Had a nice day at Cemlyn Bay today. Sandwich, Common and Arctic Terns, 2 juvenile Mediterranean Gulls and a Black Guillemot in the bay. Late bonus of two singing male Quails in a Barley field at Hen Borth when I left. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Plenty of Nightjar activity in Snowdonia tonight 😊 @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @thermal4birding.bsky.social

Went out for the evening with Colin and Jess and the @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social Young Birders Academy. We had a very successful few hours seeing a close pair of displaying Nightjars, Long-eared Owls, Woodcock, Spotted Flycatchers, Tree Pipit and a fat Cuckoo chick being fed by a Mipit.

Oh well, the nights are drawing in 😉 Bring on the wildfowl 🤣

This is my BTO BBS square in Eryri. Two wading river crossings, unexploded muntions, mineshafts, steep mountain slopes and more ticks than you can shake a stick at. There's no point living on a dangerous planet unless you go to see it 😂 @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Mom shepherding the four kids whilst dad plays peek-a-boo. In-between the Cat and Fiddle and Wildboar Clough. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Lots of youngsters in my BTO Breeding Bird Survey square in the hills between Bala and Trawsfynydd this weekend. Wheatear, Whinchat and Stonechat. @birdsinwales.bsky.social

Spotted Flycatcher, Cannock Chase @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

The obligatory Western Reef Heron, Foryd Bay, Gwynedd. More pics pllus a heat-hazy shot from the Gulf 3 years ago in the comments. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @birdsinwales.bsky.social

Caught up with the female Woodchat Shrike sheltering in a cottage hedge below RSPB South Stack. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Nightjar catching a moth and descending to it's song post. Filmed in Snowdonia last night after a beautiful clear sunset ringed by mountains. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @northwaleswt.bsky.social

A heap of Sandwich Terns (a good name for a group I think 😂), Common Tern, Arctic Tern and Mediterranean Gulls at Cemlyn Bay. No sign of the Roseates @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Black Guillemot flashing past on the far side of the fish quay at Holyhead. Guillemots and Razorbills at South Stack. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Had a really good quick visit to Belvide with Ken Summers today. Got the Bonaparte's Gull and Scaup. The reserve was teeming with other birds as well. Garden Warbler doing his thing. Video in comments Sedge Warbler (with a ring) in the thread @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Redstart singing his heart out in an ancient oak wood in Snowdonia early this morning. The video is a bit poor because it was pretty much still dark under the canopy. @birdsinwales.bsky.social

Good days birding today. Started at Camp Lane Pits this morning, then Belvide in the afternoon. Eight warbler species at CL which was nice. Black-necked Grebes, Little Gull, Common Terns, Dunlin, LRP, Greenshank, Wheatear and Yellow Wagtails at Belvide. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Beautiful male Bullfinch in the Snowdonia garden this afternoon. (Wouldn't sit still for it's portrait 😊) @birdsinwales.bsky.social

Save the date! After last year's fantastic @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social Open Day, we are returning to Middleton Hall on Sat 16th May. See attached poster for details. Book early for the guided walks and photo walks as they were very popular last year. The event is free and open to all!

Save the date! After last year's fantastic @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social Open Day, we are returning to Middleton Hall on Sat 16th May. See attached poster for details. Book early for the guided walks and photo walks as they were very popular last year. The event is free and open to all!

Spent a very cold and windy morning with some other WMBC members helping the Rangers with a bird survey in Sherbrook Valley on the Chase. Here's one of many Whitethroats channeling his inner Peacock. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Tree Pipts in good voice in Staffordshire today 😊 More pics in comments @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

A slighty better video and a pic (in comments) of yesterday's Dotterel at Dinas Dinlle. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Dotterel amongst the Golden Plovers, showing decently, close to the road at Dinas Dinlle today. Also LRP in same field. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Started in the hills of Eryri yesterday and made my way down to the old oak woodlands. Little Grebe 4 Ospreys 2 Choughs Kestrel Raven Wheatears, Stonechats and Meadow Pipits. Then down to the Pied Flycatchers, Hawfinch and Treecreeper. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @birdsinwales.bsky.social

Forests upon Forests.... Welsh Temperate Rainforest, Snowdonia. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @northwaleswt.bsky.social

Spring has sprung in the Welsh Temperate Rainforest, Snowdonia.... (More pics in comments) @northwaleswt.bsky.social @birdsinwales.bsky.social

It was very cold night on the Chase last night (2º). Several Woodcock, a clumsy Fox who didn't suss I was there until very close and lots of feeding Fallow Deer. More videos in comments.... @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @thermal4birding.bsky.social

Literally through the kitchen window in Snowdonia with a mobile phone this morning. My favourite garden visitor. Pic 2 was taken on my proper camera a couple of years ago. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Picked up the drake Surf Scoter at Penmaenmawr this afternoon to add to Common, Velvet, White-Winged and Stejneger's (last two from Firth of Forth). Only Black to get in the autumn then 🤣 @birdsinwales.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

Marsh Harrier at RSPB Middleton Lakes this morning. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

So, this magnificent stag was just ambling along a local housing estate, mowing the lawns and pruning the flower beds 😂 He has some rope caught on one antler, but will cast them (and it) soon.

