@markaeaton
Scientist, conservationist, naturalist, birder. Secretary of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel & ornithologist for hire. Loves all of that plus dogs, music, leftwing politics, football, Northumberland, family. He/him.
Male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Kent
Female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Kent
Had a superb weekend in Kent courtesy of @lesserspotnet.bsky.social’s workshop, hearing of all the exciting developments in Lesser Spotted Woodpecker monitoring & research, topped by great views of the birds themselves 😍 - my first for a decade!
My first visit to Abberton Reservoir for 30 years was very productive, although terribly murky, 3-5pm. Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, 4 Gtr Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Drake Smew, Black-necked Grebe & Spoonbill - not a bad couple of hours #ukbirding #rarebirdsuk
Beaver
Beaver
What a thrill, my first 🇬🇧 Beavers! Saw two along the River Stour east of Fordwich, Kent this evening - located in the darkness by the loud wood-munching sounds! #ukmammals #uknature
4+ Water Pipits commuting between cut reedbeds at Westbere and the water meadows to the south this evening, as viewed from the north bank of the Stour #kentbirding
Early spring is by far the best time to record breeding Goshawks as they display over territories, particularly on calm and sunny days - here’s some encouragement from RBBP Secretary @markaeaton.bsky.social #ukbirding #ornithology
youtu.be/hVgl6jYOX6A?...
Snow Bunting
Snow Bunting mid-snack at Chibburn Mouth, Druridge Bay #NEbirding
New 'letter to the editor' criticising a previous paper published in Ecological Indicators is well worth a read: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Includes this quote 'At least two of them (Marazuela Pinela and López Espí) are self-proclaimed silvestristas—the Spanish term for songbird trappers'
I had to go past Blyth today, so it would’ve been rude not to say hello to the White-billed Diver in the harbour. My social media has been swamped by amazing photos of this bird, so thought I’d offer some crappy video instead 😂 #NEbirding
Just passed what must have been two Ruddy Shelducks on a flash on the east side of the A1 near Bowburn, Durham #NEbirding
And a brief fly-by
Sunset at Speke Hall, Liverpool this evening with the sound of the singing male Great-tailed Grackle duetting with Song Thrushes. It might have hopped off a transatlantic boat, but is still a fantastic bird to see and hear #UKbirding #rarebirdsUK
Mogwai on stage at the Gateshead Glasshouse
Mogwai on stage at the Gateshead Glasshouse
After ten days cooped up with a 🦠, great to get the cobwebs well and truly blown away by Mogwai at the Glasshouse tonight
AviList name is irrelevant though, isn’t it, as most observers would have wanted to specify the race? European vs Russian is the one I’d guidance on! Though I will stick to eggplns for the time being.
Well, if it sounds half as good as it looks…
Male Brambling giving me a long hard stare
I’ve spent this week with the lurgy 🦠 - housebound, trying not to cough a lung out - so was grateful for this male Brambling in the garden yesterday brightening up my day. Alnwick #NEbirding
You seemed to do pretty well as well?
That’s true - great birds, staying healthy, wonderful to see! Thanks for the gen.
Most of the six Tundra Bean Geese at Hauxley today. Such elegant, beautiful birds. The quiet exclamation near the end is due to the mustelid that nearly ran over my foot. #NEbirding
The small Canada-type goose at Hauxley today - with Pinkfeet, Tundra Beans, Barnacles and Whitefronts west of the reserve entrance. Pinkfoot-sized, with a shorter neck, but that bill looks too big for a Cackler. #NEbirding
Totals of geese seen in Northumberland this morning, at five sites
This photo has Taiga Bean, Tundra Bean, Pink-foot, European White-front and Greylag Geese. Can you spot them all?
Tundra Bean Geese at Hauxley
The small Canada/Cackling type goose at Hauxley
Absolutely Goose-tastic in Northumberland this morning. Finally caught up with the Taiga Bean Geese (thanks @graphicstew.bsky.social) and probably saw more Tundra Bean and European White-fronts than in the last ten winters combined. The small Canada-type at Hauxley remains intriguing #NEbirding
Male Pintail x Mallard in Lindisfarne bay - I’ve seen this bird every winter for several years now.
Ross Back Sands - a large diver went north at 2.30pm, high, with much head-lifting but too distant to confirm my White-billed suspicions. 12 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Little Gulls, sea otherwise very quiet. 3 Slav Grebes and the regular male Pintail x Mallard hybrid (photo) in Lindisfarne bay #NEbirding
Think you’re allowed to say shit on BlueSky, aren’t you? 😉😂
A few every winter. There’s been a first-winter roaming between Warkworth and Newbiggin for a month or so now, that’ll be the one you saw.
Nice one Stew. I’ve missed these birds twice already - whereabouts were they today, in case I get the chance to try again?
Thanks Tom 👍
Looking online has just confused me (indeed, everyone seems confused about Canada Goose identification). Both Lesser Canada and Richardson’s Cackling have been suggested. It also looks pretty close to some photos of Tavener's Cackling Goose (unlikely vagrant?).
Anyone got any expertise to share?
Goose with faint chinstrap
The plumage was pretty dark, especially on the breast, but there seems to be so much variation in this that I'm not sure what it tells us (likewise the narrow pale collar below the black neck). It had a faint dark chinstrap (see pic).
I don't think the bill ever looked as stubby as a “classic” Richardson's Cackling Goose (at least not the c.5 I’ve seen).
The head shape & apparent bill-size varied depending on pose, angle etc - at times the bill looked largeish with a smooth line from the sloping forehead down the bill, and other times it looked smaller with a steep forehead above it.
Goose
Goose
Goose
Goose
Here are my ropy photos of the small 'white cheeked' goose found by Dave Dack at Hauxley today. I find it a bit puzzling. It was small - about White-front size, although clearly a bit fatter and possibly a bit longer-boded. It was obviously short-necked #NEbirding #UKrarebirds 🧵
