Mike Ixer
@mikeixer.bsky.social
Wildlife watcher and photographer now based in East Devon. Mainly birds but a bit of everything, with a few landscapes thrown in for good measure.
Very enjoyable first @harbourbirds.bsky.social cruise around Poole Harbour this morning. White-tailed eagles, glossy ibises, a bittern and a red-throated diver contributed to what I think was 52 species seen. Chuffed to pick out a little gull as well. #Birds #DorsetBirds #WildlifePhotography
November 16, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Very enjoyable first @harbourbirds.bsky.social cruise around Poole Harbour this morning. White-tailed eagles, glossy ibises, a bittern and a red-throated diver contributed to what I think was 52 species seen. Chuffed to pick out a little gull as well. #Birds #DorsetBirds #WildlifePhotography
Pleasant if very busy trip to the National Trust at Stourhead. Very picturesque in autumn! #Autumn #Fall #NationalTrust #Stourhead
November 9, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Pleasant if very busy trip to the National Trust at Stourhead. Very picturesque in autumn! #Autumn #Fall #NationalTrust #Stourhead
Second ever visit to Chard Reservoir this morning and a very enjoyable one at that. A show off kingfisher was the highlight but it was nice to see species that I don’t see in my usual birding spots - bizarrely coots and tufted ducks. Also some mandarin ducks and a marsh tit. #birds #UKWildlife
November 9, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Second ever visit to Chard Reservoir this morning and a very enjoyable one at that. A show off kingfisher was the highlight but it was nice to see species that I don’t see in my usual birding spots - bizarrely coots and tufted ducks. Also some mandarin ducks and a marsh tit. #birds #UKWildlife
Spent an hour at Bowling Green Marsh this afternoon. Lots to see but everything was quite distant - everything except this spotted redshank! The snipe put on a good show as well. Never had views this good of a spotshank. #Birds #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography
October 16, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Spent an hour at Bowling Green Marsh this afternoon. Lots to see but everything was quite distant - everything except this spotted redshank! The snipe put on a good show as well. Never had views this good of a spotshank. #Birds #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography
Chuffed to find this 1w caspian gull from Tower Hide yesterday lunchtime. It hasn’t been a rarity down there this year, but not a bird I’ve found myself identifying with any certainty previously. #Birds #DevonBirds #Gulls
October 12, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Chuffed to find this 1w caspian gull from Tower Hide yesterday lunchtime. It hasn’t been a rarity down there this year, but not a bird I’ve found myself identifying with any certainty previously. #Birds #DevonBirds #Gulls
Great selection of waders at Seaton Wetlands this PM. 3 little stints, 3+ curlew sandpipers, a single knot and 3 ruffs were the highlights amongst plenty of others. Also great views of water rail and a kingfisher as well as a possible YL gull. #DevonBirds #Birds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife
September 27, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Great selection of waders at Seaton Wetlands this PM. 3 little stints, 3+ curlew sandpipers, a single knot and 3 ruffs were the highlights amongst plenty of others. Also great views of water rail and a kingfisher as well as a possible YL gull. #DevonBirds #Birds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife
Fantastic pre-work visit to Seaton Marshes for amazing views of this wryneck. 35 minutes well spent! #Birds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Wryneck #DevonBirds
September 19, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Fantastic pre-work visit to Seaton Marshes for amazing views of this wryneck. 35 minutes well spent! #Birds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Wryneck #DevonBirds
Had a great time yesterday evening with a spontaneous trip to the #SidmouthAirshow. Some truly amazing flying. No photos of the spectacular #RedArrows as I had an entranced 3 year old on my shoulders. #Airshow #Devon #Sidmouth #Aeroplanes #Aviation
August 23, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Had a great time yesterday evening with a spontaneous trip to the #SidmouthAirshow. Some truly amazing flying. No photos of the spectacular #RedArrows as I had an entranced 3 year old on my shoulders. #Airshow #Devon #Sidmouth #Aeroplanes #Aviation
A major bonus from today’s visit to Seaton Wetlands was getting amazing views of this brown hairstreak. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before and I’m led to believe getting views like this can be exceptionally unusual. #Butterflies #UKButterflies #UKWildlife #DevonWildlife
August 22, 2025 at 9:20 PM
