David Walsh

A fun day up the coast with @joshuapeverley.bsky.social catching up with @tsbirding.bsky.social. Enjoyed Purple Sandpipers & Peregrines at Ness Point before close views of American Wigeon, White-fronted & Tundra Bean Geese at Carlton where we ate our picnics in the warm sunshine!

We did indeed!

It’s all relative!

An awesome day with @naturetrek.bsky.social in Ecuador. We started watching a Cock-of-the-rock lek, definitely something on my ‘most wanted list’. Giant Antpitta followed, so I could pose in front of the reserve sign having seen both species on it! Toucan Barbet was a bonus. Over 100 lifers already.

Patience was rewarded this morning for our @naturetrek.bsky.social group in Ecuador when these Rufous-fronted Wood-Quails finally appeared at the feeders!

I booked ‘last minute’ on a short @naturetrek.bsky.social trip to Ecuador and we had a truly wonderful first day y’day. No fewer than 27 species of hummingbird (photos to follow). At Zoroloma we enjoyed seeing three Antpittas - Equatorial, Chestnut-naped and Chestnut-crowned - and heard Undulated.

An excellent day’s birding in south Suffolk. With @joshuapeverley.bsky.social I enjoyed Tundra Bean Geese near the Deben and Snow Buntings at Landguard. Then nipped to Alton with another local young birder and saw Smew & Scaup, bettered by the two Bewick’s Swans which flew overhead calling: magic!

Bittern, 80+ Snow Buntings and the Temminck's Stint were among the highlights on a recent trip to the Suffolk Coast with @david-walsh.bsky.social @noahbai-123.bsky.social @tsbirding.bsky.social @lucasnature.bsky.social and others!

Just to share the joy of a drake Smew on patch at Alton- the last one a few years ago had felt like a last chance to see already. Not the full set of white head plumes on this chap, but pearls of water on its back when it upped from dive. #BirdArt

Delighted to watch a drake Smew at Alton Water today, my first there for many years. Another cracking find by Steve Babbs #suffolkbirding

Snow bunting flock

Male snow bunting

A stunning snow day on the beach today
Kessingland 03/1/2026

Enjoyed a long-awaited day on the Suffolk coast today catching up with friends, seeing Snow Buntings, Eider and this Temminck’s Stint. The snow made life ‘interesting’ at one stage but ultimately proved to be a bonus! Thanks to the Westleton Crown for saving the day at lunchtime!

Happy New Year everyone! As per the last five years, I started 2026 birding within c10km of home, aiming to note as many species as possible, as part of a collective effort. 107 was a personal best (previous high 102). Jack Snipe seen with thermal (not flushed) & Great Northern Diver two highlights.

I wasn’t expecting a second outing today, but the Red-necked Grebe just across into Essex and just 20 minutes from home was too good to resist. My first since December 2023. A super find by Matt Turner. #ukbirding

Spent this morning along the Deben catching up with @joshuapev.bsky.social.
We located the cracking Black Brant found two days ago by Paul Holmes, my first for ages, as well as 15 White-fronted Geese. #suffolkbirding #ukbirding

What a mega day!! Started by twitching Great Shearwater (Norfolk tick) off Winterton. Sooty Shearwater and Snow Buntings from there too. Then I found 8+ Tundra Bean Geese at Horsey. Then, at St. Benet's Abbey, I had great views of Black-winged Kite, Glossy Ibis, Short-eared Owl, and 7 cranes. Wow!

Home from a good day out catching up with @tsbirding.bsky.social & his mum. Started at Minsmere as planned, then tootled to Carlton Marshes to enjoy the ‘white nun’ drake Smew which enjoyed spending time under water. First I’ve seen in Suffolk since I first bumped into Toby at Mins four winters ago!

Was pleased to connect with the Eastern Black Redstart today in Sheringham and had super views of it feeding along the seawall.

Lovely day in Cornwall, star billing to the Pacific Diver, lifer! And great supporting cast: 2 Lesser Scaup, Scaup, Black-throated Diver, 2 Red Throated Diver, 7 Great Northern Diver, Black Redstart and 2 Goosander.

Here's a backlit GND from the Stour earlier in the week. Beak open between dives. #BirdArt

An excellent day catching up and birding with my niece y’day, first time in ages. Finding a Dartford Warbler amongst the highlights. I had time later to nip to Gedgrave where I was surprised to find the Tundra Bean Geese still
present. Finally a dusk walk at Orford produced my first Merlin of 2025!

Congrats to Sam on his award which is well deserved. The Sand Martin pic is really super and it was great to visit the site with Sam last April.

Three Suffolk Shrikes - I have a signed, limited edition giclee print of a painting of the 3 rare shrikes in Suffolk this autumn (Isabelline, Turkestan and Brown). Just 50 available and only £50 window mounted (add £12 for P&P): PM me if interested and please repost, thanks

Great to be out on Patch again at Walthamstow Wetlands today in glorious weather. I was certainly caught by surprise when I was looking through a Chiffchaff flock, and then this Common Whitethroat popped up! #ukbirding #patchbirding

Guiding for Naturetrek today, and finally it coincided with a dry Friday even if it was rather grey. Walkaway views of male and female Crossbills, with the male in song. Also Dartford Warblers, Raven, Cattle Egrets, then an array of dabbling ducks (and a good cafe lunch!) at Hollesley #ukbirding

Not a field sketch that's for sure, but just pencilling out a top nice thing from the Stour today- wind lifting the nape of a Black-throated Diver enough to make a white crescent from the underlay. #BirdArt

Thanks Mark. When it first called I simply didn’t believe I had heard it.

I headed to Raydon disused airfield this morning where recent visits have produced flocks of finches and pipits (so a chance of Merlin I thought….). No luck, but instead I found a Dartford Warbler, a rather extraordinary record for deepest mid-Suffolk. I was in disbelief when I first heard it!

This Water Pipit was a nice surprise at Island Mere Minsmere just before dusk.