Gary Watton
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garywatton.bsky.social
Gary Watton
@garywatton.bsky.social
230 followers 100 following 100 posts
Birder / Photographer
BOU life list 370
Often out with my wife Fiona and meeting many other birders on our travels. You may know us as the deaf couple 😊
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garywatton.bsky.social
The red listed Mistle Thrush was frequently seen when we visited the New Forest yesterday. We even saw small flocks of up to 15 birds often mixing with Fieldfares and Redwings. Usually flighty but this one posed for the camera 😊
#newforest
@hosbirding.bsky.social
February 7, 2026 at 7:58 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
A Tawny Owl roosting only a few minutes from our doorstep. Lovely to see, had it to ourselves and left it alone after just a couple of minutes with the camera at a respectable distance.
#tawnyowl
#Berkshire
February 7, 2026 at 6:06 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Two Tundra Bean Goose at Ufton Green, Berkshire this afternoon. Sharing a flooded field with Lapwings, Greylag and Canada Geese. No surprise that they were the most distant.
@berksbirdclub.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
February 1, 2026 at 6:56 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Black Redstart at Green Park Lake, Reading this rainy afternoon. Often flies over to the other side of the lake if a pedestrian walks by so patience is key.
@berksbirdclub.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
February 1, 2026 at 6:35 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Richardson's Cackling Goose at Clifton, Worcs today with a flock of Canada Geese. Apparently unringed and flew in this morning.
Nice to see the differences in this picture I took today.
@birdguides.bsky.social
January 25, 2026 at 9:02 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Siberian Chiffchaff at PC World Drain, Poole this afternoon. Very active and stood out so pale amongst the other Chiffchaffs present.
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
@harbourbirds.bsky.social
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
January 23, 2026 at 8:21 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Killdeer at Ripley, Hants this morning. Last county record Sept 1980 makes this a 46 year gap. What a mega and there were a lot of happy birders today!
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
@hosbirding.bsky.social
January 23, 2026 at 7:39 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Eastern Black Redstart, Sheringham, Norfolk this morning. What a handsome fella!
A lot of arriving birders like us got confused with the reported location, the bird is actually and has been all week a couple of hundred yards up the same road, WEST of the memorial.
@birdguides.bsky.social
January 17, 2026 at 9:20 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Black-winged Kite at Stubb Mill this morning and afterwards a Merlin seen from the raptor viewpoint. A great day out!
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
@norfolkbirds.bsky.social
January 16, 2026 at 8:26 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Red - flanked Bluetail at Crockham Hill, Kent this afternoon. Quite elusive, kept disappearing into the undergrowth and while we were there only offered brief views in a wooded gully in poor light.
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
@kentishplover.bsky.social
January 11, 2026 at 5:25 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Russian White-fronted Goose at Ashgrave, Otmoor this afternoon. At least 50 present along with about 20 Tundra Bean Geese amongst hundreds of Canada and Greylag Geese. Also a few Barnacles too.
@rspbotmoor.bsky.social
@rspb.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social
January 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
A distant Snow Goose at Insh Marshes, Highland late this afternoon when the light was going. Was with a large flock of Greylags.
@rspbscotland.bsky.social
@naturescot.bsky.social
January 1, 2026 at 9:35 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
My last photo of 2025 taken this afternoon.
Seeing out 2025 on a crest of a wave (see what I did there😉) with 3 lifers in Scotland in 2 days. 31 lifers in 2025 bringing me up to 372. Hopefully will get a little closer to the magical 400 in 2026
Happy new year to you all.
December 31, 2025 at 8:21 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
1st Winter Male King Eider at Dornoch this afternoon enjoying feeding in the breakers crashing against the rocks. Along with over a hundred Long Tailed Ducks and a mix of Common/Velvet scoters out at sea with 3 Surf Scoters.
@rspbscotland.bsky.social
@naturescot.bsky.social
December 30, 2025 at 9:59 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Went to Glenshee yesterday and it was busy due to nice weather. Saw lots of Mountain Hares but no Ptarmigan. Returned early this morning in freezing mist with no one around and quickly got lucky!
Thanks to @baldbirder.bsky.social

@naturescot.bsky.social
@rspb.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social
December 30, 2025 at 12:04 AM
garywatton.bsky.social
Ferruginous Duck at Brownwich Pond near Titchfield, Hants on Friday afternoon. What a handsome bird! It was with a few tufties and there was also a drake Goosander present.
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
December 21, 2025 at 11:47 AM
garywatton.bsky.social
This Bufflehead showed well for many of us this morning in the embankment pool on the west side of Foryd Bay. Loving the iridescence in the sunshine. Took hundreds of pictures but this one is my favourite 😍
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
December 20, 2025 at 10:32 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Scops Owl at Dunvant Park, Killay, Glamorgan this evening in the rain! Happy to get this torch lit picture, the torch was on for only a few seconds. Life ✅️ 368
@birdsinwales.bsky.social
@rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 11:09 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Lesser Crested Tern viewed this morning from the Dawlish Warren Hide flying over a distantly moored Stuart Lines Cruises boat. If only someone was on it ... would have had much better views than we did! Lifer no. 367
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Green-winged Teal this afternoon at Langstone, Hants. It was in the sea with other wildfowl and waders, and after a while flew into the pond behind me for a bit then onto a nearby flooded field. Nice to meet Jason Crook the finder.
@birdguides.bsky.social
@rarebirder.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 8:06 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Hume's Leaf Warbler this morning at Marston Vale Forest Park in Bedfordshire. Had several good views but tricky to get the camera focused on this very mobile bird.
@birdguides.bsky.social
@wildlifebcn.org
@rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social
November 23, 2025 at 8:50 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Finally got round to see the Boat Tailed Grackle today at Holbury, Hants. That journey it had on a ship across the Atlantic - if only it could tell us the full story it would be amazing I'm sure. Thanks to Sue Knight for letting us in her garden.
November 16, 2025 at 10:47 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Isabelline / Red-tailed Shrike at Woods Mill, West Sussex this afternoon. It was always distant but good to see! @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social
@sussexornitholo.bsky.social
@birdguides.bsky.social
October 26, 2025 at 8:54 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Two Spotted Redshanks in the foreground, picture taken from the Rushy Hide at WWT Slimbridge. It was a great afternoon in spite of the blusteryconditions. @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social
@wwtworldwide.bsky.social
October 25, 2025 at 10:18 PM
garywatton.bsky.social
Temminck's Stint from the Rushy Hide at WWT Slimbridge
this afternoon. Saw it for ten mins before it flew away. @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social
@wwtworldwide.bsky.social
October 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM