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Matthew Deans

@deansmatthew.bsky.social
550 followers 579 following 141 posts

Keen birder and moth-man from the Suffolk coast. Most of my moth news is from Bawdsey Hall.

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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Delighted to add Hudsonian Godwit to my Suffolk list this evening. Managed 20 minutes of views before the bird unexpectedly flew off with c27 Blackwits. Almost certainly the Portuguese bird from a few days ago. Where will it end up next?
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
A few distant phonescoped shots of the fabulous dusky Spotted Redshanks currently present at @RSPBMinsmere I personally saw six birds this afternoon plus six Green Sandpipers, 1 Knot & 2 Ruff.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Rusty Wave (Idaea inquinata) taken at light in Ipswich, Suffolk, last night by Samuel Chamberlain. I'm very grateful to Sam for sharing his moth. Possibly the first wild caught example in the UK, occurring during record heatwave conditions. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
A worn Eastern Bordered Straw (H. nubigera) was the moth highlight from @Bawdsey_Hall last night. It's the second to be recorded here this year. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Striped Hawk-moth (Hyles livornica) taken at light @Bawdsey_Hall last night. The second here this month. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Enjoyed fine views of Britain's first ever Western Reef Heron in Caernarfon over the weekend. A lovely dark-morph adult in breeding plumage.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Agrotera nemoralis (Beautiful Pearl) and Striped Hawk-moth @Bawdsey_Hall last night. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Feathered Beauty from @Bawdsey_Hall last night. Also Ni Moth, Gem, Flame Wainscot and Bordered Straw. An Eastern Bordered Straw in my garden at Hollesley. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Delighted to get a second chance at the Gull-billed Tern at @RSPBMinsmere this afternoon having missed it by minutes on 20 May! Only my second GBT in Suffolk. It's very mobile and gave me the runaround today.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Powdered Grass-veneer (Thisanotia chrysonuchella) from @Bawdsey_Hall last night. A new pyralid moth for Bawdsey. The second vc25 record. Likely an immigrant. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Eastern Bordered Straw (Heliothis nubigera) from the @Bawdsey_Hall traps last night. A 'first' for Bawdsey. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
Eastern Bordered Straw (Heliothis nubigera)
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
An enjoyable morning at Carlton Marshes, Suffolk, with the highlight the continuing drake American Wigeon. Also seen were a single Tundra Bean Goose and c150 White-fronted Geese.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Record shot of Slavonian Grebe at Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk, this afternoon. A rare bird in the county since the demise of the Stour wintering population in recent years.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Hume's Warbler at Lowestoft, Suffolk this morning. A very active bird which showed well. A very pale individual with a call similar to a Pied Wagtail.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Aurora borealis from Hollesley, East Suffolk, this evening.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Some nice winter wildfowl around Alton Water reservoir, south Suffolk, today. A 'white nun' Smew and a flyover Bewick's Swan plus the two female Scaup still present.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
One of my favourite wintering birds - Snow Buntings - in a snow blizzard today at Kessingland beach, Suffolk.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Shore Lark, Kessingland beach, Suffolk, in a snow blizzard this afternoon. One of four birds overwintering at this location.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
A striking leucistic Blackbird in the North Bushes at Minsmere @RSPBMinsmere this morning. An influx of continental Blackbirds was evident here today with at least 20 - 30 seen.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Started the new year at Minsmere @RSPBMinsmere where the highlights were Temminck's Stint, Firecrest & Water Pipit. Then two Bewick's Swans and 12 Tundra Bean Geese at Gedgrave, Orford.
Bewick's Swans Tundra Bean Geese
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Happy New Year to all my friends and followers. Here is a Sri Lanka Blue-Magpie from Sinharaja earlier in December. One of my birds of the year.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
The Black-winged Kite showed well at Ludham Bridge, Norfolk, this afternoon. Great views in the telescope, although rather distant for photographs.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
The Black-bellied Dipper at Bintree Mill, Norfolk. Often elusive, going missing for days, the bird put on quite a show today.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
Hump-nosed Lizard (Lyriocephalus scutatus) from Sinharaja. A completely unique genus and endemic to Sri Lanka. It was an exciting find in the wet zone rainforest.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
The colourful White-throated Flowerpecker from Sinharaja earlier in December. An endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
