Jonathan Farooqi

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

Enjoy! It’s a great place for birding.

Spotted Nutcracker

Ural Owl

europaea Nuthatch

Tundra Bean, White-fronted, Greylag and Barnacle Geese

A few more highlights from Estonia earlier in the month. @oriolebirding.bsky.social

Another superb owl encounter from our @oriolebirding.bsky.social Estonia tour was this Eurasian Pygmy Owl just overhead.

Walking boots were enough while we were there as it hadn’t rained/snowed for a while. I think it’s snowed since so might be a bit wetter now!

Female White-backed Woodpecker

Male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Male Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

We had great views of seven species of woodpecker on last week's @oriolebirding.bsky.social Estonia tour: Eurasian Three-toed, White-backed, Middle Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Great Spotted, Black and Grey-headed.

Just back from leading @oriolebirding.bsky.social Estonia tour with @birdinghaapsalu.bsky.social. An awesome trip with lots of great birds. Very hard to pick a favourite but stunning views of this Northern Hawk Owl has to be up there. Made even more satisfying by the 4 attempts it took us to see it!

After a relatively quiet day of birding in east Norfolk yesterday it was a nice surprise to call in at Martham and find the group of Tundra Bean Geese had increased to seven. Hopefully a sign of some wildfowl arriving from the continent. #UKBirding #NorfolkBirding

Pintail x Mallard hybrid (right)

Ross Back Sands

Had a really nice time watching Fenham Flats from Guile Point this afternoon. As well as the thousands of waders, ducks and geese, highlights included 11 Slavonian Grebes, 20+ Long-tailed Ducks, GN Diver, Scaup, Merlin and this smart drake Pintail x Mallard hybrid! #UKBirding #NEBirding

Some of my British birding and wildlife highlights from 2024. Not a vintage year in my opinion but some great moments and people. Happy new year! #UKBirding

Grey-headed Lapwing at Druridge Pools (phonescoped)

Grey-headed Lapwing at Druridge Pools

2cy Glaucous Gull by Bell's Farm

Black-throated Diver with Common Scoter off Druridge Pools

Great to be on the old patch this morning. Druridge Pools was excellent with the Grey-headed Lapwing making an appearance, a surprise 2cy Glaucous Gull, 2 BT Divers, 6+ Velvet Scoter & a Slavonian Grebe offshore. A male Hen Harrier was at Widdrington Moor Lake too. #UKBirding #NEBirding

1cy Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Pink-footed Geese - Buckenham, 3 Nov

Garganey - Buckenham, 3 Nov

Black-throated Diver - Winterton, 16 Nov

Russian White-footed Goose - Buckenham, 24 Nov

A few local highlights since I last posted on here. It’s not been a classic autumn for me by any means but a few decent birds to be found. #UKBirding #Norfolkbirding