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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

After cleaning up on the endemics on the island of Principe, we enjoyed some relaxed wader watching in front of the islands main town! Per eBird, we had the 2nd records of both Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, the latter drawing the unwanted attention of the local Black Kites!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Just back from a 10-day trip to São Tomé and Príncipe! It did not stop raining during our two days on Mount Carmo, but we still got to enjoy fabulous views of the Sao Tome Shorttail! Incredibly, this bird is thought to be a strange Wagtail and sits in the genus Motacilla

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The migrants continued aplenty during my weekend away from Paris, birding the farmland around Strasbourg! Random bits of habitat that somehow feel like autumn at Spurn!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The nearby lake here in Paris does not have much in the way of shoreline, so I didn't hold too much hope for it attracting any migrant waders! So this flock of 13 Common Sandpipers was quite the surprise!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I've spent the last week searching for migrants in the parks of southern Paris with phenomenal success; 2 Redstarts, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Spotted Flycatchers, 13 Pied Flycatchers and so many Blackcaps, well over 50 in total, among other species! Surprisingly excellent birding!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The Masked Water Tyrant is one of my all-time favourite South American birds! However, it had been a few years since I had seen the species, so I very much enjoyed a lively pair whilst in Ecuador! Simply superb birds!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The mysterious 'San Isidro' Black-banded Owl is a key target in northern Ecuador... So it was very good of this individual to sit outside the restaurant, saving us the hassle of needing to go and search for it in the dark!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

My previous encounters with Ocellated Tapaculos had been limited to brief glimpses in dense vegetation! But thanks to the guys at Paz de las Aves, we were treated to incredible views of a pair devouring worms at a feeder! Perfect for a Tapaculo lover like myself!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my first roosting Oilbirds whilst here in Ecuador! Seven years ago I saw them in flight, and I clearly misjudged just how big they actually are! Very cool birds!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

It’s been 4 years since I visited the famous Angel Paz, so I was very excited to get to meet the latest version of Maria the Giant Antpitta! And she performed extremely well for us all!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I love looking at Cloud Forest hotspots on eBird and seeing random observations of wading birds sat in the road! It was something I always wanted to encounter for myself! And today it happened, with this Bairds Sandpiper sat on an Ecuadorean Cloud Forest road!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Borneo was excellent for mammals, with 35 species recorded during our three weeks, including a whopping 13 different species of squirrels! Some highlights here; Bornean Gibbon, Philippine Slow Loris, Bornean Pygmy Elephant and the standout, a Sunda Leopard Cat at Danum Valley!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

The standout bird from our time in Borneo has to be the stunning male Bornean Peacock Pheasant and his outrageous plumage! Thanks to a hide, this once mythical species now offers incredible views!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Despite showing for 6 consecutive days, day 7 was unlucky for me with Giant Pitta at the Kinabatangan Hide this morning! But thanks to this absolute stunner, it was not a double-pitta-dip-day! Absolutely glowing Blue-banded Pitta near Lahad Datu this afternoon! What a bird!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Well… we had an eventful first evening on the canopy walkway at Sepilok… absolutely incredible!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Despite spending 4 days searching, we failed to find the Whiteheads Spiderhunter at Mount Kinabalu, leaving our Whiteheads trio incomplete! But we had some excellent compensation with a completely unexpected Jambu Fruit Dove! Even in the mist, its vibrancy could not be subdued!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Only four days in to our Borneo trip, and we’ve already landed 8 (EIGHT!!!) species of Squirrel! Undoubtedly the highlight was this delightful Tufted Pygmy Squirrel, which is endemic to the Bornean highlands!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

As a lover of small awkward to see birds (like Tapaculos) the Bornean Stubtail was one of the birds I most wanted to see in Borneo! And it did not disappoint, with absolutely phenomenal views on Mount Kinabalu!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

A great start to our Borneo trip at the Trusmadi Bird Hide, where this stunning Bornean Banded Pitta was the highlight! Bouncing around the arena! Just a female Bulwer’s Pheasant made a visit to the hide, but since they have been AWOL for a while, we were happy to see her!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥 💥NUMBER 135💥 💥TREECREEPER💥 A Soil Hill Treecreeper was not something I thought I would experience this morning, but the Hill is nothing if not unexpected! A species I always wondered if I would ever get on the list! Absolute scenes! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

This morning delivered a true Soil Hill mega! Only the 4th record of Nuthatch for the Hill, and the first for five years! It did not linger for long before flying off over the fields heading north! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥 💥NUMBER 134💥 💥QUAIL💥 🇬🇧 FULL FAT BRITISH TICK 🇬🇧 My days of British ticks on Soil Hill were long gone, or so I thought! Absolutely thrilled to hear (and briefly see) this Quail on the Hill today! Halifax MEGA! What a time to be alive! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

So far it has been an excellent spring for Ring Ouzel on Soil Hill, with this very handsome male now continuing into his third day! However, he is a particularly elusive individual, and my sightings have been restricted to brief appearances! #SoilHillBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

I was beginning to wonder where the Soil Hill Wheatears were this spring... So it was a relief to find a fresh dumping of 10 this morning! Quite simply the finest bird in Britain! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

An excellent morning birding on Soil Hill, in pleasant spring conditions! The undoubted highlight was my 7th Soil Hill Osprey heading distantly north! A very nice backup cast, including this rather conspicuous Jack Snipe not even requiring the thermal to spot! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Paraguay 2025 was an awesome trip, with 417 birds, 28 mammals and a host of other wildlife! We had such a blast that the trip report required 93 pages! I can absolutely recommend Paraguay as a fantastic birding destination! www.cloudbirders.com/be4/download... @neobirdconserve.bsky.social

