Tony Gillie
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drtonygillie.bsky.social
Tony Gillie
@drtonygillie.bsky.social
1.1K followers 940 following 1.8K posts
Mostly photos of wildlife, otherwise an eclectic mix of this and that, from here and there...
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drtonygillie.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #stripes. How about this Rock Sparrow | Gorrión chillón (Petronia petronia). An extremely rare visitor to the UK, they live at high altitudes in southern Europe. This one is from #Extremadura in SW Spain.
#birds #photography @alan678.bsky.social
A chunky sparrow sitting on a twig. It has a clear creamy stripe running over its eye, and its plumage is heavily streaked. It has a very strong looking beak.
December 2, 2025 at 9:50 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Reflections with the alternative of #LongTails. How about this Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) that manages to combine both?
A regular visitor to Oxford's Lye Valley, it seems to love the mud round the ponds.
@robcrank68.bsky.social #OX3 #birds #UKWildlife 📷
A smallish bird with a slate grey back, and black wing tips edged in white. Underneath it's mostly bright yellow with some cream in the middle. It has a long dark tail edges with white. There's a white streak on its head just above the eye. It's standing in shallow water with mud, small twigs and a couple of leaves, facing to the right, and has just lifted its left leg out of the water. Below it is a perfect reflection, even including the eye and white eye stripe.
December 1, 2025 at 2:21 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BerriesandBeaks.
Here's a Blackbird (Turdus merula) caught in the act of eating a Cotoneaster berry at Rock Edge, and a Redwing (Turdus iliacus) amongst Hawthorne berries in the Lye Valley. Both sites in urban East Oxford.
#birds #UKWildlife #Photography #UKBirding
A medium sized black bird is perched on top of a twig covered in red berries. It's facing to the left, with a single berry between its open yellow beak. The background is blue sky. A small brown and white mottled bird is perched on a thin branch with small green leaves and red berries. It's facing to the left. The background is a mass of defocused twigs and red berries.
November 30, 2025 at 9:13 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
So today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is Gannets (Morus bassanus). Here's a couple of photos from the large colony at @rspbengland.bsky.social's Bempton Cliffs.
#Birds #Photography #UKBirding #UKWildlife
A bright white bird with a golden tint to its head is perched on the edge of a cliff. It has black webbed feet with thin stripes. It has a long bluish tinged beak and is holding a small piece of green vegetation. Its wings are folded, and have black tips. The background is defocussed and has other Gannets which appear as white blobs. Photo shows the heads and long necks of two white birds with a golden tinge to the plumage at the back of their heads. They have long bluish beaks with black lines around them. Their eyes are blue. The tips of the beaks are almost touching.
November 29, 2025 at 9:43 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Fabulous crop of large Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) at the @bbowt.bsky.social managed Snelsmore Common in Berkshire this Autumn.

#WildFungiHour #FungiFriends 🍄
Running diagonally from top left to bottom right a number of large red fungi with white spots on their tops and with white stalks are growing surrounded by yellow and golden leaves. On the left hand centre, roughly in the middle are fronds of bracken while near top right the base of a thin Birch tree trunk can be sen.
October 26, 2025 at 4:27 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Yes indeed. Not sure I told you we have a house in Trujillo, so we have spent countless days in Monfragüe. I've got a few good photos of the vultures over the years, but these days, I get more excited by Black Stork and Blue Rock Thrush there...
A large mostly brown bird with lighter upper chest, neck and head. It's sitting on a rock looking to the right. The background is dark. A small dark blue bird sitting on a light coloured rack covered with lichen on the left hand side. The background is a diffuse lightish colour.
October 12, 2025 at 7:45 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Delighted to spot this pristine Brown Hairstreak butterfly this morning in the Lye Valley, Oxford, the first adult I've ever seen there!
#Recorded #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotos #inverts #OX3
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social
A pale brown butterfly with white "streaks" through both its upper and hind wings. The edge of the hind wing is tinged orange and it has a small "tail" sticking out near the bottom. It's perched on a piece of dried brown grass, facing to the right of the photo. Its black eye is visible, as are its orange tipped black and white striped antennae. Its legs are also striped. The background is a messy mix of mostly green blades of grass.
August 15, 2025 at 10:23 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
I remember it well, though I think I prefer your photo!
August 9, 2025 at 7:32 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
My first post for #FlamingoFriday.
