Liam Langley

@liamlangley1

Seabird Ecologist interested in movement, foraging ecology, navigation and anthropogenic impacts. Based in Cornwall, UK. Spend an unreasonable amount of time sat on a cliff waiting for birds to fly past. He/Him.

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Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jul 11

A bit of unexpected patch gold got the pulse racing this morning as my second St Ives Island Magpie circled over before dropping into the scrub and hiding from the attention of the local Swallows! #UKbirding

A Magpie sheltering in the top of a Pittisporum tree. The bird is largely obscured by the leaves. You can see the top of its black head and black back with a white patch on the wind. In the background, a row of houses are out of focus.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Apr 11

Amazing moment this morning when I bumped into this singing Yellow-browed Warbler (end of video) in Trewyn Gardens, St Ives after finding one on Penryn Campus on Thursday! A welcome patch tick and an unexpected addition for my @patchbirding.bsky.social list! I wonder where it wintered? #UKbirding

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Apr 6

This Grey Plover found by @jonesgareth.bsky.social roosting on the rocks at the NW corner of St Ives Island was an unexpected @patchbirding.bsky.social tick this morning! 10 Purple Sandpipers also present in the same place. #birding @cbwps.org.uk

A Grey Plover say on a dark rock facing right with the sea in the back ground. The bird is grey above, spangled with white and black across the wings and mantle, and pale off white below. The head is pale with a dark grey cap and a grey spot on the ear coverts. The bill is black and the legs are grey.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Feb 24

Glad I made the effort to head to Newlyn by train and foot to twitch the 2CY Ross’s Gull this afternoon! The bird gave excellent flight views dip-feeding around the harbour before it headed over to Tolcarne to bathe and rest. An absolute stunner and a cracking Cornwall tick to boot! #UKBirding

The second calendar year Ross’s Gull resting on Tolcarne Beach. The bird is facing right and is small, with short pink legs and a very short black bill. The head is small and rounded with a large dark eye and a black spot behind the ear. A light grey shawl over the neck forms an obvious “collar” around the face. The wings are long and are grey, with black coverts and white secondaries, with black towards the primary tips, the underside is white with a hint of pinkish tones.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jan 31

Pleasant seawatch off St Ives Island this morning following a decent NW yesterday: Common Scoter (2), Manx (1), Fulmar (5), Bonxie (1), RT Diver (1), GND (9), Curlew (1), Kittiwake (400+), Auk sp. (500+), Med Gull (1), Common Gull (5), LBBG (4), Common Dolphin (c20). #UKBirding @cbwps.org.uk

Sunrise over St Ives Bay. In the distance the rising sun is illuminating the underside of a band of dark grey clouds, turning them warm
Orange. The sea in the middle is silvery grey and in the foreground is a dark rocky headland.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jan 11

Buoyed by the grebe, I took advantage of a rare period of calm and sunny weather to loop round Clodgy Point on the western boundary of my patch - 8 species added to the yearlist including 2 Blackcap and a surprise Grey Heron which dropped into the fields before flying west! #PWC2026 #UKbirding

Looking back at St Ives Island from the coast path at Clodgy Point. The island, a large headland with a chapel on top, is in the centre of the picture with rocky coast extended towards the photographer and dead brown bracken in the foreground. The sea is to the left and is aquamarine blue. The sky is also blue with a scattering of fluffy light grey clouds in the distance.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jan 11

An excellent weekend on patch started yday morning at the island where I picked up a distant Grebe in flight which promptly landed and disappeared. Half an hour of frustration this stonking Red-necked Grebe appeared below us (pic @lobb66.bsky.social) - an absolute patch mega! #PWC2026 #UKbirding

A winter plumage Red-necked Grebe sat on the sea below the railings. The bird is largely dark grey with pale flanks and a pale cheek. The bird has a dark cap and a straight, yellow bill.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jan 9

Following the insanity of Storm Goretti expectations were high at St Ives Island this morning: 6 Manx, 15 Fulmar, 3 RTD, 9 GND and 3 Common Scoter was a slightly underwhelming return. A smart 2CY male Black Redstart flicking around this evening was a nice 2 pointer though! #PWC2026 #UKBirding

