Mandarin duck in exquisite light at Margrove. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Cracking photo Damian. Plumage colours and contrast superb.

Wren in classic pose and common lizard basking near Danby this afternoon. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Thank you Carolyn, that's very kind of you to say.

Had some nice visitors to my garden near Loftus today. Tree sparrows, greenfinch & chiffchaff - all superb to watch from the comfort of home. Also a very unexpected grey heron which landed on next door's shed to check out his koi carp 🤔 @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Scaling dam pm, feeders providing much of the action with 6 tree sparrow, 2 long-tailed tit, robin & chaffinch all showing well. Also a brief visit from a meadow pipit, & common sandpiper nice to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Drake mandarin putting on a fine show again at Margrove this afternoon. Colour iridescence in the sunshine simply astonishing. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Stunning drake Mandarin duck on the flooded back field at Margrove this afternoon. Very confiding bird - sat quietly in the grass for half an hour & eventually he wandered really close. Plumage simply astonishing. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

The long-staying scaup at Scaling Dam came nice & close to the hide this afternoon giving chance to fully appreciate its plumage - adult feathers very much coming through. Then home to a cracking new garden tick with a pair of tree sparrows! @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

LBBG pair & iridescent tufty at Margrove in nice light this afternoon. Barn owl made distant fleeting appearance - always a joy to see no matter how short the sighting. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Glorious at Margrove today though quiet bird-wise. Common gull, a pair of tufties, and a shoveler duck being the highlights. Chiffchaff heard but not seen. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common buzzard and a cracking yellowhammer pair at North Skelton manure heap today. Skylark & chiffchaff heard but not seen. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Double trouble at Margrove with this pair of smart looking lesser black-backed gulls. Reliable spring visitors there every year, though last year was unusual in only 1 bird being present. Good to see two again, however the ducks will no doubt disagree. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Reed bunting, shoveler duck, gadwall (pair), & song thrush in full song just as twilight descends at Margrove today. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common gull and barn owl at Margrove this afternoon. Looks like the owl had just finished a substantial meal. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common buzzard x 5 & red kite at Sleddale today, plus mistle thrush rattling away at Commondale. Nice to see the BoP's enjoying the Spring thermals. No idea what the strange white circle on the buzzard's upper wing is though - wasn't on lens. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Tufted duck coming unusually close & showing iridescence at Margrove today, plus a nice dark-eyed gull - Caspian perhaps? @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Common buzzard & red-legged partridge at Sleddale today, plus Slavonian grebe and courting jackdaws at Scaling Dam. Good numbers of oystercatcher, lapwing & goosander at Scaling also. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

White-tailed eagle over Birk Brow heading towards Commondale at 3.20pm. Awesome to see. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

4 lapwing in usual breeding field at Margrove along with 4 teal, plus 7 interesting looking wader types flew through, too fast & distant to ID - caught 2 in photo (just), any thoughts welcome. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Excellent photo Ted.

Quiet at Margrove, highlights being a drake shoveler and a female goldeneye keeping close together. Goldeneye not hugely common at Margrove - more often found at Lockwood Beck or Scaling Dam, so all the more nice to see it. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Eurasian wigeon brightening up a dull & bitterly cold Margrove today. Female pochard still present though distant. Surrounding fields full of mobile greylag and canada geese. 'Polish' mute swan on back pond. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A nice surprise for sure. 2026 an absolute goose-fest so far.

Rook doing a territorial bowing, cawing & fanning display on my chimney this afternoon. Fabulous to watch at close range. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Nice to see six barnacle geese at Margrove this afternoon, not a common bird there at all so all the more special. Female pochard still on site in with a decent number of tufties, plus three shovelers present. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Female pochard with an Orion's belt of raindrops at Margrove today. Lapwing also back on breeding ground - 1st of the season & nice to see. Nuthatch at Kildale, & a very unexpected moorhen in my mother's garden at Guisborough. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Cheers Colin, very much appreciated.

Couple of nice gulls on Margrove today, noticeable difference in beak size and shape. Always hoping for a Caspian & these two held promise at first sight but pretty sure they're regular herring. Happy to be corrected though. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Shades of green at Lockwood Beck today with greenfinch and siskin both active at the feeders. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social