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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

#aurora from the Lerwick-Aberdeen ferry last night.

James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Giddy final hour on Shetland when news of ‘an American thrush, prob Swainson’s’ broke just 6 min away. We got there and found ourselves looking at a Grey-cheeked Thrush. And one with wacky white in the tertials too! #ukbirding

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

So calm on #Shetland today I could hear the mosquitos. We took advantage to search trees for migrant birds but failed again: Sibe Chiffs the best. So here are pics of an Arctic Warbler found by mates @stubutchart.bsky.social and Stitch, and one of three Minke Whales feeding close offshore.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Finding the leeward side of trees and woods was key on Shetland today - & even then it was only a warm-up for tomorrow. There were again migrant birds at each site we tried but we found nothing better than Sibe Chiff, Pied Fly and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, so here’s a Red-breasted Flycatcher instead

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Charley Hesse and I nattered about all things Neotropical in this episode of the Naturally Adventurous podcast. Includes tales from Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia. open.spotify.com/episode/5MzH... @neobirdconserve.bsky.social

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

After briefly genuflecting before HM Queen Eider, and testing the breakfast offering at Fjara, we headed north, rejecting twitching in favour of checking various sites while avoiding birders. Turned up Barred & 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, Pied Fly and 3 Otters (two in woodland!) #Shetland #ukbirding

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

There be rares. We hope. A week to be spent jn coastal scrub, iris beds and isolated gardens. Shetland: bring it on. #ukbirding.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

BOC of Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler at Gib Pt today. Starting our trip north with a goodie. And the new camera set-up already proving its worth. #ukbirding

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This lovely Autumnal Rustic was new for our Norwich garden last night. Not many records around the fine city - and I think the first I have seen in Norfolk. #MuchAdoAboutMothing

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

And there’s me, over on the right, sniffing goat

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Phil Saunders @beardybirder.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

There are also a mouthwatering array of itineraries to more distant destination in the @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social 2027 brochure, including Botswana, Bhutan, Tasmania, Svalbard, the Drakensberg, the Danube delta, Colombia, the Kalahari, & Brazil wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/u...

An array of Tasmanian scenery and wildlife. Images taken directly from the Wildlife Travel 2027 brochure.

An array of scenery and wildlife from the Drakensberg. Images taken directly from the Wildlife Travel 2027 brochure.

An array of Colombian birds and butterflies. Images taken directly from the Wildlife Travel 2027 brochure.

An array of scenery and wildlife from Bhutan. Images taken directly from the Wildlife Travel 2027 brochure.

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Phil Saunders @beardybirder.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

@wildlifetraveller.bsky.social are again offering a range of no-fly holiday destinations in 2027, including a return to the sublime Vercors, the stunning Cevennes & Grand Causses, and the wonderful wetlands of La Brenne wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/u...

Close of a a bright pink and white Military Orchid flower spike, against a blurred green backdrop.

Close of a bright yellow and magenta Lady's-slipper orchid flower, silhouetted against its broad green leaves.

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Phil Saunders @beardybirder.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

As the ONLY natural history travel company donating ALL of its profits to nature conservation, & having provided expert guided holidays for nearly 40 years, it's great to see the @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social 2027 brochure up on the website wildlife-travel.co.uk/wp-content/u... Do take a look.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

that’s as mad as Madanga being a pipit

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

that Lancey was inside an (open, dumped) fridge when i saw it!

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

i have been very lucky since may, for sure. it has never happened before and will never happen again.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

And here's the sound-recording. Bird audible towards start, but mainly worth a listen for the panicky crashing about as I get out of the car and try and find my binoculars in the boot... soundcloud.com/james-lowen-...

soundcloud.com

European Bee-eater recording, Brightwell Lakes, Martlesham, Suffolk, 09h41, 24Sep26

Sound-recording of European Bee-eater flying north over Brightwell Lakes, with observer crashing around trying to get his binoculars out of the boot of his car...

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THE FAR SIDE DAILY @bot.cowtools.org · 24/09/2026

“And don’t give me that ‘I’m only bird-watching’ line.”

