Matt Hull

Every new building in Wales could be a home for Swifts – if we make Swift bricks mandatory.
‼️The debate is in the Senedd is tomorrow. ‼️
Contact your local MS today and tell them how important it is to protect Swifts. Every voice counts!

First definitive signs of autumn on Sand Point this morning: 1 Whimbrel, 1 Barn Owl, 20 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Firecrest, 7 Goldcrest, 1 Redwing, 1 Wheatear, 16 alba Wagtail, 44 Meadow Pipit, 10 Chaffinch, 22 Greenfinch, 37 Linnet, 1 Redpoll, 7 Siskin & 9 Reed Bunting. @bristolbirding.bsky.social

CVL (Herriot's Bridge): 2 Pectoral Sandpipers present (albeit distant), w/ 1 Wood Sand, 2 Snipe, 1 Greenshank & an Osprey sat in a tree. Brief views of Temminck's Stint at Cheddar on way back w/ 2 Little Stint, 1 Grey Plover, 2 Ruff & another Wood Sand also present. @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Moth trapping at Watercress Farm last night w/ Paul Chapman. Very pleased to have both been able to find only the U.K.’s 30th record of Shining Marbled! Other spp. incl The Brick, White Point, Gold Spot, Dusky Thorn, Spiny/Oak Hook-tip, Red Green Carpet, Brindled Green & Copper Underwing. #ukmoths

Late evening dash down to Budleigh Salterton gave very decent views of the Baird's Sandpiper on the LORP reserve with added bonus of Osprey over heading south. #ukbirding

Nice birding back in Avon over past 2 days. Red-backed Shrike showed nicely at Portbury early evening w/ 1 Willow Warbler, 18 Chiffs, 10 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler & 2 Spotted Flycatcher at Sand Point earlier. Balearic Shearwater was a Sand Point patch tick yday evening! @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Pendeen (07:00-11:00): 7 Common Scoter, 4 Grey Phalarope, 8 Sabine’s Gull, 5 Sandwich Tern, 10 Arctic Tern, 4 Great Skua, 2 Arctic Skua & 4 Great Shearwater. @runnelstone.bsky.social @marshallpaul.bsky.social

Cheddar Reservoir this evening: c.15 Ringed Plover, 6 Curlew Sandpiper, c.25 Dunlin, 2 Little Stint, 4 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Tern, 1 Arctic Tern, 4 Black Tern, 2 Glossy Ibis, 80 House Martin & 1 Yellow Wagtail. #somersetbirds #ukbirding

Few pics from my recent tour of the highlands & coasts of northern Scotland (24-29/08): Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Grey Partridge, Red-throated Diver and Golden Eagle were all life ticks, w/ supporting cast of Black Guillemot, Black-throated Diver, White-tailed Eagle & Barred Warbler. #ukbirding

Sand Point/Middle Hope: 1 Swift, 205 Ringed Plover, 3 Knot, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 7 Sanderling, 1 GBB Gull, 6 S. Martin, 520 Swallow, 210 H. Martin, 1 Firecrest, 2 Spotted Fly, 2 Whinchat, 6 Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wag, 3 Grey Wag, 11 Tree Pipit & 1 Clouded Yellow. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding

Sand Point/Middle Hope AM: 1 Greenshank, 7 Swallow, 1 Willow Warbler, 14 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap, 8 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Whitethroat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Redstart, 2 Whinchat, 1 Yellow Wag and a patch tick Corn Bunting! Hobby over my house later. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding

Rewarding weekend sea watching at Porthgwarra with @runnelstone.bsky.social. 1 Blackwit, 1 Ruff, 11 Sanderling, 2 Snipe, 1 distant Black Tern, 200+ Arctic Tern, 70 Common Tern, 1 Arctic Skua, 2 Great Skua, 1 Wilson's Petrel, 1 Euro Stormie, 1+ Great Shearwater & 1 Sooty Shearwater. #ukbirding

Willow Emerald showing very nicely earlier today at a local site near Puxton (W-s-M). Amazing how well this species has spread across the U.K. in the past 20 years! #damselflies

Cracking few hours at Slimbridge yesterday: Garganey, 7 Crane, Little Ringed Plover, 172 Blackwit, 14 Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, 5 Ruff, Caspian Tern (life tick), 2 Spoonbill & 5 Yellow Wagtail. @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social #ukbirding

