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runnelstone.bsky.social
Steve Rogers 🟰🟰
@runnelstone.bsky.social
1K followers 830 following 370 posts
🟰🟰Cornish Birder #424, Seawatcher. Cornwall eBird Moderator. Mousehole AFC. Nikon Z8 user. “Gramps”.
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runnelstone.bsky.social
I remember it well Mark. A great find sir.
markgolley.bsky.social The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 4d
Happy 40th anniversary to me! 09/02/86 & today is the day I reminisce about one of my favourite finds, the Portscatho Least Sandpiper. I'll never forget seeing a tiny wader land on the harbour wall, just above the female King Eider & then BOOM! Olive legs! Disbelief all round!
#oldrares
#ukbirding
An old black and white shot of the Least Sand, lifted from British Birds, taken by a *very* old skool Corn, Stuart Hutchings. There was a bit of consternation when the news of a winter Least Sandpiper went out, a lot of folks didn't quite believe it. A few well known Cornish birders arrived soon afterwards, all mumbling that it couldn't be right (I still know the names 😂) but they all began to come around to my way of thinking (one or two were banging on about it being a Little Stint with green legs...ignoring the herbert teenager explaining it was tiny and brown and not a Little Stint!). More folks arrived from Drift (twitching Bonaparte's Gull) and the bird moved out of the harbour and around the bay. Amazingly, it dropped onto a small clifftop puddle and showed brilliantly. Stuck around to late April too. Lovely job 😊 A photo from the BBRC Report of 1987, with the Least Sandpiper starting to drop some summer feathers in April 1986. So good it hung around, many birdwatcher (me included) had only seen the wretched Dungeness bird a couple of years beforehand, so a fit, healthy, very smart Least Sand was a welcome part of a winter trip to the southwest (that was a good winter at home) & it's stay was long enough to coincide with the Berry Head Gyrfalcon too. Many happy memories with this one.
February 9, 2026 at 2:27 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
We spent several days in the Mannar coastal area (NW Sri Lanka) end of Jan. We found uncountable hundreds of mixed terns at several sites. Unviewable offshore sand bars held thousands more. Lesser Crested Tern was default tern plus a few Greater Crested, Little, Caspian and a vagrant Sandwich.
February 9, 2026 at 7:52 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Lesser Adjutant at Puttalam, NW Sri Lanka. We found five on 21 st Jan, the only sightings of the trip. You can’t fail to be impressed with this giant of a bird.

#srilankabirding #srilanka
February 9, 2026 at 3:02 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Slaty-legged Crake found today at Kitulgala, Sri Lanka. We have scored well on herons and ibis’ etc. but this is the only crake we’ve found.

Day 21: 245 species incl 26 endemics.

#srilankabirding
February 7, 2026 at 12:21 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Pallas’s Gull (or Great Black-headed Gull) at Mannar, NW Sri Lanka. We saw about 20, mostly roosting birds a couple miles inland.

I’m no lariphile, but this is a seriously impressive gull.

#srilankabirding #srilanka
February 7, 2026 at 9:15 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Blue-tailed Bee-eater. The most common bee-eater found mostly in the lowlands of Sri Lanka.

#srilankabirding
February 6, 2026 at 4:18 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Spot-winged Thrush today at Kitigala mid hills forest. Our fifth for the trip. A striking and fairly secretive thrush which skulks around in the leaf litter. It’s endemic to Sri Lanka.

Day 20 #245 species inc 26 endemics.

#srilankabirding #srilanka
February 6, 2026 at 2:54 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Sri Lanka Drongo. An endemic species to Sri Lanka. We found plenty in the Sinaraja rain forest area.

Day 19. #244 sp and 24 endemics, many of the latter in the rain forest. Highlights today included Red-faced Malkoah, Serendib Scop’s Owl and Scaly Thrush.

#srilanjabirding #srilanka
February 5, 2026 at 12:34 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Sri Lanka Frogmouth. A pair seen today at Singhiraja rain forest. A species I never thought I’d see. This is the best I could get given the amount of deep foliage obscuring the view. How the local rangers find these birds is beyond me.