Sri Lanka Spurfowl (male), Sinharaja, Sri Lanka, earlier in December. Relatively easy to see nowadays, with the setup of feeding blinds.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
I rarely see Smew in Suffolk nowadays. It's one of our declining winter visitors. This exquisite "white Nun" showed well today at @SWTCarltonMarsh in north-east Suffolk. Also present was a drake Goosander on Oulton Dyke.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Sri Lanka Bay-Owl, Sinharaja, Sri Lanka, in December 2025. This was an unexpected bonus - a very difficult bird to connect with, although in the past few years it has been slightly easier. Despite the name, it's not endemic to Sri Lanka and is also found in parts of India.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Serendib Scops-Owl from Sinharaja, Sri Lanka, November 2025. Two well-hidden birds were seen after a considerable trek in the rainforest.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
Indian Pitta in the rain at Kitulgala, Sri Lanka, November 2025. I saw several here and found them to be one of the more showy of the pitta species.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
The lovely Eastern Black Redstart at Sheringham, Norfolk, this afternoon. Although largely elusive, it does show very well on occasions. My first ever in East Anglia following one in Kent and two in Cleveland/Yorkshire.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
I was pleased to find this Brown Fish Owl at Kitulgala, Sri Lanka, in November. I first detected it in my thermal imager.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Green-billed Coucal from Kitulgala, Sri Lanka, in November. Quite elusive and they can be slippery customers hiding away! I only saw a couple here and one at Sinharaja.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
The rather endearing Chestnut-backed Owlet from Kitulgala, Sri Lanka, in November. An endemic, seen quite easily here on several days.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Banded Bay Cuckoo at Kitulgala, Sri Lanka, 25 November. I've seen this species a few times in Asia now but rarely as showy as this individual.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Indian Scops Owls from near Negombo, Sri Lanka, on 25 November. Recently split from Collared Scops Owl - great views were enjoyed of this pair.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Toque Macaque, Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka - 24 November. The name derives from the whorl of hair on the head resembling a cap. A widespread and common species.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
My recent Sri Lankan adventure started in Colombo, where Spot-billed Pelican was seen very well at the nearby Negombo Lagoon on 24 November.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Recently back from Sri Lanka and going through my photos. I would welcome thoughts and comments on this falcon seen in Kitulgala in late November during Cyclone Ditwah. It was high up in a tree in the rain, so was poorly photographed.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
A pleasant afternoon along the the Stour Estuary yesterday produced this Black-throated Diver, two Great Northern Divers and two Black-necked Grebes. It was nice to get out and this was my first birding in Suffolk since returning from Sri Lanka.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
The first-winter Isabelline Shrike at North Warren, Suffolk, this afternoon on it's eighth day. It was feeding well on wasps and also seen to regurgitate a pellet.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
The beautiful Pallas's Leaf Warbler in the churchyard at Aldeburgh, Suffolk, late this afternoon. Only managed a couple of shots of this typically mobile individual in fading light.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
The lovely first-winter Isabelline Shrike at North Warren, Suffolk, this afternoon. A lovely sandy-coloured shrike which performed well in the brambles at the edge of the marsh.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
Two Scarce Bordered Straw (H. armigera) to light @Bawdsey_Hall last night. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
The Cosmopolitan (Leucania loreyi) to light at @Bawdsey_Hall last night. The second of the autumn here. A very rare migrant moth in Suffolk. @MigrantMothUK @BC_Suffolk
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
Another pose of the fabulous 1w Brown Shrike from Upper Hollesley Common, Suffolk, in the sunshine this morning. Only my fifth in Britain and Ireland following birds at Ballyferriter, Staines Moor, Flamborough and Weybourne.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
The local first-winter Brown Shrike was again showing well at Upper Hollesley Common, Suffolk, this morning. This is the sixth species of shrike I have seen on the Bawdsey peninsula.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
An alternative shot of the Upper Hollesley Brown Shrike. This is the fifth addition to the Suffolk list in 2025 - the highest ever total of new birds added to the county list in a single year! It has been a really great year in Suffolk.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
The lovely first-winter Brown Shrike which has been frequenting Upper Hollesley Common, Suffolk, for three days now. A long overdue 'first' for Suffolk.
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Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Radford's Flame Shoulder from Bawdsey Hall on Monday night.
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