Phil Woollen

Just as well we’ve got 14 sitting down for Christmas dinner. He’s definitely safe as not big enough. In our garden and strutting around like he owns the place #ukbirding

Volume up. Sitting in the house whilst it’s still pitch black outside & heard Little Owl calling from fields in front of us. Glad to know they’re still around but haven’t discovered where yet #ukbirding #cheshirebirding #littleowls

Cousin Island. Seychellles part 2. I must admit a bit of an ulterior motive when I booked a trip to Cousin Island on Jan's birthday. I knew sh'ed love getting close up to the ...

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#seychelles #birding

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Adult winter plumaged Med Gull in field behind house partially hidden by trees. Taken through bedroom window. Good find among 300 B H Gulls, 100 Common Gulls a few Herring Gulls & a single Lesser Black Backed Gull #ukbirding #patchbirding #cheshirebirding

Cheers Col

Seychelles part 1 We'd always wanted to go to the Seychelles so started exploring possibilities lat year. We decided on Praslin Island as the hotel we stayed ...

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#seychelleswildlife

After seeing several fly-past Seychelles Kestrels I was stoked to find a pair at a nest hole at the top of a tall tree near our hotel! #Seychelles #Praslin

Even though they’re an introduced species to Seychelles Red Fody is still a stunning bird. Even managed a record shot of a scarce yellow morph #seychelles

Synchronised bathing by a couple of Ground Doves on Praslin (Seychelles) during a shower of rain #seychelles

Amazed by the number of waders here on Praslin (Seychelles). Birds I’d expect to see back in UK & incredibly tame. Curlew Sand, Wood Sand, Greenshank, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel & Curlew #seychelles

Saw a Hawksbill Turtle in the surf 1st thing this morning but it didn’t come ashore. Took a walk along the beach this evening & she’d come ashore later & laid her eggs when we were out! Photo of trail to nest & there was another trail returning to sea. Rangers will mark it tomorrow #seychelles

Worth skipping breakfast to get to Vallée de Mai early this morning for close views of this endemic Seychelles Parrot! By the time I left there were hordes of people & no parrots. Two distant Seychelles Kestrels completes the set of Praslin endemics #seychelles #birding

A real surprise over dinner tonight when a Wedge-tailed Shearwater crash landed into the restaurant. Known locally, apparently, as ‘pukey birds’ after their habit of vomiting over rescuers. Waitress pushed it into a dark corner with a broom #seychelles

Caught up with another Seychelles endemic this afternoon on a stroll back from the beach. Seychelles Bulbul! Added another new species for the holiday list in Black-crowned Night Heron

4 endemics from our current trip to the Seychelles - Seychelles Magpie Robin, Seychelles Fody, Seychelles Warbler & Seychelles Blue Pigeon. First 3 all photographed on Cousin Island reserve & the pigeon at our resort on Praslin #seychelles

Snow on the Carneddau in N Wales viewed from @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social y’day. Incredible light. Visibility 60 miles+ and could see some of the Lake District peaks

Purple Sandpipers in low light at high tide y’day @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social 8 counted so hopefully we’ll soon have double figures wintering around the island

Frosty start to the morning and a dusting of snow on top of Moel Famau when I looked out the study window

Beautiful rainbow(s) from the garden y’day afternoon just after we finished our walk around the village. Highlight was my biggest flock (20) of Fieldfare so far this winter period

Rough seas @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social today & bitterly cold. -2 with wind chill from a northerly F6. Plenty of waders around with 6 Purple Sandpipers roosting with Turnstone & Redshank in Niffy Bay

Stone Curlews, Nightjars and Woodlarks. More memories from my teenage years in Suffolk. Harking back to again to my teenage years spent birding in Suffolk under the tutelage of good friends. In those mid seventies years species ...

New blog post:
#ukbirding

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Yes, they’re quite feisty as well!

Back to Grovesnor Park, Chester this morning to try & catch & colour ring Moorhens for National Waterbird marking scheme. No new birds but retrapped H23 ringed July 2024. Now to repair one of the traps where rat chewed through before I could release it

11 Whooper Swans just flown over the garden heading NW presumably towards Martin Mere! Patch gold. Only my 3rd sighting in 9 years living here #pwc2025 #cheshirebirding #ukbirding

Terribly. Especially the males 🤣

The pond opposite our house is just beginning to fill up after being completely dry all summer. I can just see the water for 1st time since spring. These 2 Wigeon just dropped in! #ukbirding #patchbirding #pwc2025

Just picked this up from the framers and hung it on my study wall. A beautiful drawing from an original photo of the Siberian Rubythroat I found on Fetlar in 2019. Thanks to @ruths-portraits.bsky.social for doing such a beautiful commission for me #ukbirding

German colour ringed Curlew back @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social for its 2nd winter & having a good preen. 1st seen in November 2024 #birdringing #birdbanding

Same here Julian but I guess only weighing 4.8 g when she arrived a 0.1 g increase is significant! 🤣

This young female Goldcrest was ringed on 15th Oct @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social and recaptured a week or so ago. We recaptured it again today. Very unusual to have one staying almost a month. It’s put on 0.1g! #birdringing #birdbanding