J Hanlon
@jahanlon.bsky.social
Cambs-based Birder & freelance ecologist
writer/ author natural history & UK vagrancy
https://sites.google.com/view/jameshanlonnaturalistecologist/books-media
www.jhanlonecology.co.uk
writer/ author natural history & UK vagrancy
https://sites.google.com/view/jameshanlonnaturalistecologist/books-media
www.jhanlonecology.co.uk
American Redstart (female), Barra, September 2017. A major UK rarity with just a handful of records. Sometimes there isn't time to get a good photo. I arrived with barely an hour's daylight available, the bird at distance & the light already poor. Still a right bobby dazzler! #Birds #Twitching
November 24, 2025 at 11:31 AM
American Redstart (female), Barra, September 2017. A major UK rarity with just a handful of records. Sometimes there isn't time to get a good photo. I arrived with barely an hour's daylight available, the bird at distance & the light already poor. Still a right bobby dazzler! #Birds #Twitching
American pipit, Queen Mother Res, December 2012. A v showy individual of what's an annual autumn vagrant these days. Its sister species Siberian pipit (A japonicus) is unrecorded here tho' widely predicted to occur. The 2 were formerly considered conspecific under the name Buff-bellied pipit. #Birds
November 23, 2025 at 12:01 PM
American pipit, Queen Mother Res, December 2012. A v showy individual of what's an annual autumn vagrant these days. Its sister species Siberian pipit (A japonicus) is unrecorded here tho' widely predicted to occur. The 2 were formerly considered conspecific under the name Buff-bellied pipit. #Birds
American herring gull (2nd cal yr), Newlyn, April 2021. An obliging and rather pale bird, perhaps originating from quite a high latitude. Ireland & this area of West Cornwall produce annual sightings of this species in its more obvious immature plumages but it remains v rare across most of Britain.
November 22, 2025 at 11:34 AM
American herring gull (2nd cal yr), Newlyn, April 2021. An obliging and rather pale bird, perhaps originating from quite a high latitude. Ireland & this area of West Cornwall produce annual sightings of this species in its more obvious immature plumages but it remains v rare across most of Britain.
American coot, Loch Flemington, Highland. March 2014. Think there's been less than a dozen records of these. This was part of a great (but v long) day out in Scotland that also produced an American herring gull and a lekking male Capercaillie.
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
American coot, Loch Flemington, Highland. March 2014. Think there's been less than a dozen records of these. This was part of a great (but v long) day out in Scotland that also produced an American herring gull and a lekking male Capercaillie.
American bittern, Carlton Marshes, April 2018. A major rarity that showed really well to many visitors at this great new reserve, though it kept its distance the day I visited. #Birding #Twitching
November 19, 2025 at 11:01 AM
American bittern, Carlton Marshes, April 2018. A major rarity that showed really well to many visitors at this great new reserve, though it kept its distance the day I visited. #Birding #Twitching
Alpine swift, Walthamstow Wetlands, March 2023. Not my finest photographic effort - I've struggled to get a decent pic despite seeing 6 including one once down to about 6ft! But good to see one in London's East End where I grew up & cut my #birding teeth
November 18, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Alpine swift, Walthamstow Wetlands, March 2023. Not my finest photographic effort - I've struggled to get a decent pic despite seeing 6 including one once down to about 6ft! But good to see one in London's East End where I grew up & cut my #birding teeth
Alpine accentor (ad), Slaughden, Suffolk. October 2022. 32 yrs after my 1st on the Isle of Wight. A mostly winter & spring vagrant to the SE / E Anglia with a few dozen records nationally. #birding #twitching
November 17, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Alpine accentor (ad), Slaughden, Suffolk. October 2022. 32 yrs after my 1st on the Isle of Wight. A mostly winter & spring vagrant to the SE / E Anglia with a few dozen records nationally. #birding #twitching
Alder flycatcher, Blakeney Pt, Sept 2010. V similar to the last species I posted; this was just a couple of yrs after Britain's 1st and will be remembered by those who saw it on the 1st day for the 6 mile return walk along shingle in horizontal rain being battered by a force 10 storm. Nice. #birding
November 16, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Alder flycatcher, Blakeney Pt, Sept 2010. V similar to the last species I posted; this was just a couple of yrs after Britain's 1st and will be remembered by those who saw it on the 1st day for the 6 mile return walk along shingle in horizontal rain being battered by a force 10 storm. Nice. #birding
Good to see official recognition of ‘that’ green wheelie bin after my post yesterday. Yeah, you know the one! #TwitchingProps
November 16, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Good to see official recognition of ‘that’ green wheelie bin after my post yesterday. Yeah, you know the one! #TwitchingProps
Gonna post each day a new bird species I've photographed in UK until I get bored..starting alphabetically with Acadian flycatcher from Sept 2015. The sole record to date & the 2nd N American Empidonax sp to make it here. Virtually a one day #bird, gracing a small garden beside a Kent beach. #birding
