Jonathan Farooqi

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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

I'd only seen autumn Barred Warblers until two weeks ago so I was really hoping we'd catch up with some adult males on our @oriolebirding.bsky.social Estonia tour. They certainly didn't disappoint! #BirdingEstonia

I had three lifers on last week's @oriolebirding.bsky.social Estonia tour with the first being superb views of this Lesser Spotted Eagle low overhead on our second day.

Found time to start editing pics from leading @oriolebirding.bsky.social Estonia summer tour with @birdinghaapsalu.bsky.social last week. A standout highlight was this Ural Owl which showed really well in the twilight one evening. #BirdingEstonia

Not very many! Although we did get a bit distracted 😅

It's fair to say a walk around Strumpshaw Fen looking for moths with @midyaredan.bsky.social was more exciting than expected! This 2cy Pallid Harrier circled us briefly before crossing the river and heading high west mid-afternoon. What a bird to see on patch! #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

Hudsonian Godwit was one of my most wanted birds in Britain so it was amazing to get such good views of the female at Titchfield Haven this morning! Those underwings are a sight to behold! #UKBirding

Golden Oriole

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Western Rock Nuthatch

Cinereous Bunting

Probably my favourite birding on Lesvos was a morning at Ipsilou Monastery. An arrival of migrants included many Golden Orioles, flycatchers, Wood Warblers & a Common Rock Thrush. And the usual great birds incl Cinereous Bunting, Sombre Tit, Western Rock Nuthatch, wheatears etc.

Isabelline/Turkestan Shrike

Wood Sandpipers

Spur-winged Lapwing and Ruff

Baillon's Crake

The third afternoon of our Lesvos trip was spent back at Kalloni Salt Pans and the Tsiknias River. An Isabelline/Turkestan Shrike (possibly the former) was great to watch & there was no shortage of waders. Later, both Baillon's & Little Crakes were showing by the river ford at dusk.

Spotted Redshank and Common Greenshank

Wood Sandpipers

A superb evening for waders on patch at Buckenham Marshes with @midyaredan.bsky.social. No less than 18 Wood Sandpipers but also Spotted Redshank, Bar & Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Greenshank, Dunlin, LRP and a mighty 31 Common Sandpipers! #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

Little Crakes

Squacco Heron

Spotted Crake

Eurasian Jay (subspecies anatoliae)

Our 3rd day on Lesvos started at Metochi Lake where a minimum of 7 Little Crakes performed well plus Spotted Crake, Squacco Herons & Little Bitterns. Nearby we saw our first Eastern Orphean Warblers & Western Rock Nuthatches of the trip among many other great birds!

Couldn't resist a look at the Carlton Marshes Red-footed Falcons yesterday evening. And it was so worth it with stunning views of five birds perched in the trees (three males and two females) #UKBirding

Citrine Wagtail

Black Stork

Temminck's Stints (plus Wood Sandpiper and Black-winged Stilts)

Gull-billed Terns

Day 2 on Lesvos (21st) began with a visit to the Tsiknias River and highlights including a showy male Citrine Wagtail, Pygmy Cormorant and Black Storks. An evening at the Kalloni Salt Pans produced many waders, a flock of Gull-billed Terns & a Quail which showed itself while singing!

Dalmatian Pelican

Dalmatian Pelican

Short-toed Eagle

Just back from a great week of birding on Lesvos. Our first afternoon (20th April) produced brief views of a female Rüppell's Warbler, Eleonora's Falcon, our first Black Storks and Short-toed Eagles of the trip and a lifer in the form of this Dalmatian Pelican at Kalloni Salt Pans.

Steller's Eiders on Saaremaa Island, Estonia on 9 March. We had very good scope views at two sites and a total of 87 birds overall. @oriolebirding.bsky.social