Paul Bright-Thomas

Great (grimaces) ... gratuitous grackle grippage grates.

His Turtle Dove cover (1983?) is flat out my favourite British Birds cover of all time. Stunning pen and ink work!

Maybe, but if you read the further posts, there was another male and a female with white markings first seen within 200m at the same time (maybe the same brood?)

Very nice ... probably happier when it was snowing!

A few years back we had regular visits from a male Backbird with a white shawl over the upper mantle. I called it the "Rong Ouzel".

x.com/i/status/135...

Errrm?

If they had stuck with the genus Arata, then Arata atara would have been one of (presumbaly) very few palindromic species names. But it's amazing whatever you call it.

Got a garden YBW of my own last year (inland, S England), a silent flit-through. Took hours to hear it; three days later it reappeared and was recorded.

I recorded the next 27 nights/mornings with no sign, then a few calls mid-Nov slightly different in shape and pitch, a 2nd YBW. Amazing birds!

Recording confirmed the Brambling, Woodlark sounded lovely (very close over).

Yellow-browed Warblers either side of St Margaret's Bay today, so I was just 24 hrs too early.

In search of migration, down to South Foreland in Kent. Lovely spot, wooded gullies packed with Chiffchaffs, plus a few blackcaps and crests. Finches brought the action, with several small Crossbill flocks, some Redpolls and a couplr og Brambling calls. A Woodlark low over was the star.
#ukbirding

Not a great way to contribute sightings to cbwps ... don't think their mentions are being checked.

@cbwps.org.uk

Firecrests were in almost every valley the past few days. Even had one singing (!) from conifers at the W end of the A30 roadworks outside Penzance.

#cbwps #CornwallBirds

@cbwps.org.uk
Polgigga to Lower Bosistow: Willow Warbler (w tit flock), Spotted Flycatcher, 7 Firecrest.

Brew Farm: at least 1 Turtle Dove
#cbwps #CornwallBirds

Great day at Pendeen 0745-1600: 265 Sooty, 106 Great (many more), 1 Cory's, 3 Balearic, 18 Sabine's, 3 Leach's, 153 E Storm Petrel, 75 Arctic, 70 Great, 2 Pomarine, 3 Long-tailed Skua, 10 Grey Phal, 1 sum plum Gt Northern Diver, 30 Arctic, 10 Sandwich Tern, 2 C Scoter.

@cbwps.org.uk
#cbwps #CornwallBirds

Kenidjack Pied Flycatcher, Firecrest opposite cottages by yard.

@cbwps.org.uk Firecrest btw Lower and Higher Bosistow, 2 Yellow Wagtail btw H Bosistow and Nanjizal, Redstart on lane from H Bosistow back to road.

Porthgwarra: 1 Cory's 10:15, Reed Warbler by Dr's cottage.

#cbwps #CornwallBirds

Lovely pen and inks ... miss them a lot, loved them in in old BBs from 70s and 80s.

I've got them, loved the breadth, the variable illustrations and the sense of connection with the archives.

As a kid, I had the first out from the library on constant renewal for almost four years without ever incurring a fine.

Fieldfare N over Suckthumb quarry.

@portlandbirdobs.bsky.social

Years ago, I stopped to pee on bird race day, and in the tree above was a much-needed Turtle Dove.

I would have thought that pipits don't like boxes very much, though.

But then a third spell got a garden heard-only first of probable Water Rail, to be confirmed on the recording ... only ever recorded before.

#UKBirding #berksbirds

Well over 100 birds seen in 20 mins of #thermal #vizmig including at least 4 flocks of presumed wildfowl (only one low enough to estimate size, most likely eight geese).

But I only heard one Coot and one Redwing, so everything else unidentified. And #nocmig recording is only scratching the surface.

I have a terrible early 2000's phonescoped pic of a typical winter male Shoveler with a normal sized bill that was a bright Mallardy yellow, maybe a touch more orangey ... not sure what would cause that variation.

Ridiculous behaviour (but not funny).

Ignore the egret, RNG is further down ...

Friday 24th January 2025 - Cornwall Birds (CBWPS) Marazion: Booted Eagle circling for approx 1 hr. (D Allan, G Tamblin, M Northey) Marazion Marsh, 11.45: Marsh Harrier quartering. (P Geddes) Mousehole, St Clement’s Isle: 1 Iceland Gull 3rd winter or ...

cbwps.org.uk/recent-sight...

This RNG in Cornwall is doing a very good swan impersonation, also a potential holbollii.

Porkishead.

I had experienced similar before, with three birds singing in front of me at a different location, timings (maybe pitch also) differ between individuals.

Not sure if thread additions are easily visible ... two singing Quails in the same Berkshire Downs field in July 2023 had notably different timings (notes 1-2/2-3). Quail A had 230/115ms and Quail B had 275/155ms (each over 15+ calls). The difference is clear in this (unedited) clip:
#berksbirdnews