Took a couple of hours, but managed to catch up with the Shropshire Hoopoe today. Most unseasonal! Also this very friendly Reeve's Pheasant kept me amused for most of the wait 😊
A few more of the cracking Ross's Gull in Newlyn harbour today. The local Shags were looking good too.
Several GN Divers showing well in Newlyn harbour yesterday too
Well chuffed that the 1w Ross's Gull stuck around for us in Newlyn Harbour. A lifer for me ✔️ Bonus Ring-billed Gull at Hayle estuary too, which was nice.
Good to catch up with the female Lesser Scaup on the MSC near Lymm this afternoon. Showed pretty well. 1w female Greater Scaup also present.
I know it's out of focus (my phone is shit for digiscoping) but it's not often you get a Black-throated Diver flanked by a pair of Great Northern Divers! The GND were calling to each other as well! Covenham Reservoir, Lincs.
Good day out in Lincolnshire. Saw all my target birds although all a bit too distant for photos. Nice to be out in some rare ☀️☀️
Fun afternoon on the way back from some year-ticking in N Wales, watching the Short-eared Owls hunting over Neston Marsh. Finished January on 161...just one short of my previous best!
The local Shore Lark at Mow Cop did the decent thing and waited for me to get back from Scotland 😅 Always distant this morning, but, a nice bird to see anytime and a county ✔️ for me.
Dornoch was incredible! As well as this beauty, there was a close Surfie, Velvets, 30+ close Scaup and easily 100+ close LT Ducks! Couldn't pin down the Black Scoter but fairly sure I had it once or twice. The King Eider was pretty close in compared to the others
A mixed year, on the British list front, but still managed 13 lifers taking me to 426. Favourite probably the Sibe Thrush on Shetland but good to put a few 'tarts' ticks to bed too this year. What will 2026 bring...🤔 #birding
Last (lazy) lifer of 2025 ? Probably! Bufflehead, at Foryd Bay, near Caernarfon this morning in lovely light
Thought I'd join the bunting-fest at Leasowe while the sun (remember that..?) was out. The local para-gliders were causing the usual mayhem along the front though....ffs 🤬 #birding
Hard going today on Shetland. Bashed many irisbeds and burns to no avail. Thought the reduced winds might have improved things but nope. Did get this Little Bunting though
Grim day here. 45mph winds and horizontal rain most of the day. Not many birds about, though Kris managed to find a Marsh Warbler. The day was saved though by seeing Orca! Second time for me and Rob but a first for Austin and Kris.
An early start saw us head north on a two-ferry trip over to Unst. In less than ideal conditions we waited in vain for a good hour before wondering off, only to get the message that the Blackpoll Warbler was refound. Rushed back to get these fairly ropey distant/cropped photos. #birding #rarebirds
Saw the very showy Lesser Grey Shrike at Winterton Dunes this morning. What a cracker ! Bonus juv Cuckoo as well, feeding up on Fox Moth caterpillars for the long flight south 😊with @mikebarthbirdin
Pectoral Sandpiper on the new scrapes at Musselburgh today.
Long trip up to Musselburgh with @mikebarthbirdin for a long-awaited UK ✔️ in the form of this juv Marsh Sandpiper. Good to get this back after a painful dip in Devon 2 weeks ago. Decent supporting cast of Pec,Wood,Curlew Sands and Spotshank. And a win for Spurs over Wet Spam. 😊
Reposting after editing to get rid of the yellow hue 🤦🏻♂️
The Grey Phalarope at Rutland Water this morning effectively swam up to my camera lens 🤯 with @mikebarthphotography.com
Ridiculously confiding Grey Phalarope this morning at Rutland Water, with @mikebarthphotography.com
Video of the daft Black Stork at Boyton Marshes
Would have been rude not to have called in on the very obliging juvenile Black Stork at Boyton Marshes while we were down here. Ridiculously tame! Shedloads of Wasp Spiders here too 😊
Zitting Cisticola showed well for me.....in Cyprus 2019 (see 1st photo). Less well in Suffolk 2025...😂 (see 2nd photo) UK✔️
Some wibbly-wobbly video of a pair of Stone Curlew plus their two chicks at Weeting Heath from last week. Good to see, particularly after scoring a blank here on earlier visits this year. #birding
Dipped my bogey bird Savi's at Rimac but a bit more successful at @RSPBFrampton with Collared Prat, RC Pochard. The local Marsh Harriers were causing mayhem amongst the locals. Picked up the Glossy Ibis at Deeping Lakes too on way home. Long and tedious drive, but not a bad day.
The cracking 1st summer male Desert Wheatear, from Keynsham this morning. A long-awaited UK life tick 😊
After a nervy 3 hour drive, I finally clapped eyes on the Song Sparrow at Thornwick Bay 😊. Perhaps surprisingly, my very first American spadger in the UK. It spent most of the time hidden amongst the nettles but eventually popped up to get roundly 'papped' 📸 Happy! #birding #birdingUK #rarebirdsUK
