today & in my home county of Hampshire, after birds in Norfolk in 2005 & Shetland in 2007 @birdergaz.bsky.social

White Stork in cattle field south of B4393 west of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain #Montgomeryshire 13:45. Also Little Egret @rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

My first White-tailed Eagle of likely truly wild origin in Yorkshire, after seeing descendants of the reintroduction programme in NW Scotland & Isle of Wight birds in Staffordshire & Surrey in 2022. Perhaps it came from continental Europe with the recent wildfowl influx @birdergaz.bsky.social

Colour-ringed Black-headed Gull 2HCA at West Park, Wolverhampton today. Previously seen here in July & December 2024. Ringed at Marsh Lane Nature Reserve #WestMidsCounty @westmidlandsrg.bsky.social @ecorecord.bsky.social

Birding in E Midlands today: American Wigeon & GW Egret (Titchmarsh); Ring-n Duck & 2 Scaup (Thrapston); Snow & Pink-f Geese, Whooper Swans, Bittern & Long-e Owl (Deeping Lakes); 2 Smew & 9+ W-f Geese (Eyebrook). 100 species for 2026 @birdergaz.bsky.social #12DaysWild @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social

A good day's birding in Staffordshire: 3 Slavonian Grebe, 2 White-fronted Geese & 2 drake Red-crested Pochard at Whitemoor Haye & 3 Whooper Swan (2 adult & 1 juvenile) with Mute Swans between Elford & Fisherwick #12DaysWild @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

I finally went to see the Great-tailed Grackle in Hampshire with @birdergaz.bsky.social A wild bird but undoubtedly ship assisted. A species I've seen in Central America but strange to hear it calling & watch it feeding in freezing temperatures in Britain #12DaysWild @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social

Jack Snipe viewed through Hikmicro Falcon FQ50 2.0 thermal imager at south Staffordshire day roost today

Above link fails! tinyurl.com/2026-Assista...

We are recruiting. If you want to find rare birds and witness spectacular falls & live among 30,000 Manx Shearwaters get your application in for the Bardsey Island Assistant job (Mar-Oct 2026) before 10 Dec. Apply here: tinyurl.com/2026-Assista... #RareBirdAlert #BardseyIsland #ConservationJob

We caught a Jack Snipe in south Staffordshire today that we caught at the same site last December. It migrated to its breeding grounds (probably in NE Europe) & returned to the same wintering site, demonstrating great site fidelity @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social #BirdRinging

16 Whooper Swan (12 adults & 4 juveniles) at Belvide Reservoir #Staffs before they flew SW at 17:22. Also female Common Scoter @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

A tough day on bressay but pleasing to find a red brested flycatcher also the long staying Scaup. Climbed bards head to see the Giants leg also picked out a late arctic tern a minke whale and a pod of dolphins @kevin-clements.bsky.social

Congratulations to Colin McShane, winner of The Bernard Tucker Medal! Thanks to his unique survey methods for roosting Jack Snipe, utilising a thermal imager, there’s been an increase in birds ringed. He’s inspired researchers & bird clubs, resulting in the deployment of 16 GPS tags. Thank you Colin

Day 8 on Shetland 16/10 @birdergaz.bsky.social Bressay: Scaup, 23 Wigeon, Ruff, 12 Red Grouse, 5 Fieldfare, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff & Sparrowhawk

Day 7 on Shetland 15/10 @birdergaz.bsky.social Bressay: Scaup & Water Rail; Sumburgh Head: Sooty Shearwater; Grutness: Red-throated Diver; Pool of Virkie: Bar-t Godwit & Sanderling; Loch of Spiggie: Marsh Harrier, Whooper Swans, 73+ Barnacle Geese & 6 Pintail; Gulberwick: 2 Long-tailed Duck

Day 6 (yesterday) on Shetland with @birdergaz.bsky.social Bressay: Brambling, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Wheatear, 2 Redpoll, 11 Goldcrest, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Scaup & 10+ Red Grouse

Day 5 on Shetland with @birdergaz.bsky.social Bressay: Brambling, 2 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing, 6 Redpoll, 2 Merlin, 7 Whooper Swan, Scaup & 2 Teal

Day 4 on Shetland with @birdergaz.bsky.social Bressay: Yellow-browed Warbler, 39 Barnacle Geese, Scaup, 18 Wigeon, 7 Red Grouse, 4 Wheatear, 3 Goldfinch, 2 Brambling, Redpoll, 60+ Twite & Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Day 3 on Shetland with @birdergaz.bsky.social Bressay: Snow Bunting, Scaup, 2 Whooper Swan, 11 Red Grouse, 13 Twite, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 10 Goldcrest, 5 Wheatear, 5 Redwing, 56 Ringed Plover & 40 Rock Dove

Day 3 on Shetland with @@birdergaz.bsky.social Bressay: Snow Bunting, Scaup, 2 Whooper Swan, 11 Red Grouse, 13 Twite, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 10 Goldcrest, 5 Wheatear, 5 Redwing, 56 Ringed Plover & 40 Rock Dove

Day 2 on Shetland with @BirderGaz Barred Warbler & 8 Purple Sandpiper at Lerwick; Merlin, Mistle Thrush, 35 Whooper Swan, Great Northern & Red-throated Divers, Goldeneye, 5 Brambling & c60 Twite on Bressay.

