Julian Thomas
@julianthomas19.bsky.social
Birder in Somerset. Tern freak.
This may answer your question, Dawn @debalmer.bsky.social
Baikal Teal still today but please note the Swannery Grounds are now closed for the winter (a little earlier than planned). The Swannery embayment now only viewable from usual rights of way. Probably best viewed from tank traps but note there is no access along the beach beyond the fence there…
October 24, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This may answer your question, Dawn @debalmer.bsky.social
Nice views of the Red-breasted Flycatcher behind Avalanche Road Hump c.4pm today, depite the foul weather.
October 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Nice views of the Red-breasted Flycatcher behind Avalanche Road Hump c.4pm today, depite the foul weather.
Wryneck, Firecrest, and Marsh Harrier the best of a relatively quiet few hours for me @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social today.
October 17, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Wryneck, Firecrest, and Marsh Harrier the best of a relatively quiet few hours for me @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social today.
Good to hear that European fans at the Ryder Cup have been giving the American fans (some of whom overstepped in their shouts on the course) a good taste of football chants, e.g. (according to BBC website):
'Stand up if you're seven up'
'Sacked in the morning'
'Can we play you every week?'
😀
'Stand up if you're seven up'
'Sacked in the morning'
'Can we play you every week?'
😀
September 28, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Good to hear that European fans at the Ryder Cup have been giving the American fans (some of whom overstepped in their shouts on the course) a good taste of football chants, e.g. (according to BBC website):
'Stand up if you're seven up'
'Sacked in the morning'
'Can we play you every week?'
😀
'Stand up if you're seven up'
'Sacked in the morning'
'Can we play you every week?'
😀
Little Owl calling just outside the garden just now - 1st I've heard here for at least 3 years.
September 21, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Little Owl calling just outside the garden just now - 1st I've heard here for at least 3 years.
Rn Phal views fairly distant this am but in direct comparison with Grey Phal, so differences obvious. My 4th in Somerset (Meare Heath 2006, Steart Marshes 2015, Holnicote 2020) with good views of the Rb Shrike at Portbury later too. Cheddar has been on fire recently. Somerset yearlist now up to 210.
Red-necked Phal with 2 Greys still at Cheddar, rather good 👌, and the former a super find for @glastobirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social
September 17, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Rn Phal views fairly distant this am but in direct comparison with Grey Phal, so differences obvious. My 4th in Somerset (Meare Heath 2006, Steart Marshes 2015, Holnicote 2020) with good views of the Rb Shrike at Portbury later too. Cheddar has been on fire recently. Somerset yearlist now up to 210.
Burnham seawatch not as varied as yday but 3 Grey Phals at 2.05pm and 2 more at 3pm, plus Manx. If all diff individuals I've seen 12 Grey Phals in Somerset in last 2 wks and found 8 of them! Would swap a few for @burnhambirder.bsky.social's "Sab's flushed by L-t Skua' at low tide this am though.
September 16, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Burnham seawatch not as varied as yday but 3 Grey Phals at 2.05pm and 2 more at 3pm, plus Manx. If all diff individuals I've seen 12 Grey Phals in Somerset in last 2 wks and found 8 of them! Would swap a few for @burnhambirder.bsky.social's "Sab's flushed by L-t Skua' at low tide this am though.
V enjoyable seawatch off Burnham, esp the hour up to HT: Leach's Petrel, juv Sab's Gull, Bonxie (flew off inland), Grey Phal, plus juv Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and at least 1 (poss 3+) Harbour Porpoise.
September 15, 2025 at 1:32 PM
V enjoyable seawatch off Burnham, esp the hour up to HT: Leach's Petrel, juv Sab's Gull, Bonxie (flew off inland), Grey Phal, plus juv Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and at least 1 (poss 3+) Harbour Porpoise.
Cheddar Res this pm: Little Tern 2, Black Tern 1, Glossy Ibis 7, Curlew Sand 3, Little Stint 3, Ruff 4, Knot 1, Blackwit 2, Common Sand 3. Plus 15+ Ringed Plover, 7+ Dunlin, and 54 Great White Egrets.