Here's a portrait of a Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) preening at Slimbridge Wetland Centre. 😊
#Birds #WildlifePhotos
A closeup photo of the neck, head and beak of a flamingo. The feathers are a mixture of a rich and paler pink, while the top of the large beak is white, its tip is black. It's facing to the right of the photo with only its right eye visible. The background is dark.
August 8, 2025 at 7:38 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
For #InternationalOwlAwarenessDay, here's my all time favourite photo of a Little Owl (Athene noctua) taken on the plains near Torresillas de la Tiessa, #Extremadura, SW #Spain. What's not to love about them?
#WildlifePhotos
A small owl with mostly brown and white feathers has its back to the camera, but its head is turned facing the camera. It's eyes are an intense yellow, with black pupils. It's standing on a rounded, white and green lichen covered rock, which steps down on the right of the photo. The background is a mixture of diffuse greens and lighter colours.
August 4, 2025 at 7:17 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) resting on a water lily in our back garden this morning.

Caballito del diablo rojo descansando sobre una flor de nenúfar en nuestro jardín trasero esta mañana.

#inverts #odonata #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotos
@britishdragonflies.bsky.social
In the centre of the photo facing right is a red damselfly. It has black markings on its thorax and at the end of its abdomen. It has red eyes and black legs. It's resting on a white petal and behind it to the left are bright yellow anthers, looking a little like flames.
July 13, 2025 at 1:59 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Some female Crab spiders have the ability to change colour to match their background, making them a formidable ambush predator of pollinators visiting flowers. This one, waiting on a Marsh Thistle in the @friendlyevalley.bsky.social not so much... 🤣
#inverts #UKWildlife
@britishspiders.bsky.social
A closeup photo of the head of a Marsh Thistle, with multiple deep purple flower buds in varying stages of opening. Under the topmost fully open flower sits a small bright yellow spider with a globular body and legs held above it. The background is a diffuse light green.
June 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Delighted to spot this juvenile Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) in #Monfragüe National Park, #Extremadura, SW #Spain. A protected species here, the adults can grow up to 90cm, and is Europe's largest lizard. Sadly, I haven't seen an adult for over fifteen years now...
#herps #reptiles 🐍
A light green lizard is facing top left, with tail disappearing off the right hand side. It's covered with tiny blue and green "eyes", ringed with angular dark markings. It's on bare earth, and surrounded by dead, light brown grass stems.
June 10, 2025 at 1:59 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Waste not, want not!
Something I've never seen before, a Mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) larva eating its own shed skin!
#inverts #30DaysWild #UKWildlife #TeamMoth #UKButterflies
#BackGardenSafari @upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
A white caterpillar with bright yellow and black markings with black spiky hairs is resting on a light green "furry" leaf. In front of it is the remains of the skin it has just shed. The black markings and hairs are clearly visible.
June 9, 2025 at 9:54 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Small Heath | Níspola (Coenonympha pamphilus). A common enough if inconspicuous butterfly, but one I have very photos of. I spotted this one sheltering from the midday heat in #Cornalvo Natural Park, #Extremadura, SW #Spain.
#inverts @europebutterfly.bsky.social #butterfly #WildlifePhotography 📷
A predominantly brown small butterfly is resting on a single green grass stem with its wings closed. A richer brown and an "eye spot" are visible on the forewing, while the bottom of the underwing is a paler grey with a few dark markings. The background is diffuse shades of brown.
June 8, 2025 at 10:51 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Just spotted my first Scarlet Tiger moth (Callimorpha dominula) of the year, happily flying along a street in East Oxford. It was the flash of red I noticed, that I couldn't quite make into a butterfly...
#MothsMatter #UKWildlife 📷
@upperthames.bsky.social #Recorded
A triangular shaped moth with black upper wings punctuated with cream spots. I's resting on a dead flower head with browned petals. At the centre bottom of the moth you can just make out a hint of scarlet.
June 6, 2025 at 2:31 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Saint Mathieu lighthouse. It was built in 1835 among the ruins of the ancient Abbaye Saint-Mathieu de Fine-Terre in Finistère. Now an historic monument, and open to the public.

[📷 taken from @brittanyferries.bsky.social Santoña]
#PharosFriday #Lighthouse #France #Brittany
Near the right of the photo is a mostly white cylindrical lighthouse with a red top. To its left is a white rectangular tower, and both are in front of the remains of a ruined abbey. There are some low-rise modern buildings to the left of centre, as well as a red and white striped crane with its jib pointing to the left. There is blue sea in the foreground with a low rocky cliff running the width of the photo. The sky has lots of white clouds.