Sunrise over St Ives Bay. The sun is rising over Hayle Towans with grey clouds above. The water of the bay is shiny silvery grey with lots of white spine and there are dark rocks in the foreground.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jan 3

A morning seawatch from the island in strong northerlies was quieter than expected but I did manage to add several new species to the patch yearlist including a Manx Shearwater, 2 Ravens and an adult Mediterranean Gull! #UKBirding

Sunrise over St Ives Bay from St Ives Island. The sun is rising over the eastern shore of the bay underneath a bank of dark grey cloud. The bay is silvery grey with patches of white water and in the foreground is a rocky headland and Merryn Rocks.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jan 2

Great start to the patch yearlist this morning seawatching with @lobb66.bsky.social et al. in strong NW’erlies - Bonxie, 6 Fulmar, RTD, 17+ Common Scoter, Peregrine and 2 Chough the highlights. Also 2+ Harbour Poropoise and 30+ Common Dolphin close in shore and several excellent rainbows! #UKbirding

A double rainbow in the centre of the frame with a stormy blue/grey sea to the right. The sky is dark grey with an approaching squall and to the left are several headlands illuminated by the sun, with a small, grey stone chapel on the top of the closest headland.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Nov 15

Nice to relocate the female-type Blue-winged Teal on Hayle with @lobb66.bsky.social this afternoon - after a week without a report and 45 minutes of trying to pin it down in crap light it felt almost as a good as a self-find! #UKbirding

A female-type Blue-winged Teal facing left on the water. The white-spot at the base of the bill, broken pale eye ring, dark blue bill with a spatula re tip and sloping forehead separate the bird from an Eurasian Teal!

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Nov 13

Very faint Aurora seen looking north from St Ives Island last night with @elliepursey.bsky.social during a break in the clouds after midnight - an unexpected patch tick and the furthest south I’ve ever seen it!

A dark scene with the black ocean in the bottom half and the night sky in the top half. Above the horizon a faint wash of pink and green shows the presence of the Aurora Borealis.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jul 15

Excellent seawatch from St Ives with @richardttaylor.bsky.social and Billy Nason 05.56-10.15: Wilson’s (1 flew west in the Manx line at 07.04), Euro (4), Cory’s (2), Manx (15,000), Fulmar (30), Razorbill (48), Guille (32), Gannet (320), Kitt (13), Med Gull (4), Whimbrel (1), Curlew (1)! #UKbirding

The view looking east from the lookout am below the NCI station over St Ives bay to Godrevy. In the foreground is a grainy rock covered in orange and white lichen. Beyond the rocks, the water of the bay is dark grey and beams of sunlight are filtering through grey clouds over the coast at Godrevy.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jun 21

A pleasant walk out to Clodgy Point early afternoon was quiet birdwise, with a Kestrel, fledged Mipits 2 Stonechat. It was the moths that headlined the walk, with my first Hummingbird Hawkmoth of the year feeding on Honeysuckle and a couple of showy Five-spot Burnets! #UKbirding #TeamMoth

A close up Five-spot Burnet feeding on some very small pink flowers against a background of grass and leaves. The moth is black with long antennae and five red spots on each forewings with red hindwings just visible underneath.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Apr 20

An unexpected Easter twitch for Sweden’s 3rd ever Cirl Bunting at Ljunghusen near Falsterbo this morning was successful with the bird showing excellently as it fed in the yard behind the driving range before flying into gardens. A familiar species from Cornwall in typical Cornish weather! #birding

A Cirl Bunting feeding on the ground amongst sparse grass in front of a tractor wheel. The bird is facing left and is small with a short grey bill, horizontal yellow and black facial stripes, rufous brown wings, a dirty green/grey chest. The belly is green/yellow with faded grey streaks and the legs are pink.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Feb 9

An excellent trip down to the Falsterbo peninsula this morning produced this smart 2CY drake Lesser Scaup with 1000+ Tufties at Langrens Holmen - an excellent Swedish tick! It was also great to see the returning drake King Eider foraging c200m offshore from Skanörs Hamn. #birding

The 2CY drake Lesser Scaup asleep on the water facing left amongst a small group of Tufted Ducks. The bird has a black head and chest, a pale grey back with dark vermiculations, a black undertail and pale grey flanks with some brown smudges showing its immaturity. Behind it to the right are three Tufted Ducks, two brown female types and a moulting 2CY male showing a white patch on the flank.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Jan 10

Just finished the excellent “Local” by @alastairhumphreys.bsky.social. A highly enjoyable read that’s bolstered my enthusiasm to get out and explore the nature on my doorstep. One of the most inspiring books I’ve read in a while I’d recommend it to anyone interested in nature and the outdoors.