November 15, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Gonna post each day a new bird species I've photographed in UK until I get bored..starting alphabetically with Acadian flycatcher from Sept 2015. The sole record to date & the 2nd N American Empidonax sp to make it here. Virtually a one day #bird, gracing a small garden beside a Kent beach. #birding
A trip out to Leics & Northants - the AGP showed well and there were a nice couple of redhead Smew. The afternoon finished with brief distant views of the rather elusive Lesser scaup at Ditchford GPs. #Birding #Twitching
November 8, 2025 at 8:05 PM
A trip out to Leics & Northants - the AGP showed well and there were a nice couple of redhead Smew. The afternoon finished with brief distant views of the rather elusive Lesser scaup at Ditchford GPs. #Birding #Twitching
Paying respects to Boaty McGrackleface. Gutted I missed the white starling there though! Pic by A Clifton. #MoreMigrantsOnBoats #BOUcatS
November 5, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Paying respects to Boaty McGrackleface. Gutted I missed the white starling there though! Pic by A Clifton. #MoreMigrantsOnBoats #BOUcatS
Something I just had to get off my chest in relation to the recent trend in bird sighting-related press stories 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️😬
#Birds #Birding #twitching #journalism #BirdNews #press #rant
#Birds #Birding #twitching #journalism #BirdNews #press #rant
October 30, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Something I just had to get off my chest in relation to the recent trend in bird sighting-related press stories 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️😬
#Birds #Birding #twitching #journalism #BirdNews #press #rant
#Birds #Birding #twitching #journalism #BirdNews #press #rant
Northern Bullfinches and Scandinavian LT tits are turning up in some numbers in the Northern Isles. Though I can't see these myself here are some from yrs past - The bullfinch 1 of a flock of 17 'tooters' on Fair Isle during the 2004 influx; and a Suffolk snowball from Oct 2010. #birding #birds
October 25, 2025 at 10:10 AM
31 yrs after the Pennington Flash bird it was good to see another Black-faced bunting at Spurn today. But a looker it ain’t! #birding #twitching
October 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
31 yrs after the Pennington Flash bird it was good to see another Black-faced bunting at Spurn today. But a looker it ain’t! #birding #twitching
Finally got out to the coast this autumn for a proper session and had a morning yesterday at Winterton. Among the many goldcrests were a couple of YB warblers and I had a glimpse of this eastern/ Acredula-type Willow warbler. #Birding #migration
October 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Finally got out to the coast this autumn for a proper session and had a morning yesterday at Winterton. Among the many goldcrests were a couple of YB warblers and I had a glimpse of this eastern/ Acredula-type Willow warbler. #Birding #migration
OTD 25 yrs ago a bit of a beauty - West Palearctic's 1st ever Blue-winged warbler on Cape Clear Island. I made it before dark! I wonder what Storm Amy will bring this weekend?
#Twitching #Birds
#Twitching #Birds
October 4, 2025 at 8:58 AM
OTD 25 yrs ago a bit of a beauty - West Palearctic's 1st ever Blue-winged warbler on Cape Clear Island. I made it before dark! I wonder what Storm Amy will bring this weekend?
#Twitching #Birds
#Twitching #Birds
Assuming not a hoax, here’s a small unidentified #shark caught by an angler on a S coast beach in U.K that doesn’t match any local/regional species. They’re seeking an id - any ideas? @seatrustwales.bsky.social @iucnshark.bsky.social #Elasmobranchs
October 1, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Assuming not a hoax, here’s a small unidentified #shark caught by an angler on a S coast beach in U.K that doesn’t match any local/regional species. They’re seeking an id - any ideas? @seatrustwales.bsky.social @iucnshark.bsky.social #Elasmobranchs
Everyone loves a #kingfisher. When I went for a walk at a new site yesterday there was a vocal brood of 6 young! Being fed by at least one parent @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social #birds
September 26, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Everyone loves a #kingfisher. When I went for a walk at a new site yesterday there was a vocal brood of 6 young! Being fed by at least one parent @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social #birds
September 18, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Little sketch of yesterday’s Silver-striped hawkmoth. @philj61.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #TeamMoth #NatureNotebook
September 18, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Little sketch of yesterday’s Silver-striped hawkmoth. @philj61.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #TeamMoth #NatureNotebook
Chuffed to finally see a rare Silver-striped hawkmoth today nr Stafford, courtesy of Adam Hartley. #MothsMatter
September 17, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Chuffed to finally see a rare Silver-striped hawkmoth today nr Stafford, courtesy of Adam Hartley. #MothsMatter