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Jono Leadley

@birdingdad.bsky.social
1.1K followers 389 following 595 posts

Whale loving, bass playing, cricket watching Nature Geek. North Yorkshire, UK. birdingdad.blogspot.com All opinions are my own and do not represent the organizations that I work for, volunteer for, or am affiliated to.

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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 10h
West Yorkshire birding bonanza at St Aidans and Fairburn with nice but distant views of the juv Baird's Sandpiper mid-morning and again late afternoon, plus Osprey, Curlew Sandpiper, a lovely juv Grey Plover, 8 Cattle Egrets etc. All phonescoped.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Well, that's the end of my @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social pelagic guiding for the season, with a great day off Staithes, aboard the All My Sons with Sean. Highlights were a fabulously playful pod of Bottlenose Dolphins, 2 Minke Whales, Sooty Shearwater, Great and Arctic Skuas, and a late Puffin.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Juvenile Little Stint at Blacktoft Sands this morning, with Dunlins and a Redshank.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A quartet of Spotted Redshanks waiting out the high tide at Blacktoft Sands this morning. Also, one Little Stint and 10 Pintail, 13 Wigeon flew downriver.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The juvenile Osprey was still showing well at Castle Howard this morning, along with a Green Sandpiper @yorkbirding.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social With @ivoryg.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Out of the blue, a Cory's Shearwater languidly slid past on our @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social Staithes Pelagic this afternoon, giving us great views. Also, several Minke Whales, Arctic and Great Skuas, Sooty and Manx Shearwaters. Class Yorkshire seabird action!
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Sunny September Saturdays, perfect for Ivy Bee spotting. York, earlier.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Two Spotted Redshanks showing well at Blacktoft Sands this afternoon. A third flew in and then off again. Also, two juv Little Ringed Plovers still, plus 86 Dunlin, 60+ Pinkfeet.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, 4 Spotted Redshanks on Marshland Lagoon, Blacktoft Sands this morning
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Reposted by Jono Leadley
Hassinator @hassinator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Another cracking day guiding a @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social pelagic out of Staithes, North Yorkshire. Great encounters with Bottlenose Dolphins, Minke Whales and Harbour Porpoises, plus Sooty and Manx Sherwaters, a few Little Gulls, and several skeins of south-bound Pink-footed Geese.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Class start to the day with a Clifden Nonpareil in Adam's trap at Elvington, nr York @ldvbirder.bsky.social @ldvnnr.bsky.social #Moths
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
This gave me a minor coronary this morning off Boulby Cliffs, on our @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social pelagic! More here: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/09/snow...
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Mid-morning and the North Sea calmed. Then, the Minke Whales came, feeding on spawning Herring all round us, off Staithes, on the North Yorkshire coast. Earlier, a smoky-grey adult Long-tailed Skua gracefully flew past. Not a bad day on our @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social pelagic. Same again tomorrow?
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Rachel Lennard @birdergirl.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A few nice birds on the Ouse Washes today including Spotshank, 2 Glossy Ibis and the Crane flock, but the most eye-catching was a leucistic Swallow! Hard to capture on my bridge camera. Video below too @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @laziobirder.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Great day at Spurn with my team. Helped collect seagrass seeds to help with the restoration project on the Humber mudflats. Always ace to visit the lighthouse! Lesser Emperor, Spotfly & Whimbrel the wildlife highlights. @yorkswildlife.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Yellow-legged Gulls are a feature of post-breeding flocks of Lesser Black-backs, so this adult was kinda expected among 200 LBBGs on Acaster Airfield this afternoon @yorkbirding.bsky.social @eider1172.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
@birdguides.bsky.social There are only three Spotshanks at Blacktoft this morning. The other 2 are Redshanks.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Three Spotted Redshanls at Blacktoft Sands this morning
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Big east coast fall write up on the blog: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/08/old-... And mini local fall write up - it's all about the context! birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/09/loca...
birdingdad.blogspot.com
Old Fall Big Fall
A week of easterly winds drifted plenty of Scandinavian migrants across the North Sea to make landfall on the east coast. I counted down the...
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Acaster Airfield proved its power as a migrant trap this morning with 2 Redstarts, 2 Whinchats, Spotted Flycatcher, 6 Wheatears, 30+ Yellow Wagtails and 2 Hobbies @yorkbirding.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Cracking birding round Old Fall, @flamboroughbird.bsky.social this morning, with 14+ Pied Flycatchers, 5 Spot Flys, 6 Whinchats, 16+Wheatears, 2 Redstarts, a sprinkle of warblers with a skulking Sedge giving an adrenaline shot near the lighthouse.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Wilson's Petrel, Weddell Sea, Jan 25
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Interesting to see how widespread the use of the singular is in replacing the plural in bird names. It used to be a historic thing linked to hunted species, eg Teal instead of Teals. Now, it is being used for all species. See @birdguides.bsky.social for example, 'a pair of Pallid Harrier'.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Fantastic pod, with fascinating insight into the RSPB's work to save Montagu's Harriers from the brink of extinction. Inspiring stuff, big up Mark Thomas! @bucktonbirder.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
