Mike Ixer

Mike Ixer

@mikeixer.bsky.social

Wildlife watcher and photographer now based in East Devon. Mainly birds but a bit of everything, with a few landscapes thrown in for good measure.

958 Followers 54 Following 88 Posts Joined Oct 2024
1 day ago
Female red-breasted merganser with what appears to be fishing line caught in its bill. Sandwich Tern Great Black-Backed Gull Dark-bellied Brent Goose

I very frustratingly missed the forsters tern in Poole Park this afternoon. Some other birds showed themselves very well. It’s only after looking at the photo that I’ve noticed the merganser appears to have fishing line caught in its bill. #Birds #DorsetBirds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife

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1 week ago
Great White Egret in flight Great White Egret landing. Great White Egret Great White Egret with a fish.

I felt lucky to get such good views of this great white egret at Chard Reservoir this afternoon. It flew towards me and then spent some time fishing close by. Lucky for me - not so much for the fish. #Birds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife #SomersetBirds #Egret

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3 weeks ago

That’s very kind. I was caught between being disappointed that the photo wasn’t pin sharp, with photographic artefacts like branches and leaves in the way. But then my thinking moved in the same way as yours thinking that this actually depicts the constant movement of this group of birds.

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3 weeks ago

I believe they both (all) fall into the family regulidae - so very much related.

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3 weeks ago

This is very cool! Thanks for sharing.

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3 weeks ago
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Finally, the sun appeared yesterday so I went exploring around Seaton Wetlands. Male and female shelducks looked great in the sun. Firecrest played hard to get in the bushes and my first coot in the Axe Valley - I never imagined they’d be a rarity! #DevonBirds #Birds #UkWildlife #WildlifePhotography

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1 month ago

For someone so concerned about English, I would’ve thought yours would be better.

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1 month ago

We are in the south-west of England. A truly beautiful part of the country.

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1 month ago

I guess at Frampton Marsh, these would be pink-footed geese coming back to roost at the end of the day. I’ve seen them same in Norfolk and it is quite the spectacle! The noise as much as the sight.

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1 month ago

I’m not particularly familiar with birds from that side of the Atlantic, but if memory serves from a trip to Costa Rica years ago, I think this is a great kiskadee.

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1 month ago

Hi, I use a Nikon D7500 with a Tamron 150mm-600mm lens. It works very well in good light but struggles in anything less. No tripod, just handheld for these shots.

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1 month ago

Hi, I use a Nikon D7500 with a Tamron 150mm-600mm lens. It works very well in good light but struggles in anything less.

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1 month ago
Dark-bellied brent geese in flight Very pale common buzzard Great cormorant in flight Pied avocet

Went to explore Exminster Marshes this morning and it was also fantastic! I don’t know why it’s taken over a year living in Devon to start properly exploring these places. Loads of birds spending their winter feeding on the slightly flooded fields. #Birds #DevonBirds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife

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1 month ago
Siberian lesser whitethroat Eurasian blackcap Black redstart Siberian lesser whitethroat

Some unseasonable birds seen in Seaton during my lunch break today. The lesser whitethroat is thought to be of the Siberian subspecies which is really cool. There are apparently two of them over-wintering in this very small oasis in Devon. #DevonBirds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife #Birds

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2 months ago
Little Egret Spotted Redshank Eurasian Wigeon Slavonian Grebe

First time properly exploring the Lower Otter Restoration Project at Buddleigh Salterton and it was fantastic! The current ‘star’ - slavonian grebe - was distant for photos but resplendent in glorious sunshine. The spotted redshank showed well. #Birds #DevonBirds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife

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2 months ago

Just read your blog about your wander around. There were two water rails and a cettis down the footpath behind the football club recently - not sure if you ventured that way.

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2 months ago

It must have been you I saw walking along the river while I was down there playing with ice with my son. There are some nice paths around Axminster. Where was the green sand?

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2 months ago

I like this one a lot!

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2 months ago
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Today’s Christmas Eve offering is the Bohemian waxwing. An unusual winter visitor to the UK in Winter except every now and then during ‘eruption’ years when continental food sources fail. A photographers’ favourite with its ‘wax-tipped’ wing tips. #Birds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife #Waxwing

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2 months ago

It’s European, but I don’t know how far South in Europe it extends or how far East towards Asia it extends.

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2 months ago

This is exactly what I mean - there are some great names for birds around the world! I wonder why snow fairy though, do they migrate to Spain in Winter?

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2 months ago

As far as I’m aware, not a plover. The body is plover-like but in my experience, the plover family would have shorter bills. I think oystercatchers are a family unto themselves with different species around the world. All classed as wading birds.

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2 months ago
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I found the comments on the last post about bird names in other languages fascinating! Today pictures of long-tailed tits - there must be some good names for these little, charismatic, unstoppable, insect-guzzling miniature forces of nature! #Birds #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotography

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2 months ago

I’ll bear that in mind

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2 months ago
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Let’s see if I can continue my recent hot streak with today’s bird of the day. A few photos of various Eurasian oystercatchers (haematopus ostralegus) from over the years. As my good friend calls them, “Magpies with carrots on their face”. #Birds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife #Oystercatcher

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2 months ago

I think what you have here is a secretary bird native to the African continent.

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2 months ago
Eurasian Nuthatch Eurasian Nuthatch

I’ll see if I can continue my recent good luck with post popularity and give the people what they apparently want. Here’s a couple of photos of a very confiding Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea) from a little while back. #birds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife

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2 months ago

Thank you. Reported it. We’ll see if that comes to anything.

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2 months ago

Thank you for letting me know. I’ve reported it - not that I imagine much will come of it. They didn’t even remove the watermarks on the photos 😂

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2 months ago

Hi, this is my post that you’ve copied - the photos even have my name in the corner 😂

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