Stephen Dunstan
@dunners.bsky.social
Birder based in Lancashire. Cumbria Bird Club Council member, Birds in Cumbria and Lancashire Bird Report section editor. Barrow AFC season ticket holder.
A blogpost on Algeria, including part of the south adventures.
Algeria – South (Part 1)
We landed in Tamanrasset well after midnight, and with us needing to be escorted to the hotel by the police it was about half two in the morning before we were in our rooms. This led to me not havi…
natural-selection.uk
February 10, 2026 at 10:04 PM
A blogpost on Algeria, including part of the south adventures.
We were hampered by wind and rain but eventually connected with Algerian Nuthatch today.
February 8, 2026 at 4:02 PM
We were hampered by wind and rain but eventually connected with Algerian Nuthatch today.
Rounding off a great day's birding my @bbs-birds.bsky.social Winter Bird Survey square has delivered a Common Sand and a Euro Whitefront in field feeding Pinkfeet.
January 11, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Rounding off a great day's birding my @bbs-birds.bsky.social Winter Bird Survey square has delivered a Common Sand and a Euro Whitefront in field feeding Pinkfeet.
Great to catch up with the American Wigeon found by John Wood at Myerscough Quarry, a species I've always wanted to see there. For a few reasons I think it might be the Little Singleton bird of last January #LancsBirding
January 11, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Great to catch up with the American Wigeon found by John Wood at Myerscough Quarry, a species I've always wanted to see there. For a few reasons I think it might be the Little Singleton bird of last January #LancsBirding
Here's the stork that has been wandering Lancs today, which was at Standing Tarn in December and January 1, but not yesterday with the freeze up. I've no idea why it's not being caveated as an escape. #LancsBirding
January 5, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Here's the stork that has been wandering Lancs today, which was at Standing Tarn in December and January 1, but not yesterday with the freeze up. I've no idea why it's not being caveated as an escape. #LancsBirding
After several days of acute Whitefront blindness the two I did see at Little Singleton weren't particularly obliging. Posting partly to see if the Lancs Birding hashtag works again for me #LancsBirding
January 2, 2026 at 5:12 PM
After several days of acute Whitefront blindness the two I did see at Little Singleton weren't particularly obliging. Posting partly to see if the Lancs Birding hashtag works again for me #LancsBirding
My annual review of the birding year on Out Skerries. Not a vintage one it's probably fair to say. #BirdingScotland
Out Skerries – Review of the Birding Year
Pine Bunting x Yellowhammer by John Coutts This blog is unpredictable in content and gaps between posts, but one constant is my review of the Out Skerries birding year. Highlights Firecrest A Firec…
natural-selection.uk
December 19, 2025 at 9:05 AM
My annual review of the birding year on Out Skerries. Not a vintage one it's probably fair to say. #BirdingScotland
Nice to find this young drake Scaup in Stanley Park, Blackpool today. I was WeBS counting and wasn't equipped for picture taking so I'm sharing one of Tom Parkinson's that shows how close it came at times #LancsBirding
November 9, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Nice to find this young drake Scaup in Stanley Park, Blackpool today. I was WeBS counting and wasn't equipped for picture taking so I'm sharing one of Tom Parkinson's that shows how close it came at times #LancsBirding
trust me this is a Hudsonian Whimbrel at Rabil Lagoon today. Well pleased.
October 22, 2025 at 6:22 PM
trust me this is a Hudsonian Whimbrel at Rabil Lagoon today. Well pleased.
Boavista update - a Ring-necked Duck in off the sea onto Rabil lagoon and up to six White-rumped Sands at Lacacao. The Willet at Lacacao on two of four visits.
October 19, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Boavista update - a Ring-necked Duck in off the sea onto Rabil lagoon and up to six White-rumped Sands at Lacacao. The Willet at Lacacao on two of four visits.
Doing well for Nearctic waders on hols - five White-rumped Sands (pictured badly) yesterday and five Lesser Yellowlegs (four pictured) today.
October 14, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Doing well for Nearctic waders on hols - five White-rumped Sands (pictured badly) yesterday and five Lesser Yellowlegs (four pictured) today.
Boa Vista holiday - went to the south of the island today and pleasingly the Willet was back on the pools where it was first found earlier in the year. What a wing pattern that is.
October 13, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Boa Vista holiday - went to the south of the island today and pleasingly the Willet was back on the pools where it was first found earlier in the year. What a wing pattern that is.