The book “Local: A season for nearby nature and wildness” by Alastair Humphrey’s lies face up on a wooden table. The cover is a landscape of rolling green hill and a blue sky created using collage techniques.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Nov 26

Just finished the excellent “Saving Us” by @katharinehayhoe.com - a chance pickup in Lund library! In it, Katharine discusses the psychology around climate change and provides a detailed guide, with engaging examples, of how to start positive conversations about the subject. Well worth a read!

The book “Saving Us: A climate scientist’s case for hope and healing in a divided world” by Katharine Hayhoe sitting face up on a wooden table. The book is white with green writing in the top left fading gradually to dark blue in the bottom right hand corner.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Nov 10

An afternoon walk from home looking for Geese was successful when I found a large mixed flock feeding on a recently harvested beet field just northeast of Stångby. A smart Taiga Bean Goose and a family of 4+ Greater Whitefronts were the highlights amongst 250+ Greylags and 800+ Barnies! #birding

A phonescoped record short of a Taiga Bean Goose feeding on the edge of a stubble field amongst a mixed flock of Greylag and Barnacle Geese. The bird is alert and facing to the right in the centre of the frame at the back of the flock behind some Barnacle Geese and only the head and neck are visible. The neck and head are grey brown with a black beak with a distinct orange spot towards the tip. The triangular, “swan-shaped” head and more extensive orange spot identify the bird as a Taiga Bean Goose (subspecies fabalis). The geese are in the middle of the shot with crop stubble in the background and foreground.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Oct 17

A fantastic trip to Switzerland with @elliepursey.bsky.social to visit PhD friends included some birding with Italian Sparrow and Pygmy Cormorant taking me up to 600 world birds! The clear highlights however were mega views of Bearded Vulture and Alpine Choughs at my feet at Gemmi Pass #birding

A photograph of me stood at Gemmi Pass wearing walking boats, green trousers, a navy windbreaker with a green hoody and a beige hat. The view behind me looking north includes the alpine pass with a lake in the mid distance. The slopes are largely rocky with some brown grasses. The sky is blue with some light grey cumulus clouds.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Oct 15

After a long weekend in Switzerland, a lunchtime visit to Stångby Våtmark was mostly spent vismigging as I recorded 1500+ Barnies and 35+ Common Buzzards heading high SW. At least one flyover Woodlark and a White-tailed Eagle soaring high to the north were also notable! #birding

The view looking north from Stångby Våtmark. In the foreground a telescope and tripod and a bike are on a gravel track which stretches away to the north. On the right hand side of the track is a bare, ploughed field whilst on the left there is grass. There are deciduous trees along the horizon and the blue sky is filled with scattered white and light grey cumulus clouds.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Oct 7

An impromptu trip to Alnarpsparken this morning to twitch the Eurasian Eagle Owl found the previous day was successful, with the bird giving excellent views to a small crowd as it roosted high in a large conifer. An incredible experience and only my second record of this species! #birding

A Eurasian Eagle Owl roosting in a conifer in Alnarpsparken. The bird is large and pale brown with dark streaks on the upper breast, subtle barring on the belly feathers and a large dark beak and prominent black and pale brown ear tufts. The bird is facing left with its eyes closed.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Sep 24

A late morning jaunt to Borgarparken to twitch the female/1CY Red-Breasted Flycatcher was successful, with the bird showing almost instantly on my arrival in response to pishing, giving excellent views flicking around low down before disappearing into the trees. A great Lund record! #birding

A copse of tall, mixed deciduous trees in the northwest corner of Borgarparken where the Red-breasted Flycatcher gave excellent views on arrival in response to my pishing. The trees are on the left of the image with an open pathway covered in fallen leaves on the right hand side.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Aug 26

My first morning vismigging session of the autumn from Sankt Hans Backar produced a nice selection and of species including a Peregrine SW at 07.03, 160+ Golden Plover, 15+ Sand Martin, 50+ Tree Pipits and a Hawfinch. Also a smart Stock Dove showed well below the hill. #birding

A Stock Dove perched on the grass below the hill at Sankt Hans Backar. The bird is largely grey with an iridescent patch on the neck and some black markings on the wing coverts.

