Steve Lavington
@sl-birding.bsky.social
Patch birding in the New Forest
A nice fly-by from this 1w Caspian gull at Keyhaven today. My 5th individual in the last 4 weeks. #patchbirding #ukbirding
October 5, 2025 at 7:36 PM
A nice fly-by from this 1w Caspian gull at Keyhaven today. My 5th individual in the last 4 weeks. #patchbirding #ukbirding
With @tmbirding.bsky.social finding so many Caspian Gulls at Portland, I was hopeful some might make it to Keyhaven (still scarce here). At least two 1w birds yesterday and a third today, plus a bonus distant Grey Phal #patchbirding #ukbirding #hantsbirds
September 13, 2025 at 7:35 PM
With @tmbirding.bsky.social finding so many Caspian Gulls at Portland, I was hopeful some might make it to Keyhaven (still scarce here). At least two 1w birds yesterday and a third today, plus a bonus distant Grey Phal #patchbirding #ukbirding #hantsbirds
I was about to give up in the miserable weather on Saturday when I noticed an unusually large roost of gulls on Keyhaven Lagoon. Persistence led to patch gold - Bonaparte's Gull! Appears to be the 1st for the reserve. #patchbirding #ukbirding #hantsbirds
September 1, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I was about to give up in the miserable weather on Saturday when I noticed an unusually large roost of gulls on Keyhaven Lagoon. Persistence led to patch gold - Bonaparte's Gull! Appears to be the 1st for the reserve. #patchbirding #ukbirding #hantsbirds
Interesting to watch these Starlings evading a hunting Marsh Harrier in Oxon this week. The evening sky made for a nice background. #ukbirding
June 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Interesting to watch these Starlings evading a hunting Marsh Harrier in Oxon this week. The evening sky made for a nice background. #ukbirding
Nice to find this very smart Lesser Yellowlegs on an impromptu walk around the Lymington-Keyhaven reserve yesterday evening. Presumably the individual seen in West Sussex on 19/06. Tricky shooting into the light but a very obliging bird. #ukbirding #patchbirding #hantsbirds
June 22, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Nice to find this very smart Lesser Yellowlegs on an impromptu walk around the Lymington-Keyhaven reserve yesterday evening. Presumably the individual seen in West Sussex on 19/06. Tricky shooting into the light but a very obliging bird. #ukbirding #patchbirding #hantsbirds
Redstarts! After recording my earliest ever on the New Forest patch this year (23/03), the last couple of days have seen a significant arrival. Wonderful to have at least 16 singing males in the area this morning #ukbirding #patchbirding #hantsbirds
April 6, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Redstarts! After recording my earliest ever on the New Forest patch this year (23/03), the last couple of days have seen a significant arrival. Wonderful to have at least 16 singing males in the area this morning #ukbirding #patchbirding #hantsbirds
Point blank views of this Spotshank and Greenshank duo at Keyhaven on Monday @hosbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding #patchbirding #hantsbirds
April 2, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Point blank views of this Spotshank and Greenshank duo at Keyhaven on Monday @hosbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding #patchbirding #hantsbirds
Not the best pics, but surprised to see this Red Kite tucking into a Long-tailed Tit in the New Forest recently. Whether it was caught alive or as carrion I can't say #ukbirding #patchbirding
March 22, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Not the best pics, but surprised to see this Red Kite tucking into a Long-tailed Tit in the New Forest recently. Whether it was caught alive or as carrion I can't say #ukbirding #patchbirding
Some sunset Cattle Egrets and a Tufted Duck x Common Pochard hybrid at RSPB Otmoor on Tuesday #ukbirding #BirdHybrid
March 20, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Some sunset Cattle Egrets and a Tufted Duck x Common Pochard hybrid at RSPB Otmoor on Tuesday #ukbirding #BirdHybrid
A flight shot of the Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid from a recent visit to Keyhaven, Hants #ukbirding #patchbirding #BirdHybrid
March 13, 2025 at 7:12 PM
A flight shot of the Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid from a recent visit to Keyhaven, Hants #ukbirding #patchbirding #BirdHybrid
Whilst Common Snipe have been plentiful on my New Forest patch this winter, Jack Snipe have proved tricky. Very pleased to finally get good views of them on the last couple of visits #ukbirding #patchbirding
March 9, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Whilst Common Snipe have been plentiful on my New Forest patch this winter, Jack Snipe have proved tricky. Very pleased to finally get good views of them on the last couple of visits #ukbirding #patchbirding
A lovely afternoon for a wander at Keyhaven - 87sp, the highlight being great views of this Slavonian grebe, which is starting to get its 'horns'. The Spoonbill was very confiding too! #ukbirding #patchbirding
March 3, 2025 at 9:33 PM
A lovely afternoon for a wander at Keyhaven - 87sp, the highlight being great views of this Slavonian grebe, which is starting to get its 'horns'. The Spoonbill was very confiding too! #ukbirding #patchbirding
This smart Pintail x Wigeon hybrid (Pingeon? Wigtail?) was showing well at Keyhaven today. Now present for its 4th winter. #ukbirding #patchbirding