A major bonus from today’s visit to Seaton Wetlands was getting amazing views of this brown hairstreak. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before and I’m led to believe getting views like this can be exceptionally unusual. #Butterflies #UKButterflies #UKWildlife #DevonWildlife
A brief visit to Seaton Wetlands this morning with the family to see the marsh sandpiper. Hopefully it sticks and I can go back for prolonged second views without a three year old. Great to also see a couple of little stints. #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Migration
August 22, 2025 at 9:15 PM
A brief visit to Seaton Wetlands this morning with the family to see the marsh sandpiper. Hopefully it sticks and I can go back for prolonged second views without a three year old. Great to also see a couple of little stints. #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Migration
Seaton Wetlands was the best I’ve seen it in my 18 months living down here. So many wading birds and others with highlights being bar-tailed godwit, spotted redshank, green and wood sandpipers and greenshanks. #DevonBirds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife #Birds #Migration
August 21, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Seaton Wetlands was the best I’ve seen it in my 18 months living down here. So many wading birds and others with highlights being bar-tailed godwit, spotted redshank, green and wood sandpipers and greenshanks. #DevonBirds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife #Birds #Migration
Another trip up to Beer Head this morning in search of passage migrants. Plenty seen but only the wheatears were good enough to pose for photos. Redstart was a nice sighting but too quick to get the camera on before disappearing. Spotted flycatcher and yellow wagtail also seen. #DevonBirds
August 21, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Another trip up to Beer Head this morning in search of passage migrants. Plenty seen but only the wheatears were good enough to pose for photos. Redstart was a nice sighting but too quick to get the camera on before disappearing. Spotted flycatcher and yellow wagtail also seen. #DevonBirds
Nice visit to Seaton Wetlands today. The ruff gave good views and there were plenty of other waders around including 3 greenshanks and a few common sandpipers. The highlight was the appearance of the red arrows overhead. #Birds #RedArrows #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography
August 14, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Nice visit to Seaton Wetlands today. The ruff gave good views and there were plenty of other waders around including 3 greenshanks and a few common sandpipers. The highlight was the appearance of the red arrows overhead. #Birds #RedArrows #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography
Saw a few early migrants at Beer Head this morning. I was delighted to find a pied flycatcher as this was my prime target - never had much luck seeing them on their ‘autumn’ migration. A couple of flyover tree pipits were also a bonus. #Birds #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Migration
August 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Saw a few early migrants at Beer Head this morning. I was delighted to find a pied flycatcher as this was my prime target - never had much luck seeing them on their ‘autumn’ migration. A couple of flyover tree pipits were also a bonus. #Birds #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Migration
Brief, hot but rewarding visit to Reserve Naturelle du Lac de Grand-Lieu yesterday. Just under an hour but clocked up a couple of lifers (black kite and purple heron) as well as great views of whiskered terns. #Birds #France #WildlifePhotography
August 8, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Brief, hot but rewarding visit to Reserve Naturelle du Lac de Grand-Lieu yesterday. Just under an hour but clocked up a couple of lifers (black kite and purple heron) as well as great views of whiskered terns. #Birds #France #WildlifePhotography
Spent some time trying to photograph this hummingbird hawkmoth in the garden of our French home exchange property. Also had my first ever black-winged kite fly over during a short evening walk. #Moth #TeamMoth #France #MacroPhotography #WildlifePhotography
August 6, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Spent some time trying to photograph this hummingbird hawkmoth in the garden of our French home exchange property. Also had my first ever black-winged kite fly over during a short evening walk. #Moth #TeamMoth #France #MacroPhotography #WildlifePhotography
As I sent the children out for break today, I noticed the large buddleia was heaving with butterflies. A quick print of the #BigButterflyCount ID sheet and the children were hooked on finding #butterflies for the rest of the day. I was equally delighted to see my first ever silver-washed fritillary!
