iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

The older I get, the more it seems like the country is full of really weird people that don't understand how the world works and melt down at any unexpected non-event

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Just witness a guy get really annoyed, toot and then squeeze through a tiny gap because a car pulled over to drop someone off at their house and there were cars parked on the other side of the road. They were really annoyed at having to wait like 5 seconds for someone to do a totally normal thing

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I was convinced they didn't exist till I saw one

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Looks like this is going to be another year to add to my "no curlew sandpipers" list. If I didn't finally beat my bogey last year, I'd be on a 34-year streak 😂

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A very disappointing week in the south of France even by my standards. The only birds I realistically couldn't have seen in the UK were alp swift, crag martin, sard warbler and black kite. Woodlarks heard but not seen. Still no serins or cirl buntings for the second year running!

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Indian silverbills, I think, on the Côte d'Azur. Didn't know these were feral here. I usually count things like parakeets and mandarins in my lists but not sure about these guys 😂 they're very cute either way

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Like getting blood from a stone in October, but still seem to be some migrants hanging around, as this black kite circled for a few minutes above us. My first for a few years. A small falcon was hawking high up. Tail seemed too long to be hobby but top far away to call lesser kestrel

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Saw a crag martin colony on an old fort overlooking Fontaine-de-Vaucluse so climbed up to get a look. Was rewarded with a gorgeous view of the village and cliffs and my closest encounter with the species!

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

A few days staying directly on the Sorgue. Dippers, kingfishers and loads of grey wagtails to look at while we eat. There's a genuine aquaduct visible from our guesthouse which some crag martins visited today. A new addition to my France list

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Finally some good fucking birds in the south of France. Hundreds of alpine swifts over the wedding venue this afternoon. A dramatic addition to the France list. Cavaillon is lowland farmland so not very alpine

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Not the best time of year to be in the south of France at Bandol, but contented myself with the constant chattering with sard warblers, YLGs on the beach, and swimming less than 2 m away from the Mediterranean shag subspecies. Plus crested tits and dozens of firecrests

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

It happens every year during Autumn migration that everything turns up when I can't get out. Packing/prepping for south of France on Friday so OF COURSE there's a lesser yellowlegs and pec sand at Chew Valley 😂 And what's the betting I see absolutely nothing interesting in France so make up for it

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The most shearwaters I've ever seen on a channel crossing. Huge groups following fishing boats we passed right across. Lots of manxies, possibly corys (can't count as wasn't even thinking of them so didn't check), and my first ever balearics. STILL no Kittiwake or Fulmar for 2026 though 😂

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

A pristine adult winter plumage on a walk along the gorgeous Breton coast today was my first med gull for 2 years and 150th bird of the year. I've now reached my target for 2026! Now to see if I can get to 150 on my UK list! And can I get to 160 on my Europe list?

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

If I was seriously listing still, Brittany would be a disappointment. Absolutely zero migrant activity bar hirundines and none of my usual local favourites (cirls and serins). Mostly devoid of birds except scores and scores of firecrests and some crested tits, so can't REALLY complain.

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Not seeing any of the species I thought I'd see in Brittany but a blink-and-you'll-miss-it female Dartford warbler takes me to 149 for the year. 1 to go!

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Anyone have any moments in birdwatching where they didn't quite appreciate how mental/lucky a sighting was until years later? Mine is a corncrake walking across the road a few feet in front of me on Lewis

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Black-necked grebe off the coast of Brittany takes me to 148 for 2026. 150 closing in. WE BALLIN' Cirl bunting heard singing

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I've literally been at Severn Beach a few times when a storm/leaches has been reported and never seen one. I've given up on petrels 😂

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I am once again wondering what kind of optics people have to be able to ID anything on the Severn from Slimbridge estuary tower. I have a 60x scope and even at high tide the estuary is a distant blur. Do people have 300x zoom lenses? 🤣

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Every year since I got back into birdwatching I've increased my seabird life list: 2021 - great skua 2022 - manxie, little tern, caspian tern, S-B gull 2023 - arctic skua, little gull 2024 - pom skua 2025 - sooty shearwater What could I see in 2026? Or is the streak broken?

