Paul ward
@rickybirdman
Interested in nature, twitcher, gardener and lover of travel . All photographs my own and no ai generation!
Atlantic grey seals, chough, oystercatchers and razorbills. All things you can see on a day trip to #bardsey . Just off the coast of #wales you spend 4 hours walking round this magical island. Lots more in my blog at rickybirdman95.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-... #ukbirds #photography #wildlife
@robcrank68.bsky.social's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #LongLegs, any bird with long legs. Oystercatcher on Bardsey Island #birds #photography #canon #ukbirding #birdphotography @rspb.bsky.social
Lifted and processed my garden onion harvest for this year. Not bad considering the weather and the white ones are new for me!
Female tawny owl trying to keep out of the wind and rain this morning! #ukbirding #birds #owls #hertsbirds
A long morning in Wyre forest at Bewdley today. Pied flycatchers were the stars, clearly feeding a growing family. At least 3 wood warblers, loads of redstarts, tree pipits and one lone dipper on Dowle Brook were a good back-up cast. #ukbirds #birds #wyreforest #bewdley
Early morning on #jura #scotland. A gin-clear sky and no wind. no one else around. We made the pilgrimage to George Orwells house at Barnhill (4 miles on foot each way) where he wrote 1984. About as isolated as you can get but he still came up with ultimate dystopian novel. #orwell1984 #orwell
A grasshopper warbler has been reeling away at Croxley Common. Hopes are high it might breed as a second female bird has been seen. The call is unique, described as being like a fishing line, hence "reeling". It is a classic LBJ but if you see it well is a very smart bird.
Paid a trip to Willow Fen to see the resident and breeding cranes. Really good views and lots of bugling action. Amazing to see almost 30 fly back in from the fields. #ukbirding #birds #lincsbirding
Juvenile white-tailed sea eagle taken in Norway. We were driving and it was perched up only yards off the roadside. Seemed to be very tolerant so I suspect it was waiting for me to throw it a herring!!!!
Day trip to Norfolk for some year ticks. Titchwell yielded tawny owl, lt duck and two woodcock. Three glossy ibis at Stiffkey showed well. Water pipit at Cley was elusive. Few other bits and pieces got me 14 year ticks and up to 127 for the year. Not a day for photos! #ukbirding #norfolk #yearlist
Went to Staines reservoir on a dull day. Greater scaup pair were close in. Great northern diver and black-necked grebes were middle distance and the lesser scaup drake was in another galaxy! Stopped at Woodoaks farm on the way back where the little owl was perched in its usual tree. #ukbirding
Filthy twitching for the killdeer (very rare US wader) in Hants today. Showed well but at a distance on a horrible grey day (excuse for poor photos!). Lifer taking me (back) to 417 on the UK list. Pottered down the coast year-ticking afterwards before rain stopped play #ukbirding #birds
Good trip today - tundra bean goose, yellow-browed warbler and firecrest all seen. Good crowd at the YBW/ firecrest twitch with lots of non-birders now educated on rare birds! Geese were easy but the YBW and firecrest were tricky to photo. Year has got off to a good start #ukbirding #hertsbirds
Last trip out this year and it was a good one. Black-winged kite (lifer) in Norfolk. Took three hours to give itself up properly and then was pretty distant but well worth it. Loads of cranes around as well. May well be back in a few days for the 2026 list! #ukbirding
Was a bit quiet at @maplelodgereserve.bsky.social yesterday. This female sparrowhawk might be the reason! #ukbirding #hertsbirds
Fan-tailed warbler/ zitting cisticola showed well at Walberswick this morning. Called frequently with song flights. Always very distant but good scope views. #418 on my UK list. I at least managed to get a photo where you can see it's a bird!!! #ukbirding.
A wasp spider finishing off its meal at @maplelodgereserve.bsky.social this afternoon. #spider #wildlife #waspspider
We paid a visit to Rye Harbour in Sussex. Lots of terns around but only a few chicks. One in front of the hide was particularly sweet ,exploring the shingle and the water. Amazing to see it flattening itself onto the pebbles when spooked - it disappeared! #ukbirding #rye #birds #terns #sussex
A juvenile kingfisher learning its trade at Maple Lodge NR this morning. Hopefully it carries on being as successful as it was and can get its own territory. #ukbirding #hertsbirds #kingfisher #wildlife #birds
Red squirrels from Anglesey. Amazing to have an encounter with this now very rare native mammal. You get a real feeling for how much smaller they are compared to the imported greys. Big thanks to the people of Anglesey for aggressively protecting this isolated population. #wildlife #squirrels #wales