Pennington Flash, juv black-necked grebe, green sand, 5+common sands, 2 LRP, 10+ common terns inc. juv. & Small red-eyed damselflies. Been a good yr for bng, present on 18 days at least so far with min 10 ads pre-breeding & 2 ads 5 juvs post breeding #PFBirding

Pennington flash, 2 pristine breeding plumage cattle egret on the spit this morning until 8.15 when they flew west. Pink legs & pink bills, I don't think I've ever seen such smart cattle egrets. Pity about the heat haze. #PFBirding

A weekend on the Great Orme, Llandudno produced a few nice plants, including tall sea-lavender, rock whitebeam, burnet saxifrage and carline thistle. Also loads of butterflies inc. dark green fritillary & 100s silver-studded blues, plus hummingbird hawk-moth #WildFlowerHour

Pennington Flash this morning, unseasonal female Goldeneye, 4 Pochard, common sandpiper, redshank, 4 common terns #PFBirding

Pennington Flash 7:15-9:45, juv black-necked grebe at the western end, 2 curlew over south, 5 common sands, 13 common terns, redshank, 2 Egyptian geese, 100+ sand martins & swifts, 2 oystercatchers #PFBirding

Pennington flash, 2 adults & 1 juvenile black-necked grebes off the spit this morning. Also today, drake Pochard, 2 common sands, 3 LRP & 4 common terns #PFBirding

Hummingbird hawk-moth in the garden this morning👌. Greater Manchester #TeamMoth #Moths

Bickershaw CP, Greater Manchester this afternoon, 14 species on the stock pool alone, including 2+ Norfolk hawkers and 50+ small red-eyed damselflies. I didn't see any of the latter on this pool yesterday #BCPBirding #odonata #dragonflies

Pennington flash, female garganey briefly in bay off the main car park, then flew south at 7:15. #PFBirding

Pennington flash, greylag with metal ring 529244, ringed as adult on 22-Jun-2024 at High Cunsey, Windermere #PFBirding

Bickershaw CP, Greater Manchester At least 6 Norfolk hawkers inc. 4 on the stock pool, 1st I've seen on this pool. Also small red-eyed damselfly, my 20th species at Bickershaw in just over 12 months & male keeled skimmer in usual place on stream #BCPBirding #dragonflies @birdguides.bsky.social

Bickershaw CP, male, female & imm male keeled skimmers in area of stream between New Water & Nevisons for 2nd successive year. Also 1 Norfolk hawker on Nevisons. #dragonflies #BCPBirding #odonata

Just got back from 2 weeks in Slovenia, mainly botanising. Gentians are always a favourite of mine and there were a couple of new one's for me, Clusius' gentian at Velika Planina and Triglav gentian at the top of the Vrsic Pass #flowers #wildflowerhour

Pennington flash, 4 adult breeding plumage black-necked grebes off the spit this morning #PFBirding

Pennington flash 10.30, single common sandpiper on the spit plus 3 common terns, 2 LRP. Very busy and hot already, think that's me done for the day, possibly the week 😆 #PFBirding

Continuing it's tour of the castles of Wales, the western reef heron showed nicely on the Conwy estuary today, though nowhere near as close as when it was at Caernarfon. It had a nice little fly around the castle before dropping down on the other side of the bridge #birdingWales #birdingUK

Pennington Flash, 2 juv. black-necked grebes south side. The occurrence of juvs here seems to get earlier and earlier. My previous earliest was 29th June & at the time I commented that was 3 weeks earlier than my previous best. Also today 2 Egyptian geese on the spit and 7 common terns #PFBirding

The western reef heron wasn't the only new species for me on the Great Orme today, I stumbled across a single rock sea-lavander which I believe to be Limonium procerum ssp procerum. Not sure if this is the same ssp as that seen on nearby Hilbre, anybody know? #wildflowerhour #flowers #butterflies

Welcome to my Great Orme list 😄. By the time we arrived at 10:15 the western reef heron was moving with the tide towards Deganwy. I did see it a bit closer than this, but this is what I really wanted, a photo from Marine drive on the Orme! My rule is, if I'm in it's on 😄. #BirdingWales #BirdingUK

At least 4 Norfolk hawkers at Bickershaw, Greater Manchester this afternoon #odenata #dragonflies #BCPBirding

A new blog post about my experience with the western reef heron at Caernarfon last week #BirdingUK. Good of it to show again today to help me promote the post 😆. colinsfieldnotes.blogspot.com/2026/06/west...