July 9, 2025 at 6:24 PM
As I sent the children out for break today, I noticed the large buddleia was heaving with butterflies. A quick print of the #BigButterflyCount ID sheet and the children were hooked on finding #butterflies for the rest of the day. I was equally delighted to see my first ever silver-washed fritillary!
Not an unusual or rare sighting, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many cinnabar moth caterpillars in a single area of ragwort. An overgrown area of our Axminster garden. #Moth #TeamMoth #UKWildlife #GardenWildlife #Insects
June 30, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Not an unusual or rare sighting, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many cinnabar moth caterpillars in a single area of ragwort. An overgrown area of our Axminster garden. #Moth #TeamMoth #UKWildlife #GardenWildlife #Insects
What an evocative sound! Nightjar ‘churring’ on a Devon heathland this evening! #Birding #Birds #UKWildlife #sunset
May 12, 2025 at 9:00 PM
What an evocative sound! Nightjar ‘churring’ on a Devon heathland this evening! #Birding #Birds #UKWildlife #sunset
Great to catch up with these beautiful black-winged stilts here in East Devon yesterday. Good to see the marsh harrier as well. #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Birds #Birding
May 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Great to catch up with these beautiful black-winged stilts here in East Devon yesterday. Good to see the marsh harrier as well. #DevonBirds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Birds #Birding
Great trip to Seaton Wetlands this afternoon. Avocets, whimbrels, marsh harrier, Egyptian geese, cattle egrets, ringed plovers, little ringed plovers and loads of warblers. #Birds #Birding #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #DevonBirds
April 26, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Great trip to Seaton Wetlands this afternoon. Avocets, whimbrels, marsh harrier, Egyptian geese, cattle egrets, ringed plovers, little ringed plovers and loads of warblers. #Birds #Birding #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #DevonBirds
Spent the final evening in Pembrokeshire heading out and getting chilled to the bone on a sunset cruise off Skomer and in St Brides Bay looking for Manx shearwaters. It was very successful! #Birds #Birding #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Sunset #Wales #Seabirds #Cruise
April 14, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Spent the final evening in Pembrokeshire heading out and getting chilled to the bone on a sunset cruise off Skomer and in St Brides Bay looking for Manx shearwaters. It was very successful! #Birds #Birding #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Sunset #Wales #Seabirds #Cruise
Fantastic first visit to Skomer today. Saw everything you’d hope to see plus a few bonus migrants as well. Still a little early in the season to see some things I believe but the weather made us think it was mid-summer!
#Birds #UKWildlife #Birding #WildlifePhotography #Wales
#Birds #UKWildlife #Birding #WildlifePhotography #Wales
April 10, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Fantastic first visit to Skomer today. Saw everything you’d hope to see plus a few bonus migrants as well. Still a little early in the season to see some things I believe but the weather made us think it was mid-summer!
#Birds #UKWildlife #Birding #WildlifePhotography #Wales
#Birds #UKWildlife #Birding #WildlifePhotography #Wales
Put the disappointment of missing the Seaton bird by a few hours behind me by popping 15 minutes down the road from where we’re staying in Pembrokeshire to get stunning views of this hoopoe in Marloes. #Birds #UKWildlife #Birding #WildlifePhotography #UKBirds
April 9, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Put the disappointment of missing the Seaton bird by a few hours behind me by popping 15 minutes down the road from where we’re staying in Pembrokeshire to get stunning views of this hoopoe in Marloes. #Birds #UKWildlife #Birding #WildlifePhotography #UKBirds
Lovely to visit my old patch, Sandwell Valley, during our weekend trip back to Birmingham. I can’t believe there are many places that you’d get better views of little ringed plovers. #Birds #SandwellValley #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Migration
April 6, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Lovely to visit my old patch, Sandwell Valley, during our weekend trip back to Birmingham. I can’t believe there are many places that you’d get better views of little ringed plovers. #Birds #SandwellValley #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography #Migration