Julian Thomas
@julianthomas19.bsky.social
Birder in Somerset. Tern freak.
Brilliant day round West Coast NP with Rockjumper Tours, including 5 Black Harriers, 4 S Black Korhaans, 8 Blue Cranes, and various larks, cisticolas, etc. Best of all was at Tsaarsbank where a S Giant Petrel was followed by close views of 2 Antarctic Terns! (Photo'd and confirmed by local expert.)
24 hours into South Africa trip and 5 new birds already just walking around Hout Bay on my own - tour group I'm joining due to arrive this pm. Yellow-billed Duck from this am and the scenery's not bad either.
I wasn't expecting much seawatching off Burnham this evng. Yday's odd C Scoter reappeared, then at 5.04pm a skua came in, which immediately looked light in build and flight action, esp when it joined a (subad) Arctic. Better views as they both headed S up the Parrett proved it was a juv Long-tailed!
🥳🥳🥳Brilliant result - well done to all!
Little Terns at Beacon Lagoons@spurnterns.bsky.social · 2mo ago🎉 A major milestone for the 2026 season! Today, the 100th Little Tern nest hatched at Beacon Ponds. It’s another fantastic milestone for Yorkshire’s only breeding colony of Little Terns and a testament to the dedication of our wardens, volunteers and project partners.
V pleasant few hours around Steart Marshes today. No small waders at Wall Common on falling tide, but 3 Yellow Wags over. Then found 2 different, pristine male Southern Migrant Hawkers (following 3 or 4 seen by @marshallpaul.bsky.social earlier on Stockland Marsh) doing the inquisitive hawker thing.
Can't resist reposting more pics of this stunning, stunning bird. Absolutely love the head-on pic!
Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford@papayranger.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe best bird I have ever seen on Papay (so far).. the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater has now headed away but I managed an early morning viewing before it went. Papay's very own bird of paradise. #Papay #Orkney #rarebirds #beeeater
Still giving flight views and occ deck views like this until midday at least. Later (c.1.30pm) seen flying towards Noah's Lake, I'm told. Thanks Jason and Howard - I've been trying to see this b*gger for weeks.
Jason Williams@portisheadbirds.bsky.social · 2mo agoPurple Heron, Decoy Lake, Shapwick, Somerset levels this morning.
Lovely all-purpose visit to PBO late afternoon: Med Brocade and sev other good moths in the fridge, Scarce Blue-tailed Damsel in Crown Estate Field and Turtle Dove in Obs garden. Near-obligatory Red Kite just in Somerset on way home. Enjoyable mix after another day prepping for house move.
On this date 11 yrs ago I left Portland Obs in a hell of a hurry: birdingtales.blogspot.com/2020/05/citr...
Citril Finch, Norfolk
The forecast for Sunday 10 May 2015 looked good for migrants on Portland, so I headed down there early. No big fall, but there were certainl...
birdingtales.blogspot.com
Anyone else having trouble installing the (seemingly mandatory) update to WhatsApp this morning?
Big Year 30 Years On: No rarities on 4 May 1996, just a potter round Somerset with Hobby, Garden Warbler, and Wood Warbler the year ticks. But an interesting illustration of how spring migrants are arriving earlier: this year I year ticked each in Somerset on 19, 18, and 18 April, respectively.
Wood Sand today on Tealham Moor👍 Also LRP, the male Channel Wag and several Yellow Wags (perhaps as many as 8)
Big Year 30yrs On. Few days late for these, but 2 huge birds on 17/18 Apr 1996: Am Coot and Calandra Lark. I wrote this up as one of the original Birding Tales. And yes, the title is a homage to the classic and v funny 'Tales from the Coot and Corncrake'. birdingtales.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-...
The Coot and Calandra
In mid-April 1996, Paul C left for Antigua and his brother’s wedding, and promptly two ticks broke for him on consecutive evenings: the bird...
birdingtales.blogspot.com
Big Year 30 yrs on: 14 Apr 1996. I was part of one of many crews who headed up overnight to Girvan, Ayrshire to see two female Harlequin Ducks. Dubbed the Harlequeens, they showed ever so well - still the only ones I've seen anywhere. Only other year tick was an early Swift over the M5 on way back.
Big Year 30 yrs on: 31 Mar 1996. Ring Ouzels still bred on Exmoor back then so I went looking at Chetsford Water: I found one in the combe, then a quickly moving passage flock of 15 at the top! The last one was a wacky, partially leucistic bird, with largely white secondaries + one white primary.
1996 was my biggest of Big Years, finishing on 355 BOU (I'm unlikely to ever attempt it again, for various reasons). March had already provided Wb Diver, Redhead, Pine and Little Buntings, and Ross's Gull, but today (30 Mar) was a little more prosaic, with a bunch of early common migrants in Devon.
Not a bad little evening trip up to Chew. Flight views of an Osprey over the east side from Herons Green Bay. Then stared at the drake Scaup in HGB which was giving off Lesser Scaup vibes, despite being mostly asleep. Eventually it and the female with it woke up - a pair of Lesser Scaups!
Forster's Tern showing well on post on E side of boating lake, Poole Park 9.38am + 2 Sandwich Terns. #UKBirding
On way home from a grand day out in Northumberland. Great views of White-billed Diver, 30 yrs to the day since my lifer excellent views of one at Tattershall Bridge, Lincs. Other highlights today; Eiders, Pinkfeet and Whitefronts among other geese, flock of Twite, and a fine drake Smew.
Best birds on a day of welcome sunshine once the early rain had cleared were a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a singing Dartford Warbler on the Quantocks. #somersetbirding
Another twitching anniversary today: 19 yrs to the day since a lot of us ticked the 1st Pacific Diver for Britain, on a private pit at Farnham, Yorkshire. Many thanks to the managers at the Treves factory alongside the site, who allowed us to park and view from their grounds - v much appreciated!
Caught up in other things, so forgot that yesterday was the 30th anniversary of me seeing this bird. Thought it looked a bit weird for a Bonxie at the time, but didn't know enough (nor did many others, seemingly). Took 25 years before I could tick it - still much needed by many other birders.
Mind-blowing message from Dave P this evening - he's just found a new live nest cam in NZ - Kakapo! And there was I thinking my 1st British Killdeer for 32 years was going to be bird of the day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfGL...
Kākāpō Cam: Rakiura the kākāpō – 2026 nest
YouTube video by Department of Conservation
youtube.com
Fun raid down into Devon today, despite the weather: Red-necked Grebe, 9 GNDs, 9 Com Scoter off Broadsands, plus c.15 Cirls in the 2nd car park. GND in Brixham harbour and Grey Seals showing v well. The Little Stint and 2 Spoonbills still on Big Marsh North at Otter Estuary NR (formerly LORP).
Wet Moor absolutely on fire this pm: Bonaparte's Gull, 3 Bewick's Swans, 50+ Whitefronts, 5 Tundra Beans, Garganey, and plenty of Cranes. That after a brief Penduline Tit at Shapwick Heath this am (on 30th anniversary of my 1st ones at Dungeness), plus a Firecrest. Not a bad day!
Tundra Bean Goose still behind west pool at Dunster Hawn 11.45.
