Field sketches of two White-billed Divers recently at Inverkeithing, Fife for #SuperSeabirdSunday with a bit of color added later. An absolute privilege to sit and sketch these! A British tick and what absolute stonkers! Cheers 🍻

The Patchwork Challenge 2025 article is now out in the latest issue of @birdguides.bsky.social's Birdwatch Extra Magazine! We hope all subscribers enjoy the write-up, it was a brilliant collaborative effort and we thank those patch birders that helped! Enjoy!

There are only about 100 Black-tailed Godwits breeding in England.
Many of these 'limosa' birds have been to Africa for the winter.
More here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/b...
#ornithology

From the original submission by ©David Quinn, many thanks. 👍🏻 A 1st winter American Herring Gull on Ashton's Flash, Northwich, Cheshire on February 26th 1994. Above date may be inaccurate as the narrative in the field notes is dated February 24th 1994!

February 26th: UK FIRST RECORDS: 🥇

AMERICAN HERRING GULL
Larus smithsonianus

A 1st winter on Ashton's Flash, Northwich, Cheshire on February 26th 1994.

It was present for around seven days and was subsequently seen in Lancashire at Otterspool on March 6th 1994.

#UKrares
#rarebirdsUK
#UKbirding

Red necked Grebe

Stoat with Rabbit

White billed Diver

A few recent sketches...from poor phone scoped videos back home. #birdart #sketchbook #Northumberland #UKBirding

Great stuff 👍 Love them all, especially that Stoat 👌. Loved sketching the WBD's in Scotland this weekend. An absolute privilege!

Superb! Just British- ticked one up here near Edinburgh this afternoon. Worra bird! 🥰

Field studies of the regular 2nd W Caspian Gull at Worsbro' Reservoir recently. A difficult bird to capture accurately despite me spending loadsa time over the years sketching big gulls. Need to get back into it! Cheers

Natural England: Shorebird and Engagement Assistant Ranger advertised with CJS Contract: Fixed Term 27th April – 4th September Location: Based at Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, Northumberland Hours: 37.5 hours per week on rota and will include weekends and bank holidays Sa...

www.countryside-jobs.com/job/mar26/sh...

Thanks Josie. I have done just that after a bit of Googling! Cheers 👍

Thanks David. I believe there was a party of 12 at Castle Howard Lake a few days ago. This bird also carried a green band - white letters DTA. Read when it got on the bank to preen. Any ideas? Cheers

Field studies of an adult Shag I chanced upon at my local reservoir this morning. The first here since March 1988, which I also found! 🤭A rather unusual submission for #SuperSeabirdSunday Obviously one of a recent influx in the region. Cheers

A beautiful day along the north coast yesterday, I was really lucky that the Harlequin was again showing really well for a few hours before work. I will be back again next week and can only hope for more good weather!

A quick painting of the Harlequin that is still hanging about in north Donegal. I am really looking forward to getting back to the coast later this week and hope to see him again.

Rarity finders: Short-billed Gull in the Faroe Islands Ragnar Smith describes the discovery and identification of the Western Palearctic's second-ever Short-billed Gull in the Faroe Islands in January 2026.

Rarity finders: Short-billed Gull in the Faroe Islands

What began as routine winter harbour checks in stormy Faroese conditions culminated in the discovery of a second-ever record for the Western Palearctic for Ragnar Smith:

Golden Plovers don't like neighbours!
Many anthropogenic changes affect Iceland's Golden Plovers, as you can read here, but particularly building a new house in an open landscape:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/12/02/r...
Species newly added to VULNERABLE section of Icelandic RED LIST.
#Ornithology

Ah! Wonder if that's the Continental origin showing or a kind of extra defensive habit?

Blimey. Hope it manages to evade Mr and Mrs. Sparrowhawk.🫣

Curlew and Grey Plover studies from a post Xmas visit to the excellent Welwick Marshes reserve near Hull. I must have sketched pages and pages of the latter species but still struggle with the subtleties of them! Cheers

Dunlin now VULNERABLE on Iceland's RED LIST.
One of the waders most impacted by new forestry plantations:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/06/18/i...
Over 50% of Europe's Dunlin nest in Iceland so recent declines are of concern to whole East Atlantic Flyway.
#ConservationScience🌍

Wow! Stunna 😛

Up at Tynemouth/Whitley Bay in a few weeks Stew, and hopefully later in the year too.👍

Cheers Nick.Well It's on my radar to revisit one day!

Sketchbook highlights from 2025. The rare, the common, lifers and the familiar. All a joy. Thanks for the interest over the year and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you all! 🎉🍻#Birding #BirdArt

Stonker! Dipped one whilst in Colorado. All The Best to you and yours. 🍻

Great stuff! Oh to live by the Sea.😌

Lovely work as always! Best Wishes. 🍻

A wonderful, but cold and breezy morning back at Trà na gCloch in north Donegal ahead of my last survey of the year.

A huge thank you to everyone who has liked, shared and bought my work throughout the year, I am eternally grateful for all the support. Best wishes for 2026

Find the best #birding in #Belgrade @ the Dorćol Quay (📷) and the Zemun Quay, overlooking the #Danube. These days, look out for Black-throated Diver (2), Velvet Scoter (3), Red-necked Grebe (3)
▶️ 10000birds.com/december-bir...

🌳 #goBirding 🌳 #birdsuniteourworld 🌳 #seetheunseen 🌳 #fortheloveofnature

1/10
The first WaderTales blog of 2025 summarised a paper by @amigodeaves.bsky.social et al:
How are migration sites connected?
Study combines ringing, colour-ringing and tracking data, to identify key sites on East Atlantic Flyway.
wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/01/09/h...
#ornithology