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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 27m

Sun’s up at @rspbbemptoncliffs.bsky.social

Any time now will be fine…

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 1h

Meanwhile, somewhere on the East coast…

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 17h

Spurn has got to be a fair bet for this bird moving south.

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Reposted by Birdingprof

RareBirdAlert @rarebirder.bsky.social · 17h

MEGA - White-throated Needletail earlier this pm at Tophill Low, E.Yorks

First mainland record since 1991 😲

No sign at the moment but make sure you have the BirdAlertPRO app if its re-found.

Get a 30-day free trial here rarebirdalert.co.uk/realdata/bir...

📷 via tophilllow.blogspot.com

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 19h

Scanning the sailing lake @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social Lackford, notice something that looks like a Mandarin…scope it up…just some bright leaves. 🍁 🍃

Carry on scoping, and what’s the next bird I see?

Drake Mandarin. I’ve never seen one here before, despite them breeding not too far away.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 1d

ebird.org/news/2025-ta...

2025 Taxonomy Update—COMING SOON - eBird

The 2025 eBird Taxonomy Update will begin on 28 October and big changes are already underway as we prepare the eBird database for this year's revisions. Follow this page for updates throughout the pro...

ebird.org

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 1d

Given up counting ours.
Nearly as much Ladybird biomass as human biomass in our place.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 1d

Just click on ‘Explore’ then add ‘from:me’ then a word you used in the post and it will find it for you.

How to search for your posts on BlueSky.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 1d

I think only about 38 birders got it too. About half a boat load. We were on the islands but couldn’t get over. IIRC the boatmen got a ticking off for going. We wondered about the next day, all boats were cancelled due to a force 10 South-westerly, waves breaking over the harbour wall!

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 1d

The 3rd Reed Bunting in a week, over the garden, this morning. Also a few Meadows Pipits, Redwings 6 & 9, and a couple of Finches.

A Giant House Spider lived up to its name. 🏠 🕷️

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 1d

On this day 25 years ago: a reasonable day on Scilly; Rose-coloured Starling was new for the trip, as was Common Rosefinch. Re-visited some of the long-staying rarities, and some nice back-up birds, including
Red-backed Shrike, Sand Martins, Yellow-browed Warbler and Jack Snipe.

Rose-coloured Starling, virtually an annual fixture on Scilly in the autumn.

📸 unknown

Common Rosefinch, a bird that took me ages to get on my Scilly list.

📸 unknown

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 2d

😬

Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 2d

There has.

Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 2d

Just 1 Ruff at Isleham Wash this morning. A strange pale-grey Egret sp. flew South-west into Cambs. Couldn’t be sure of size or how complete the grey coverage was, due to distance.

Something like (and a similar bird in Essex in 2024) this maybe: 👇🏼

britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti....

A grey egret in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire

In July 2020, a grey juvenile egret was found in north Lincolnshire and later in Nottinghamshire; it was either a grey-morph Little Egret Egretta garzetta...

britishbirds.co.uk

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 2d

OTD 25 yrs ago: An Arctic Warbler and Solitary Sandpiper on Scilly. Back-up birds included; Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-browed Warbler, Dotterel and Mediterranean Gull. In Cornwall before departure some Pale-bellied Brent’s and a Great Northen Diver.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 2d

OTD 40 yrs ago: My 1st Bee-eater on Tresco. An unusual bird for October.

Other goodies over my 2 days on Scilly included this fem. American Wigeon, sum. pl. Spotted Sandpiper& Grey Phalarope.

Another of those and a Red-eyed Vireo in Cornwall on the way home.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 3d

On this day 40 years ago: Over to Scilly, and a male Northern Parula on the garrison (my 2nd in a week) . Then across to St. Agnes for a Red-eyed Vireo in the parsonage, which was new for me. It showed well overhead, and was the only time I’ve heard a U.K. bird vocalising, a mewing alarm call.

Northern Parula on I.o.S. 1985
📸 unknown.

Red-eyed Vireo on I.o.S. 1985
📸 unknown.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 4d

A quick scoot out to Isleham Wash, where the levels are now quite a lot higher than a few days ago. It looked very likely to dry out completely - now it looks the opposite. 🌧️ 🌊

The Spotted Redshank still, but now just 2 Ruff.

@cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 4d

Got that too.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 4d

Just one Moth found this morning. Shockingly it was the first live Large Yellow Underwing I’ve seen in the garden. I suspect that may change once I start trapping.

#teammoth

Previous iterations of this Large Yellow Underwing have been Spider fodder.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 4d

Sure there’ll be some yanks on the back of this storm, when people are able to get out and find them. But I wouldn’t guarantee S. coast in this day and age. #hebrides

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 4d

Indeed states to be adult male.

Article in @britishbirds.bsky.social access may be subscribers only.

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 5d

On this week 40 yrs ago:

Twitched this 1st win. Fem. Northern Parula at Hengistbury Head.

Also lucked in to this Greenish Warbler, though we all went away, happy we had ticked Arctic Warbler, till it was trapped the next day. Egg. On. Face. But it was still a tick.

1st. Winter female Northern Parula.

📸 unknown

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Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 5d

Thanks. If I’d stayed longer I would have no doubt got better views, but I had other fish to fry tonight.

Birdingprof @birdingprof.bsky.social · 5d

Such a good start to the day, but after a long, slow drive across county, and a miserable couple of hours in the wet, it felt like a bad day.

However, at least I saw, albeit fleetingly, the adult male Turkestan Shrike.

#432 for East Anglia & #363 for Suffolk.

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