A wonderful Sunday 🙂

I had four of one species … Shuttle shaped Dart. I think I’ve peaked too soon 🤣🤣

Cover of the 2004 Essex Bird Report, showing image of Northern Waterthrush

Always a red letter day when the latest Essex Bird Report drops through the letterbox. A great publication - congratulations to Neil Sumner and his team (for transparency I wrote a section of the systemic list. #essexbirding

71 sp of bird this am at Swanscombe marshes with @dartfordtrapper.bsky.social . Whimbrel, Curlew, Turnstones, Common Sand, YLGull, Wheatear, Lesser Whites,Ravens ,Nightingales, Peregrines, Red Kites, Bearded Tit, Water Rail, Yellow Wag, plus Green Hairstreak, Large Red Damselfly, European Paper Wasp

Great Reed Warbler in the hand after being ringed.

An unexpected but very good start to the day. Spurn's earliest Great Reed Warbler #spurntick #spurnbirds

A superb start to the day with a decent arrival of Willow Warblers, a Tree Pipit and Ring Ouzel in off the sea, a Pied Flycatcher and Redstart in a private garden on the Point and best of all a singing Wood Warbler half way up the east side of the Long Pits! #kentbirding

Stoke marshes, lagoon with @dartfordtrapper.bsky.social . 60 sp including Cattle Egrets, Wheatear, Pink-footed Goose, Sand Martin, Swallows

At this time of year when I'm out birding I really try to make an effort to add breeding evidence to my records. It's really quick and easy in @birdtrack.bsky.social and adds value to my records, especially for @ukrbbp.bsky.social species. Added P for pair in suitable habitat.
#ornithology

A rare spring image of the 2 ringed plover species standing side by side. The Ringed Plover (left) would normally see off the Little Ringed Plover, but perhaps he is a lonely Ringed Plover...
@sussexornitholo.bsky.social
#plover

Out on the North Kent marshes again where the human count other than myself was zero 🤗. 71 sp of bird, another cheeky Stoat, Cuckoo, Nightingale heard, a few Swallows through, LRP, Great Egret, 10 Wheatear. Usual backing soundtrack of Med Gulls, Skylarks, Sedgies,Stonechats 🥰

🫣🫢

I received the first Kent Large Red Damselfly reports yesterday. With the season starting now, please share any significant sightings to #KentDragonflies.

Construction firm fined after illegally destroying wild animal shelter FI Real Estate Management LTD was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay the full amount within three months

Company fined £40K after police investigate illegal work at bat roost. www.northwales.police.uk/news/north-w...

Bonaparte's Gull no longer a British rarity Following an upturn in records, the BBRC has made the decision to downgrade the rarity status of the North American larid in Britain as of the start of 2026.

The BBRC has announced that Bonaparte's Gull is no longer to be considered a national rarity:

News from the BBRC has been published following their AGM in January:

- Bonaparte’s Gull dropped as a BBRC rarity
- BBRC rarities; even when a specific id has not been proven e.g either/or records

Read the full report: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti...

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📸Thomas Willoughby

Weir Wood

38 Sand Martins,7 Swallows & 4 House Marins plus 2 Little ringed Plovers this afternoon.

Enjoyable very early morning walk at Stodmarsh area and Stour valley today with 8 Ruff over, 400+ Hirundines, plenty of Sedge and Reed Warblers, Firecrest, Nightingale, 2 GWE , 3 Yellow Wags. A stop at Seasalter on way home , Med Gulls, Cattle Egrets. 88 species with @dartfordtrapper.bsky.social

Our second Large Tortoiseshell of the week is currently showing well at the north-east end of the Long Pits

The first Pomarine Skua of the spring has just gone east past the seawatching hide, on what is a very early date for this species. #kentbirding

digital painting of a wood pigeon holding a long stick in it's beak

Nest Builder - digital painting

wood pigeons are so unbelievably *round* ! I had to triple check every shape I drew against the reference because it just didn't make sense

A few other bits from North Kent marshes this Easter weekend

75 sp in the Stoke Lagoon, Binney marshes, Abbott’s Court area today . My first Wheatears, Sedge Warblers of the year plus an unexpected Pink-footed Goose and Plenty of Med Gulls, 2 Red Kite over and all three species of expected Egret . As usual not another person in sight, pure bliss 🤗👌

Excellent, btw we’re in 2026 now but if we do remain in 2025 I’ll be ready for when that Eastern Bonelli’s gets picked up initially 😉😊

Lovely day out 😳🫣😱😬🤪😂😂😂

"Paradoxus" 1w male Eastern Black Redstart, taken on Christmas Eve amongst the flower beds beside the prom at Sheringham.

EBR poop collected by me on the 1st day of what turned out to be a grand stay at the seaside from this extremely long-range vagrant... Last November's Spurn bird came back with a very similar sequence, aligning it with the same sub-specific grouping (and, likely, natal areas).

There's a few thousand miles, closer to 4000 than 3000 I guess (in a straight line) Tuva Republic (in southern Siberia) to Sheringham. Even the western end of China will be well beyond 3000 miles east of the Norfolk seaside town... Vagrancy really is spectacular.

The DNA results are in!
Sheringham's superstar visitor, the pardoxus 1w ♂️ Eastern Black Redstart was (as expected) consistent w/ P.o.phoenicuroides/murinus & a near-identical sequence to birds from west/central China/Tuva Republic.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#norfolkbirding
#ukbirding
#rarebirdsuk

Pied Crow excluded from British list due to concerns over ship assistance The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee has ruled that a widely observed Pied Crow will not be added to the British list, citing concerns over its origin and means of arrival.

The BOURC has announced its latest decisions on changes to the British list, with the most notable outcome being the rejection of Pied Crow as a new addition:

In your belly 🤪😂🫣😎

Today like most days I went birding . Over the years on my birthday I’ve seen some great birds and despite the cool weather today was very enjoyable with @gnhbirder66.bsky.social . LRP,Red Kite, RNGrebe, Sand Martins, Meds, Water Pipits, Mergs, Peregrine, Great Egrets, Ruff.
Here’s to the next 60👌

The 2026 is go! The first Large Red Damselfly seen in Cornwall today. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social #Teamdragonfly

67 species at Higham marshes today with LRP my first spring migrant this year plus Scaup, Greenshank on Alpha pool and lots of very vocal and splendid looking Med Gulls 🤗