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Winter birding has been slow lately, with no need for gloves till now. The sudden drop in temperature and switch to east in the wind delivered a few Russian White-fronted Geese to Pett Level today, having been encouraged away from the near-Continent by the worsening conditions.

#birding #ornithology #birdblr #birds #birdwatching #bird photography #nature #sussex #birdlovers #white-fronted goose

Falcons in fields

Surveying for European Golden Plover and Northern Lapwing in Kent today with limited luck.

We'd have done well if it were a falcon survey, with an adult male Merlin sitting out the rough weather in a winter wheat field. I only average three sightings of this species (Europe's smallest raptor) per year, and I struggle to remember the last time I saw an adult male well. Such a smart little hunter.

This was followed by an adult Peregrine Falcon tucking into a Black-headed Gull, plucked feathers trailing through the scene.

#birding #ornithology #birdblr #birds #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #bird photography #merlin #peregrine #falcon #peregrine falcon

The Northern Fulmars are back in town! I walked down to Rock-a-Nore to look through the gulls, dreaming of a white-winger. A first-winter Yellow-legged Gull was reward enough. But I was soon distracted by the fulmars, with at least eight nest ledges occupied, and plenty of prospecting flights along the cliff face, and cackling between partners and chancers.

This long-lived tubenose [unrelated to gulls] often returns to stake out its favoured ledge with its lifelong partner after an autumn moulting exodus to the high seas.

The tube nose is shared by all other members of the order Procellariiformes and reflects a mind-blowing sense of smell as well as serving as an exit for excess salt.

Northern Fulmar only started to become widespread as a breeding bird on British cliffs in the late 19th century, but it then spread rapidly.

#wildlife #birds #birdblr #ornithology #birding #birdwatching #birdlovers #bird photography #sussex #nature

Young Common Kestrel catching the winter sun at Hastings Country Park this afternoon

#birding #ornithology #birdblr #birds #wildlife #birdlovers

wrenvi

my favorite genre of bearded vulture images is old people cradling them like babies

This juvenile Common Cuckoo spooked the other birds in the area as it dashed over my head this morning. I willed it to land even for a moment and thankfully it did, just long enough for me to photograph it before it zipped around the corner.

#cuckoo #birding #birdblr #ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #birdwatching #bird photography #birdlovers #british wildlife

devilbirder

Return migration has been underway for waders for some time, but the last couple of days I have been encountering young Willow Warblers, a lovely sign of the changing season.

#birding #ornithology #birdblr #birds #wildlife #bird photography #nature #birdwatching #birdlovers #british wildlife

Dark morph male European Honey Buzzard carrying a frog. I'm told it has been a good wasp year this summer so it's curious this bird is still taking amphibians, although I did photograph it from afar as it carried wasp comb the other week.

#birding #ornithology #birds #birdblr #wildlife #birdwatching #birdlovers #british wildlife #nature #bird photography #honey buzzard #birds of prey

wildstarts

Green Woodpecker, Richmond Park, July 2025

male Ruff variation and a Garganey

#birding #ornithology #birdblr #birds #wildlife #birdlovers #ruff #garganey #birdwatching #british wildlife

This week is my first time birding Shetland properly, although I've plenty of fond memories from twitches (day trips!) for Cape May Warbler, Killdeer, Pine Grosbeak and Tengmalm's Owl over the years.

The view from our accommodation is superb, with a bird-filled loch and a peaceful bay below us.

In exploring the local area, we homed in on a lush garden on a hillside. We were greeted by the resident and, after searching his name, we quickly realised that he is a highly esteemed birder and ringer, having written books on some of Britain's most fabled birding islands and travelled across the world conducting research over the course of decades.

Sadly, this lovely gentleman has had to give up ringing due to challenges with memory and thinking, but he is always wearing his binoculars when he comes to say hello. While showing us his awesome collection of books, journals, notebooks and photographs, he reminisced fondly of his past trips, and how much he'd love to visit far-flung places again.

His garden once contained many well-maintained net rides for catching, ringing and releasing migrant birds. Now, like his thoughts, it is becoming a bit of a tangle and the clearings are hard to discern.

But the birds still come, and he still watches them. We have enjoyed the likes of Hawfinch, Yellow-browed Warbler (photo) and Mealy Redpoll there; over the years it has attracted rarities I can only dream of.

It is truly touching to see birding continue to bring our new friend joy and peace even through the dark clouds of dementia. Not only do the birds help but local birders pop round to look after him and share stories. It's hard to think of a better support system for someone to whom birds have been a constant in life.

#birding #ornithology #birdblr #birds #birdlovers #wildlife #dementia

Thank you Mr Lagadec for providing Black Redstart habitat. Adult female/first-winter in the middle of West Hill yesterday. Probably a wintering bird with a wide range, with a sighting nearby a month or two back by someone else.

#birding #ornithology #birdblr #wildlife #bird photography #birds #birdwatching #nature

Vismig redpolls

Fly-over redpolls are always good value but what to record them as? There's a strong argument that there is only one species of redpoll anyway but currently we have Lesser, Common and Arctic.

For vismig purposes in the British Isles, we can rule out Arctic Redpoll by default. It's a very rare species to encounter and you probably would notice one overhead anyway, as they do seem to call differently and might even look bright white to the naked eye given a decent view.

The only redpoll that ever struck me as sounding different overhead was in the Hemsted Forest, Kent, a few years ago, and I have a strong suspicion that it was a Coues's Arctic Redpoll but we shall never know.

Based on the fact that almost every settled redpoll I see in Britain is a Lesser, and Commons have always required thorough searches through flocks of their warm-toned cousins, on eBird I record all fly-over redpolls as Lessers. But on Trektellen I log them as redpoll sp. I know, not very consistent but that's what seems right to me for these respective platforms.

Anyway, I've been meaning to photograph fly-over redpolls at West Hill, my new patch in Hastings where we've just moved to. My first attempt was only the other day and at some rather distant birds but I figured the season is pushing on so I'd better try to get something, in order to see whether any of them look like Commons.

Reviewing the photos on the back of the camera, one of the birds instantly stood out as having an extensive, clean white rump. I've never seen a rump this white on a Lesser and certainly can't imagine one would be this extreme in late autumn/early winter, so as awful as the photo is, I consider this a 'money shot' of a fly-over Common Redpoll.

#birds #birding #ornithology #birdblr #birdwatching #vismig

Back from a Sweden birding bash for my friend Magnus's 50th birthday. We jammed in on the best Honey Buzzard day for Falsterbo this millennium. Nice to see the full spectrum of variation: dark and pale morphs, males and females, adults and juveniles. Such good birds.

#birding #wildlife #birdblr #birdlovers #ornithology #birds #birds of prey #honey buzzard #pernis apivorus #raptor migration #raptors #bird photography #birdwatching #wildlife photography

wildstarts

Migration air traffic! Spotted Flycatcher and Willow Warbler cross paths mid-air, both on their way to Africa south of the Sahara, making the journey for the first time. They hatch with an internal compass and a schedule, but this autumn they will calibrate against further cues like the stars of the night sky.

benthamandnevis

weather update from cat-brother Nigel is much wet next update 30 minutes

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