One of the most striking animals seen on the recent Challenger trip to the Canyons was this dark morph Common Dolphin - and I wasn't even sure what I was seeing while actually filming this dolphin pod! Video available on the tubes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxuk...

Nice 'Grey-headed' Wagtail candidate in Easington recently. Many Eastern look like this, but the calls on this one seem fine for Western to me ebird.org/checklist/S3...

The Yellow Wagtail at Cley this pm. Superficially striking in its grey & white plumage, was its back a little too brown & the face pattern a little soft for Eastern? All its flight calls sounded Western & the odd more buzzy note was often in alarm. My sonograms seem to bear this out. #UKBirding

It's been a cracking afternoon. Saw a peregrine carrying a tern get attacked by 2 arctic skuas before flying off out too sea still carrying it's prey, 200 Razorbills feeding offshore, bottlenose dolphins, a Whinchat and a presumed grey-headed wag still here. Then, this badger from the living room.

The Report on Rare Birds in Great Britain in 2025 is available to journal subscribers, or as a single-purchase hard copy from our shop. Packed with fascinating records, fantastic images and the stories behind Britain’s rarest birds. britishbirds.co.uk/journal/volu...

A bumper October issue featuring the 2025 BBRC Report – Report on Rare Birds in Great Britain in 2025. Packed with fantastic images, fascinating context surrounding some of the rarities recorded throughout the year. Read more: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/volu... 📸 Cover by Graham Jepson

News from the deep 🌊 Paul French tells the story of this autumn’s Challenger 1 expedition to The Canyons, taking us on a fascinating journey into the depths. Read ‘Challenger 1 expedition: to The Canyons’ 👉 www.britishbirds.co.uk/news | @nomadbirder.bsky.social

A very unexpected mega down at Spurn already today, our first Eyebrowed Thrush. Trapped and ringed in Church Field. @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social Now back to the gas terminal slog...

This is a new one for me. Trying to add a species to my British list that is not available to add #white-faced #loudlybragging

It's been an eventful week at sea! The weather was kinder than last year on the way out, then our first day in the Canyons MCZ turned into one of the most epic days of rarity finding in UK birding. Further evidence that this area is routinely used by band-rumps and barolos, and the fact this is...

Here we go again!! Leaving Falmouth now for 8 nights at sea, heading for the Canyons Marine Conservation Zone on the edge of British waters, over the Explorer and Dangaard Canyons. Feeling optimistic!!

I was a day too early for the Yellowlegs at Saltholme, so instead here are some Ruff sketches. 🐡🪶 #art #nature @teesbirds.bsky.social

How very human. AI's whole thing is stealing data. That's what iit does. These maths guys were happy to use it, up to the point it stole their own data.

angelthegrey@angelthegrey.bsky.social · last mo.

Interesting piece on the suspicions of the math community regarding AI companies having access to your chats. Relevant for scientists increasingly relying on AI tools: www.theverge.com/ai-artificia... 🧪

Now home and relaxing after leading the @wisebirding.bsky.social Bolivia Mostly Mammals tour. About 30 species of mammal recorded, including Jaguar, Jaguarundi, Puma & Ocelot, plus 7 sp of monkey and plenty of bonus birds! But first here are the cats...

Bursary opportunity! The aims of the Eric Hosking Trust are to sponsor natural history and ornithological research through the media of writing, photography, painting or illustration. erichoskingtrust.com/apply/ Deadline 30 September - please apply!

Up to over 9kg of blackberries now!! That would cost the best part of £80 from Tesco, so get yourselves some great wildlife habitat and some amazing free fruit!!

Paul French@nomadbirder.bsky.social · 2mo ago

There are 2 main bramble patches in the garden, and this year seems to be a resplendent one! Nearly 6kg of fruit so far, a lot more to come, and there will still be a load left for birds and mice. If you have space for a bramble patch, please consider it! #wildlifegardening

There are 2 main bramble patches in the garden, and this year seems to be a resplendent one! Nearly 6kg of fruit so far, a lot more to come, and there will still be a load left for birds and mice. If you have space for a bramble patch, please consider it! #wildlifegardening

Buff-breasted Sandpiper brings up the #300 for my Spurn list, a nice little milestone. Probably be another 40 yrs at my current pace before I reach 350!!

I hear that the Argentinian football team are in line for the next FIFA Peace Prize.

Saturday giveaway time! I picked a copy of the (still brilliant) Macmillan Guide to Bird Identification at Cley village fete & like the last time, I want to give this copy to a really keen young birder (18 or under). Drop me a DM - or reply here - & Lynnette will pick a name from a hat. #ukbirding

BB 2000 Ltd is seeking two voluntary board members: a Treasurer and an HR specialist. ~1–2 hrs/week. Interest in birding desirable. For more information and contact details, see: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti... 📸 David Tipling

🚨 Exciting news! The Swiss Ornithological Institute is starting a collaborative program that offers multi-sensor geolocators and analytical support for bird migration research, focusing on underrepresented species & regions. Interested? geopressure.org/GeoCollabForm/ Please share!

We all know Spurn is the bees knees for swifts, but we sometimes get a big movement over Easington too, and I'm not sure these birds actually make it down to Spurn, as they're heading due west over us. We've clicked over 2000 today, most since 1630hrs. And still they come!! @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social

Not sure when the last Marsh Tit was at Spurn. The Birds of Spurn lists a record in 2010 as the latest, and I can't recall one since moving here in 2016. In any case, it's a bit of a local mega. Today's juvenile was already sporting a ring, so we should be getting some interesting info soon.

There's been an interesting development on Fetlar. I seem to have woken up in the 18th century.

Currently up in Shetland doing some seabird surveys, spending the first week on Foula being awed by the monstrous cliffs and overall imposing vibes of the place. A few migrants were also seen, the highlight being this lovely Black-headed Bunting.

The Great Glen skua portal opened up today, amazing to see Long-tailed Skuas thermalling over Loch Linnhe like giant Bee-eaters up to 1000m before whizzing northeast towards Inverness! 🪶 #ornithology #highlandbirds

Spring waders really are superb! This alpina Dunlin is bound for the European arctic somewhere, while the leucorhoa Northern Wheatear is bound for Greenland. I wasn't expecting to find a Nearctic passerine on patch today, but I'll take it! Just two of many globetrotters on the Outstrays today.

This Cuckoo at Outstrays was battling against the wind today, and doing rather well.

The rapid erosion of Easington continues. I took the first 2 pics in November, the last 2 today. The gravel path is gone, the fence is gone, but most annoyingly the plastic tree guards are just being left to fall into the sea. The sooner everyone just stops using plastic tree guards the better.