A cracking juvenile Mediterranean gull on the car park at Pennington Flash today. Also today, female common scoter and juvenile whinchat, the latter not seen by me #PFBirding

My first black darter of the year at Bickershaw CP, Greater Manchester today, bring my total for the site this year to 22 species of odonata. Just need willow emerald now to complete the set in 2026 #BCPBirding #Dragonflies #Odonanta

I was surprised to see another clouded yellow at Bickershaw today, nearly 3 weeks since I saw my last here. Also today, at least 3 common hawkers, my first of the year here #BCPBirding

A black-headed gull with yellow ring H2Z8 on the car park at Pennington Flash today, ringed at Királyszentistván, Hungary 18/01/2026 1619km from Leigh. I've so far recorded bhg's from Poland, Finland, Holland, Germany, Norway & now Hungary all on the car park at the flash. #PFBirding #Gulls

Great to see 2 black storks on the Dee just north of Parkgate this morning. Out of sight on the ground, they showed very well when the flew. Only my second ever sighting of the species in the UK, the first being on Walney Island in 1985 #CheshireBirding #UKBirding

Pectoral sandpiper at Hesketh Out Marsh this morning #LancsBirding

Pennington flash this morning, 3 Sandwich terns, 1 dunlin & 2 ringed plover dropped in with drizzle at 8:15. Terns departed west at 9:15. Also 3 common scoter gone by 7:30, common sand, 16 common terns with 3 juvs #PFBirding

One of 2 whimbrel eating crabs on the mud on the Welsh side of the Dee estuary near Flint this afternoon #birdingwales

Bickershaw CP, still 1 lesser emperor & 1 Norfolk hawker on the stock pond, 7+ keeled skimmers & 1 clouded yellow. Video is slowed to 1/4x #BCPBirding #Butterflies

Hummingbird hawk-moth on the buddleia near the greater flamingo pen at Martin Mere today #MartinMere #TeamMoth #MigrantMoths #Moths

Great to see at least 5 clouded yellows at Bickershaw CP, Greater Manchester today. Dragonflies included a single Norfolk hawker on Nevison's and keeled skimmer #BCPBirding #Butterflies #dragonflies #odonata #ButterfliesUK

Caspian tern at Budworth Mere this morning seconds before it was flushed by walkers #UKBirding #RarebirdsUK #CheshireBirding

Tubular water-dropwort and marsh ragwort at Martin Mere WWT and dune helleborine at Formby Point #wildflowerhour

Having so far resisted twitching lesser emperor I was made up to find my own at Bickershaw CP today, with 2 at the stock pool in the north of the site. On my way back to the car I found a ruddy darter, another site tick for me bringing my total to 22 species here in just over 13 months 👌 #BCPBirding

Bickershaw CP, 2 lesser emperors on the stock pool. #BCPBirding Photos to follow... hopefully 😂 maps.app.goo.gl/iVSzMBiW2uVg...

Pennington flash, 24 drake common scoter still present at 16:50. Apparently present since 11am. #PFBirding

When I first went to Martin Mere just over 50 years ago I never dreamt that I would see 4 spoonbills, 5 great, 6 cattle, 5 little egret & a bittern all viewable at the same time on Vinson's marsh. Also on Vinson's 4+ green sands with barn owl on Sunley's & another bittern #UKBirding #LancsBirding

Pennington Flash, juv black-necked grebe, green sand, 5+common sands, 2 LRP, 10+ common terns inc. juv. & Small red-eyed damselflies. Been a good yr for bng, present on 18 days at least so far with min 10 ads pre-breeding & 2 ads 5 juvs post breeding #PFBirding

Pennington flash, 2 pristine breeding plumage cattle egret on the spit this morning until 8.15 when they flew west. Pink legs & pink bills, I don't think I've ever seen such smart cattle egrets. Pity about the heat haze. #PFBirding

A weekend on the Great Orme, Llandudno produced a few nice plants, including tall sea-lavender, rock whitebeam, burnet saxifrage and carline thistle. Also loads of butterflies inc. dark green fritillary & 100s silver-studded blues, plus hummingbird hawk-moth #WildFlowerHour

Pennington Flash this morning, unseasonal female Goldeneye, 4 Pochard, common sandpiper, redshank, 4 common terns #PFBirding

Pennington Flash 7:15-9:45, juv black-necked grebe at the western end, 2 curlew over south, 5 common sands, 13 common terns, redshank, 2 Egyptian geese, 100+ sand martins & swifts, 2 oystercatchers #PFBirding

Pennington flash, 2 adults & 1 juvenile black-necked grebes off the spit this morning. Also today, drake Pochard, 2 common sands, 3 LRP & 4 common terns #PFBirding

Hummingbird hawk-moth in the garden this morning👌. Greater Manchester #TeamMoth #Moths

Bickershaw CP, Greater Manchester this afternoon, 14 species on the stock pool alone, including 2+ Norfolk hawkers and 50+ small red-eyed damselflies. I didn't see any of the latter on this pool yesterday #BCPBirding #odonata #dragonflies

Pennington flash, female garganey briefly in bay off the main car park, then flew south at 7:15. #PFBirding

Pennington flash, greylag with metal ring 529244, ringed as adult on 22-Jun-2024 at High Cunsey, Windermere #PFBirding

Bickershaw CP, Greater Manchester At least 6 Norfolk hawkers inc. 4 on the stock pool, 1st I've seen on this pool. Also small red-eyed damselfly, my 20th species at Bickershaw in just over 12 months & male keeled skimmer in usual place on stream #BCPBirding #dragonflies @birdguides.bsky.social

Bickershaw CP, male, female & imm male keeled skimmers in area of stream between New Water & Nevisons for 2nd successive year. Also 1 Norfolk hawker on Nevisons. #dragonflies #BCPBirding #odonata

Just got back from 2 weeks in Slovenia, mainly botanising. Gentians are always a favourite of mine and there were a couple of new one's for me, Clusius' gentian at Velika Planina and Triglav gentian at the top of the Vrsic Pass #flowers #wildflowerhour