Matthew Mellor

Back to East Anglia for great views of the Turkestan Shrike at Dunwich then Greater Short-toed Lark at Snettisham, Norfolk, 5/10/25. White-tailed Eagle and Yellow-browed Warbler also great to see. #birds 🪶

A decent, if not earth-shattering start to October 2025: Red-tailed Shrike (mega rare) at Dunwich Heath and American Golden Plover (scarce), Pitsford Reservoir, Northamptonshire. #birds 🪶photos taken in less than ideal conditions

Lesser Grey Shrike, Winterton Dunes, Norfolk, 28/9/25. My 4th for the UK, and 2nd for Norfolk. #birds 🪶

Pechora Pipit, South Shields, County Durham, 21/9/25. Not a bird I contemplated seeing when I woke up this morning. #birds 🪶

Good few hours at Titchwell 20/9/25: two year "ticks" and a host of confiding waders at the shore. #birds 🪶

After a couple of abortive attempts, it was great to see the Lesser Yellowlegs at Etton-Maxey Pits, Cambs, making it a "Cambs tick" on 18/9/25. #birds 🪶Had only about 25 minutes with this before it flew off SE, calling in a very similar way to a Greenshank.

Direct mortality due to humans threatens migratory shorebirds - Nature Ecology & Evolution Direct human actions such as hunting and bird deterrence at aquaculture sites kill up to 10% of the populations of some shorebird species migrating along China’s coast each year, suggesting that this ...

#ornithology
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

great day in East Anglia today with four year ticks and what great birds! Curlew Sandpipers, Hoopoe, Wryneck and Red-necked Phalarope. #birds 🪶

YouTube video by Matthew Mellor France birds (mostly Pyrénées), August 2025.

Just back from France - great holiday and some brilliant bonus #birds 🪶! Citril Finch I've already mentioned, but the Lammergeier took some beating, as did the Wrynecks; Col des Tentes = fabulous! Video trip report: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h0y...

Currently in the French Pyrénées - three great French "ticks": Wryneck (I've now found 3), Citril Finch - most-wanted!!! and Egyptian Vulture (meh...). #birds 🪶 The Col des Tentes was one of the best places I've been for birding in France.

YouTube video by Matthew Mellor Black Stork, Boyton Marshes RSPB, Suffolk, 9/8/25

a long but easy walk at Boyton Marshes RSPB, 9/8/25, culminated in brilliant views www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RO3... of the long-staying Black Stork - glad to have joined the party! #birds 🪶

a late evening twitch to March Farmers RSPB, @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social , failed to produce the hoped-for views of Purple Heron, but this Bittern was a great consolation, 7/8/25. #birds 🪶

2/8/25 #birds 🪶 This Pectoral Sandpiper at Freiston Shore (great reserve!) @rspb.bsky.social rewarded the longer walk round to get a closer look. Nice to find it after about 20 minutes' scanning. Other goodies included Ruff, Whimbrel. @jonnycaribou69.bsky.social @rspbframptonmarsh.bsky.social

Not the heron I wanted to see, but this Grey Heron at Kingfishers Bridge, Cambridgeshire, was impressive in its determination to swallow a tench, which I think it eventually did! @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social #birds 🪶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omrmb3Xjjb4

turtle dove

turtle dove

turtle dove

Timed it all wrong to get good looks at waders at @rspb.bsky.social Snettisham, Norfolk, today, but this Turtle Dove came a lot closer. #birds 🪶#norfolk

YouTube video by Matthew Mellor Spotted Sandpiper, Dernford Reservoir, Cambridgeshire, 6/7/25

An amazing find at the tiny Dernford Reservoir, Cambridgeshire 6/7/25: Spotted Sandpiper! @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social #birds 🪶
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9E0...

hot weather isn't always great for birding, but I spent a pleasant two hours at home looking for a Cattle Egret - saw 30 species but no Egret. The swifts continue to delight... and it was nice to see swallows and a kestrel 2/7/25 #birds 🪶

Before the great find, @jonnycaribou69.bsky.social and I were watching Purple Emperors at Woodwalton Fen, Cambridgeshire, 22/6/25. #butterflies 🦋

not often you get a big find: friend @jonnycaribou69.bsky.social (and I) found a Collared Pratincole (rare for the UK) at @rspbframptonmarsh.bsky.social today! #birds 🪶GET IN!!!

14/6/25: an afternoon out in Suffolk, with Dartford Warbler and Caspian Tern as the highlights. #birds 🪶Three different singing male Dartford Warblers!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJC9...

12/6/25: actually I think this might be the pick of my pics of the Nightjars tonight...

#birds 🪶

12/6/25: awesome hour watching Eurasian Nightjars in Norfolk this evening. At least 5 males seen, and one female (presumably more were at the nest). Supporting cast of Tree Pipits and Woodcocks. #birds 🪶
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZvw...

Surprising news that the Song Sparrow at Thornwick Bay, East Yorkshire had reappeared after a day's absence led to a successful twitch for a great bird. #birds 🪶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlFasP9UYy8

Little Tern, Cley

Silver-studded Blue

Spotted Flycatcher

Tree Pipit

a few hours in Norfolk today, 8/6/25. Good views of the Marsh Warbler at a windy Cley, no pics, then Little Tern, then to Kelling Heath where some Silver-studded Blues have started to come out, and Spotted Flycatcher and a few Tree Pipits at a Nightjar site near Swaffham. #birds 🪶

YouTube video by Matthew Mellor Red-backed Shrike, Fen Drayton RSPB, Cambridgeshire, 7/6/25

No pics, but a distant digiscoped video of the smart Red-backed Shrike that was reported at Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, Cambridgeshire today, 7/6/25. #birds 🪶 @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6LG...

YouTube video by Matthew Mellor Corsica birding, May to June 2025 in 4K

#birds 🪶 posting this trip report of the 3.5 days spent in Corsica last weekend (28/5-1/6/25). Some gorgeous species and views.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqwb...

corsican nuthatch

marmora's warbler

corsican finch

moltoni's warbler

late May and a visit to the amazing island of Corsica. Mostly for birds, but it delivered on other wildlife too - sharing some of the #birds 🪶 to start. First the main draws... Corsican Nuthatch, Marmora's Warbler, Corsican Finch and Moltoni's Warbler

beaver, Canterbury, Kent

grey wagtail, canterbury, kent

great crested grebe, ouse fen rspb, cambridgeshire

great white egret, ouse fen rspb, cambridgeshire

a windy Bank Holiday spoiled the birding, but still, great to see my first "wild" beaver, in Canterbury, and a Grey Wagtail on the same river, 25/5/25, then on 26/5/25, Ouse Fen delivered its usual fare of herons and other water birds. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social #birds 🪶

Classic early morning Welsh woodland birding today, 18/5/25. Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher and Wood Warbler. Depleted numbers, perhaps, but here they're to be found in decent numbers. #birds 🪶@rspbcymru.bsky.social

white-winged black tern, summer leys, northamptonshire

white-winged black tern, summer leys, northamptonshire

The White-winged Black Tern at Summer Leys wasn't too far from my route home from Wales this evening, though the bird didn't do the decent thing and give much of a close-up (18/5/25). #birds 🪶