Paul Holt
@paulholt303.bsky.social
East Kent Birder often found at Samphire Hoe
Saturday morning at Botany Bay gave great views of initially one then two pallid swifts.
November 10, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Saturday morning at Botany Bay gave great views of initially one then two pallid swifts.
Reposted by Paul Holt
2 yrs now since I gave up purposeful birding, how long does it take to retrain my fusiform frontal cortex to look only at people/ places instead of picking out birds? And rewire my prefrontal cortex to stop caring?
I must need electro-shock therapy. Form a queue to flick the switch.. 😜
I must need electro-shock therapy. Form a queue to flick the switch.. 😜
Yes, Birding Does Change Your Brain
Neuroscientists puzzling over how human memory and learning function often turn to birdwatchers to connect the dots.
www.audubon.org
November 9, 2025 at 3:48 PM
2 yrs now since I gave up purposeful birding, how long does it take to retrain my fusiform frontal cortex to look only at people/ places instead of picking out birds? And rewire my prefrontal cortex to stop caring?
I must need electro-shock therapy. Form a queue to flick the switch.. 😜
I must need electro-shock therapy. Form a queue to flick the switch.. 😜
There are now eight Boer goats at Samphire Hoe, the hope is they will eat the encroaching bramble and scrub.
November 7, 2025 at 7:24 PM
There are now eight Boer goats at Samphire Hoe, the hope is they will eat the encroaching bramble and scrub.
Goose barnacles washed up at Samphire Hoe today.
November 6, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Goose barnacles washed up at Samphire Hoe today.
Two wonderful moths in the garden trap, December moth like a miniature buffalo and the stunning Merveille du jour.
November 1, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Two wonderful moths in the garden trap, December moth like a miniature buffalo and the stunning Merveille du jour.
Top of the tide at Margate on the 26th of October. Sanderlings and turnstones on the accumulated seaweed. Redshanks and purple sandpipers on the outer edge of the sea wall. #kentbirding
October 29, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Top of the tide at Margate on the 26th of October. Sanderlings and turnstones on the accumulated seaweed. Redshanks and purple sandpipers on the outer edge of the sea wall. #kentbirding
If you have ever wondered how small is a buff breasted sandpiper is, here is the Lundy bird on the 19/9 next to a starling. #ukbirding
October 3, 2025 at 5:07 PM
If you have ever wondered how small is a buff breasted sandpiper is, here is the Lundy bird on the 19/9 next to a starling. #ukbirding
Toadflax brocade moth caterpillar in the garden today, feeding on purple toadflax.
#mothsmatter
#mothsmatter
August 30, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Toadflax brocade moth caterpillar in the garden today, feeding on purple toadflax.
#mothsmatter
#mothsmatter
A different company emptying the cesspit at Samphire Hoe today. Someone has a good sense of humour.
August 29, 2025 at 2:38 PM
A different company emptying the cesspit at Samphire Hoe today. Someone has a good sense of humour.
We now have Kerry Hill and Soay sheep grazing at Samphire Hoe.
August 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM
We now have Kerry Hill and Soay sheep grazing at Samphire Hoe.
Lydden Spout rifle range near Abbots Cliff, Kent. Juvenile cuckoo, hobby, whinchat, lesser whitethroat 5, whitethroat 4, meadow pipit 18. #kentbirding
August 21, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Lydden Spout rifle range near Abbots Cliff, Kent. Juvenile cuckoo, hobby, whinchat, lesser whitethroat 5, whitethroat 4, meadow pipit 18. #kentbirding
Convolvulus hawk moth attracted to the garden nicotiana this evening. #mothsmatter
August 20, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Convolvulus hawk moth attracted to the garden nicotiana this evening. #mothsmatter
Birding is not a new activity. Stone Age cave art at Cresswell Crags from 12,800 years ago. Described as an ibis, I wonder if it was a curlew. The beak accentuates a fossil worm burrow. #ukbirding
August 19, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Birding is not a new activity. Stone Age cave art at Cresswell Crags from 12,800 years ago. Described as an ibis, I wonder if it was a curlew. The beak accentuates a fossil worm burrow. #ukbirding
Sound up for this one, tree crickets calling at Samphire Hoe this afternoon.
