David Steel
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steelyseabirder.bsky.social
David Steel
@steelyseabirder.bsky.social
1.9K followers 120 following 630 posts
Manager of Isle of May National Nature Reserve since 2015 having been on Farne Island 2001-2014. Also Scottish Birds Records Committee (SBRC) Chair
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steelyseabirder.bsky.social
David Steel @steelyseabirder.bsky.social · Nov 20
I co-authored a paper with Dr Chris Redfern looking into how people actually benefit nesting Arctic Terns on the Farne Islands (in complete contrast to what we have believed and thought). Link to the paper: nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/57ASV9...
Photo: Siegfried Woldhek #Seabirds
Reposted by David Steel
robcrank68.bsky.social
Just enough time to get #SuperSeabirdSunday set in, which are a Whimbrel, Northern Gannets, Ruddy Ternstone & Atlantic Puffin captured in 2024.

#birds #photography #EastCoastKin #naturephotography #ukbirding #birdphotography @rspb.bsky.social #wildlifephotography #naturetherapy #wildlife
December 28, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Reposted by David Steel
suzannevtw.bsky.social
#SuperSeabirdSunday #Birds #AtlanticOcean #EastCoastKin
Two pelicans fly together in a light blue sky. A long legged bird with a long sharp beak walks through shallow foamy water while giving the side eye to the photographer. A gull stands at the water’s edge giving the photographer the side eye. A profile photograph of a gull standing in the sand.
December 28, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Reposted by David Steel
kobay-ashimaru.bsky.social
Thought I would throw in a rather lovely little puffin, even though it is too late #SuperSeabirdSunday
December 29, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Reposted by David Steel
anthrobirder.bsky.social
There are people who say there's no such thing as the best seabird in the world. These are people who haven't seen Light-mantled Albatross. North of Elephant Island yesterday.
#Birds #Albatross #SuperSeabirdSunday
A Light-mantled Albatross is flying left to right over a grey sea. It has a dark brown head and paler brown body with white arcs around the eye and looks like some kind of divine apparition. A Light-mantled Albatross is flying right to left over a grey sea. It has a dark brown head and paler brown body with white arcs around the eye and looks like some kind of divine apparition.
January 3, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by David Steel
ianebbage.bsky.social
Kittiwakes quite at home on the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle
#SuperSeabirdSunday
January 4, 2026 at 9:03 AM
Reposted by David Steel
leo-in-merimbula.bsky.social
Almost forgot about #SuperSeabirdSunday but here’s an old favourite.
Newly fledged Little Tern at Mogareeka in southeast Australia.
January 4, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by David Steel
ronmac11.bsky.social
Sooty shearwater
#SuperSeabirdSunday
A brown seabird lifts off from the surface of the sea, legs still dangling.
January 4, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Reposted by David Steel
nickerobinson.bsky.social
A dolphin gull from the ferry as we docked into Porvenir, Strait of Magellan, #TierradelFuego #Patagonia #Chile #SouthAmerica on 23rd November 2018.
Please check out all posts for #SuperSeabirdSunday and give this a like and a re-post. #Seabirds #Wildlfe #Photography
@steelyseabirder.bsky.social
January 4, 2026 at 9:27 AM
Reposted by David Steel
danjbrown97.bsky.social
Black-headed Gulls at Lakeside Country Park on Monday #SuperSeabirdSunday
Two Black-headed Gulls at the top of a tree with a grey sky behind
January 4, 2026 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by David Steel
tomcadwallender.bsky.social
#SuperSeabirdSunday the oOoooOOo has started for what some consider the County bird of Northumberland - Eider. @steelyseabirder.bsky.social @theseabirdgroup.bsky.social
January 4, 2026 at 9:09 AM
steelyseabirder.bsky.social
Welcome to the first Super Seabird Sunday of the year! Share photos, videos & artwork of seabirds to brighten your day timelines. Here is the Bass Rock full of Gannets filmed from Isle of May #SuperSeabirdSunday
January 4, 2026 at 9:24 AM
Reposted by David Steel
davidst999.bsky.social
No Air Traffic Control on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve off the east coast of Scotland. Incoming Puffin had a close encounter with an Arctic Tern crossing it's flight path. Taken on the trip a couple of years ago. #Birds 🪶 #Puffins @steelyseabirder.bsky.social @seabirdcentre.bsky.social
No Air Traffic Control on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve off the east coast of Scotland. Incoming Puffin had a close encounter with an Arctic Tern crossing it's flight path. Taken on the trip a couple of years ago. #Birds 🪶 @steelyseabirder.bsky.social @seabirdcentre.bsky.social
January 1, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by David Steel
smdavies67.bsky.social
Let’s galvanise more support to stop public money being used to support what’s described - based on the developers own models - as the World’s deadliest offshore windfarm for #seabirds. There’s far better projects in the pipeline for energy and nature 🔽