September 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Cheddar Res this pm: Little Tern 2, Black Tern 1, Glossy Ibis 7, Curlew Sand 3, Little Stint 3, Ruff 4, Knot 1, Blackwit 2, Common Sand 3. Plus 15+ Ringed Plover, 7+ Dunlin, and 54 Great White Egrets.
Reposted by Julian Thomas
Fantastic trip from Falmouth with @ak_cruises.
Others have posted numbers and photos of birds. 1000’s of birds in changeable weather.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrol, Euro Stormie, Cory’s, Great Shearwater, Scopoli’s Shear, Sooty Sheat, Fulmar, Manx, Balearic and Sunfish.
Others have posted numbers and photos of birds. 1000’s of birds in changeable weather.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrol, Euro Stormie, Cory’s, Great Shearwater, Scopoli’s Shear, Sooty Sheat, Fulmar, Manx, Balearic and Sunfish.
August 31, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Fantastic trip from Falmouth with @ak_cruises.
Others have posted numbers and photos of birds. 1000’s of birds in changeable weather.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrol, Euro Stormie, Cory’s, Great Shearwater, Scopoli’s Shear, Sooty Sheat, Fulmar, Manx, Balearic and Sunfish.
Others have posted numbers and photos of birds. 1000’s of birds in changeable weather.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrol, Euro Stormie, Cory’s, Great Shearwater, Scopoli’s Shear, Sooty Sheat, Fulmar, Manx, Balearic and Sunfish.
Beast. 😍
Caspian Tern. Ever present at any good wetland in #finland. The absolute king. 🤴😎 #birds 🪶 #birding #seabirds #birdwatching #birdphotography
July 12, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Beast. 😍
V hot dragonfly transect at Ham Wall this am/early pm. Highlight 20 (!) Lesser Emperors, including 2 ovipositing pairs. 25+ Brown Hawkers, 12 Emperors, 3 Southern Hawkers and 1st Migrant Hawker of year. Temp in car on return to car park read 42 degrees!
July 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
V hot dragonfly transect at Ham Wall this am/early pm. Highlight 20 (!) Lesser Emperors, including 2 ovipositing pairs. 25+ Brown Hawkers, 12 Emperors, 3 Southern Hawkers and 1st Migrant Hawker of year. Temp in car on return to car park read 42 degrees!
OTD 2 yrs ago in Taman Negara: Gould's Frogmouth, Garnet Pitta, but only heard Rail-babbler. OTD in PNG 1 yr ago a fabulous morning's birding up the Telefomin Rd, with Sooty Shrikethrush being a lifer for Birdquest, never mind our group. Lots of goodies: Splendid Astrapia lived up to its name too.
July 7, 2025 at 10:46 PM
OTD 2 yrs ago in Taman Negara: Gould's Frogmouth, Garnet Pitta, but only heard Rail-babbler. OTD in PNG 1 yr ago a fabulous morning's birding up the Telefomin Rd, with Sooty Shrikethrush being a lifer for Birdquest, never mind our group. Lots of goodies: Splendid Astrapia lived up to its name too.
OTD 2 yrs ago was 1st day of 3 at Taman Negara, Malaysia with Tropical Birding - Malayan Crested Fireback plus lots of subtle babblers and bulbuls. OTD 1 yr ago the Tabubil area in PNG produced Torrent-lark, Salvadori's Teal, Carola's Parotia, Obscure Berrypecker, and (just for me) Papuan Eagle!
July 6, 2025 at 10:41 PM
OTD 2 yrs ago was 1st day of 3 at Taman Negara, Malaysia with Tropical Birding - Malayan Crested Fireback plus lots of subtle babblers and bulbuls. OTD 1 yr ago the Tabubil area in PNG produced Torrent-lark, Salvadori's Teal, Carola's Parotia, Obscure Berrypecker, and (just for me) Papuan Eagle!
