Sometimes birding throws up the occasional bizarre encounter. Such as watching a Bittern in a wooded cemetery on the edge of Sheffield city centre! Clearly surviving in the area as it has been seen in local gardens and on rooftops @Sheffbirdstudy @BirdGuides

A week on Scilly. No ticks, but always something to look at in stunning surroundings. Personal highlights were Radde's Warbler and Serin, neither of which I'd seen for more years than I care to remember! They only look small on a map, but I still walked 88 miles! 🙂 #scillybirds

A stonking, cronking Raven at Lands End finished a whirlwind 24 hours in Cornwall. An overnight drive down, followed by a painful 9.5 hour drive back the following day. All photos courtesy of @Aj1518326713

28 years since my last UK Great and Cory's Shearwaters on a Scillonian pelagic to the Wilsons triangle (although in my defence the tide is a long way out from Sheffield) Gambled on a day trip to Scilly. Chuffed with a minimum of 15 Great, 30 Cory's, and 12 Stormies.@Aj1518326713

Finally made the effort to get Black Grouse on my Yorks list. These photographed from the car. Followed by BnGrebes, watching a Bittern boom and a Glossy Ibis in W Yorks. A fair reflection of the birds of Yorkshire these days! @nybirdnews #blackgrouse

Yet another good cause to consider. gofund.me/7dca2f97

Amazing what a difference some sun makes. These 2 Jack Snipe photographed a few feet apart. A minimum of 12 at this site at the weekend. Followed by 3 Woodcock nearby at dusk. @HalfSnipe @shefbirdstudy

A couple of hours on the moorland fringe above Sheffield at dusk. Bitterly cold 4c with a nithering NE wind. The Shore Lark was still at Peat Pits with 440 Goldies and a Barn Owl. Elsewhere, another Barn Owl, 2 roding Woodcock and several drumming/chipping Snipe. @shefbirdstudy

Dipping my toe into Bluesky. Hopefully less adverts, repeat posts, shite suggestions, and general dumbf*ckery. [email protected] Let's see how it goes. 😏

'You ain't seen me, right?' After all the floods and the recent freeze, good to get 9 #jacksnipe on a regular site in N Derbys. 22 Common and a Woodcock also present. Another favourite site further downstream almost devoid of JS since December? @shefbirdstudy @Derbyshirebirds

Called in to Orgreave for the Slavonian Grebe this morning and picked up a bonus Great-northern Diver, found by a visiting birder. @shefbirdstudy @BirdGuides

Viz style Top Tip. For all those people like me who can't get out west to enjoy the current deluge of fancy Yank warblers. Simply go down to your local stream and squint. You're welcome.

Best I could do of the singing Marsh Warbler at Calder Wetlands late morning. Slight detour on the way to work for a useful year tick. 😀 @BirdGuides #pugneys

Superb views of the Night Herons at Ossett this morning. Checking my notes, it is just over 40 years since my first in Sep 82 on a @shefbirdstudy field trip! Which got me thinking. What is the longest gap between first and second sightings that other birders have experienced?

Another #jacksnipe site lost on the edge of Sheffield. The area around here used to hold double figure numbers of Jacks. Today 29 Common Snipe, 1 Jack, 38 Lapwing and 2 Skylarks still hanging on nearby. The squeeze is relentless. @shefbirdstudy

#jacksnipe thermalled, phonescoped and left in peace. Video cropped slightly. Numbers at this spot probably about average. Wondering if numbers will increase towards March with a reverse wave of migration as birds head back through the UK. @shefbirdstudy

This #kingfisher was very active fishing at the mouth of the River Esk at Musselburgh on Saturday. Fluffed up against the cold, it was interesting to see it 'deflate' the second before take off.