The White Falcon

Rings a bell ~ might be in a different issue of BB? That really was such an amazing bird, an all-time favourite.

See ALT for more 🙂

Famously, Brian tried to feed the Upland Sand a worm from his mouth! Somewhere, probably in the BBRC report of the following year, that was mentioned with a waggish comment about refusing a Mars bar...(its weird what sticks in the memory...). After two day twitches earlier in the month (dipping the Garrison Green Warbler, but snagging Robin Chittenden's Parula on trip 1, and seeing the Hugh Town Bobolink on trip 2), my parents agreed to a half term holiday later the same month. That week on Scilly, with my friend Roger Stafford, was complete revelation. Cliff Swallow, Blackpoll Warbler, Pallas's Warbler and several other great (new birds). But the Upland was the best of them all. I'll never forget seeing it from the bus as we came into Hugh Town and we saw it everyday. Touch tame. My mum loved it! Very happy memories, for many happy reasons.

Researching at the mo & I saw this famous shot that I hadn't seen in 30 years ~ a David Hunt classic of Bob Henry giving the epic Upland Sandpiper (on St Mary's, by the hospital) a worm in Oct. 1983. The late Brian Field looks on w/Keith Vinnicombe to the right. An all-time favourite rarity of mine.

I've never seen a Pink-foot quite like that one ~ that's super-smart. I don't even know what you'd call it beyond an extreme leucisim I suppose. Ways away from the "normal" leucistic/schizochromatic white banded birds or the lovely "latte" Pinks. Ashen almost. Achromatic. Stunning.

I love these & I'm glad you posted it Andrew. It is a smart bird & always good to see. A trait of one parent here, a trait of another parent there. I'd love to know precise parentage (as in argie x intermedius // argie x graellsii // southern argie x Dutch LBB!). Thx for posting 👍 cheers, Mark

Smart bird 👌 Herring (L.a. argentatus) x LBB can give that upperpart look & overall appearance, dark & yet blue-toned. Primary pattern reminiscent of LBB. As you mentioned, it's not the right for any pure HG.
@macstronach.bsky.social had a proper arctic hybrid recently.
@saloplarus.bsky.social

...and here's the monochrome set...
Goosander, Bridgewater Canal
January 29 2026
#ukbirding

The dapper dandy of a drake Goosander was back along the Bridgewater Canal on the morning walk. Such a smart bird & so confiding ~ a simply superb sawbill 🙂
#ukbirding
#manchesterbirds

They may even have been on my charter...

Nice...
I wonder how many people went for that Normandy bird? Not too many I guess. So vocal that bird. Brilliant little twitch.

Ah yes ~ so I may have seen 3 after all that, though the consensus was it was a returning bird. I need to look these things up rather than freestyle...😂

Only our plane-load were the inky visitors to twitch the Normandy Killdeer on the day we went to St Mary's in late November 1989. I was so happy to enjoy such smart views ~ a nervy bird at times, it showed just as Alan Tate's photo here shows, as well as giving brilliant (noisy!) flight views after a scare from a local Peregrine. Rather lovely to have it to ourselves 🙂

What a carry on the Norfolk Killdeer was! I was at the north end of East Bank when my pager went off: the rare happening of me actually running down East Bank to meet Richard Millington for a failed Sunday around the side of Breydon Water (near the rugby pitch) followed... ...happily, all as made well the following morning with early news of it's reappearance (think that was Graham Etherington) & this time... BOOM! Killdeer on the Norfolk list...

... but that wasn't the end of the saga... A few days later, the Killdeer rocked up on the pools off Friary Hills in Blakeney. Inexplicably kept quiet on the Friday until late, it stayed across two further days (albeit intermittent in its appearances). I was working in London ~ I came home late on Friday to dip early on Saturday before heading back to London for work at Television Centre, before coming back late night the same day. The alarm was set for very early Sunday & I walked to the Freshes for dawn on a chilly April morning. A slightly nervy wait & some studious searching & happily I discovered it feeding quietly on a small pool at the east end of Friary Hills. I was ecstatic! This one feels like yet another incredible Cley Square bird & likely one not to be repeated (see also Little Whimbrel!).