First day on Shetland (yesterday) with @BirderGaz We're so gald the Siberian Thrush stayed! Also Yellow-browed Warbler by Loch of Asta, Western Subalpine Warbler at Levenwick, Marsh Harrier at Setter Marsh & Snow Goose with 26 Whooper Swan at Grimsetter Loch, Bressay

Having missed the Black-winged Kite in East Anglia two years ago, it was great to pick out the bird at Splatt Bridge #Gloucestershire this morning with @birdergaz.bsky.social (photo taken in Portugal)

Thanks to the seabird ringing grant from @btobirds.bsky.social, I spent an incredible week Eilean nan Ròn, advancing my ringing skills! We managed to catch and ring storm petrels, shags, few gull chicks and more! Huge thanks to BTO and the team! All birds ringed under licence @sophiesww.bsky.social

Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire: 15 Great Bustard (photo 1), 2 Stone Curlew, 10+ Corn Bunting (p2), 2 Dark-green Fritillary (p3), 20+ Marbled White, Knapweed Broomrape (p4) & Pyramidal Orchid #30DaysWild @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @birdergaz.bsky.social

It was great to present our Jack Snipe Tagging Project at yesterday's @UC_Sparsholt Research Conference & for third year BSc students to present their own dissertation research. We'll have further updates in the near future, so please keep a look out for new posts.

A great day's birding in #Staffs drumming male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (video with drumming Great Spotted), 3 Goshawk, 7 Corn Bunting, Great White Egret, Red Kite, Peregrine, 2 Mandarin & 4 Raven @birdergaz.bsky.social @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social @lesserspotnet.bsky.social

It was great to see the first Little Ringed Plover at WMI site, Calf Heath #Staffs today. Last spring, we saw up to ten birds; I wonder how many there will be this year @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

Richard's Pipit still at north end of Bury Field, Lakes Lane, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire at 12:40 @rarebirder.bsky.social

We fitted tags funded by University College Sparsholt to 5 Jack Snipe in Hampshire, extending our research project's scope. The aims are to reveal where birds roost & feed, show if they exhibit site fidelity & identify migration routes & stopover sites. BBC feature youtu.be/tkHy-5EdM-o

Visit to Herefordshire today to check our nest boxes for when Pied Flycatchers return - rewarded with 2+ Hawfinch, 3+ Crossbill (including female feeding juvenile), Lesser Spotted Woodpecker & several Red Kite @birdergaz.bsky.social

2 Tundra Bean Geese at Patshull Great Pool, Pattingham #Staffs & 3 Great White Egret. View only from Patshull Road @staffsbirdnews.bsky.social

Birding with @birdergaz.bsky.social in Northamptonshire today: drake Smew, 3 GW Egret & 1 Little Egret at Northampton Washlands; 7 White-fronted Geese, 1 Little Egret & 1 Red Kite at Cogenhoe; & 3 Cattle Egret NE over Dixford Pits 07.30, 6 GW & 2 Little Egret & 2 Red Kite #northantsbirds

2+ Hawfinch in Southampton Old Cemetery near the Design Chapel 50.9196296, -1.4136559 13:15 #HantsBirds

First-winter Long-tailed Duck off Weston Shore, Hampshire, plus 1+ GN Diver late morning & Red-necked Grebe distantly towards Hythe 08:30 #HantsBirds

Drake Ring-necked Duck still at north end of Camp Lane Pools, Grimley, also Great White Egret #Worcs

2 Tundra Bean Geese still at Bridgewalton Quarry, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, plus Green Sandpiper & drake Mandarin. Also 3 Velvet Scoter (1w drake & 2 1w female) at nearby Chelmarsh Reservoir & 7 Goosander

WMI site, Calf Heath #Staffs 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Stonechat, 2 Teal, 455 Lapwing & 1,050 Bh Gull

Great northern diver and 8 black necked grebe staines res on south basin 3 plus water pipit staines moor. Shame about yellow warbler oh well @kevin-clements.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Ferruginous Duck 1st winter on pynesfield south lake also 2 black necked grebe on troy mill lake - West Hyde gps @kevin-clements.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

#12DaysWild Day 8 #LocalBigYear 2025 10km from home off to a good start on 1st January with 60 species, including 1w Caspian Gull (photo at West Park, Wolverhampton & WMI site, Staffs), Marsh Tit, Ring-necked Parakeet, Peregrine, Raven, Stonechat, Golden Plover, Wigeon, Pochard & Goosander

140 species for #LocalBigYear 10km radius from home 2024 including: Paddyfield Warbler (p1), Temminck's Stint, Stone Curlew (p2), Caspian Gull (p3), Whooper Swan, Osprey, Knot (p4), Sanderling, Grey Plover, Goshawk, Waxwing, GW Egret, LS Woodpecker, Le Owl, Ring Ouzel & Crossbill

2024 ends with 3 British lifers: Northern Waterthrush (photo 1), Indigo Bunting (p2) & Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (p3). Also, 4 Staffordshire & West Midland Bird Club region lifers: Paddyfield Warbler (p4), Stone Curlew, Bearded Tit & American Golden Plover

Adult Caspian Gull at WMI site, Calf Heath #Staffs late pm, also 1w & 3w Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Common Gull, c420 Golden Plover, c175 Lapwing 4 Gadwall, 3 Wigeon & 2 Goosander @thesnapper1978.bsky.social