Best duck in the world.

Given the news about a certain nature writer’s new book, my brief discussion of truth in non-fiction here seems rather timely.

🎶 I'll protect you from the Hooded Crow Keep the vampire bats from your door 🎶

Sign here to voice your disgust at the annual Guga slaughter. Gannets are magnificent and this old ‘tradition’ needs to end. petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE...

Let’s get as many signatures as possible to end the Guga hunt before Wednesday!

The toughest winter bird race I’ve ever done, with frequent blizzards and treacherous roads - we got rear-ended by a Range Rover and had to limp home to change cars - but excellent company from @yolobirder.bsky.social @dlangstonbirder.bsky.social @shoremark.bsky.social & Sam 🐕.

THREE satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagles disappear in suspicious circumstances in England, Wales & Scotland - two tags had been cut off. Press release from Isle of Wight WTE Project Team & additional commentary from me ⬇️⬇️ #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/12/17/t...

No new designs this year I’m afraid, but maybe we will be more productive in 2026!

Well what a nice surprise! I was genuinely listening to this and then some doofus with a microphone shows up. Still can’t believe they let me do this.

Listening to @drmjwarren.bsky.social and @yolobirder.bsky.social excellent podcast and I’m going off on my own tangent : Friends Named After Medieval Birds. Having found @robyaxley.bsky.social (cuckoo) I’ve just bagged @luciemr.bsky.social (Ruddock =robin) podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/g...

Inspired by my recent chat with @yolobirder.bsky.social about winter birds, and as I drink coffee from my brambling mug this morning, bird place-name of the day 117 is Finchale (Priory) in Co. Durham. OE finc + halh. ‘Nook of land inhabited by finches’. #birdsandplace #PlaceNames #naturewriting

This’ll be a treat with @yolobirder.bsky.social! Always an excellent & entertaining listen, & #TheCuckoosLea is wonderful!

New podcast episode to wrap your lugs around as you scan the fields for geese and hedgerows for thrushes!

I loved this post! It's the little things. My pet TV & film bugbear is vixens screaming........ Day or night, all year round, in every thriller or murder-mystery.......🙄🙄🤣

People of Norfolk, come and spend a cosy winter evening with me, @themarshtit.bsky.social and @timholtwilson.bsky.social as we talk birds, landscape and history at NWT’s Cley reserve on 5th Dec. Tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tales-of-b.... #NorfolkWildlifeTrust #NorfolkNature #naturewriting

I like this. What if the Plague doctor mask (not medieval) was based on specific birds :) By Shayna Daniel, AKA Squid Von Bob squidvonbob.tumblr.com/post/1879026...

If I still worked in school, I’d wear my #Red67 badges & give the #sixseven trend a different narrative. The kids’d listen & be horrified. I mean, I’d keep it light, because=kids having fun. But man, then I’d tell them UK red listed birds are now at 73. @yolobirder.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

Bunty for Girls annual 1967

@yolobirder.bsky.social A long time ago in a phone photo Gallery far, far away

Any budding young naturalists/readers out there who would like 3 @gill-lewis.bsky.social books? I’d love to gift these to someone who would enjoy them. I’ll cover postage :)

Yes I did and this is an excellent spot! So jealous though not to get this on my SJP list!

Been doing a bit of long overdue taxonomy catch-up. I've got my head around divers no longer being at the front of the bird book, but cuckoos between bustards and sandgrouse is going to take a bit of getting used to. #UKbirding

Want to know which bird species @greeneindy.bsky.social would choose to peck him to death? Or which bird has one parent go to Sainsbury’s Local while the other does a big shop? Then listen here!

As someone who once produced plectrums based on Puffins as members of Kiss, I thought that was as niche as I’d get. Then I started Bird of the Week, ‘reviewing’ birds as if they were albums in a music magazine…

This is a fantastic piece of research: @yolobirder.bsky.social has combed the “Tintin” albums and come up with identifications for the birds Hergé drew - where they appear, and what they are! It’s a great work of reference, and highly recommended!

Want to know which bird species @greeneindy.bsky.social would choose to peck him to death? Or which bird has one parent go to Sainsbury’s Local while the other does a big shop? Then listen here!

