@craigcthomas1.bsky.social
Chair Flamborough Bird Observatory, birder, conservationist, long since abandoned attempts to be 'rounded'
A glorious morning @flamboroughbird.bsky.social in every sense. Watching two Minke Whales lunge feeding amongst seabird frenzies when a vocal Bee-eater circled overhead at 0945hrs before drifting south. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social
11.07.2025 09:56 β π 42 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
'High pressure' spring birding on the east coast not for the faint-hearted. Today's find a female 'grey-headed' wagtail on the @flamboroughbird.bsky.social golf course - the day's only passerine migrant. Walked 41km this weekend for the oriole, the wagtail and 2 Northern Wheatears π
11.05.2025 14:53 β π 29 π 1 π¬ 1 π 0
My only migrant find @flamboroughbird.bsky.social this morning a singing first-summer male Golden Oriole. Distant (obviously π), it soon moved on. After yesterdayβs spoonbills, another species that featured on my Lesvos trip - keep going at this rate & the cinereous bunting twitch will be popular!
10.05.2025 12:48 β π 52 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Nice start to my first day's birding @flamboroughbird.bsky.social in three weeks - two Spoonbills circled the outer head and then flew south-west at 0750hrs. @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social
09.05.2025 12:06 β π 28 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Birds concentrated on ice free cliff top fields @flamboroughbird.bsky.social. Thought the Lesser White-fronts had left, so surprised when they crested a field I was walking towards - dived behind a hedge and treated to best views yet. Winter thrushes, Woodcock and this Water Rail also showing well.
11.01.2025 14:41 β π 24 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Snow Bunting by name, snow bunting by nature. A flock of 32 birds on Beacon Hill @flamboroughbird.bsky.social this morning. Small numbers of Golden Plovers, Lapwing, Fieldfare & 1000s of Common Gulls along the cliffs further evidence of cold weather movement #UKbirds
10.01.2025 12:38 β π 29 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
A mid-winter walk along the South Cliffs @flamboroughbird.bsky.social often just a case of counting wintering Stonechats. Today was different ... a flock of 26 Snow Buntings surprised, but a gorgeous adult Iceland Gull the highlight - the headland's first white-winged gull for over a year!
04.01.2025 14:36 β π 31 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Happy New Year from the @flamboroughbird.bsky.social seawatch team. Enjoyable company during a relatively quiet few hours, but two Velvet Scoters a bonus.
01.01.2025 11:01 β π 20 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
So 2024 highlights, (re-)finding Eastern Olivaceous & Blyth's Reed Warblers @flamboroughbird.bsky.social. Also lucky enough to see 3 of my most wanted: Hoatzin, Pel's Fishing Owl & Crescent-faced Antpitta. The latter the first bird to bring tears to me eye as I crouched in the cloud forest. #birds
31.12.2024 21:30 β π 17 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
Morning walk @flamboroughbird.bsky.social felt like a lament to days gone by. Highlights two drake Pochard (a species I no longer see annually) & a flock of seven Corn Buntings; the largest flock I've come across on the outer head for years.
29.12.2024 13:35 β π 24 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
An exciting 35 minutes at South Landing @flamboroughbird.bsky.social from first light (actually just before first light) rewarded with 45 Little Auks moving 'north-east' & hundreds of Kittiwakes streaming past. #UKBirding
09.12.2024 10:25 β π 40 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Our Storm Darragh garden clean up had to wait for the inevitable seawatch @flamboroughbird.bsky.social. The gale force northerlies produced with 52 Little Auks, four Puffins, a Black-necked Grebe, 2 Great Northern Divers, 3 Sooty Shearwaters & 5 Manx Shearwaters all reorientating back north.
08.12.2024 12:59 β π 23 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
Eye of the storm @flamboroughbird.bsky.social. Took advantage of brief calm to walk the outer head ... the Lesser White-fronts with their White-front friend were still present. A Great Northern Diver flew south, while this confiding Snow Bunting was my first of the winter. #UKbirding
07.12.2024 12:21 β π 32 π 1 π¬ 1 π 0
Regardless of whether tickable or not - it felt 'just right' watching the Lesser White-fronted Geese with a Russian White-front & Pinkies this morning, while hunkered underneath Old Fall Hedge @flamboroughbird.bsky.social in blustery northerlies & driving rain.
02.12.2024 12:44 β π 30 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0
'Mic drop' birding in Kruger. One of the most wanted for many a birder - Pel's Fishing Owl & oh what views. I was rendered speechless for many a minute! #birds #Kruger
30.11.2024 13:11 β π 7 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Lucky enough to have just spent 13 days watching six prides of lions & four leopards amongst others. But we couldn't find our own predator away from the crowds. That is, until our first ever Cheetah sauntered across the road, causing an emergency stop & tourette's. Truly a life moment! #kruger
23.11.2024 17:42 β π 10 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Raining cats & dogs in Kruger. A cooler drizzly day was rewarded with fantastic views of five Wild Dogs & three Leopards.
22.11.2024 18:35 β π 21 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
