Ian Foster
@ianfoster1971.bsky.social
Teesside Birder, Cleveland and Co. Durham Lister, Failing Twitcher and Record Collector.
Paid the South Gare Bluethroat another visit this afternoon. Had gone missing, but soon found it feeding around the Fisherman’s Cabins. The bird shows incredibly well at times! Such a great bird! #NEbirding
November 22, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Paid the South Gare Bluethroat another visit this afternoon. Had gone missing, but soon found it feeding around the Fisherman’s Cabins. The bird shows incredibly well at times! Such a great bird! #NEbirding
Black Redstart also seen at South Gare this afternoon, in the classic location of the Boat Yard. #NEbirding
November 16, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Black Redstart also seen at South Gare this afternoon, in the classic location of the Boat Yard. #NEbirding
A couple more of the South Gare Bluethroat. In the second photo it’s doing its very best to look super rare… #NEbirding
November 16, 2025 at 9:42 PM
A couple more of the South Gare Bluethroat. In the second photo it’s doing its very best to look super rare… #NEbirding
Bluethroat from South Gare, Cleveland this afternoon. A very late record. Think we were all surprised by this one! Very rare birds these days, so an opportunity not to be missed! Thanks to the finder. #NEbirding
November 16, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Bluethroat from South Gare, Cleveland this afternoon. A very late record. Think we were all surprised by this one! Very rare birds these days, so an opportunity not to be missed! Thanks to the finder. #NEbirding
A few pics of the superb adult winter Slavonian Grebe found in M’bro Dock this morning, taken in poor conditions. Middlesbrough’s 3rd record following birds on Hemlington Lake Feb/Mar 1981 and a very popular bird on a small pond by the Law Courts in the town centre Jan 1996. #NEbirding
November 15, 2025 at 9:45 PM
A few pics of the superb adult winter Slavonian Grebe found in M’bro Dock this morning, taken in poor conditions. Middlesbrough’s 3rd record following birds on Hemlington Lake Feb/Mar 1981 and a very popular bird on a small pond by the Law Courts in the town centre Jan 1996. #NEbirding
Olive-backed Pipit from South Gare today. Cleveland’s 5th record following hot on the heels of the 2023 Hartlepool bird. This one showed very well at times and a nice “grip back” for a few locals that missed out previously. A well marked bird, just look at those legs! Great find by NAP. #NEbirding
November 8, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Olive-backed Pipit from South Gare today. Cleveland’s 5th record following hot on the heels of the 2023 Hartlepool bird. This one showed very well at times and a nice “grip back” for a few locals that missed out previously. A well marked bird, just look at those legs! Great find by NAP. #NEbirding
The Middlesbrough section of the River Tees was very productive today. Along with the pair of Velvet Scoter, we also had three Long-tailed Duck fly towards the Riverside Stadium! Whooper Swan and Great Crested Grebe also seen. If only it was always like this! #NEbirding #Urbanbirding
October 26, 2025 at 8:40 PM
The Middlesbrough section of the River Tees was very productive today. Along with the pair of Velvet Scoter, we also had three Long-tailed Duck fly towards the Riverside Stadium! Whooper Swan and Great Crested Grebe also seen. If only it was always like this! #NEbirding #Urbanbirding
A pair of Velvet Scoters on the River Tees today. Initially showed very well before lucky doing one loop of the river up to the Riverside Stadium before heading back downstream again and landing in Stockton, then Redcar waters! Another new species for Middlesbrough! #NEbirding #Urbanbirding
October 26, 2025 at 8:15 PM
A pair of Velvet Scoters on the River Tees today. Initially showed very well before lucky doing one loop of the river up to the Riverside Stadium before heading back downstream again and landing in Stockton, then Redcar waters! Another new species for Middlesbrough! #NEbirding #Urbanbirding
American Wigeon from Stoneybeck Lake, Co.Durham late morning. Finally got round to paying this bird a visit. Moulting out of eclipse and starting to look quite smart! Also 8 Pochard and a Goosander flew over. #NEbirding
October 24, 2025 at 6:39 PM
American Wigeon from Stoneybeck Lake, Co.Durham late morning. Finally got round to paying this bird a visit. Moulting out of eclipse and starting to look quite smart! Also 8 Pochard and a Goosander flew over. #NEbirding
Grey Partridge feeding on the recently mown grass verge, precariously close to the road by the start of the Zinc Works Road this morning. #NEbirding
August 30, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Grey Partridge feeding on the recently mown grass verge, precariously close to the road by the start of the Zinc Works Road this morning. #NEbirding
A peach of a Curlew Sandpiper seen on Seaton Snook this morning amongst the 100’s of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Was also joined by a brief Little Stint. #NEbirding
August 30, 2025 at 7:54 PM
A peach of a Curlew Sandpiper seen on Seaton Snook this morning amongst the 100’s of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Was also joined by a brief Little Stint. #NEbirding
Great photo of a great bird in typical South Gare habitat! 19 years ago though!
Haven’t I seen you on the telly?
This photo popped up on my Facebook memories today … an edit of the South Gare European Roller from August 2006.
📸 Canon EOS10D/EF500/EF2.0
#RarebirdsUK #NEbirding #Yorkshirebirding
This photo popped up on my Facebook memories today … an edit of the South Gare European Roller from August 2006.
📸 Canon EOS10D/EF500/EF2.0
#RarebirdsUK #NEbirding #Yorkshirebirding
August 23, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Great photo of a great bird in typical South Gare habitat! 19 years ago though!
What a bird that was!
From the archive - 18 August 2006.
European Roller, South Gare.
