Jonathan Farooqi

A few more Trinidad highlights including the endemic Trinidad Piping-Guan, Guianan Violaceous Trogon, Bearded Bellbird and White-bearded Manakin.

Scarlet Ibis

Tricoloured Herons

Scarlet Ibis & Great Egrets

American Flamingo

Some pics from a boat trip around Trinidad's Caroni Swamp on our @oriolebirding.bsky.social scouting trip. Hundreds of herons came into roost including many Scarlet Ibis, Snowy Egrets and Tricoloured and Little Blue Herons. A large flock of American Flamingos were present too.

Slowly making progress through my photos from Trinidad at the start of the month. Another stand-out highlight was a visit to the Oilbird cave where at least 20 were on the rock face. They have to be one of the weirdest birds I've ever seen!

Black Skimmers

Willets

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Magnificent Frigatebird

While on Trinidad we had a super morning birding on the island's west coast. Hundreds of waders feeding along the mangrove edge included many Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Willets and others. Plus plenty of skimmers, herons, pelicans and frigatebirds etc. @oriolebirding.bsky.social

Tufted Coquette

Brown Violetear

Copper-rumped Hummingbird

Long-billed Starthroat

Just back from a great scouting trip to Trinidad for @oriolebirding.bsky.social. The hummingbirds were a big highlight of course, and a few of my favourites are attached below.

Back at Sheringham for more excellent views of the Eastern Black Redstart for @oriolebirding.bsky.social winter tour. Plus a textbook 2cy Caspian Gull on the beach there. #NorfolkBirding #UKBirding

A super afternoon at Cantley Marshes where we counted a minimum of 727 Russian White-fronted Geese - by far the most I’ve ever seen in the UK! #NorfolkBirding #UKBirding

Red-necked Grebe

Snow Goose with Whooper Swans

Great Northern Diver

Merlin

A few more highlights from our @oriolebirding.bsky.social Norfolk Winter Tour last week. A great spell of winter birding!

#UKBirding #NorfolkBirding #LincsBirding

Great first day of our @oriolebirding.bsky.social Norfolk winter tour with the Sheringham Eastern Black Redstart and North Point Taiga Bean Goose being standout highlights. Plus Hen Harriers, Caspian Gull and thousands of geese! #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

Glaucous Gull at QEII yesterday and Green-winged Teal, Russian White-fronts and a pair of Smew at Druridge Pools the highlights of 87 species around some of my old haunts in Northumbs the last couple of days. #NEBirding #UKBirding

British birding highlights

European birding highlights

British and European wildlife highlights

Time for my annual collage looking back over the last 12 months. Wouldn’t say it was a classic in terms of British birding for me but still some great birds and moments! Cheers to everyone who was a part of it and happy new year!

Nice scope views of the drake American Wigeon at Milkhope today. Very cool to hear it calling too! #NEBirding #UKBirding

A few shots of a particularly showy Water Pipit at Cley Marshes last weekend. #NorfolkBirding #UKBirding

Incredible views of Long-eared Owl at Warham Greens this evening (this pic phonescoped). Made for a great end to the day with Yellow-browed Warblers, Firecrest and Glossy Ibis nearby too. #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

No comment 😅

Stuff of dreams on Shetland today with great views of the Siberian Thrush at Asta. What a bird for our @oriolebirding.bsky.social group to catch up with. Check out that undertail! #UKBirding #ShetlandBirding

Marsh Sandpiper

White-winged Scoter

Surf and Velvet Scoters

It’s been a good start to our @oriolebirding.bsky.social Shetland tour as a stop at Musselburgh on the way up to Aberdeen produced the long-staying Marsh Sandpiper, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter and plenty more! #UKBirding

I don’t usually post photos from the moth trap but this one has to be worth a mention. @midyaredan.bsky.social and I trapped Norfolk’s 1st Shining Marbled in Strumpshaw village last night. Other highlights included Lunar Yellow Underwing & 2 Four-spotted Footman. #teammoth @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Well remembered John! What an evening that was!

It’s a stunner, cheers John!

The Black-winged Kite eventually showed really nicely at Hickling this afternoon. Much better perched views than a couple of years ago. What a beauty! #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

Wood Sandpiper, Ruff and Lapwings

It’s been a good few weeks for waders in the Mid Yare Valley especially at Buckenham Marshes. At least 3 Spotted Redshanks, 6 Wood Sandpipers & a Little Stint have made an appearance along with many Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits, Green Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers. #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

A 1cy limosa Black-tailed Godwit from Cley Marshes on the 15th. Clearly a lot more advanced on the upperparts than the many surrounding islandica godwits. #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

1cy Caspian Gull (left)

1cy Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Caspian Gulls

1cy Yellow-legged Gull

Adult Yellow-legged Gull with Lesser Black-backs

A few gull images from recent forays down to Suffolk. Enjoyed getting such good views of a variety of 1cy birds. Details in ALT text. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

One of at least three Clouded Yellow at Hickling Broad NWT in recent days. Only my second in Norfolk after one there a couple of months ago. A Whinchat was a nice bonus on Thursday too. #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding #UKButterflies

Made my way to Walberswick yesterday where the Zitting Cisticola was a great bit of early August excitement. We had some good flight views but pics were difficult! A smart 1cy Caspian Gull at the quay was much more obliging. #UKBirding #SuffolkBirding

limosa Black-tailed Godwits were up to two at Buckenham Marshes this afternoon with a much larger juvenile joining the original bird on Hide Pool. Hopefully a sign they’ve had a good breeding season! #NorfolkBirding #UKBirding

The first juvenile limosa Black-tailed Godwit of the year is always a highlight of midsummer in Norfolk. This one at Buckenham Marshes this afternoon was my first on the patch though. #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

Some highlights from a very productive visit to Foxley Woods at the end of last month; Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary (including form valezina) and White Admiral.

We did well for eastern warblers on the @oriolebirding.bsky.social Estonia tour earlier in the month with many giving excellent views. Greenish, Booted, Blyth's Reed and Icterine Warblers pictured here. #BirdingEstonia