Mark James Pearson

Review of the Year '25, part four (much delayed!): from warm sunny days in Scarbados watching a Needletail to knee-deep snow in the Caledonian Pine forests, and a lot of stuff in-between... more here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/03/revi...

Pinks! It's that time of year.... spring is surely well underway when Pink-footed Geese are on the move, en masse, back to the Arctic - as they were on the Humber this week. More here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/02/paul...

A pleasure, Alan!

From a county far, far away (Lincolnshire, at least 3.5km at its nearest), four intrepid travellers arrived 'in off' during my Humber surveys this morning.... more here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/02/paul...

All the right Ansers... rare sunshine and a few hours spare meant an opportunity to go looking for geese: Barnacles, White-fronts and Tundra Beans were the main targets - can you find seven of the latter in the pick below?

More (and easier pics!) here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/02/all-...

A flying visit to Bamburgh, Northumberland to give a talk this week, with some birding in the sunshine sneaked in for good measure: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/02/bamb...

Thanks Dan!

Oh, and it's on Friday 13th!

@rossahmed.bsky.social

North-east birders! The talks continue this week with a face-to-face presentation for the lovely folk of North Northumberland Bird Club:
Filey International - Migration Magic and Madness on the North Yorkshire Coast
Bamburgh Cricket Pavilion; 1915 for a 1930hrs start - visitors welcome!

That's our first School of Birding Module Two done - a lovely team of crash test dummies survived to tell the tale, with new sessions (on Patch Birding, Purposeful Birding, Songs and Calls, eBird/Birdtrack, How to Find Rare Birds and more) all going down swimmingly. More: tinyurl.com/yujxa6t8

Black-and-white Warbler

Scarlet Tanager

American Red Squirrel

Blue-winged Warbler

Summer in New England means family and friends; it's not about birds (and it's the quietest time of year anyway). But, well, you know.... Review of the Year part three, here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/revi...

Nightjar

Lapwing chick

Lots of time in the North Yorkshire forests and on the moors in the spring, surveying and enjoying the fruits of a settled, warm spring. More here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/revi...

@nybirdnews.bsky.social @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social

Nothing better!

Leucistic Turnstone, Filey

Corncrakes, North Uist

Guiding on the Outer Hebrides, the Highlands & along the Yorkshire coast, exploring Orkney, surveying the North Yorkshire Moors, forests & the Humber, and plenty of off-the-clock birding too - it was a lovely spring. Part two of my annual Review here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/revi...

Donate to Save the Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project, organized by Spurn Bird Obs Without urgent support, the Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project may not be able … Spurn Bird Obs needs your support for Save the Beacon Ponds Little Tern Project

Attention birders! @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social have launched an urgent appeal to protect the Little Tern colony, one of the most successful in the UK. An unexpected funding gap means they need funds sharpish - a few quid goes a long way!

Donate: tinyurl.com/2s3k5exe

Learn more: tinyurl.com/2cnc9br4

Thanks so much, Annie!

@nybirdnews.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social @flamboroughbird.bsky.social

A brief visit over to Flamborough to see family, a clifftop walk on the Head this morning, a strong south-easterly and a constant procession of close-in seabirds on the move - including this stunning, smoky, wonderfully dark Blue Fulmar. More here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/blue...

Woodcock, Bempton

I spent much of this week back on the coast, inc. couple of sessions on the clifftop at Bempton and Buckton were high quality - one of which was spent guiding the fabulous RSPB Bempton Cliffs volunteering team with Will (our first of the year). More here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-...

Holy Island, Hogmanay and the Highlands - a summary of the festive period: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/holy...

A beautiful morning at #Buckton with lots of quality birds, including 24 Snow Buntings, a Russian White-fronted Goose north-west with 18 Pink-feet, a total of 165 Pinks in three flocks, 160 Corn Buntings, 21 Rock Pipits, 120 Skylarks, 25 Yellowhammers, 260 Starlings, six Redwings, 28 Fieldfares

Holy Island, Hogmanay and the Highlands - a summary of the festive period: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/holy...

This is really fascinating, thanks very much for sharing Paul!

Happy to share our new paper published in @cp-iscience.bsky.social We deployed 300+ multi-sensor loggers across 17 species to investigate how different species adapt their flight strategies when crossing deserts and marine areas during migration. tinyurl.com/2c8y8xvf #ornithology #birds

Excellent! Nope, the little fella moved on last week.

I know - what a drag! Apologies - painful to cancel but have to be mindful when the forecast is that bad.... next time indeed!

A wonderful couple of days guiding on my Winter Warmer Specials over on the coast... more here: northernrustic.blogspot.com/2026/01/wint...

@yorkscoastnature.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

(Pics - Great Northern Diver, Weasel, Kingfisher)

Back to work on the industrial south side of the Humber yesterday in biting winds and snow showers - and plenty of cold weather movers and shakers to enjoy along the seawall, including Jack Snipe, Black Redstart, hunting raptors and thousands of waders and wildfowl. More here: tinyurl.com/32xzwwft

Black Redstart feeding along the seawall at North Killingholme, in a loose passerine flock with Rock Pipits, Pied Wags, Meadow Pipits and Robins

@birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirdalertuk.bsky.social
@lincsbirding.bsky.social