(Canon EOS 10D/EF500/EF1.4)
#Yorkshirebirding #RarebirdsUK
European Roller, South Gare.
(Canon EOS 10D/EF500/EF1.4)
#Yorkshirebirding #RarebirdsUK
August 23, 2025 at 7:26 PM
What a bird that was!
Been watching a pair of Oystercatchers that nested by the Transporter Bridge (North side). Started off on June 1st with three young, this had reduced to just the one by the 8th, still going strong on 14th and starting to look the part today! Guess one out of three is a success? NEbirding
June 22, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Been watching a pair of Oystercatchers that nested by the Transporter Bridge (North side). Started off on June 1st with three young, this had reduced to just the one by the 8th, still going strong on 14th and starting to look the part today! Guess one out of three is a success? NEbirding
Two Wood Sandpiper seen at Saltholme today. Showing rather well! #NEbirding
June 22, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Two Wood Sandpiper seen at Saltholme today. Showing rather well! #NEbirding
Was very fortunate to find Cleveland/Co.Durhams 2nd record of Pacific Golden Plover tonight. 30 years since the 1st! A few pics that show most of the identification points. I can remember being only a few hundred meters away from the 1st bird when it was found back in August 1995! #NEbirding
June 15, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Was very fortunate to find Cleveland/Co.Durhams 2nd record of Pacific Golden Plover tonight. 30 years since the 1st! A few pics that show most of the identification points. I can remember being only a few hundred meters away from the 1st bird when it was found back in August 1995! #NEbirding
A few different takes on today’s Song Sparrow at Thornwick Bay, East Yorkshire and a crowd shot taken as I left at 17.30, a great afternoon off work!
June 10, 2025 at 9:21 PM
A few different takes on today’s Song Sparrow at Thornwick Bay, East Yorkshire and a crowd shot taken as I left at 17.30, a great afternoon off work!
Song Sparrow from Thornwick Bay, East Yorkshire this afternoon. Went from being skulking and elusive to showing really well at times! Not a British Tick but my 1st since the Seaforth Docks, Liverpool bird way back in Oct 1994! #NEbirding
June 10, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Song Sparrow from Thornwick Bay, East Yorkshire this afternoon. Went from being skulking and elusive to showing really well at times! Not a British Tick but my 1st since the Seaforth Docks, Liverpool bird way back in Oct 1994! #NEbirding
Glossy Ibis still present on Bowesfield Marsh, Cleveland tonight. Great to see after a blank 2024 for this species. Once a real County Mega but now almost expected! I can still remember my first at Haverton in May 1992! #NEbirding
June 4, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Glossy Ibis still present on Bowesfield Marsh, Cleveland tonight. Great to see after a blank 2024 for this species. Once a real County Mega but now almost expected! I can still remember my first at Haverton in May 1992! #NEbirding
Two Adult Kittiwake flew upstream past the Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough this morning. Quite a scarce bird for the Borough! Although four were seen on 21-04-25 and one on 26-04-25 along the same stretch of river, could a pair or two be nesting not too far away? #NEbirding
May 24, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Two Adult Kittiwake flew upstream past the Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough this morning. Quite a scarce bird for the Borough! Although four were seen on 21-04-25 and one on 26-04-25 along the same stretch of river, could a pair or two be nesting not too far away? #NEbirding
Time flies...10 year ago today started with a dash to Norfolk for Britain's 2nd Citril Finch (my 500th British Tick at the time), then a very frantic dash back home for the superb Red-throated Pipit (a Major Cleveland Grip Back) on Seaton Common found by @coldodsworth.bsky.social quite a day...
May 10, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Time flies...10 year ago today started with a dash to Norfolk for Britain's 2nd Citril Finch (my 500th British Tick at the time), then a very frantic dash back home for the superb Red-throated Pipit (a Major Cleveland Grip Back) on Seaton Common found by @coldodsworth.bsky.social quite a day...
Reposted by Ian Foster
Just 850 more signatures will bring us to 100,000 and trigger a debate in parliament. Plz share widely - I’m holding my breath! petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
Petition: Ban driven grouse shooting
Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and Mark Avery (Wild Justice) believe that driven grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife. People; we think grouse shooting is economically insignifi...
petition.parliament.uk
April 19, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Just 850 more signatures will bring us to 100,000 and trigger a debate in parliament. Plz share widely - I’m holding my breath! petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
Black Redstart and Wheatear from South Gare tonight. The Black Red was very elusive, only managed these two pics before it flew and vanished! Seen between the Bomb Hole and Pilot Station. #NEbirding
April 19, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Black Redstart and Wheatear from South Gare tonight. The Black Red was very elusive, only managed these two pics before it flew and vanished! Seen between the Bomb Hole and Pilot Station. #NEbirding
My first view of the White-tailed Eagle watched from the Middlesbrough side of the Transporter yesterday! Totally fluffed getting decent pics by switching from Bins to Camera too much! It now appears there were two WTE on Teesside yesterday, so certainly reintroduced birds as expected! #NEbirding
April 18, 2025 at 7:57 PM
My first view of the White-tailed Eagle watched from the Middlesbrough side of the Transporter yesterday! Totally fluffed getting decent pics by switching from Bins to Camera too much! It now appears there were two WTE on Teesside yesterday, so certainly reintroduced birds as expected! #NEbirding
Goosander from the River Tees, just downstream of the Tees Barrage tonight. This bird has been hanging around for quite a while now and was joined by a Drake Red-breasted Merganser yesterday. #NEbirding
April 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Goosander from the River Tees, just downstream of the Tees Barrage tonight. This bird has been hanging around for quite a while now and was joined by a Drake Red-breasted Merganser yesterday. #NEbirding