Tom Lowe

Phonescoped image of the sun through a layer of fog showing three big sunspot regions

Phoenscoped image of the sun through a haze of Saharan dust in the atmosphere, complete with passing plane

Good views of the sun today thanks to natural filters of fog this morning and Saharan dust this evening. Great to see the details of sunspot regions 4378, 4381 and 4384 😎🛬 #atmosphericoptics

Two oddly pale presumed Greenland White-fronted Geese with normal Greenland Whitefronts

Two oddly pale presumed Greenland White-fronted Geese

Two oddly pale presumed Greenland White-fronted Geese

Two oddly pale presumed Greenland White-fronted Geese

Look at any flock of birds and you'll notice oddities, and this pair are very odd. When asleep, I assumed they'd be Russian Whitefronts, based on pale tones and broad fringes, but those heads and bills are very much Greenlands. Even odder to be a pair (or siblings?) 🤔 #goosing #birdingscotland

Adult (left) and 2cy Greenland White-fronted Geese

Adult Greenland White-fronted Geese

Greenland White-fronted Geese in flight

Two adult Greenland White-fronted Geese, one showing a noticeable eyering, a not uncommon feature

Following the recent disastrous news about Greenland Whitefront numbers, yesterday's count of 2,423 on Kintyre, including some decent age ratio counts (~12%), was encouraging. Such smart geese 👌 #goosing #birdingscotland

Just the same as if in a flock of Pinks, no interaction aside from the odd chase

Russian White-fronted Goose (front) with Greenland White-fronted Geese

3 Russian White-fronted Geese with Greenland White-fronted Geese

Russian White-fronted Goose (left) with Greenland White-fronted Geese

Russian White-fronted Goose (front) with Greenland White-fronted Goose

Came across 6 Russian Whitefronts amongst a pleasing total of 2,423 Greenlands on Kintyre today: one at Laggan and 5 at Rhunahaorine. Chalk and cheese #goosing #birdingscotland

Richardson's Cackling Goose and 4 Atlantic Canada Geese

Second time lucky for the dinky little Richardson's Cackling Goose with Canadas and 2 Barnacles north of Lochgilphead at Dunadd Fort, to continue small goose day #goosing #birdingscotland

Adult Ross's Goose distantly with a couple of Greylag Geese

Nice to catch up with the ad Ross's Goose with Greylags on Kintyre at Laggan early afternoon. Single ad Russian Whitefront with 2,013 Greenlanders 😍 #goosing #birdingscotland

Thanks. Yes, the scope definitely creates it a bit, but the green on the sunset waxes and wanes as you watch it - the same phenomenon as causes the infamous green flash

Sunset distorted by the atmosphere, showing three big sunspot regions

Almost full Moon, just on the wane

Nice wobbly, sunspotty, green-rimmed #sunset over the Atlantic this evening before that big #moon rose

Five of the eight Taiga Bean Geese in a frosty field in Ayrshire. Such distinctive birds, completely different to Tundras

Had to call in to see the Taiga Bean octet in Ayrshire this morning to add to the haul in this winter of geese. And then onwards to Kintyre and a Russian Whitefront amongst 256 Greenlands at Rhunahaorine #goosing #scottishbirding

Who knows! But based on trajectory, maybe Aberystwyth?!

Collage of four distant phonescoped images of a passing adult Iceland Gull showing the white wingtips and pale grey upperparts

#salopobs garden tick 💥151💥 came in the form of an adult Iceland Gull this morning, WSW over Condover at 0838. Amazing, especially in this era of dwindling wingers. I take it all back @danbranch94.bsky.social! #ukbirding

Glaucous Gull montage. 2cy left, 3cy right

The 3cy Glauc at Waxham may be a returning bird with a particularly knobbly right "knee". Photographed as a 2cy last winter by @patrickgoffin1965.bsky.social and as a 3cy today by @pterodroma.bsky.social #norfolkbirding #lovegulls

Glaucous Gull montage. 2cy left and 3cy right

I'm calling it - that spur on the right "knee" matches! #norfolkbirding

The pale eye is a bit of a giveaway! Interesting to note there was a juv at Waxham in the spring... (and they're so scarce in general nowadays)

Different ages surely?

Todd’s Canada, min 47 Russian Whitefront, fem Hen Harrier through east, 52 Barnacle best of Banks Marsh #UKbirding

Nice one, thanks Stuart! Great bird (and not the one I saw in Norfolk the week before)

Russian White-fronted and Pink-footed Geese in the rain

373 Russian Whitefronts amongst a flock of Pinks on Rawcliffe Moss this morning was a nice result. No sign of moving on yet despite the change in weather #lancsbirding #ukbirding

Hope you see it. Yeah, getting better on here I think, and I abandoned Twitter a long time ago! Shame we've all been spread across different platforms now

Thanks Colin. I miss him, wish he'd post on here more regularly

Distant Todd's Canada Goose with Pink-footed Geese on the marsh with the houses of Lytham across the Ribble in the background

Another week, another Todd's Canada, this one on Crossens Outer Marsh with Pinks currently. Also 8+ Russian Whitefronts and 10+ Barnacle Geese #lancsbirding #ukbirding

Look at that belly!

Russian White-fronted Geese in a Fylde pasture

Still 450+ Russian Whitefronts around the Fylde today, including a couple of three figure flocks and twos and threes in almost every flock of Pinks. So good #lancsbirding

Big 2cy male Caspian Gull amongst Herring Gulls

Big 2cy male Caspian Gull in a wings raised stand off amongst Herring Gulls

Big 2cy male Caspian Gull amongst Herring Gulls

This big 2cy #CaspianGull was a nice addition to the totals in the Battlefield gull field just north of Shrewsbury on my way to work today #shropshirebirding #ukbirding

Atrocious videograb of 6 Russian White-fronted Geese in flight. You can sort of make out the small size, slender wings and dark tones... sort of

A glorious springlike morning at #salopobs and another 6 Russian Whitefronts flew north across a backdrop of Skylark song. That's at least 1,772 that I've seen around Shrops, Lancs and Norfolk this winter #ukbirding

Amazing! Seems increasingly unlikely for us sky-scanners these days 😢

L to R: Barnacle with some Cackling genes (note the white collar and mahogany tinged breast), Atlantic Canada, hybrid Barnacle x Cackling Geese

Hybrid Barnacle x Cackling Geese

Atlantic Canadas, hybrid Barnacle x Cackling Geese, Moorhen

Canada, Barnacle and Cackling Goose genes in various bodies

I've had misgivings for a while, but @mattdenial.bsky.social's videos prove that the Branston brantas are a real pickle. Six show mixed features (white foreheads and/or dark breasts) and even the "Barnacle" shows a white collar and mahogany-tinged breast. All F1 & F2 hybrids to my eye #lincsbirding

Or is it the wrong bird in the photo, and we've got a backcross Cackler x Cackacle with 5 Cackacle offspring?!

That's a hybrid - look at the obvious ghosting of the dark breast of a Barnacle. Even though it lacks the white forehead patch that the others show