OTD 2 yrs ago I was at Bukit Fraser, Malaysia with Tropical Birding, seeing among others Red-bearded Bee-eater, Bamboo Woodpecker, and the exquisite Himalayan Cutia. OTD one year ago I was in PNG with Birdquest, stuck in Port Moresby as our flight to Tabubil was cancelled. It got better!
July 4, 2025 at 6:09 PM
OTD 2 yrs ago I was at Bukit Fraser, Malaysia with Tropical Birding, seeing among others Red-bearded Bee-eater, Bamboo Woodpecker, and the exquisite Himalayan Cutia. OTD one year ago I was in PNG with Birdquest, stuck in Port Moresby as our flight to Tabubil was cancelled. It got better!
30 years ago today, 2 July 1995, James McGill, Alastair Stevenson, and I were at Wyke Down, Dorset listening to a Quail calling from a barley field. Legging it up the footpath, we flushed another one! The 1st Quail I'd ever seen, and I've only seen one more in Britain since, again by chance.
July 2, 2025 at 4:37 PM
30 years ago today, 2 July 1995, James McGill, Alastair Stevenson, and I were at Wyke Down, Dorset listening to a Quail calling from a barley field. Legging it up the footpath, we flushed another one! The 1st Quail I'd ever seen, and I've only seen one more in Britain since, again by chance.
Osprey in tree at Bridge Marsh, Seaton 6.30pm, viewed from gateway off A3052. Been around all afternoon, apparently, though mobile over short distances. #devonbirding
June 30, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Osprey in tree at Bridge Marsh, Seaton 6.30pm, viewed from gateway off A3052. Been around all afternoon, apparently, though mobile over short distances. #devonbirding
Red Kite low W over my garden just now.
June 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Red Kite low W over my garden just now.
Desert Wheatear still showing v well at Somerdale, Keynsham 2.50pm at least.
June 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Desert Wheatear still showing v well at Somerdale, Keynsham 2.50pm at least.
V enjoyable dragonfly transect at Ham Wall this pm. Brown Hawker, 3 Norfolk Hawkers, 2 Lesser Emperors the highlights, but also NFY Black-tailed Skimmer and Small Red-eyed Damsel. Birds included flyover Bittern and Red Kite.
June 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM
V enjoyable dragonfly transect at Ham Wall this pm. Brown Hawker, 3 Norfolk Hawkers, 2 Lesser Emperors the highlights, but also NFY Black-tailed Skimmer and Small Red-eyed Damsel. Birds included flyover Bittern and Red Kite.
Reposted by Julian Thomas
Reminder: Nobel-prize winning PCR (1983), used in basically all genetic tech today, was only possible because of extremophile bacterium discovered in 1964 in Yellowstone funded by a small ~$80k NSF grant with no obvious application at the time. #science 🧪
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
How a discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR - Richmond Scientific
A discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR, the gold-standard COVID-19 tests used to fight the global pandemic.
www.richmondscientific.com
June 8, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Reminder: Nobel-prize winning PCR (1983), used in basically all genetic tech today, was only possible because of extremophile bacterium discovered in 1964 in Yellowstone funded by a small ~$80k NSF grant with no obvious application at the time. #science 🧪
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
White Stork circled over Loxtons at Ham Wall c.12.25 then headed W past Durstons peat works. #somersetbirding
June 8, 2025 at 11:31 AM
White Stork circled over Loxtons at Ham Wall c.12.25 then headed W past Durstons peat works. #somersetbirding
Two years ago today I was in Spain, twitching an Ancient Murrelet. Only a short trip, but brilliant fun: birdingtales.blogspot.com/2023/08/anci...
Ancient Murrelet
For various reasons at various times, I never managed to go for the Lundy Ancient Murrelet – a fact that I have often quoted as what has dri...
birdingtales.blogspot.com
June 5, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Two years ago today I was in Spain, twitching an Ancient Murrelet. Only a short trip, but brilliant fun: birdingtales.blogspot.com/2023/08/anci...