On the face of it a video of a 1st win little gull at Paphos Headland today which is a decent enough record. The star of the video though is a Mediterranean monk seal in the bottom right on 8 secs & top on 13 secs. Cyprus population 20 - 22 individuals it's the rarest seal in the world! #Cyprusbirds

White-thoated kingfisher & Siberian pipit at Akrotiri Marsh this morning. I've seen the Kingfisher before in Kuwait and India but the pipit was new #cyprusbirds

This moth was on our apartment wall this morning in Mandria, Cyprus. Apparently it's Apochima flabellaria. #moths

Heuglin's (Siberian) gull, Mandria, Cyprus today. Wonderfully tatty! #Cyprusbirds

Delighted to find a long-tailed duck at Taylor Park this afternoon whilst taking 3 yr old grandchild to the swings. Eighth record for St Helens, I've now managed to find 3 of them. Previous finds at Eccleston Mere 2005 & Prescot reservoirs 2015. Next predicted sighting 2035 😆 #StHelenBirding

Pennington Flash this morning, 59 pochard off the car park, apparently my largest flock ever at the Flash though I'm sure that must be more down to my under-recording in the 1980s & 90s. Certainly my largest flock this century. Also a build up of goldeneye today with 20 inc. 5 drakes. #PFBirding

Barrow Lane this morning, 9 pink-footed geese in fields south of the road. Only one golden plover #StHelensBirding

Barrow Lane, 2 stonechats still m&f, 22 golden plover, 2 grey wagtails, 35 pink-feet over E, plus big woodpigeon passage still with 1090 over in 10 flocks 8am-8:30am #StHelensBirding

Pennington Flash, 31 pochard inc. 25 males off the car park, the largest flock I've seen at the flash for a few years. Also 22 ad great black-backs, 2 regular ringed black-headed gulls, 3738977 ringed in Holland in 2016 & the Norwegian bird with a white plastic ring J3260, ringed in 2023 #PFBirding

Disappointed not to see the shorelark on the Great Orme today, but somewhat compensated by this cattle egret flying over the sea below the lighthouse. A first at the Great Orme for me and only my second ever sighting in Wales! #BirdingWales #UKBirding #RareBirdsUK

Billinge Hill vismig 7:30-10:30, most birds SSW. Woodpigeon 2445 in 37 flocks, redwing 197 in 12 flocks, fieldfare 104 in 6 flocks, chaffinch 71 mainly in small groups of 1-4 birds. Skylarks (2) & meadow pipits (7) poorly represented. Highlight a firecrest in bushes below the beacon #StHelensBirding

Billinge Hill vismig 8-10am most birds SSW: Woodpigeon 2939 in 50 flocks most before 9am & inc. 1 albino bird. Redwing 93 in 10 flocks, fieldfare 61 in 3 flocks, stock dove 11, skylark 32, chaffinch 60 inc. flock of 11, reed bunting 6, pink-feet 170 with 25 S & 145 E, song thrush 4 #StHelensBirding

Pennington Flash, two 1st winter greater scaup at the western end this morning #PFBirding

Pennington Flash, adult drake lesser scaup this morning. Initially in east bay but then flushed by boat & may have landed in Ramsdales #PFBirding @birdguides.bsky.social

Knot at Carr Mill Dam, St Helens today at 8:45am, seconds before it walked behind a post and then flew off. The first record for the borough away from Prescot reservoirs #StHelensBirding

Not the best photos but this pied wagtail at Barrow Lane, St Helens this afternoon was a really smart looking bird #StHelensBirding

For sale, Swarovski EL8.5 x 42 binoculars with case & rain guard. Please direct message me if interested 🙂 #BirdingGear

Green sandpiper and stonechat at Barrow Lane today #StHelensBirding

Pennington Flash early afternoon, 5 common scoter (2 drakes), 2 great white egrets, 11 little egrets #PFBirding @birdguides.bsky.social

Black-headed gull J3581 at Newton Lake yesterday and today. Ringed as a chick on 10th June 2024 at Langøyskjær, Råde, Østfold, Norway, just south of Oslo. Distance travelled 1056km (656 miles) #StHelensBirding

Five wigeon at Newton lake today were a site first for me #StHelensBirding

At least 40 common dolphins from the Barra - Oban ferry this morning with at least 1 calf seen. Around 20 were at the entrance to the Sound of Mull out from Tobermory, 10 were out from Castlebay on Barra and the rest somewhere in between #CetaceansUK

Barra's first coal tit for 2 years has sulphur yellow cheeks & appears to be of the Irish race P.a.hibernicus. I have no experience of this race & no idea what the liklihood is of it reaching Barra. Comments welcome. @birdguides.bsky.social @rayb126.bsky.social #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

This morning we found a lesser whitethroat at Northbay, Barra and also managed to catch up with the rarest bird on Barra right now, a coal tit, the first on the island in two years #BirdingScotland @rayb126.bsky.social