Thoroughly enjoying ‘The Cuckoo’s Lea’ by @drmjwarren.bsky.social, exploring England and its past through the places named after the birds that used to be there. It reminds me of the falconers whistle scene in Detectorists, with its ghostly echoes of the past. Lovely stuff.

6) The Green Woodpecker frame in Castafiore is a banger. Just for fun? Or a bit of a foreshadow for the Magpie? 7) Really disappointing he lost his opportunity in 714. South Pacific island... no fun birds? Just aliens? C'mon! Anyway, great read. Thanks for putting the work in! Lot of fun. Cheers

3) 327 birds in Black Island! That's like 2001 Space Odyssey evolution 4) You telling me the famous guano gulls of Prisoners are not native to Peru? Boo 5) On Calculus, Hergé used to vacation on Lake Geneva, so got a lot of detail right. Including the rooster on the French WWI statue

Really fun! Hilarious comments. You r right - birds are surprisingly sparse. Some notes off top of my head 1) First read Congo in French (not translated yet) and I still remember the Parrot's hysterical "Sauve qui peut!" 2) Ottokar's Scepter's pelican could have gotten an honorable mention phaps?

This will be great so take your kids along! bsky.app/profile/will...

@tintinologist.bsky.social hi! I once counted all of the birds drawn by Hergé in the adventures of Tintin and wrote a couple of blogs about my findings. Wondered if this might be of interest to you :) goldengrenades.com/the-birds-of...

A year ago I made this podcast about Sky Hunter, an old BBC educational kids film (shown as part of Look and Read) about peregrines and wildlife crime. It was a nostalgic passion project but came to mean so much more. goldengrenades.com/podcast/epis...

Bird place-name 69: OUTCHESTER (Northumbs). OE ule + ceaster. ‘Owl’s Roman fort’. Love this: the idea of owls taking over a deserted fort. Ghost birds of a ghost place. linktr.ee/cuckooslea #birdsandplace #naturewriting

This summer’s pop banger!

I know Birdfair has its critics, and I get that. But, to meet up with such brilliant, inspirational, lovely people, around a shared love of birds once a year, tops me up.

Golden Grenades has arrived at @globalbirdfair.bsky.social ! Catch us on the podcasting stage in the Kneecap slot! (4.30pm)

Delighted to join @yolobirder.bsky.social for his fabulous @goldengrenadesco.bsky.social podcast Live at @globalbirdfair.bsky.social with special guest @greeneindy.bsky.social ! It’s gonna be a blast 🦅💥

We are coming to @globalbirdfair.bsky.social ! Please do come and watch us do the podcast LIVE with special guest Indy Greene! What could possibly go wrong??

Hello! It’s been a while! Last time I saw you, you were this big. Anyway… who is going to Birdfair this weekend?! I’ll be there with @willrose.bsky.social so hopefully see some of you there too!

“Onwards we ride, owl! Onwards… INTO HELL!”

Head over to Facebook for @chrisgpackham.bsky.social and @wildfinca.bsky.social live-streaming nightjars now! 👍

Who saw our Will on Springwatch tonight?! Fantastic to see his animation on the telly! Bonus ring ouzel too!

This is insane - a cautionary tale for bird photographers intent on changing bird behaviour for a better photograph! 🪶

Summer plumaged Grey Phalarope found by Phil yesterday morning. I got to see it in late evening light last night around 9pm! So glad I did! Look at those feet! #shetland #springbirding #greyphalarope

I'm extremely excited and proud to announce my brand new animated bird guide is a collaboration with the wonderful #RyeHarbourNaturereserve @sussexwildlife.bsky.social all about their wonderful breeding #Terns. You can watch the film at the discovery centre and here youtu.be/4iJKHsctN6M?...

“A gentle ornithological rumpus” - Gig review now on the website goldengrenades.com/gig-review-f...

Brilliant evening in Newcastle thanks to @yolobirder.bsky.social diversifying into gig promotion, with the amazing Fyfe Dangerfield (what a setlist!) and Hector Gannet. Great music and company, and £ raised for conservation from @willrose.bsky.social’s beautiful prints. Fantastic all round.

Cant wait! It’s gonna be a lush night! bsky.app/profile/will...

Love this very limited poster for the gig on Saturday! Get there early to be sure to get one! bsky.app/profile/will...