Dave Foster
@pratorum2112.bsky.social
Whitburn, NE England. Mostly birds and dreadful photographs, but a bit of other stuff too...
This is a lovely bit of writing
Luke Turner@luketurner.bsky.social · 2d ago"The hedonism of Elastica feels especially relevant in a pop world whose biggest star is Charli xcx. Like brat, Elastica exudes a sleazy smokers’ area glamour" lovely writing by @msclairebiddles.bsky.social on one of the best albums of the mid-90s thequietus.com/quietus-revi...
Well, it’s been a really quiet autumn at the Tate Modern so I’ve had to resort to looking at gulls 😂 This big fella has been keeping me interested though; current thinking is probable Caspian though bill not very typical. #londonbirds
More migrants at Newton today, a large arrival of Song Thrushes, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 1 Snow Bunting, 2 Redstarts, 4 Lesser Whitethroats (including this funky thing), 2 Garden Warblers, 12 Bramblings + good numbers of Robins and Chiffchaffs. #NEbirding
No such worries when a flock passes this close in excellent light. A joint largest flock of 29 flew past at low level, easily my best ever views. Two of the birds in the images are ringed and one of these also has a neck collar. #birdingFife
Then there were 2. Second time lucky looking for an American Buff-bellied Pipit at Drimsdale, S Uist. Was enjoying it's company when it was joined by a second bird! #BirdingScotland #RareBirdAlert #BirdingOuterHebrides
It's not just that we had two wasted years under Keir Starmer - years in which, with a vast majority and quite a lot of goodwill - he could have turned this country around. On crucial issues, we had two years of spiralling backwards, towards a very dark place. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Ed Miliband to acknowledge Labour’s former stance on Palestine fell short
Foreign secretary will tell party’s conference ‘we are not here to accept the status quo but to change it’
theguardian.com
Here is how politics, in most cases, works: Rich and powerful interests, whether in fossil fuels, finance, big tech, media, meat, pharma or foreign governments, make a demand, and use their sophisticated tools to persuade a government to adopt it. The government adopts it. Please read whole🧵
Anyone have any info on a Black Stork at Snape, Suffolk recently and more importantly is it still around ? #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding
Off to catch ferry home. A little diversion to Laredo to see the adult Kelp Gull (southern form apparently!). Smart bird👍
Incoming! Black Brant and Pale-bellied Brent family (juv = hybrid?) Budle Bay, Northumberland @budlebirder.bsky.social #NEbirding #hybrid #goose #brant #brent
Black Brant - a very rare sub species for Northumberland, in fact only the second for the county, and first since 1999. #NEbirding
Here's today's column on the astonishing, ongoing mistreatment of people with #ME/CFS. Please spread it far and wide: the only thing which can break the media's wall of indifference is seeing an article about the issue go viral. Thank you. 1/2 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Abandoned, dismissed and gaslighted: there is no excuse for the way ME sufferers have been betrayed | George Monbiot
Changes in guidance and science seem to have little impact on millions of devastated lives. It’s a social crisis playing out behind closed doors, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
theguardian.com
HELP NEEDED! There is a stranded Manx Shearwater in the West Midlands (SOLIHULL) that needs a ride back to the coast. Can anyone in that area help? Even to take it some of the way and pass on to another volunteer? Please call 01437 723193 if you can help 🙏
Radar image of Tuesday's mass crane migration. A 100 km long line of migrating cranes was clearly visible on weather radar. It is estimated that around 10,000 (?) cranes were involved in that formation. The highest count observed was 26,000 migrating cranes on that day in Kangasala (near Tampere).
Record shot of the Black Brant at Budle bay early afternoon. Made up for dipping the Baird’s, still…. got my steps in. #NEBirding
Khurkh Bird Ringing Station day 8: 196 birds incl 7 Siberian Accentor (p1), Daurian Jackdaw, 2 Red-throated Thrush (p2), Hume's Warbler, Azure Tit (p3), Taiga Flycatcher, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (p4), 8 Daurian Redstart & 6 Siberian Rubythroat www.facebook.com/share/14sZ2s... #BelvideRingers
Khurkh Bird Ringing Station #Mongolia day 7: 89 birds including Siberian Pipit (p1), Dusky Thrush (p2), Pallid Harrier, Nutcracker, Red-flanked Bluetail, Rustic (p3) & 2 Lapland Buntings (p4), 2 Azure Tit, 33 Pallas's Warbler & 12 Siberian Rubythroat www.facebook.com/share/14sZ2s... #BelvideRingers
This week on Origin Story: The life & ideas of John Rawls, the most celebrated liberal philosopher of the post-war period. These are some of the most beautiful arguments in progressive thought. We do it as a one hour crash course. Everything you need to know. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/j...
The Eastern type Lesser Whitethroat, based on plumage features, was caught and ringed near Old Light this evening. @birdguides.bsky.social
Lundy Bird Observatory@lundybirds.bsky.social · 2w agoEastern ??? Type Lesser Whitethroat today on the island by Old Light. A good bird to discuss on a big day for migrants! @birdguides.bsky.social
This 1cy Grey-streaked Flycatcher found accidentally by me on a brief stop to look at the viewpoint at Khao Wat Doem, #Chumphon, yesterday was the 2nd record for #Thailand! #BirdOfTheDay #birdphotography #birding #birdwatching #naturebeauty #littlebrownjob #wild #vagrant #migratorybird #flycatcher
Eastern ??? Type Lesser Whitethroat today on the island by Old Light. A good bird to discuss on a big day for migrants! @birdguides.bsky.social
8 Little Gulls heading inland. We don't get the big numbers further down the Forth and off Fife Ness, always a treat here. Last but certainly not least, 2 Juv LT Skua, dark + Intermediate circling over the Forth. The intermediate went overland on it's own giving superb close views. #birdingFife
22/09/26 Ferry Hills. A week off allows not just an AM shift but some PM effort too. Great variety today with 35 species. Three species of diver with a notable group of 3 Black-throats (two in the Pic), 1 GND and 95 RTD heading inland. RTD count highest of the autumn so far. #birdingFife
A closer look at a presumed helice Clouded Yellow (C.crocea) from the Sandwich Bay Estate yesterday. Restricted black on trailing edge of hindwing, pale submarginal spots not encircled in black, and washed out yellow ground colour look good for Pale/Berger's Clouded Yellow (C.hyale/alfacariensis)?
Over the last few months these guys made me proud to be British: kind, practical, profoundly moral, a testament to this island. Now they're targeted by the very worst of us. I just gave them a bunch of money. You should too. Show those fascist clowns what's what. rnli.org/support-us/g...
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