Lesser Yellowlegs at Rabil Lagoon. Camera was dead but got good recording of the call. First I've found this side of the pond.
October 12, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Lesser Yellowlegs at Rabil Lagoon. Camera was dead but got good recording of the call. First I've found this side of the pond.
Some Boa Vista birds for today's Ebird Big Day. Spoonbill, Brown Boobies, Spanish and Cape Verde Sparrows.
October 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Some Boa Vista birds for today's Ebird Big Day. Spoonbill, Brown Boobies, Spanish and Cape Verde Sparrows.
Not Shetland for the autumn island birding this year but Boa Vista, Cape Verde. Mainly for Jane's benefit but previous Sal trips delivered including the first Rosy Starling for the archipelago. Fingers crossed.
October 9, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Not Shetland for the autumn island birding this year but Boa Vista, Cape Verde. Mainly for Jane's benefit but previous Sal trips delivered including the first Rosy Starling for the archipelago. Fingers crossed.
After two winter bird surveys today set off in search of floods. Paid dividends with a Garganey on the outskirts of Poulton-le-Fylde. Only one on the Fylde away from Marton Mere this year I think #LancsBirding
September 21, 2025 at 4:06 PM
After two winter bird surveys today set off in search of floods. Paid dividends with a Garganey on the outskirts of Poulton-le-Fylde. Only one on the Fylde away from Marton Mere this year I think #LancsBirding
Started the new winter bird survey on @bbs-birds.bsky.social most unique BBS tetrad. Bizarre to do so in a heatwave on a prom full of tourists!
September 21, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Started the new winter bird survey on @bbs-birds.bsky.social most unique BBS tetrad. Bizarre to do so in a heatwave on a prom full of tourists!
Having a job can mean missing the best of the autumn gales but it fell nicely tonight at North Shore. Grey Phalarope, Leach's Petrel and Black Tern. Sanguine about missing several Sabine's Gulls in the circumstances #LancsBirding
September 15, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Having a job can mean missing the best of the autumn gales but it fell nicely tonight at North Shore. Grey Phalarope, Leach's Petrel and Black Tern. Sanguine about missing several Sabine's Gulls in the circumstances #LancsBirding
The Spotted Redshank influx in Lancs brought three to Skippool last night, the most I've seen together on the Fylde #LancsBirding
September 13, 2025 at 9:40 AM
The Spotted Redshank influx in Lancs brought three to Skippool last night, the most I've seen together on the Fylde #LancsBirding
Ahead of birding Cape Verde again next month the first of two or three blogposts about previous trips, because eBird coverage is still rubbish and they may help fill gaps for people considering going.
natural-selection.uk/2025/09/11/t...
natural-selection.uk/2025/09/11/t...
The Trouble With Ebird
A Rosy Starling I found on Out Skerries in spring 2018 At the outset I should say that I think eBird is great. A system for bird record documentation created by the American Cornell Institute it…
natural-selection.uk
September 11, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Ahead of birding Cape Verde again next month the first of two or three blogposts about previous trips, because eBird coverage is still rubbish and they may help fill gaps for people considering going.
natural-selection.uk/2025/09/11/t...
natural-selection.uk/2025/09/11/t...
Some of the nearly 300 Coot on Stanley Park during today's WeBS count. Unfortunately a swan was fatally wounded by a dog just after I left #LancsBirding
September 11, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Some of the nearly 300 Coot on Stanley Park during today's WeBS count. Unfortunately a swan was fatally wounded by a dog just after I left #LancsBirding
The Polish ringed 2W Med Gull first found by Paul Slade continues at Skippool, details awaited #LancsBirding
August 30, 2025 at 6:36 PM
The Polish ringed 2W Med Gull first found by Paul Slade continues at Skippool, details awaited #LancsBirding
It flew before I could get a picture but this turned out to an awesome BHG recovery at Skippool tonight #LancsBirding
August 29, 2025 at 6:01 PM
It flew before I could get a picture but this turned out to an awesome BHG recovery at Skippool tonight #LancsBirding
Not everyone's cup of tea but Greylags back from Windermere en masse today - c1010 at Little Singleton. One of the two neck collared birds (pictured) appears to have changed wintering site. The other apparently changed moult site to Barrow Park one year. #LancsBirding
August 11, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Not everyone's cup of tea but Greylags back from Windermere en masse today - c1010 at Little Singleton. One of the two neck collared birds (pictured) appears to have changed wintering site. The other apparently changed moult site to Barrow Park one year. #LancsBirding