Steve Williams

Early start to get over for the tide @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social payed off with a fantastic imm male Hen Harrier that came in off the sea. Spring migration continues with 3 Stonechat, a pair each of Starling,Stock Dove & Woodpigeon. 13 Purple Sand roosting. #UKbirding

Male Hen Harrier

Male Hen Harrier

Purple Sandpiper

Stonechat

Spring was in full swing @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social with all the locals back in full voice, Stonechats buzzed around the paddock fences & waders fed as the tide moved them. Great to see a male Hen Harrier come in from the North before heading West, a sadly rare bird here now. #ukbirding

Male stonechat takes flight from grassy clump at Hilbre Islands LNR

First Chiffchaff of the year appears in Blackthorn on Hilbre

Harbour Porpoise surfaces off the north end of Hilbre Islands LNR

Common Frog moving through long grass on Hilbre

First spring migrants seen @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social yesterday with Stonechats (7), Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff (only our second February record ever!) plus some other wildlife noted (H Porpoise 🐬 and Common Frog 🐸) #UKBirding

Some White-tailed Eagles over Islay and Jura recently #UKBirding

The returning adult Red-breasted Goose showed well on the Loch Gruinart flats during our half term week on #Islay #UKBirding

A massive shock to hear of the passing of great friend Marc Eden last weekend. Despite living in🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿was just a message or call away. Kept in touch during difficult times incl losing dad, BSB & my battle with big C. We never did do the scoters together - sorry mate 😞💔 I’ll be raising a few on #Islay 🥃❤️‍🩹

Purple Sandpiper - one of my favourite waders 😍 @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social this morning #UKBirding

Bustards on Salisbury Plains … a great way to finish a fabulous south Costa roadtrip (plus loads of Red Kites and Corn Buntings) #UKBirding

Grackles to the north of me, grackles to the south … here I am stuck in the middle 👀 Great-tailed Grackle Holbury Hampshire yesterday #UKbirding

Lovely to catch up with this male LesserSpottedWoodpecker in the New Forest yesterday along with Firecrests and Marsh Tits - #UKBirding

Killdeer at Ripley Res yesterday - the start of a great day down south in great company! #UKBirding

Glad you got it Justin - after we left, saw a message saying it had flown off 😬👍

Think there may be a colour ringed bird from New Brighton in October 2014 - so perhaps the second …

Could become the first ‘accepted’ for #Wirral and a great find by Pierre Montieth this first winter #CaspianGull graced the roof of Bidston Recycling Centre on Sunday #UKBirding

First visit to the magical island this year - stunning morning over the tide but rather brisk bracing NNW breeze @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social

Some more nice birds from late October on #StAgnes … #RingOuzel #Greenshank with #Redshank #Kingfisher and #BlackRedstart #Ukbirding

St Agnes for our usual end of October week was fairly quiet but we managed a few good birds on the islands and the mainland - #BuffbelliedPipit #Bluethroat #Hoopoe and #SteppeGreyShrike #UkBirding

St Agnes for a few days mid month … Mourning Dove (with Collared), Lapland Bunting, American BuffbelliedPipit and Hoopoe were among the highlights #UKBirding

The seawatching over the weekend @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social was great thanks to StormAmy … I still forget to post on BlueSky 🤦🏻‍♂️ must try harder! Video of Leach’s Petrel #UKBirding

This #SlavonianGrebe was found on West Kirby Marine Lake last night by John Willams, fortunately it was still there this morning when I checked the lake out #UKBirding

Always a joy to hear and see the first #YellowbrowedWarbler of the autumn and this morning’s bird was in the heligoland @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social our joint second earliest ever. Autumn has properly arrived this week 🍂💥 also at least 20 Chiffchaff on the island today and a smart male Stonechat too 😍

Delighted to see this #GreyPhalarope out on the edge of the East Hoyle sandbank yesterday evening. Thanks to Tim Kinch for the shout 🙏

Also seen @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social earlier this week two Sabine’s Gulls (video of juvenile from last Sept 🎥), Leach’s Petrels (34 on Tuesday) and a Great Northern Diver

Some great seawatching earlier this week - three species of skua (Arctic,Bonxie and Pom) plus BlackTern

Call in at the Bird Observatories Council stand (www.birdobscouncil.org.uk) and hear about the great work of bird observatories around Britain and Ireland and what the BOC is all about @globalbirdfair.bsky.social

Back on the patch @hilbrebirdobs.bsky.social … #UKBirding

Hoopoe on St Agnes

Ring ouzels on St Agnes

Pied Flycatcher on St Agnes

Common Sandpiper, Tree Pipit, Black Redstart and Common Redstart on St Agnes

Some birds from our recent #StAgnes #IslesofScilly trip … #UKBirding

A great holiday on #StAgnes and the #IslesofScilly

What a glorious day to arrive on the Isles of Scilly - always a thrill just to be here ☀️🏝️🌅📸

Great find and a great bird Pete - nice one 🙏👍