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Well, things have perked up further. Have just had a European Bee-eater high north 0942, calling - over Brightwell Lakes estate, Martlesham. Got eyes on and sound-recorded.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Enduring a 12h traffic survey in Suffolk today. (The things writers have to do to put bread on the table.) But already buoyed by a pre-dawn Polecat on the A140 roadside in S Norfolk, and a two displaying Woodlarks constantly audible at the survey site.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

damnit, richard. i have just got on the train at kings cross. had i seen your reply earlier, i would have pootled over to Granary Sq!

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Always stay alert… Walking past some ivy on a southeast London street. My subconscious discerns a micromoth fizzing. Turns out to be Clepsis dumicolana. Turns out there are a dozen. Relatively recent, ivy-feeding colonist. And new for me.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

And a nice end to the survey with this third Bittern of the morning flying over a main road between water bodies.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Drake ferruginous duck, rollesby broad, from benches by main road, still 12h14.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Osprey on my survey in the Broads today. Pleasingly close, if displeasingly brief.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Presumed Royal Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter pastorella from a friend's house in Norwich yesterday: he lives beside abundant willows. Looks like it might be only the 3rd adult recorded in Norfolk - of a species whose 1st UK record came from Buckingham Palace, hence its common name! #MuchAdoAboutMothing

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Some good immigrant-moth action in my Norwich garden last night. The star was the garden's first Ni Moth (long awaited, to MV below lure). Plus Vestal, 5 Silver Y, 2 Rush Veneer, Delicate. Generated a big smile in the early-morning rain. #MigrantMoth @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #MuchAdoAboutMothing

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

oh wow! that looks sumptuous, richard.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Heaving garden #mothtraps in Norwich with 675/73. Goodies/possible immigrants inc Antler (2nd record), 2 Scarce Bordered Straw, Delicate, 3 Rush Veneer, Small Mottled Willow, Diamond-back, 3 Clancy’s Rustic. Was hoping for Loxostege, mind…

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

NEW BLOG: RFF. Red-footed Falcon showing daftly well in Suffolk. www.jameslowen.com/blog-7-sep-2... (And no, I didn't see Egyptian Nightjar this weekend.) #UKBirding

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Daniel Moser @dmoser.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Pollution levels in London after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.

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Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The UK is loaning £400m to the TFFF, Brazil's pioneering fund to fight deforestation of rainforests. Make of this what you will, but this got go-ahead under Burnham less than two months after he became PM. Under Starmer, it was deemed bad optics to loan £400m for trees ahead of the autumn budget.

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

East of a line from the Humber to The Solent, there are more Zitting Cisticolas living & breeding than there are Willow Tits (now effectively zero).

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Nice to find this eclipse drake Ferruginous Duck at Filby Broad, Norfolk, early afternoon today. Doubtless the regular bird returning for another winter. #ukbirding

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The ghostpond team are proper conservation heroes

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

yes, indeed: but i have never heard of it for LYU

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Has any #moth-er heard LYU make clicking noises? How? What? Why? #mothing

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Ditto Norfolk. One record in 2021, otherwise it is back to 2019 (2) and 2018 (1). It has gone.

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

NEW BLOG: Point taken. www.jameslowen.com/blog-27-aug-... Realising that Norfolk's Blakeney Point really can offer enjoyable birding, even if the day after walking 35K steps is rather painful...

jameslowen.com

BLOG 27 Aug 2026 Point taken

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Some images of yesterday's Melodious Warbler on Blakeney Point (roughly Norfolk's 7th). Although I didn't find it (well done Andy Stoddart), sadly, I might be the first person to have seen Icterine and Melodious warblers in Norfolk in the same morning!

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Melodious warbler blakeney point, found by andy stoddart

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Icterine warbler, wryneck, pied fly, garden warbler, 5 whinchat, 7 wheatear, 2 willow warbler so far - from cley coastguards to the hood. promising - and today’s arrivals yet to come

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James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The day ahead makes me think back. At 7pm one Sep day 25 years ago, I phoned my girlfriend to admit that I was going to be late for that evening’s dinner party in Brixton. Because, erm, I was watching a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler on Blakeney Point. I finally reached the dinner party at 2345. Ahem.

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