Day 17 #237 total.

#srilankabirding #srilanka
February 3, 2026 at 10:58 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Brown Shrike of the form L. c. lucionensis. A very smart male with grey head and nape. Found at Kalamatia, south Sri Lanka. (1st Feb).

#srilankabirding
February 2, 2026 at 5:30 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
♂ Yellow Bittern at Yoda marshes, Tissa, south east Sri Lanka. (31st Jan). We found four today at this outstanding wetland area. Also found 118 species, our highest day total so far. We declined the Yala safari circus and the 800 jeeps entering the park. Not for us.

#srilankabirding
February 1, 2026 at 10:00 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Scimitar Babbler at Horton Plain. An endemic species to Sri Lanka. A scarce bird and only seen in the high hills. Whoever named it describes this species perfectly.

Day 14. #221 species so far inc 12 endemics.

#srilankabirding #srilanka
February 1, 2026 at 1:16 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Imperial Green Pigeon this morning at Tissamaharamma, south east Sri Lanka (31st Jan).

Widespread in small numbers. Despite its large size, this species is wary and shy.

#srilankabirding
January 31, 2026 at 2:02 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Thanks Julian. It is a real stunner. The picture doesn’t really do it justice. We also saw four today (30th Jan). 👍
January 30, 2026 at 1:43 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Oriental Magpie-Robin at Victoria Park, Nuwara Eliya. A regular sight across all habitats in Sri Lanka.

A feisty, charismatic bird which allows fairly close approach.

#srilankabirding
January 30, 2026 at 5:34 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Male Pied Thrush at Nuwara Eliya (Victoria Gardens) 29th Jan. A spectacular and striking thrush.

Described as an uncommon migrant to the hills of Sri Lanka. We saw four today.

#srilankabirding
January 29, 2026 at 3:08 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot feeding on an avocado. This endemic species to Sri Lanka feeds and even roosts by hanging upside down!

#srilankabirding
January 28, 2026 at 3:29 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Black Eagle. An uncommon breeding resident in the high hills. Nr. Kandy, Sri Lanka (27th Jan). It’s a spectacular raptor with a name to match.
Sri Lanka day 10 #189

#srilankabirding
January 27, 2026 at 2:25 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Blue-tailed Bee-eater at Mannar, NW Sri Lanka (24th Jan). A common sight in all habitats. Getting close though is a challenge.

#srilankabirding
January 25, 2026 at 2:26 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Long-tailed Shrike at Musali, south of Mannar, Sri Lanka (23rd Jan). A scarce resident breeder here. This is our first in seven days.

#srilankabirding
January 24, 2026 at 1:12 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Great Knot at Thallamannar mud flats, NW Sri Lanka today (23rd Jan). We found 13 among uncountable hundreds of sand plover, Terek Sand, Broad-billed Sand, Little Stint, Wood Sand and Marsh Sand.
The sheer size of this place with vast number of waders and herons is mind-blowing.

#srilankabirding
January 23, 2026 at 4:14 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Long-toed Stint at Eluwan Kalama, Wilpattu (NW Sri Lanka. 🇱🇰) One of three found among 250 Tibetan Sand Plover and hundreds of mixed waders. (22nd Jan).

#srilankabirding
January 22, 2026 at 6:01 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Asian Green Bee-eater at Wilpattu, north west Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 A locally common bird of pastures and farmland. Luckily this incredible species is approachable.

#srilankabirding
January 21, 2026 at 11:01 PM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Blue-tailed Bee-eater just south of Wilpattu, Sri Lanka this morning. A fairly common bee-eater near fresh water.

#srilankabirding
January 21, 2026 at 4:25 AM
runnelstone.bsky.social
Brown Shrike (Philippines form) at Coco village, north of Colombo today (20th Jan).

Total birding sensory overload. The place is a birder’s dream.

#srilankabirding
January 20, 2026 at 5:52 AM