Ed Keeble

wet out there

top edit on that photo!

It has taken a bit of legwork to get this GW Egret at Alton Water decoded (well done to Laurence Potter for tip-off that we had a bangled one there). Turns out it is from NE Poland, border with Lithuania. I've seen a couple of reports from Belarus, so fits the pattern. #UKBirding

Top detour thanks to Great Bustard Group on way back from some non-birdy doings down south- these two big boyz on Salisbury Plain standing tall in sluicing rain I guess so water doesn't puddle on their mighty backs #BirdArt

Too much time on wadery data entry at the mo, but just time to add a Turnstone bodyrocking a floating goose carcase to the ouevre.

Important to keep the rainbow list moving along. Greenshank, Barwit and Grey Plover added in one hit along the Stour this evening. Brent, Redshank and Knot just rainbow year ticks.

Bartail does seem to be #1 for doing this - we had a little thread on X on it a few years ago and there seemed to be a south coast one and a few more up the east coast, the Suffolk/Essex one still going last winter

We've got a pearly king of Grey Plover on the Stour this week- big round white tips to all its uppers and no sign of wear that I have seen yet, so pretty sure it is a bit of moulto madness. #Birdart

You might think the most exciting yellow rectangle of the autumn would be the glowing arseplaster of a Pallas's Warbler- but no- it has to be the flag on Knot VXY arriving a week early on the Stour for at least its twelfth consecutive season #UKbirding

Featuring a Desertas petrel that stunned scientists by chasing a tropical storm (see their incredible chase mapped here!), tiny nightingales that cross the Sahara twice a year, and Bewick's swans that have changed their stopovers and diet

Making the most of mild adversity- I’m grounded with a dinged back, but discover my walking stick doubles nice as a brush rest.#Birdart

Little rascals still busy this week- here one trying to swipe a mouse off the Kestrel, which foiled it by flipping onto the roof slope and holding the mouse out of sight. #BirdArt

That's very kind!

Rainy day paint project- here's three bandits doing a backlit autumnal thing earlier in the week. #Birdart

Yes indeed- these 3 have spent a lot of time last couple of weeks happily sitting out on the field, usually 50M apart from but occasionally together. Don't know why but have done it at this site before- NE Essex arid agri-desert so not many trees, maybe also wind not so strong at ground level.

Today the Hobby kits have been learning about crows- no protection on hand from the adults as the female is long departed and the male doesn't do child minding except for feeding... happy ending as the grabbed bird got rescued in fine style by its siblings. #UKbirding

GBBG looking pleasingly like a Lammergeier whilst chugging a flattie yesterday afternoon.

Some weather at last! Curlew Sand being biffed by the wind on the roost today before nipping round the corner to get in the leeside of things. #UKbirding

First few juv Knot coming through here- must be bloody irritating to make it 4,000Km from Ellesmere Island or wherever and then have a Manila clam (I guess) clamp onto your hind toe when you land. #UKbirding

Plovers scuttling about on the baked crust of the salting this evening- here's lumpen juv Ringed Plover versus elfin juv Little Ringed Plover #UKbirding

Air defence systems still active this week. #BirdArt

Just to confirm that the young GBBG is now the size of small donkey.

Been doing a bit of long overdue taxonomy catch-up. I've got my head around divers no longer being at the front of the bird book, but cuckoos between bustards and sandgrouse is going to take a bit of getting used to. #UKbirding

Some weather at last! Not enough rain to lay the dust, but four inbound Knot plopped in and hauled out behind the Co-op. #UKBirding

There's consequences to having GBBG on the river- but hats off to this Shelduck who has successfully defended seven chicks for a week without loss despite daily check ups from the beast. #BirdArt

A bit of late season chickery down on the roost- Redshanks hatched in last week, so after the first godwits are back. The gatepost has been there since at least 1900 so has hosted more than 125 years of yelping Redshanks. #UKbirding

Shame you can't paint sounds- had a Peregrine follow me across a field and who00osh straight over my shoulder trying to take a Skylark. #BirdArt

Tempting to think that all gulls are rampant everywhere, but GBBG is still staying classy- as far as i can tell there's none pairs in Essex, just a couple in Suffolk inc. this one which escorted me off the premises whilst I was trying to count the early season Curlew. #UKbirding

smart returning godwit! have you tracked down the contact for it OK?

That’s very cool