23 Spoonbills at Blacktoft Sands this morning
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Fiery-throated Hummingbird, one of 21 dazzling species seen during two weeks in Cista Rica. More here: birdingdad.blogspot.com?m=1
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Tapirs, Tamanduas and Motmots: two weeks with the family in Costa Rica, squeezing in a bit of wildlife-ing here and there: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/08/cost...
birdingdad.blogspot.com
Costa Rica: Dad Birding in the Neotropics
Pura Vida!  With two teenage kids, who only want WiFi and swimming pools and a wife who is terrified of snakes, surely spending two weeks in...
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Over the past couple of years, YWT has built new islands at Bolton-on-Swale Lake. Good to hear that this year we've had four pairs of Oystercatchers successfully nest on them. @yorkswildlife.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Night Heron, Great Egret, 7 Yellow Wagtails and 2 Snipe at Bolton-on-Swale Lake YWT this morning. Water Germander doing well where protected from sheep. @yorkswildlife.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Straight out of Jabba's Palace, the incredible Three-wattled Bellbird, proclaiming its territory in the cloud forest of Monte Verde, Costa Rica. Simply awesome!
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Mammals outdoing the birds in Costa Rica so far, with this Tamandua -a species of anteater- approaching very closely near Arenal. Gorgeous!
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Working on those wing muscles! Swiftlings getting flight ready. #Swifts
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Reposted by Jono Leadley
Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Appalling: Church of England votes against plan to rewild 30% of its land by 2030 @wildcard.land have run a noble campaign trying to get the CofE to see sense But this demonstrates exactly why Ministers can't rely on landowners to voluntarily support 30by30: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
theguardian.com
Church of England votes against plan to rewild 30% of its land by 2030
Campaigners criticise C of E for failing to show moral leadership as one of country’s biggest landowners
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Well that was a hot weekend at #GlobalBirdfair! Great to make new friends, catch up with old mates, and talk about Yorkshire wildlife and birding all weekend, representing @yorkscoastnature.bsky.social. Many laughs, inspiration, beers and football!
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
The Swiftlings are starting to exercise their new wings, building up strength in their muscles.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
It is rare for me to twitch outside of Yorkshire, but to do it twice, well, that's unheard of. Two great days seeking the Western Reef Heron, with top mate Paz @illutana.bsky.social see here: birdingdad.blogspot.com/2026/06/hero...
birdingdad.blogspot.com
Heron Addict
Part One: Westerly Dipping News that Britain's first Western Reef Heron had done a bunk, was a worrying development as Paz and me stopped fo...
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Voracious Swiftlings! The siblings are growing well, benefitting from the warm, dry weather. #Swifts
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Ruth Tingay @ruthtingay.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘No one believed it’: how a YouTube video accidentally proved Libya’s sand cat really does exist
Wildlife photographer Mohammed Almuntasir had no idea what he had found until scientists started to get in touch
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Looking forward to the last day of the Wildlife Trusts' Big Wild Gathering conference. Great to meet Feargal Sharkey, with @yorkswildlife.bsky.social CEP Rachael Bice.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
@yorkbirding.bsky.social
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Fabulous cake at RSPB Conwy, following estuary heron fest. Fab company from @illutana.bsky.social Western Reef Heron.
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Hunt Saboteurs Association @huntsabs.org.uk · 18/06/2026
16 HOURS LEFT! The government consultation closes at 11:59pm tonight (Thursday 18th June). If you have started and not yet completed the form, then now is the time to do so. SPEAK UP for wildlife and be a part of the change. 👉 www.huntsabs.org.uk/ha-campaign/...
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
We have Swiftlings! Both eggs have hatched overnight and two very attentive parents on hand.
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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZP6... Proper good this from @wwtworldwide.bsky.social #ukbirding
youtube.com
WWT - Marshlife (Parody)
YouTube video by WWT
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Great morning leading Puffin walks st @yorkswildlife.bsky.social Flamborough Cliffs. Lots of Puffins and other seabirds to enjoy.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Fly, Bee & Greater Butterfly Orchids, North Yorkshire, this morning. ♥️
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Raptor Persecution UK @raptorpersuk.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
More news on the satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle that 'disappeared' on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park. #RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/06/03/m...
raptorpersecutionuk.org
More news on the satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle that ‘disappeared’ on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park
On Monday the news broke that a young satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle had ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park…
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Female Garganey with male Teal and 2 Avocets at Staveley YWT, North Yorkshire, yesterday. The male Garganey was asleep on a nearby island.
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Jono Leadley @birdingdad.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
First Swift egg today! Woop!
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