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

I initially missed notifications about Common Scoters heading inland last night, so didn't start listening until 21:30! A flock heard over the house at 21:40 convinced me to head up to Soil Hill, but after an hour I only managed a single flock of 6 birds! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

A glorious return to Soil Hill for the week! I hoped for some Whooper Swan action, and I got some with birds distantly on Mixenden Reservoir! But the show was very much stolen by this handsome male Ring Ouzel, my 1st March record here! The Hill never disappoints! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Nice to bump into a little flavour of the UK whilst out and about birding in Paris today! Enjoying the succulent Parisian lawns alongside two White Wagtails!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker! Finally! After dipping in 6 (SIX!) different counties, in my seventh I was able to rectify my most obvious omission from my British list! #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥 💥NUMBER 133💥 💥ICELAND GULL💥 I was not expecting much today, it being a blustery February morning! But Soil Hill always produces! Absolutely incredible scenes when this stunning white-winger flew past! #soilhillbirding #UKbirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Great Black-backed Gull!!! For just the second time in my 19 years watching Soil Hill! It's been a steady February on Soil Hill for my first visits of 2026, but I certainly enjoyed this brute heading north this morning! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Despite several visits to South America, before visiting Paraguay, I had never managed to see a Tapir! However, that was laid to rest in spectacular style, with nine encounters during a month of traveling the country, including six in one night!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

TAPACULO NUMBER 47!!! Arguably my most wanted bird from Paraguay was the Crested Gallito! Having heard but not seen this rather unconventional tapaculo in Argentina, I was keen to right this wrong in my quest to see all the Tapaculos! Mission accomplished in the Paraguayan Chaco!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Not been in Calderdale that much in recent times, so it’s was nice that the local rarity waited two weeks for me to return! An understandably very rare bird in the Pennines, I can now say that I have had a Halifax Shag! #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

In addition to Paraguay's excellent birds and mammals, we also had memorable reptile encounters! One snake is normally a good trip return, but Paraguay produced six, including three that could kill me; Painted Coralsnake, Painted Lancehead & Mato Grosso Lancehead!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

A wet spring had turned the Paraguayan Chaco into a wader paradise! A flock of 150 Stilt Sandpipers was the highlight, but double figures also of Wilson’s Phalarope and hundreds of commoner species! An awesome sight!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

When planning this 28 day trip to Paraguay I set myself a target of 400 species! This morning Spix’s Spinetail became the 400th species of the trip, with four days left to spare! 🍺🍻🍺🍻🍺

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

With no access to either site, it looked like the birding gods had decided we would not be seeing the Endangered White-winged Nightjar! But driving up to the gate and begging for entry got us a fantastic evening in Paraguayan Cerrado! Known from only 5 sites, it is a rare bird!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

My photos are certainly not on par with those possible from the Pantanal, but there are only two pairs of Hyacinth Macaws left in Paraguay, making these birds very special! Well worth the trip to seek out these spectacular parrots whilst birding here!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

A very enjoyable start to a month birding in Paraguay! Really enjoyed reacquainting myself with Sporophila Seedeaters, one of my favourite Neotropic Genus! Tawny-bellied Seedeater was the most abundant today, a species I have only seen once before! @neobirdconserve.bsky.social

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Well that’s a bummer! But what a record for Halifax! If only I was there to see it!

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

In the summer, I spent two weeks in the Amazon rainforest around the Peruvian town of Iquitos! A few targets missed, but overall very successful! For those interested, I have compiled my experiences in a trip report, now free to gander on Cloudbirders! www.cloudbirders.com/be4/download...

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥 💥NUMBER 132💥 💥RING-NECKED PARAKEET💥 I was not expecting much for my final Soil Hill visit of the autumn, but then two RN Parakeet flew south! An unexpected patch tick! Also my second Great Egret went north! Absolute scenes! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

I was 13 back in 2008, the last time I saw Pochard in Halifax! All it said in my notes was the word ‘Pochard’ plus the location! So it would have been rude not to clear up this record by twitching these three dapper drakes on Ringstone Edge Reservoir this morning! #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Despite glorious conditions, it was a rather slow morning on Soil Hill! But Soil Hill always offers something to enjoy! And today it was a flock of four Lesser Redpolls feeding on thistles with Goldfinches! A nice change from the flyover views I usually get here! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Spent the day getting my cetacean fix with the fabulous Risso's Dolphins at Point Lynas, Anglesey! Around 20 individuals drifting around the headland, pulling off some great acrobatics! Well worth a day away from Soil Hill...

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

A magnificent showing of Pink-footed Goose migration today, with 1016 counted in 19 skeins making their way over Soil Hill this morning! If they had looked down, they would have seen a solitary observer, standing perishing in the cold, yet loving every minute! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Thick, low cloud and strong winds prevented any VizMig from getting going on Soil Hill this morning! Fortunately, the morning was salvaged when I flushed a Grasshopper Warbler, before it showed nicely! My latest on Soil Hill by two weeks! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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Daniel Branch @danbranch94.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Finally a clear day to get up to Soil Hill for some succulent VizMig! And a great morning it turned out to be, more than doubling my previous Swallow record count with my new total standing at 249! Also a very enjoyable 1022 Meadow Pipits south! #SoilHillBirding #UKBirding

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