The view looking west towards the Oresund Straight from the highest point at Sankt Hans Backar.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Aug 25

An early evening cycle to Stångby Våtmark with @elliepursey.bsky.social in sunny but blustery conditions produced my first patch Raven along with 3 Marsh Harriers, a Great White Egret and 6 Golden Plover SW! #birding

A male Marsh Harrier sat in a wheat stubble field immediately southwest of Stångby Våtmark. When perched the bird is largely dark brown with piercing yellow eyes and a short, hooked beak.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Aug 15

A pleasant evening visit to Stångby Våtmark produced three patch ticks - a female/1CY Wheatear in the field to the south, a couple of White Storks soaring distantly to the east, and this smart Great White Egret which appeared out of nowhere and gave excellent views in the SE corner! #birding

A Great White Egret stands in the water facing left. The bird is brilliant white with a long neck and a long yellow bill. The half-submerged legs are dark brown and pale towards the top of the tibia. In the foreground there is grassy vegetation and in the background a muddy shoreline with grass interspersed with white and purple flowers.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Aug 13

Excellent hour at Stångby Våtmark with KS this morning was headlined by a juvenile Spotted Redshank and a juvenile Ruff which both dropped in after my arrival. A juvenile Red-backed Shrike was along the E side and a brief Sand Martin and 10+ Tree Pipits were overdue patch ticks! #birding

A poor phonescoped picture of a juvenile Spotted Redshank. The bird is stood in the water facing left. It has grey/brown wings with a paler belly and chest. The head is also pale with a dark place loral stripe through the eye and a paler supercilium above the eye. The bill is long and narrow and is largely black with a red base to the lower mandible. The legs are red.

A juvenile Ruff stands on the edge of the water surrounded by 3 Lapwings. The ruff has brown wings and a white belly. The breast and face are pale buff with a peachy wash and the eye is small and dark. The bill is relatively short and all black and the legs are pale yellow.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Aug 12

Incredible display from the Aurora looking north from the end of our road at the northern edge of Stångby about 30 minutes ago with @elliepursey.bsky.social! Also flyover Golden Plover and Common Sandpiper heard whilst watching the show. #aurora #nocmig #birding

The view looking north from the northern Stångby at the Aurora Borealis. There is a green band on the horizon with vertical banks of pink and purple above.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Aug 10

An excellent morning of birding today started at Falsterbo where vismig was slow in strong W winds but an adult Black Tern heading SW and 4 Grey Plovers were new for the year. Also notable were a smart juvenile Caspian Gull and a hunting White-tailed Eagle! #birding

A summer plumage adult Grey Plover rests on the bank of the lagoon south of Nabben. It he bird is standing in a small puddle surrounded by sand. It has a black belly, breast and face with white neck sites and a spangled grey, white and black wings. The legs and hill are also black. In the left foreground is a shelduck which is black with a dark green head, a red bill and a chestnut band on the chest sides.

A Juvenile Caspian Gull rests distantly on the waters edge of the lagoon at Nabben. The bird is various shades of brown with long pale pink legs and a pale head with a long, parallel-sided Black bill. To its left there is a sleeping Blqck-headed Gull. In the background there is scattered low vegetation amongst the dunes.

Liam Langley@liamlangley1· Aug 8

A late afternoon visit to Stångby Våtmark paid off when this smart juvenile Caspian Gull dropped in for a brief wash with a load of Common and BH Gulls. Greater Coverts perhaps a bit on the well-marked side but otherwise looked good for a pure casp - a nice patch tick! #lowcarbonbirding #patchgold