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Now that I'm back out and about again we're back to our regular scheduled dipping everything. Lots of dunlin, RP & turnstone at severn beach, but couldn't find a curlew sand. Saw a potential one (bird on left) that wouldn't pose with its giant beak for a photo, but probs just a freak dunlin

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

If I manage to see 3 new birds on my trip to coastal Brittany next week (and on the ferry) I'll have reached my 2026 150 bird target. Notable absentees: Kittiwake Fulmar Any shearwater Razorbill Puffin Any skua Cirl & Corn Bunting Serin Sanderling Seems doable

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

OK 6 swift over Marshfield this evening has now set the latest record for seeing the species

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

3 swifts over my garden! I think this may be the latest I've ever seen them in the UK #bristolbirds

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Reposted by Joe Sargent

Hunt Saboteurs Association @huntsabs.org.uk · 25/08/2026

‼️ 𝑻𝑨𝑲𝑬 𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑻𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑫𝑨𝒀 ‼️ Did you know roughly 10,000,000 birds reared for shooting arrive in the UK every year via “Le Shuttle”! We are launching our campaign to end the import of these birds, but we need YOU 🫵🏻 to take action here 👉🏻 www.huntsabs.org.uk/campaigns/tr...

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

There's a chiffchaff singing every morning opposite my house #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Also at least 10 yellow wags flying between Pilning Wetland and cows on Northwick #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I'd say at least 7 whinchats north of Pilning Wetlands, right side of path in plantation just before path veers to the left #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

A single swift seen from the window. Last of the year? #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The benefits of not getting out birding much is making massive dents in your list in August. A very well-timed visit to Slimbridge added 8 new birds for this year!! Garganey Ruff Spotshank Green sand Wood sand Kingfisher Greenshank Avocet 146 in Europe. 142 in UK. Not far off my 150 target

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Right when I was thinking "I've not seen any flycatchers this year", I raised my binoculars to my eyes to check out some small birds in the trees opposite our air bnb in Freshwater East to see a spot fly doing what spot flies do. Such a boring-looking bird but easily one of my faves

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Choughs are a bird I could be forgiven for missing in a year, but I always manage to end up in places where they breed and always manage to find them. 7 in Pembrokeshire this weekend. Still very low on seabirds again this year. Missing razorbill, puffin, kittiwake, fulmar and manxies, or any skuas

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Well that's a mystery solved. Was admiring a sprawk over the garden when 4 ring-necked parakeets wheeled over to mob it away #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Yeah it looked like it. They were very flighty and scattered about but all ended up aiming and landing in the same set of trees. Never seen a group like that when it's not males chasing a female or each other

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

A mostly birdless walk in the Quantocks did have a nice surprise of at least 5 juvenile cuckoos flushed and scattered by something. A late addition to my year list. Not sure I've ever even seen juveniles before

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

To anyone who hasn't been to London, Paris or any of the other European cities they swarm in, wondering how I know what it is. The simple answer is it's one of the most horrific sounds in the natural world

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I am being serenaded by a distant ring-necked parakeet from my office window, every day now since Weds. My first British one outside of the M25. Pity I have no idea where it is #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Screaming party of around 20 swifts just went over my garden! #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Agree we all have a part to play but expecting people to limit their lives and experiences of the world by never flying when that contributes so little to global CO2 is focusing your energy in the wrong place and creating enemies rather than converts.

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

I can understand this attitude if you were having a go at someone for travelling to France or Belgium by plane rather than someone travelling to an island off the coast of Africa by plane. And nature tourism makes up an absolutely tiny contribution to CO2 emissions. Give your head a wobble.

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Just a daily reminder that the concept of Carbon Footprint was invented by petrol companies to put the onus of the damage to the environment on the consumer and we shouldn't be having a go at people wanting to travel and see the world

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

One of the most instantly recognisable songs. Walking through Bruges, sans binocular, the sound of a black redstart in an alleyway caught my attention to one perched up on a chimney. I have missed species like common redstart, redpoll, yellowhammer some years... Never a black redstart.

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Congrats! I'm trying to cut down to 25. Sub-19 is absolute madness

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

4 swifts over Hampton Road probably wondering if they made their migration early by accident as it's clearly March #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Love how we've got all the autumn storms in summer... And spring... And winter

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Peregrine low over bottom end of Horfield common. Incredibly a FOY for me. Plus 5 swift #avonbirds

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Can't believe my parental leave is coming to an end and my little one will be 1 on Monday. Dropping her off at nursery today for settling in - an hour on her own without me. Absolutely broken. Wanna stay with her forever 😭

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Joe Sargent @joesargent.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Randomly found myself on Shire Hill Lane by Marshfield today without even meaning to. No sign of a sileage tank so didn't stop for quails. 2 RLP on the road with a death wish (FOY). And a red kite over and dipper under the bridge at Ford.

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