Jono Leadley
@birdingdad.bsky.social
Whale loving, bass playing, cricket watching Nature Geek. North Yorkshire, UK. https://birdingdad.blogspot.com All opinions are my own and do not represent the organizations that I work for, volunteer for, or am affiliated to.
A few nice birds on the Ouse Washes today including Spotshank, 2 Glossy Ibis and the Crane flock, but the most eye-catching was a leucistic Swallow! Hard to capture on my bridge camera. Video below too @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @laziobirder.bsky.social
Great day at Spurn with my team. Helped collect seagrass seeds to help with the restoration project on the Humber mudflats. Always ace to visit the lighthouse! Lesser Emperor, Spotfly & Whimbrel the wildlife highlights. @yorkswildlife.bsky.social
Yellow-legged Gulls are a feature of post-breeding flocks of Lesser Black-backs, so this adult was kinda expected among 200 LBBGs on Acaster Airfield this afternoon @yorkbirding.bsky.social @eider1172.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social There are only three Spotshanks at Blacktoft this morning. The other 2 are Redshanks.
Jono Leadley@birdingdad.bsky.social · 6d agoThree Spotted Redshanls at Blacktoft Sands this morning
Big east coast fall write up on the blog: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/08/old-... And mini local fall write up - it's all about the context! birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/09/loca...
Old Fall Big Fall
A week of easterly winds drifted plenty of Scandinavian migrants across the North Sea to make landfall on the east coast. I counted down the...
birdingdad.blogspot.com
Acaster Airfield proved its power as a migrant trap this morning with 2 Redstarts, 2 Whinchats, Spotted Flycatcher, 6 Wheatears, 30+ Yellow Wagtails and 2 Hobbies @yorkbirding.bsky.social
Cracking birding round Old Fall, @flamboroughbird.bsky.social this morning, with 14+ Pied Flycatchers, 5 Spot Flys, 6 Whinchats, 16+Wheatears, 2 Redstarts, a sprinkle of warblers with a skulking Sedge giving an adrenaline shot near the lighthouse.
Interesting to see how widespread the use of the singular is in replacing the plural in bird names. It used to be a historic thing linked to hunted species, eg Teal instead of Teals. Now, it is being used for all species. See @birdguides.bsky.social for example, 'a pair of Pallid Harrier'.
BirdGuides@birdguides.bsky.social · 2w agoA pair of Pallid Harrier has bred in France's Nord department for the first time, providing another indication of the species' continuing westward shift in Europe – and bringing this increasingly familiar rarity closer to Britain:
Fantastic pod, with fascinating insight into the RSPB's work to save Montagu's Harriers from the brink of extinction. Inspiring stuff, big up Mark Thomas! @bucktonbirder.bsky.social
BirdGuides@birdguides.bsky.social · 2w agoMontagu's Harrier is not an easy species to protect in the UK, as the RSPB's Mark Thomas discusses in this week's episode of The BirdGuides Podcast!
Fiery-throated Hummingbird, one of 21 dazzling species seen during two weeks in Cista Rica. More here: birdingdad.blogspot.com?m=1
Tapirs, Tamanduas and Motmots: two weeks with the family in Costa Rica, squeezing in a bit of wildlife-ing here and there: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/08/cost...
Costa Rica: Dad Birding in the Neotropics
Pura Vida! With two teenage kids, who only want WiFi and swimming pools and a wife who is terrified of snakes, surely spending two weeks in...
birdingdad.blogspot.com
Over the past couple of years, YWT has built new islands at Bolton-on-Swale Lake. Good to hear that this year we've had four pairs of Oystercatchers successfully nest on them. @yorkswildlife.bsky.social
Night Heron, Great Egret, 7 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Snipe at Bolton-on-Swale Lake YWT this morning. Water Germander doing well where protected from sheep. @yorkswildlife.bsky.social
Straight out of Jabba's Palace, the incredible Three-wattled Bellbird, proclaiming its territory in the cloud forest of Monte Verde, Costa Rica. Simply awesome!
Mammals outdoing the birds in Costa Rica so far, with this Tamandua -a species of anteater- approaching very closely near Arenal. Gorgeous!
Working on those wing muscles! Swiftlings getting flight ready. #Swifts
Appalling: Church of England votes against plan to rewild 30% of its land by 2030 @wildcard.land have run a noble campaign trying to get the CofE to see sense But this demonstrates exactly why Ministers can't rely on landowners to voluntarily support 30by30: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Church of England votes against plan to rewild 30% of its land by 2030
Campaigners criticise C of E for failing to show moral leadership as one of country’s biggest landowners
theguardian.com
Well that was a hot weekend at #GlobalBirdfair! Great to make new friends, catch up with old mates, and talk about Yorkshire wildlife and birding all weekend, representing @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social. Many laughs, inspiration, beers and football!
The Swiftlings are starting to exercise their new wings, building up strength in their muscles.
It is rare for me to twitch outside of Yorkshire, but to do it twice, well, that's unheard of. Two great days seeking the Western Reef Heron, with top mate Paz @illutana.bsky.social see here: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/06/hero...
Heron Addict
Part One: Westerly Dipping News that Britain's first Western Reef Heron had done a bunk, was a worrying development as Paz and me stopped fo...
birdingdad.blogspot.com
Voracious Swiftlings! The siblings are growing well, benefitting from the warm, dry weather. #Swifts
Looking forward to the last day of the Wildlife Trusts' Big Wild Gathering conference. Great to meet Feargal Sharkey, with @yorkswildlife.bsky.social CEP Rachael Bice.
Fabulous cake at RSPB Conwy, following estuary heron fest. Fab company from @illutana.bsky.social Western Reef Heron.
16 HOURS LEFT! The government consultation closes at 11:59pm tonight (Thursday 18th June). If you have started and not yet completed the form, then now is the time to do so. SPEAK UP for wildlife and be a part of the change. 👉 www.huntsabs.org.uk/ha-campaign/...
We have Swiftlings! Both eggs have hatched overnight and two very attentive parents on hand.
