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The White Falcon

@markgolley.bsky.social

1.1K followers 810 following 980 posts

Freelance TV sport producer || Limosa obsessive L3 ❤️ || BOURC voting member || Cley Moth Obs || TG04 = the Patch || ex-Norfolk Records Committee member || Gulls & Geese👌|| Music lover: give me as much Neil Young as you like ☮️🕊️ || Don't Spook The Horse.

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 9h

Long walk along the shingle to Little Eye before heading back home y'day. Nine Cattle Egrets + vocal & showy Bearded Tits in the reeds were fun but it's the number of Red Kites this week that's been most interesting w/double figures most days.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 10h

An excellent October mothing evening at home last night, where a triple scoop of MDJ is always a good thing...

linnetincley.bsky.social @linnetincley.bsky.social · 11h

81/29 at CMO last night.
Feathered Thorn nfy. Clancy’s Rustic, 8 Mallow, 6 Green-brindled Crescent, 3 Merveille du Jour, Red-line Quaker. Late Least Carpet & Treble Brown Spot.
And our second Clifden Nonpareil of the year, a little worn.
@markgolley.bsky.social
#TeamMoth
#CleyMothObs

Merveille du Jour, two of three at CMO last night.

Clancy’s Rustic is having a very good year in Norfolk.

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 15h

Taken on the actinic a couple of nights ago ~ a fresh-as Rosy Footman. As with a number of species, we're recording more & more early/late dates each year. This is first October record of Rosy Footman & is our latest by nearly seven weeks.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 15h

A few more of the NFG Feathered Ranunculus from two nights ago. Fascinating moth, colours changing at every turn almost. At night, after potting, the tiny golden spangles looked completely absent but in the morning light, a transformation.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 15h

Cley gulls on Pat's last night. Decent mix of interesting birds...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 15h

Some Cley larids from last night on Pat's Pool: 1w Caspian Gull, a striking near-adult argentatus type (giving off weird vibes), one of four Yellow-legged Gulls & a really fine looking adult winter Mediterranean Gull.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 15h

Arguably nothing better on an October Saturday morning that a Clifden Nonpareil before 6am...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 1d

Merveille du Jour
Cley Moth Obs
October 10 2025
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 1d

Welcome to CMO's green party...
36/19 this morning & we were so happy with our modest tally. Our 1st-ever Feathered Ranunculus stole the show (it has green cast!) plus Green-brindled Crescent & NFY, a wonderful Merveille du Jour.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth

Feathered Ranunculus ~ a new species for the CMO garden, found on the outside of the MV last night. A scarce moth in TG04, only around the 14th record locally (it comes hot on the heels of one elsewhere in the village two nights ago). This one is a female, hence no overly feathery antennae. Subtle, it was a pain to get pix of as the colours changed so much in different lights.

Green-brindled Crescent is a classic autumn moth. We'd had a couple ahead of last night, with three appearing on the egg-boxes this morning. The green isn't always easy to see...

Sublime and simply sensational. One of the ultimate moths at any time of the year, Merveille du Jour is another autumn classic ~ we missed them last year (our 1st blank) but this beautiful moth was on the top of the MV this morning.

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 2d

1w Caspian Gull
Pat's Pool, Cley
October 9 2025
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 2d

We popped down to the hides tonight, see what was going on ~ nice to pick up a smart looking 1w Caspian Gull + 3 Yellow-legged Gulls (adult below with the cachinnans). Also 6 Glossy Ibis in gathering gloom & a minimum 8 Cattle Egrets into roost.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 2d

Snow Bunting
Cley beach
October 9 2025
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 2d

Snow Buntings give up so much value. This one was feeding on the edge of my favourite grassy patch on top of the beach, amongst seeded Yellow-horned Poppy & didn't bat an eye towards us. Happy enough feeding just feet away from me & tame as...👌
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 2d

Cley looking good w/a nice mix of birds today: 3 Glossy Ibis, 3 Cattle Egret & 3 Whooper Swans (the swans purposely flushed, w/1k Pinks, by a lackey farm manager 🙄). Double figures of Buzzards moved NW, 6 Red Kites + the tame Snow Bunting ~ nice.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 3d

You are in the elite of the elite Bruce ~ finding a Needletail! What a club to be a member of...👏
Definitely the finest rarity on the British List & always will be.

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 3d

So many folks have their own stories about the ultimate vagrant. I came off Shetland the day before the 1984 bird, hearing about it while dipping the Margate Collared Fly next day. All was well just 4 years later, the twitch of twitches to Hoy & North Ron. An overhead romper!!! #needletailmemories

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 3d

A very quiet week at CMO so far (clear skies, full moon = minimal moths) ~ but here's a pristine Red-Green Carpet and a fine Chestnut to admire until the cloud comes and the moon goes.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

Still some late flowering Yellow-horned Poppy on the beach behind Arnold's Marsh, which is always a treat to see, bringing a vivid brimstone splash of colour to an otherwise fairly grey kind of a Cley morning.
@linnetincley.bsky.social

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

A very handsome chap!

The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

This striking Caloptilia had us scratching our heads for a little while a couple of mornings ago. Lynnette worked it out pretty quickly: this was actually a very smart (& rather spotty) Caloptilia rufipennella - the Rufous Stilt.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

About 10 days ago, Lynnette & I were chatting about birds & weather & Isabelline Shrike was mentioned as being a potential arrival in the coming weather...
Fast forward & we've enjoyed two evening encounters with Daurian & Turkestan Shrikes less than a week apart. Sweet!
@linnetincley.bsky.social

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

Turkestan Shrike
Dunwich Heath, Suffolk
October 6 2025
@linnetincley.bsky.social

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

The very fine ♂️ Turkestan Shrike, in the gathering twilight at Dunwich last night ~ it really seemed to like this particular gorse perch, returning to it frequently with food items as the sun set and the full moon began to really shine...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#RareBirdsUK

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

The Shrike became super active towards dusk, w/frequent sallies off the gorse catching what appeared to be a selection of moths, caddis & crane flies. Kind of pleased with the phone grabs in the dusk-y twilight, such a gorgeous bird & new for both of us 😎
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#RareBirdsUK
3/3

Despite seeing at least a couple of 1w Isabelline Shrikes over the years where the consensus was all for them being young Turkestan, this was my first adult male so it was an actual tick. Which as quite exciting 😀 Must be knocking on the door of 550 - decent I guess for a phased lister 😅

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d

It looked as though it may stay tucked away for the night but the Norfolk Daurian last week re-emerged from roost, so we were optimismic. Sure enough, after a good 25 mins inside the bush, the Shrike popped out to raid the larder. An absolute beauty!
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#RareBirdsUK
2/3

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