Lots of By-the-wind sailors washed up on Barra today following recent gales, plus items with common goose barnacles attached. Also a role of sellotape sp. with what look like goose barnacle sp. but not sure they're common. Any suggestions? #beachcombing @rayb126.bsky.social @barrabirder.bsky.social

I've had a poor year for whales & dolphins having missed out on my annual trip to Gairloch & Ullapool. However, we have seen a few dolphins during our trip to Barra inc. common and bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoise, the latter with a calf. Hoping for more on the ferry next week #CetaceansUK

Barra, juvenile black tern again this afternoon from Eoligarry jetty in the mist and rain. A bit different to watching them at Pennington Flash, apart from the mist and rain #BirdingScotland @rayb126.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Barra, spotted flycatcher flycatching on the seaweed on Cleat beach was the birding highlight for me today, also a juv black tern from Eoligarry jetty and a YBW at Castlebay football pitch. 4 bottlenose dolphins also from the jetty #BirdingScotland @rayb126.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

We didn't manage to catch up with the red-eyed vireo at Nask, Barra today but managed to find our 2nd YBW of the trip at Northbay. Hopefully REV still around for another day & it's promising with Swainson's under the belt already 🤞 @rayb126.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

Barra, my first yellow-browed warbler of the year at Nask, called a few times & seen in flight. Also this morning, pintail at Castlebay which was a Barra tick, Golden eagle over the co-op & house martin. @birdguides.bsky.social @rayb126.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

A video of the black tern on Barra this afternoon, from Eoligarry jetty. Also juv Sabine's gull past south east. Video slowed to half speed @birdguides.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

Barra, black tern distantly off Eoligarry jetty this afternoon. Presumably same bird as 2 days ago. @birdguides.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

Barra, black tern from Eoligarry jetty this afternoon. Apparently the first Barra record for 15 years so pretty chuffed to find it with @rayb126.bsky.social! The video is slowed to half speed when the bird flies @barrabirder.bsky.social @ianricketts.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

Barra, Swainson's thrush still at the Manse, Cuidhir. Showed well at 10.15am, on the fence & feeding on cotoneaster behind the hut for about 1 minute before disappearing again @rayb126.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social #rarebirdsUK #BirdingScotland

Barra, Swainson's thrush still at the Manse, Cuidhir. Elusive but showed well on the fence behind the hut briefly. This is the best photo for now 😆. Barra's 4th record and our 3rd on the island @rayb126.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Pennington Flash, juv little gull today but not seen by me after 8:30am. Juv ringed plover & 2 common sands still at sailing club. Unfortunately Teal scrape is now Teal lake & the spit is almost under water so only waders likely now are those that can tolerate dog walkers at sailing club #PFBirding

Pennington Flash today, 8 species of wader & 3 species of tern. Ringed plover at sailing club joined briefly by another 3 RP, dunlin & little stint, also ruff, common & 2 green sandpiper, oystercatcher & lapwings. Common, arctic & black terns, plus Grt egret & 13 Pink-feet over. Amazing! #PFBirding

Pennington Flash, moulting adult common tern this evening in the rain, also ruff still, hobby and great white egret, plus 100s of swallows and a few house martins and sand martins #PFBirding

Cricket at Crosby this afternoon left me well placed for a quick visit to Crossens this evening & nice if slightly distant views of juv. white-winged black tern. Also flyover spoonbill #LancsBirding

Pennington Flash today, an adult black tern dropped in to join the 2 juveniles present for their 4th day. 2 juv hobbies over the ruck, ruff still on the spit, green sandpiper on Teal scrape & 1 swift still #PFBirding

Barrow lane, Newton-le-Willows, whinchat this morning #StHelensBirding

A quick blog post about a black tern plunge feeding at Pennington Flash, something I've not seen before. It's a blog post because there's a video and too many photos for bluesky 😉 colinsfieldnotes.blogspot.com/2025/09/surf...

Black tern at Pennington Flash this afternoon #PFBirding

Pennington Flash, 2 juv black terns still, ruff, great egret, 2 swift, hobby hunting hirundines over ruck #PFBirding

Willow emerald damselfly again at Bickershaw CP Greater Manchester today, including one at the Stock pond adjacent to Diggle Flash. We've suspected them here previously but today we managed to confirm the identification @rayb126.bsky.social

Barrow Lane, Newton-le-Willows, 1st win wheatear this morning #StHelensBirding

Pennington Flash, yellow wagtail at the sailing club and ruff still this morning #PFBirding

A fabulous day in rain & murk at Pennington Flash. Almost as soon as the rain started an ad moulting black tern dropped in & stayed all afternoon. Then at about 12.30 5 curlew sandpipers flew in, attempted to land but headed off south. Possibly same birds reported at Sandbach at 14.52 #PFBirding

Just a quick look at Pennington Flash today where the only bird of note I saw was the juvenile ruff still present for it's 11th day!

Glossy ibis at Martin Mere today, a new species at the site for me, bringing my site total to 190 species. #MMWWT ##LancsBirding