Sand Point/Middle Hope AM: 1 Whimbrel, 125 Curlew (Sand Bay), 1 Marsh Harrier over east, 5 Sand Martin, 11 Swallow, 4 (1 juv) Willow Warbler, 21 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1 Garden Warbler, 9 Lesser Whitethroat, 25 Whitethroat, 1 Grey Wagtail & 7 Meadow Pipit. @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding

Nice views of a single Brown Hairstreak at Alners Gorse in Dorset yesterday (19/07/25) with supporting cast of Garden Warbler, 4 Spotted Flycatcher, Southern Hawker, Brown Hawker, 3 Purple Hairstreak, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma & 3 Silver-washed Fritillary. #ukbutterflies

Waldegrave Pool (Priddy) v. low on water on Sunday w/ just a small refuge left holding 2 Broad-bodied Chaser & 3 Keeled Skimmer. Southern pool was more productive w/ Red-eyed Damselfly, 2 Large Red Damselfly, Emerald Damselfly, Brown Hawker, Black-tailed Skimmer & Ruddy Darter. #ukdragonflies

Silverlake, Dorset (12/07/25): 5 Small Red-eyed Damselfly, 4 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 5 Emerald Damselfly, 6 Emperor Dragonfly, 7 Scarlet Darter, 3 Four-spotted Chaser, c.30 Black-tailed Skimmer, 4 Keeled Skimmer, 2 Red-veined Darter & 5 Common Darter. #ukdragonflies

Bernwood Forest (Oxford): 11 Purple Hairstreak, 4 Small Copper, 6 Purple Emperor, 34 Silver-washed Fritillary, 21 Marbled White, 4 Gatekeeper, c.200 Meadow Brown, c.400 Ringlet, 2 juv Marsh Tit in subsong w/supporting cast of Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler & Spotted Fly. #ukbutterflies

Ham Wall/Shapwick Heath (22/06/25): 1 late Cuckoo calling, 1 Bittern, 1 Hobby, 3 Garden Warbler, 1 Red-eyed Damselfly, 8 Brown Hawker, 1 Lesser Emperor, 12 Scarce Chaser, 400+ Four-spotted Chaser 2 Black-tailed Skimmer & 2 White Admiral. #ukbutterflies #ukdragonflies

Haddon Hill (21/06/25): 5 Red Kite, 1 Wood Warbler, 32 Willow Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Redstart, 2 Tree Pipit, 2 Redpoll, 2 Crossbill, 15 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 15 Large Skipper, 1 Green Hairstreak, 1 Small Copper & 1 Painted Lady. Unfortunately no Heath Fritillaries.

Priddy Pools (15/06/25): 2 Downy Emerald, 13 Four-spotted Chaser, 5 Black-tailed Skimmer, 4 Large Skipper, 2 Comma, 1 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, 2 Dark Green Fritillary, 13 Meadow Brown, 3 Small Heath, 3 Ringlet & 15+ Southern Marsh Orchid. #ukbutterflies #ukdragonflies

Late evening WhatsApp alert for Desert Wheatear had me scrambling over to Keynsham for an early morning visit. Was rewarded with stunning views! @bristolbirding.bsky.social

Nice catching up with you both earlier😁 Glad you both got to see the Honey Buzzard too (Goshawk is just taking it too far… 😂).

Nice to meet you this morning Bri🙂 Absolutely stunning bird right on our doorstep!

Westhay Moor (08/06/25): 30 Swift, 3 Cuckoo, 2 Hobby, Garden Warbler, Spotted Fly, ++ Azure/Variable/Blue-tailed, 1 Red-eyed Damselfly, 1 Brown Hawker, 1 Norfolk Hawker, 3 Emperor, 1 Broad-bodied, 3 Four-spotted, 6 Scarce Chaser, 2 Black-tailed Skimmer & 20 Small Tortoiseshell. #ukdragonflies

Cheers Rich. We will meet again I’m sure!

Fontmell/Melbury Downs: 2 RL Partridge, 1 L. Whitethroat, 1 Corn Bunting, 1 Stoat, 3 Large, 1 Dingy Skipper, 3 Brown Argus, 32 Adonis Blue, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 6 Marbled White & 36 Small Heath. Silver-studded Blue photo taken in New Forest the other day. #ukbutterflies

Normandy Marsh in Hampshire absolutely alive with terns on a brief visit there last week, with both Common and Little Tern present and very active. Shame the pair of Roseate Terns were not around this year but a pair of Med Gulls were nice to see. #ukbirding

Made a trip to see the Common/Sandwich Tern colonies on Brownsea Island last week and was awarded with very close views of both species. Even got to practice taking photos in flight! Several Med Gulls present too. #ukbirding