A journey thru' the past.
Hampshire's Killdeer got me all nostalgic for my UK encounters. November 1989 & I sorted a Skybus charter to St Mary's for the superb Normandy bird. In 2005, Norfolk's 1st took two goes at Breydon & two goes in the Cley square as well...
See ALT
#rarebirdsuk
#historicrares

Thinking this may be one of your Black-headed Gulls @kanebrides.bsky.social
Blue 2R49 around Salford Quays this lunchtime.
Love to hear more if it's one of yours Kane 👍
Thx, Mark

Sinesis looking sharp, punkish & getting ready for spring around a gusty, grey & chilly Salford Quays this lunchtime. There's always something to see...
Gotta love a Cormorant.
#salfordbirds
#ukbirding

That's an absolute beaut. Really Glaucky, (almost?) better than the real thing. Only seen a couple of Vikings at that end of the GG scale. Belter 👍

Another terrific read Brian, thanks for posting 👍 This was the last hitch of any distance I did for a tick, on that same Monday as you were heading up from Brentford. I lucked in on a Norfolk birder passing me at a Fenland roundabout (we had a Montagu's Harrier lollop over the road soon after!).

21! That's a fantastic effort 👏

Oh yeah I am loving those 👌 Great looking birds. And they really do look like both parent species) ~ that's pretty cool. Enjoying these a lot. Thx for the tag Tom 👍

Slightly random one...
Wondering if there might be a Manchester/Salford birder who might be thinking of heading over for the Speke grackle tomorrow (maybe the roost?), please drop us a DM 👍 (...and if you've got a spare pair of bins, even better 😉😂).
Thanks v much, Mark
#manchesterbirders
#grackle

Glad the Grackle did its thing for you 😁 Nice to have the mystery resolved with the hoped for outcome 🙂! I really couldn't see it as being anything else last night but great to see you got the full-on confirmation. Good work 👍 Interesting to have a third Grackle in not very long at all.

You're welcome. Good luck in trying to get to the bottom of your mystery bird 👍

There's hints of Grackle sp., about that clacking call. The head & bill profile could be interpreted as being adjacent to a Grackle. Seems to have longish legs/tail in the bush, but there's nothing like enough detail to be sure what bird species it is. Any boats from US been past your patch lately?

Gorgeous drake Goosander back along the Bridgewater Canal this morning. I'm still getting to grips with the video on the new phone. Results, without any optics & the x20 UHD zoom, not bad at all bar the colours being a bit haywire on grabs, but I'll figure that out somehow...
#ukbirding

Mike's pix are 1st I've seen w/Pinks. Despite v pale breast, it has got a Todd's feel to it in these (that I didn't get from other shots I've seen). It's reminiscent of the big Todd's in winter 2001, the biggest, snakiest TCG I've seen. Todd's or Atlantic? Tough call. Either way, it's a vagrant...

Ooooh I say...
They are very lovely indeed.

Smart pickup ~ looks the business doesn't it. Persistance pays off 👍

That's a sensational portrait Hugh. Those Taiags...and the Greyakgs aren't too shabby either. Love that shot.

We've really been enjoying your Lesvos in winter posts Howard. Hope you've warmed up a bit!

Massive shout out to @helsinkibirder.bsky.social for all the time he's taken explaining how to (hopefully) resolve my image stabilising queries. Lots to learn about and digest & look at further on the phone but there's definitely much more to go at than I had a couple of days ago.
Thx Owen 👍

This is all so helpful. I had no idea about any of what you've mentioned in your replies, it really isn't something I have ever understood but your mini tutorials have been nothing short of revelatory. I will read and digest some more. Massive thanks again Owen, much appreciated.