#campaign

action.rspb.org.uk/page/183454/...
Stop Berwick Bank!
The UK Government could soon award public money to the world's deadliest windfarm for birds. Speak up now.
action.rspb.org.uk
December 29, 2025 at 5:25 PM
steelyseabirder.bsky.social
On the trail of poachers illegally trapping China's rare songbirds www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
China: On the trail of poachers illegally trapping rare songbirds
Selling protected songbirds is profitable business in China, home to more than 800 migratory species.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 28, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Reposted by David Steel
steelyseabirder.bsky.social
Welcome to Super Seabird Sunday where we ask you to share photos, videos and artwork of seabirds to brighten up timelines. Here is my contribution; a Puffin & Razorbill on Isle of May #SuperSeabirdSunday
December 21, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Reposted by David Steel
steelyseabirder.bsky.social
Welcome to the last Super Seabird Sunday of the year! This is where we ask you to share videos, photos & artwork of seabirds like my contribution of Gannets on the Bass Rock #SuperSeabirdSunday
December 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by David Steel
amykingwild.bsky.social
#Superseabirdsunday, but its a juvie great blackback gull nibbling a dead dolphin
December 28, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by David Steel
parliamentarygoose.bsky.social
Auks in flight. #SuperSeabirdSunday #birds
Common Guillemot/Thin-billed Murre Razorbill Little Auk Atlantic Puffin
December 28, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Reposted by David Steel
philj61.bsky.social
Apparently it’s Sunday which means it’s #SuperSeabirdSunday and sad news regarding the Texel Spectacled Eider which was taken into care this morning 😕 So glad I made the trip last year.
December 28, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by David Steel
tomcadwallender.bsky.social
#SuperSeabirdSunday David, in my opinion, the coolest bird to finish the year; Razorbill on the #Northumberland coast. @steelyseabirder.bsky.social
December 28, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Reposted by David Steel
ronmac11.bsky.social
A summer plumaged long tailed duck, Iceland.
#SuperSeabirdSunday
A long tailed duck with its reflection in clear calm water
December 28, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by David Steel
s4r4h-l.bsky.social
Happy #SuperSeabirdSunday with a puffin dressed for the season 😜
A puffin in Christmas clothing!
December 28, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by David Steel
govegan68.bsky.social
A Surf Scoter resting on the beach for #SuperSeabirdSunday.

*Fun fact: Nicknamed “old skunkhead” for the black and white patches on the heads of males 🦨, although the large, sloping orange bill is even more distinctive.

#ColorADay #OrangeSun
#duck #birds #beach
December 28, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by David Steel
scootmaluke.bsky.social
#SuperSeabirdSunday
December 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by David Steel
nucifraga.bsky.social
Bike reccy along Tyne at Elswick this pm in prep for NYD yearlist; Little Grebe, Med Gull with 4-5k BHGulls, & this odd 1st-w Herring (?) Gull very dark but pale head; also 40 Redshank, 16 Curlew but not one single duck.
#SuperSeabirdSunday @pauldavidson936.bsky.social @saloplarus.bsky.social
Little Grebe - distinctly scarce on the Tyne, and surprisingly, not getting any hassle from GBB Gulls after an easy meal Nice adult winter Mediterranean Gull, among 4-5 thousand Black-headed Gulls. Only the second one I've seen on the patch this year, and the first I've managed to get a pic of. Numbers along the coast are good, but inland, still rare, and I reckon declining; I'm seeing fewer on patch than I did a few years ago. An odd Herring (?) Gull - solid black tail, dark wings, contrasting with pale head. Or is it something different? An odd Herring (?) Gull - solid black tail, dark wings, contrasting with pale head. Or is it something different? Showing a bit of its wing structure here if that helps.
December 28, 2025 at 6:48 PM