It was good of the western reef heron to stay until I got back from Slovenia on Monday. Great views in a great setting today at Caernarfon below the castle #birdingwales #birdingUK #RarebirdsUK

This is one of two Temminck's stints that were at Marshside, Southport in the middle of May. Any suggestions as to why it's holding its tertials like this? The other bird was close at the time #LancsBirding #BirdingUK @wadertales.bsky.social

Another day, another osprey at Pennington Flash. An osprey was reported in East Bay at 6:20, probably the ad female that has been frequenting the flash for the past few days. However at 13:25 another osprey was seen at the west end and quickly departed east & was clearly a 2cy bird #PFBirding

Pennington Flash, osprey again & continues to perform well. Came in today at 8:45 & headed to East Bay. Dropped into the water on 4 occasions & on the first 3 came up empty handed. On the final occasion came up with what looked like a bream & headed off west with the fish at 9:20. #PFBirding

Osprey at Pennington Flash on Thursday morning #PFBirding

The first dragonfly action of the year at Bickershaw, Greater Manchester, with emerging broad-bodied chaser, blue-tailed damselfly & lots of large-red damselflies inc. at least 2 colour forms of female, melanotum & fulvipes. Large-red the 20th species I have recorded at the site in under 12 months

Pennington Flash, a grey plover on the sailing club foreshore this evening found by Phil Rhodes was a 1st at the flash for me. Also today ringed plover on the spit with redshank & 2 common sandpipers #PFBirding

Pennington Flash today 6:30 - 8:00 & 15:00 - 16:30, 5 ruff still on the spit, 2 black-necked grebes in east bay, little gull still, 2 common sandpipers, 4 common terns, 60+ swifts #PFBirding

Pennington Flash, 5 ruff reported this morning in Rammies & still present this afternoon but in front of Horrock's. To put into context, prior to today I'd seen 3 ruff at the flash! Also today, common sand & 4 common terns, but no sign of little gull or bng for me #PFBbirding

Pennington Flash, Osprey over at 10:25 also greenshank on the spit, redshank, 2 little ringed plovers & 3 common terns #PFBirding

Pennington Flash, 8 black-necked grebes still mainly in East Bay, 12 common terns, 2 swift, common sandpiper, 2 little ringed plover, 2 redshanks. No sign of greater scaup today #PFBirding

Video of sea buckthorn swaying in the wind to song of a nightingale at Birkdale on Fri. A rare bird in Lancs, all records (6) bar 1 up until 2008 were from the Sefton Coast. I have no info since 2008, can anybody fill in the gap for me? How many have been accepted in Lancs since 2008? #LancsBirding

Singing male great-tailed grackle still at Speke Hall, Liverpool today #UKBirding #RarebirdsUK

Pennington Flash this morning, 7 black-necked grebes in the middle, drake scaup at the west end again, 2 common terns, 3 singing whitethroats, 2 singing reed warbler, 2 common sandpipers, redshank, little ringed plover, 1000+ sand martin #PFBirding

Myrescough Quarry this morning, 1st win Bonaparte's gull still. Wing flap part of video slowed to make it easier to see the underwing pattern. #LancsBirding #UKBirding #RarebirdsUK

Pennington Flash, drake scaup at the western end this evening #PFBirding

Ten black-necked grebes on Pennington Flash this morning #PFBirding #LancsBirding

Here's a video I never thought I'd take, 10 pale-bellied & 1 dark-bellied brent being overtaken by 10 black-necked grebes at Pennington Flash this morning. The geese were new for the flash for me & the grebes my largest flock ever at the site #PFBirding

Hard to beat a Mediterranean gull in full breeding plumage. These were at Barrow Lane, St Helens this morning #StHelensBirding

I've had a great birding holiday to Cyprus so far with many highlights and still a week to go. This Namaqua dove 200m down the road from my apartment in Mandria today will take some beating though @birdsaroundcy.bsky.social

A great day at Marshside, Southport yesterday, 3 spoonbills over Sandgrounders hide, 1st win drake smew on saltmarsh, water pipit plus lots of geese inc. 15+ Russian white-fronts, 2 Greenland white-fronts, 55+ barnacles & 2 sand martins, ringtail hen harrier & the usuals #LancsBirding #UKBirding

Pennington Flash, 7 sand martins, 15 wigeon, 2 common scoter, 2 redshank, no sign of scaup so far. #PFbirding #UKBirding

Pennington Flash today, drake greater scaup off the car park, 8 sand martins, 2 chiffchaffs inc. singing male, 2 redshank #PFBirding #UKBirding

A great day on Anglesey, at Beddmanarch Bay 2 Slavonian grebes, 2 great northern divers, then onto Inland Sea where there were 2 Slav grebes, great northern diver, long-tailed duck & drake scaup & finally at Cors Ddyga booming bittern & sand martin #birdingwales #UKBirding @birdguides.bsky.social

Wheatear on Great Orme here maps.app.goo.gl/W16aVkUQZ1zy... Looked very pale but dropped down to seaward side of road. Not relocated yet #BirdingWales ##UKBIRDING

Beddmanarch Bay today, at least 1 slavonian grebe, 1 great northern diver, 4 cattle egrets flew over and an adult Med gull in full summer plumage #BirdingWales #UKBirding @birdguides.bsky.social

Single Russian white-front still with greylags this morning, Lightshaw flash #LancsBirding #UKBirding

Female lesser scaup at Woolston Eyes No. 3 bed this afternoon #UKBirding #CheshireBirding #RarebirdsUK

Great white egret with red ring at Lightshaw Flash this morn. Appears to have white writing but as far as I know not been read yet. Been around for ages between Lightshaw, Bickershaw & Pennington Flash. Suspect from Avalon marshes. Red with white not best combination for me 🤦 #UKBirding #birdringing