Cold, wet, windy and very dark on the Chase tonight. Still, it's all good character-building stuff. First couple of Woodcock fly-overs for the year, a fox who didn't suss me because the wind was in my face, and the usual deer grazing. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @thermal4birding.bsky.social

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow evening is the next talk for Stafford Branch of @WestMidBirdClub Steve Dawes will be enthralling us with "The Realm of the Tiger". All are welcome, members or non-members. Please see attached details. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social

59 Whooper Swans in the fields at Garreg. @birdsinwales.bsky.social #birdingwales

Out for a bit of stellar navigation in the hills of Snowdonia. Temperature's dropped off a bit, but the clear sky is ablaze with stars. Not as warm as the desert used to be, but at least the North Star is higher above the horizon! 😉

50 Whooper Swans in the fields at Garreg. Separate flock of 17 Mute Swans. @birdsinwales.bsky.social #birdigwales

First Hawfinch of the year near Prenteg this morning. @birdsinwales.bsky.social #birdingwales

Just had info back from WWT Colour-Marking for Whooper Swan Yellow 'TDU' that I spotted near Pont Croesor at the weekend. Ringed as an adult male on 12/08/21 at Brusatjorn, Bardardalur, Iceland. It was then seen on 19/02/22 at Brigsteer Causeway, Kendal. @birdsinwales.bsky.social #birdingwales

On a roll with colour-ringed Whooper Swans. Three in 3 weeks. Another one at Garreg / Pont Croesor today. 67U, a male, was ringed as an adult at Sandvatn, Mývatnsheiđi, Iceland on 13/08/25. Thanks to WaterbirdCM for the info 😊 @birdsinwales.bsky.social @kanebrides.bsky.social #birdingwales

Whooper Swan near Pont Croesor on the Glaslyn today. Yellow Leg Ring: TOU Also White-Fronted And Pink-Footed Geese. @birdsinwales.bsky.social @waterbirdcm.bsky.social @westmidlandsrg.bsky.social #birdingwales

51 Whooper Swans and 8 White-Fronted Geese in fields near Pont Croesor. #birdingwales @birdsinwales.bsky.social ⁰

Friday: White-Billed Diver Saturday: White-Billed Diver (x2) White-Winged Scoter Stejneger's Scoter (probable 2w) Sunday: Drake Smew I'd say that was acceptable 😊 @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social #birdingscotland

The long-staying drake Smew was speeding about Broadwood Loch this morning. Coot (briefly 😂) for scale. @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social #birdingscotland

Arrived at East Wemyss to find another Birder had the probable Stejneger's Scoter in his scope. The two-tone bill colour was clearly different than the Velvets it was with, but the 'horn' was not obvious. Tricky. Also saw a leucistic Velvet with an all white head. Looked very strange.

Drake White-Winged Scoter amongst a flock of 40ish Velvet Scoters off Carrick Villa / Drumbarnie Links on the Forth today at noon. Flushed further offshore by three low-flying microlight pilots.

Spent a nice afternoon at a very cold but sunny St David's near Dalgety Bay on the Forth. Highlights were White-Billed Diver and Slavonian Grebe. Lots of other seabirds and waders. Grey Seals were hauled up and loafing on barely submerged rocks.

Weird blue stuff spotted over Staffordshire.... 👆

Final reminder that tomorrow is the next @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social Stafford Branch talk. Featuring our very own Clive Davies presenting 'Mongolia - a journey through sound'. We hope to see you all there 😊

Popped over to Elford to see the 60 Russian White-Fronted Geese. Nothing doing when I got there, but fortunately they flew in after an hour. Also 4 Whooper Swans. One of which had a white ring on it's left leg. The number looked like 22L @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @westmidlandsrg.bsky.social

Thought I'd do a bit of Fallow Deer Watching on Cannock Chase tonight. I've muted the biting cold gale 😂 Plenty of deer around. More videos in thread. @mammalsociety.bsky.social @thermal4birding.bsky.social