June 6, 2025 at 10:21 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
One of a pair of Little Ringed Plover | Chorlitejo Chico (Charadrius dubius) spotted foraging along the shoreline of a reservoir in #Monfragüe, #Extremadura, SW Spain. Incredibly raucous for a relatively small bird!
#Birds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #Wildlife 📷
A medium sized bird with long legs facing left has some small square stones just in front of it. Its belly is white, its upper parts are a light brown, and it has a black ring round its neck. The head has a black patch round the eye. The eye itself is surrounded by a bright yellow ring. The foreground is a beach with small stones, mostly out of focus, and the background is blue water.
June 5, 2025 at 11:55 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
This Little Bittern | Avetorillo común (Botaurus minutus) may not have been exactly skulking through the reedbed, but it was doing a great job of staying hidden most of the time!
#Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain. #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds #WildlifePhotos 📷 @everyheron.bsky.social
A medium size bird with long yellow legs and large feet is striding purposefully through a dense patch of reeds. It has a long yellow beak with a black tip, golden brown neck, stomach and upper wings. Its upper parts are mostly black. There's a white line running under its throat, and a white patch on the back of its wing. It's facing the left of the photo.
June 3, 2025 at 2:20 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Delighted if surprised to spot this male Giant Peacock moth (Saturnia pyri) in #LaRioja, Northern #Spain. The females are even bigger apparently!
#MothsMatter #TeamMoth #Inverts 📷 #NaturePhotos
A large moth with wings outstretched is sitting on brick edging. It's head is facing top left but the detail is hard to make out. In shadow in front of it you can just make out a "feathery" antenna. Above it to the left a dead leaf, and above centre and right small green weeds. The moth is a mixture of textured pale browns with four prominent "eye spots", two on each wing. There is a wavy line of paler brown running across the middle of the wing, and another dark yellowish line just behind the head, which is a richer dark brown colour.
May 2, 2025 at 11:15 AM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
It's #PuffinDay!
Here's one from the @rspb.bsky.social's Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire, England.
#Birds #UKWildlife #NaturePhotography 📷
A medium size bird facing to the right with white chest and face, a black back and a black stripe running over its head. It has bright orange feet with small black claws. The beak is predominantly orange with a black base. Its eye is black with an orange rim on the bottom. It is standing on a rocky shelf with some grass in the foreground. To the left is a small clump of daisies. The background is a blur of many white ellipses - other white seabirds in flight.
April 14, 2025 at 1:26 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
All boarded up this afternoon…
March 30, 2025 at 5:31 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Saw a dozen or so of these well grown Scarlet Tiger moth (Callimorpha dominula) larvae chomping their way through Comfrey in the Lye Valley, Oxford yesterday. Always worth looking closely at leaves with clear feeding damage!
#TeamMoth #MothsMatter #UKWildlife #Recorded @savebutterflies.bsky.social
In the centre of the photo on the right hand side a large black caterpillar with yellow and markings on its side and covered in groups of short prickly looking hairs is sitting on a leaf of a plant whose edges have been eaten away. On the left hand side and going to the top of the photo is the plant's stem, and at top left a couple of unopened white buds.
March 29, 2025 at 2:25 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Saw my first Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) of the year on Blackthorn blossom this morning as well as my first Small White (Pieris rapae) butterfly in the Lye Valley, Oxford. 😍
#BeeFlyWatch #UKWildlife #Diptera #Recorded
@kitenet.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social
In the centre of the photo a small bee like insect with a darker central core and lighter brown edges has its wings outstretched. The leading edge is dark. It's taking nectar from some Blackthorn blossom. In the centre of the photo a small bee like insect with a mostly light brown fluffy body and extremely long legs dangling underneath it. Its long black proboscis is taking nectar from Blackthorn blossom, which fills most of the rest of the photo.
March 28, 2025 at 2:01 PM
drtonygillie.bsky.social
Ah! so it's #TalonTuesday!
With a wingspan of up to 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in), the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) also has enormous talons!
📷 from #Monfragüe National Park, #Extremadura, SW Spain.
#NaturePhotography #birds
A large mostly light brown brown bird with a white top to its chest, a long light coloured neck, slightly bent in a kink and a light coloured head is sitting on a rock in a patch of light. It's looking to the right of the photo. it has a light coloured beak. Its feet look very large, and are highlighted in a patch of bright light. The background is uniformly dark.
March 25, 2025 at 8:32 PM