February 15, 2025 at 9:01 PM
This smart Pintail x Wigeon hybrid (Pingeon? Wigtail?) was showing well at Keyhaven today. Now present for its 4th winter. #ukbirding #patchbirding
A few recent raptors from the New Forest #ukbirding #patchbirding
February 4, 2025 at 8:31 PM
A few recent raptors from the New Forest #ukbirding #patchbirding
This showy Red-necked Grebe was a long overdue patch tick for my Keyhaven-Pennington list. A ringtail Hen Harrier heading through the solent gave me a 2nd patch tick a few minutes later! Along with Thursday's Lesser Yellowlegs, a great start to 2025 #ukbirding #patchbirding
January 4, 2025 at 6:06 PM
This showy Red-necked Grebe was a long overdue patch tick for my Keyhaven-Pennington list. A ringtail Hen Harrier heading through the solent gave me a 2nd patch tick a few minutes later! Along with Thursday's Lesser Yellowlegs, a great start to 2025 #ukbirding #patchbirding
Not the best shots, but great to see this Hen Harrier on a very frosty morning in the New Forest #ukbirding
January 3, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Not the best shots, but great to see this Hen Harrier on a very frosty morning in the New Forest #ukbirding
White-tailed Eagles are a pretty regular sight on the Hampshire coast these days, but I still get a thrill each time I see one. Especially when they fly straight over you, scattering 1000s of waders and wildfowl! #ukbirding #patchbirding
December 20, 2024 at 5:52 PM
White-tailed Eagles are a pretty regular sight on the Hampshire coast these days, but I still get a thrill each time I see one. Especially when they fly straight over you, scattering 1000s of waders and wildfowl! #ukbirding #patchbirding
Classic winter birding at Keyhaven yesterday with 92 sp; highlights including Water Pipit, GND, Long-tailed Duck, close views of Merlin, 203 Knot (a good count here) and a sizeable Marsh Harrier roost #ukbirding #patchbirding
December 15, 2024 at 12:14 PM
Classic winter birding at Keyhaven yesterday with 92 sp; highlights including Water Pipit, GND, Long-tailed Duck, close views of Merlin, 203 Knot (a good count here) and a sizeable Marsh Harrier roost #ukbirding #patchbirding
Lovely to watch the feeding behaviour of this Long-tailed Duck up close at Keyhaven yesterday. It frequently had its alula extended (apparently part of their diving action), and tended to surface with a very muddy bill!
#ukbirding #patchbirding
#ukbirding #patchbirding
November 21, 2024 at 9:47 PM
Lovely to watch the feeding behaviour of this Long-tailed Duck up close at Keyhaven yesterday. It frequently had its alula extended (apparently part of their diving action), and tended to surface with a very muddy bill!
#ukbirding #patchbirding
#ukbirding #patchbirding
This 1st winter Long-tailed duck was a nice surprise at Keyhaven today, feeding close in on one of the lagoons with the Tufted Ducks! #ukbirding #patchbirding
November 15, 2024 at 10:04 PM
This 1st winter Long-tailed duck was a nice surprise at Keyhaven today, feeding close in on one of the lagoons with the Tufted Ducks! #ukbirding #patchbirding
I've spent a lot of time looking through the gulls at Keyhaven in the past month for scant reward, so was very surprised when this 1st winter Caspian Gull flew straight past me! Just enough time to grab some record shots, and it was gone. #ukbirding #patchbirding
November 9, 2024 at 8:12 PM
I've spent a lot of time looking through the gulls at Keyhaven in the past month for scant reward, so was very surprised when this 1st winter Caspian Gull flew straight past me! Just enough time to grab some record shots, and it was gone. #ukbirding #patchbirding
This Dartford Warbler sat contented for a good few minutes after tackling a sizeable caterpillar #ukbirding #patchbirding
October 15, 2024 at 6:11 PM
This Dartford Warbler sat contented for a good few minutes after tackling a sizeable caterpillar #ukbirding #patchbirding
A showy Greenshank at Keyhaven this afternoon. 82 sp including my first Brent of the winter, but very low numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover #ukbirding #patchbirding
September 20, 2024 at 8:21 PM
A showy Greenshank at Keyhaven this afternoon. 82 sp including my first Brent of the winter, but very low numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover #ukbirding #patchbirding
This Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was very difficult to see on the New Forest patch this afternoon! Also a very tame Grey Heron that looked rather out of place strolling through the heather and myrtle #ukbirding #patchbirding
September 15, 2024 at 6:55 PM
This Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was very difficult to see on the New Forest patch this afternoon! Also a very tame Grey Heron that looked rather out of place strolling through the heather and myrtle #ukbirding #patchbirding
A striking pale-naped, dark-headed juv Marsh Harrier (probably fem) at RSPB Otmoor in Oxon this evening. One of several migrant harriers seen in the last few weeks, this brings my total to 15 different MH individuals for the site so far this year #UKbirding #patchbirding
September 11, 2024 at 10:07 PM
A striking pale-naped, dark-headed juv Marsh Harrier (probably fem) at RSPB Otmoor in Oxon this evening. One of several migrant harriers seen in the last few weeks, this brings my total to 15 different MH individuals for the site so far this year #UKbirding #patchbirding