August 13, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Sound up for this one, tree crickets calling at Samphire Hoe this afternoon.
Reposted by Paul Holt
4m in 6 weeks ! 😱
Absurd ice ablation rates on the tongue of Gepatschferner, Austria's (soon to be) largest glacier ! 🥵
Pic and data Giulia Bertolotti
Absurd ice ablation rates on the tongue of Gepatschferner, Austria's (soon to be) largest glacier ! 🥵
Pic and data Giulia Bertolotti
August 11, 2025 at 4:51 PM
4m in 6 weeks ! 😱
Absurd ice ablation rates on the tongue of Gepatschferner, Austria's (soon to be) largest glacier ! 🥵
Pic and data Giulia Bertolotti
Absurd ice ablation rates on the tongue of Gepatschferner, Austria's (soon to be) largest glacier ! 🥵
Pic and data Giulia Bertolotti
A sunny blue sky Sunday at Samphire Hoe southern oak bush cricket and bordered straw moth. Saturday we had a good count of 6 wheatears and second whinchat of the autumn. #kentbirding #mothsmatter
August 10, 2025 at 8:59 PM
A sunny blue sky Sunday at Samphire Hoe southern oak bush cricket and bordered straw moth. Saturday we had a good count of 6 wheatears and second whinchat of the autumn. #kentbirding #mothsmatter
August 7, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Hornet robber fly on the Lydden Downs near Dover.
August 4, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Hornet robber fly on the Lydden Downs near Dover.
Saturday evening walk alongside the Swale from Faversham Creek to Castle Coote whimbrel 4, common sand 11, starling 300, pair of yellow wags, pinging beardies and a dusk hunting barn owl. #kentbirding
August 3, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Saturday evening walk alongside the Swale from Faversham Creek to Castle Coote whimbrel 4, common sand 11, starling 300, pair of yellow wags, pinging beardies and a dusk hunting barn owl. #kentbirding
Tree crickets are working their way along the Kent coast. This is the first one I have actually managed to see at Samphire Hoe.
July 16, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Tree crickets are working their way along the Kent coast. This is the first one I have actually managed to see at Samphire Hoe.
Great to see a Kent purple emperor feeding on an oak tree at Orlestone forest today.
July 11, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Great to see a Kent purple emperor feeding on an oak tree at Orlestone forest today.
Fascinating to see a common darter dragonfly emerge from the pond at Samphire Hoe.
July 7, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Fascinating to see a common darter dragonfly emerge from the pond at Samphire Hoe.
Part of the circumhorizontal arc currently visible from Samphire Hoe created by refraction through ice crystals. A rare mid summer optical effect.
July 1, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Part of the circumhorizontal arc currently visible from Samphire Hoe created by refraction through ice crystals. A rare mid summer optical effect.
Reposted by Paul Holt
Very pleasant couple of hours up on the chalk slopes of Lydden at the north west end of Dover, with Paul Holt
Plenty in flower like Dropwort and Chalk Fragrant Orchid which are Owen choices
First Clouded Yellow plus first 2 male Chalkhill Blues of the year starts the ‘mid summer blues’
Plenty in flower like Dropwort and Chalk Fragrant Orchid which are Owen choices
First Clouded Yellow plus first 2 male Chalkhill Blues of the year starts the ‘mid summer blues’
June 27, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Very pleasant couple of hours up on the chalk slopes of Lydden at the north west end of Dover, with Paul Holt
Plenty in flower like Dropwort and Chalk Fragrant Orchid which are Owen choices
First Clouded Yellow plus first 2 male Chalkhill Blues of the year starts the ‘mid summer blues’
Plenty in flower like Dropwort and Chalk Fragrant Orchid which are Owen choices
First Clouded Yellow plus first 2 male Chalkhill Blues of the year starts the ‘mid summer blues’