Mark Eaton

That would spoil the fun

Even my dogs have better fieldcraft than him! 🤷‍♂️🤡

Purple Sandpiper at Stag Rocks, Northumberland

Enjoyed the company of Purple Sandpipers at Stag Rocks today. Sat quietly with the dogs on the north side letting the birds come to us. Unlike the clueless togger who walked along the tide’s edge to the south then stood there wondering why there were no birds to photograph 🤦‍♂️ 😠 #WaderWednesday

Three of four Tundra Bean Geese at Monks House Pool, Northumberland

After the Taiga Beans at Hoppen Kiln, stopped on the way past Monks House Pool just in time for four Tundra Bean Geese to fly in for a drink. Great timing. Eight goose species (two Beans + Euro White-front, Pinkfoot, Barnacle, Pale-bellied Brent, Canada and Greylag) in an hour or so 🙂 #NEbirding

Fancied beans for lunch, so popped up to Hoppen Kiln to admire the 11 elegant Taiga Bean Geese. Fantastic swan-like necks on some of them, shown off when a heron flew over (unfortunately after I’d stopped videoing 🤷‍♂️). #NEbirding

A great opportunity…

White Hare at Buston

I’ve only ever seen it distantly in fading light. But I suspect it’s not albino - there seems to be a buff wash to some parts which I don’t think is just dirt e.g. it seems to be able to keep its tail daz-white.

A short (distant) video of the white Hare at Buston, Northumberland this evening #UKmammals #wildlife

32 Whooper Swans heading towards Iceland over Alnmouth this afternoon #NEbirding

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

Some advice on looking for displaying Goshawks YouTube video by Rare Breeding Birds Panel

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

Letter to the editor concerning the paper “Attraction points: A new sampling design method to quantify common finches' populations” published by Marazuela Pinela et al. in Ecological Indicators, 171, ...

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