Joe Nichols
@itssjoenichols.bsky.social
100 followers 100 following 20 posts
Musician & Birder. Keys/Piano, Harmonica, Composer. 🎹 - Bandleader for Nimbus Sextet 🦆 - Musselburgh (East Lothian), Costessey (Norfolk) & elsewhere
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itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Pom Skuas moving today with 10 off Gullane Bay. 8 pale adults with 3 superb spooned birds and 2 juvs west. 2 ads later on patch at Musselburgh, incl. my first with spoons here.

Still on spoons, October local highlights include Sabine's Gull and Spoonbill #birdinglothian @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Adult Sabine's Gull, Eastfield (04/10/25). Present for forty mins at the mouth of the Brunstane Burn during Storm Amy. Just five mins from the flat, though not quite doable from the window! Spoonbill on the old scrapes at Musselburgh (09/10/25) 1st winter Mediterranean Gull at the Esk Mouth (02/10/25). An adult also present recently. Juvenile Red-throated Diver at Esk Mouth (02/10/25). Exceptionally close and feeding upriver towards the town
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
In conifers at western edge of shore later on #birdinglothian
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Very nice to find this Wryneck at Dalmeny House this afternoon. Still present this eve, moving between the shoreline at the golf course to feed and nearby cover.

Also juv Pom, RN Grebe + 4 Pintail offshore, & 3 juv Black Tern at Hound Point #birdinglothian #rarebirdsuk
@birdinglothian.bsky.social
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Three juv Curlew Sand at Musselburgh this afternoon, with two new birds on the old scrapes and one still on new lagoons. Also a new juv Little Stint, Wood Sand plus WW & Surf Scoter offshore.

Big Arctic Tern passage in the Forth recently with 112W in 45min at Fisherrow on Fri night #birdinglothian
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
An enjoyable three skua day with @tomgale98.bsky.social. The highlight a smart ad Pom Skua W off Seacliff late afternoon. Also Bonxie off Barns Ness, plus 6 Arctics and 63 Manxies total between both sites #birdinglothian
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
A juv Spotted Redshank on the new lagoons at Musselburgh tonight was my first here for a few years. This female Osprey was also a welcome personal patch first on Sunday evening #birdinglothian
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Musselburgh continues its good form this week with adult White-rumped Sandpiper, 3 juv Wood Sandpiper, 2 Ruddy Shelduck, 1s White-winged and drake Surf Scoter the highlights. Also 2 Scaup (male + juv on different days), 5 Arctic Skua, 10 Little Gull and 2 juv LRP among others #birdinglothian
Adult White-rumped Sandpiper, Musselburgh old scrapes (15/07/25) Juvenile Wood Sandpiper, old scrapes (18/07/25) Ruddy Shelduck pair, old scrapes (15/07/25) Juv Wood Sandpiper (18/07/25)
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
An excellent week at Musselburgh. Mon & Tues nights respectively produced a brief Green Sandpiper on the old scrapes then this drake Surf Scoter (since seen by others at v close quarters). 3cy ♂ White-winged Scoter also still around early week and two Temminck's Stints this weekend #birdinglothian
Green Sandpiper, old scrapes (30/06/25) Drake Surf Scoter off the seawall (01/07/25) Temminck's Stint, one of two at the old scrapes (05/07/25) 3rd calendar year drake White-winged Scoter off the seawall (30/06/25). Exceptionally close but roosting the whole time!
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
This month's Marsh Warbler was the highlight of 14 years birding my Costessey patch. With sole site access, I've also had Crane, Bittern, Bearded Tit, YLG & Ring Ouzel etc in this unwatched area of private land on Norwich's outskirts. All from the front door when down visiting family #norfolkbirding
Marsh Warbler (early June 2025) - singing adult male present for a week on my Costessey patch. An unprecedented record for an area with sparse suitable habitat.

📷 - Henry Wyn Jones Bittern (February 2013). For a site with very little reedbed cover, this was a welcome surprise during a cold and wet spell. Later seen towards Hellesdon Ring Ouzel (April 2017) -  a pair present for over a week, which were viewable publically from the Marriott's Way and twitched by Norwich locals Crane (February 2013) - a flock of 6 over, seen during the same cold/wet spell that brought in Bittern that month
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Two personal patch firsts at Musselburgh in the last week with Little Tern at the Esk Mouth, then Spoonbill at the old scrapes on Sunday evening #birdinglothian
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Many thanks for these. Noticed Southern Puffback on numerous occasions with this bird, a bit of favourite in MW repertoire. Mixed in with European Bee-eater, Common Nightingale and many others. Quite the mimic!
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Cheers Tim, was a nice vocal one!

📷 🔊 @henrywynjones.bsky.social #norfolkbirding
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Very pleased to find this cracking male Marsh Warbler on my Costessey patch earlier this month. A singing adult male, present for a week on private land. Some superb mimicry, and the last thing I expected on my 20+ miles inland Norfolk patch! Patch gold #norfolkbirding

📷 @henrywynjones.bsky.social
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
A bumper spell on patch since Sunday with drake Green-winged Teal, two Temminck's Stint and pr. Garganey at Musselburgh #birdinglothian

Elsewhere, singing Wood Warbler from the car at Loch Awe en route home from a weekend in Argyll & seabird bounty on Isle of May; a great few days #birdingscotland
Drake Green-winged Teal, Musselburgh new lagoons (14/05/25) Puffin, Isle of May (12/05/25) Eider with brood of 5 chicks (one out of shot), Musselburgh (14/05/25) Puffin take off, Isle of May (12/05/25)
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Very smart Kentish Plover still at JMCP late morning, alone and initially nice and close. A Pale-bellied Brent was a good bonus & Lesser Whitethroat. Rounding off an enjoyable week with BT Diver off Torness on Sunday & White-winged Scoter at Yellowcraig #birdinglothian @birdinglothian.bsky.social
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Very happy to have moved to Musselburgh last month, and to see spring arrive on patch. A singing Cuckoo fresh in and Lesser Whitethroat were today's best, while other recent highlights include 2 Avocets, Jack Snipe, RN Grebe & Grasshopper Warbler among other commoner passage species #birdinglothian
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
All species descriptions in alt text
Pied Kingfisher, Kruger National Park Cape Bulbul, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. One of numerous South African endemics seen in the Cape Water Thick-knee, Kruger National Park Orange-breasted Sunbird (male), Table Mountain. Endemic to the fynbos biome in the Cape. One of several sunbird species seen in the Cape and South Africa more widely
itssjoenichols.bsky.social
Starting my Bluesky journey with some highlights from an exceptionally special trip to South Africa over Christmas & New Year. The birding was superb: 223 species in 18 days on a non-birding holiday, including Kruger NP, coastal KwaZulu-Natal & the Cape Peninsula. Unforgettable! #birdingsouthafrica
Saddle-billed Stork, Kruger National Park Bataleur, KNP Southern Ground Hornbill, KNP Tawny Eagle, KNP