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The White Falcon

@markgolley.bsky.social
1.4K followers 895 following 2.4K posts

Freelance TV sport producer || Limosa obsessive L3 ❤️ || BOURC voting member || Cley Moth Obs || TG04 = the Patch || ex-Norfolk Records Committee member || Gulls & Geese👌|| Music lover: give me as much Neil Young as you like ☮️🕊️ || Don't Spook The Horse.

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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Morning mooch around the back before a quick look at the reserve. Water Pipit the pick of the passerines on the marsh + a single Red Knot amongst 78 Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits. A few thrushes over & flocks of Chaffinches, Linnets & Skylarks all heading off westwards. #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Lovely! We're all toasty now 🔥 Chilly on the coast this afternoon. Less so now 🙂 @linnetincley.bsky.social
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Entertaining seawatch as the wind hit NW off Coastguards this PM. For a while it was quite lively, bu tailed off post 1630. Sooty Shears are always smart, one reasonably close, ditto some Manx. Best, the ranks of Brents passing by. Welcome home 🙂 @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Fewer moths today but still a super selection. A rather different looking Vestal, a fresh-as Small Mottled Willow, a mobile Scarce-bordered Straw, a surprise Nephopterix angustella (Spindle Knot-horn) + a Buff Footman (late, but not that late). @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A few more of yesterday's star of the show, an NFG Deep-brown Dart. The 1st photographed TG04 record, this is a scarce, localised moth in Norfolk - with a distinct cluster of records in the west - although 2026 has seen many recorded countywide. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
A superb autumn night of moths at CMO HQ last night, 180/48! NFG Deep-brown Dart the big headliner + our 2nd Dusky-lemon Sallow & NFY Bunny Moth. Also Merveille du Jour, Autumnal Rustic, Clancy's Rustic, Large Ranunculus & mauve Box-tree Moth. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Top drawer pick up 👌
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Happy 37th anniversary to Neil's greatest live TV performance (or any live performance from Neil) on Saturday Night Live, 1989. Ferocious energy. What a band!!! Play it loud. Then turn it up some more... share.google/01uPSVJYJfup...
share.google
Neil Young- Rockin' In The Free World Live (SNL 1989) - video Dailymotion
Neil Young- Rockin' In The Free World Live (SNL 1989)
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Some of the autumnal moths from the last couple of productive & entertaining nights at CMO HQ. Delicate, Black Rustic, Clancy's Rustic, Green-brindled Crescent, Chestnut, L-album Wainscot, Lunar Underwing & Large Ranunculus. What a snazzy mix... @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Terrible record but fun name 😉
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Nice light, smart cach. Sweet!
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Caspian Gull #2 ~ this one was in late, in low level light, but still very smart... #cleybirds #norfolkbirding 2/2
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Caspian Gull #1 on Simmonds Scrape tonight (October 1). #cleybirds #norfolkbirding 1/2
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Another enjoyable roost on the marsh this evening ~ the 4 Glossy Ibis whizzed east at 1845, two smart (& one less smart...) Caspian Gulls came in towards dusk (all different to last night) + single YLGull, 1CY Little Gull & Barn Owl & Kingfisher. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
We were wondering if this one (& the 10 there y'day) were perhaps from eggs laid in the field (there's Knot-grass all along the field margins). The timings tie in neatly for these moths emerging after we saw some of the first wave of Vestals a couple of months ago.
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Shocking Pinks!!! At some point, there will be a natural conclusion to the Vestal images from Cley but this might well be the Vestal to out-Vestal all others. Today's field-fringe visitor was the most outrageous one we've seen anywhere. Wow! @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Pink-barred Sallow was NFY last night & was joined by another Vestal (honestly, this is a wild autumn for them!) + Brown-spot Pinion & Barred Sallow all in the mix too. Decent return on a breezy, moonlit night. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths #teammoth
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
That one was a long time ago and it looked like the spot last week 😅
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Boom!
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
An eclectic mix on the scrapes late in this evening ~ the 4 Glossy Ibis appeared at 1850, dropping initially on North. Superb juvenile Greenshank, 3 Caspian & 3 Yellow-legged Gulls (& an argentatus & LBB x HG hybrid) & at least 30 Song Thrushes around the hides & scrapes. #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Good stuff Mark. One more to go. The Photo loosely of the site of the missing one (you'll know it and would have seen it too!). Caveat being I think it's where I saw it...
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Not bad!!! My Least Sand (😉) & the Queen Eider were Cornish. But otherwise pretty good...
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Quiz nite! Home from Devon & reminiscing about rares seen there in my youth. Four old, one less so. One a mega. One a "bird of the decade" for many who saw it. One a dessert after main course the same day (2 for 1!) One a bunked-off-school solid rare at the time. What & where?!? #rarebirdsuk
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Nice surprise to see @pilning.bsky.social & Jan along the Drift today. Bird-free but the march of the Vestal has cranked up a notch again. The same field margin as the summer produced at least 10 Vestals in the grass & beet. Four of them 👇 @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
On our way down to south Devon we choose the scenic route across Salisbury Plain. As well as the Corn Buntings there were the Great Bustards too. Forever grateful to have seen the "Leiston Three" but these are still excellent value, even at long range. Fun birds. @linnetincley.bsky.social
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Ah thanks Tim. It was a whole new world of ID fun for this one, but I did read about the eyes and this one seemed spot on. We had several each night on the white walls by the moth trap where we were staying. No caves in sight but I'm sure you're right that it's under-recorded. Thanks for the help 👍
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Are there any Bristletail experts out there to advise on whether this is Trigoniophthalmus alternatus (Cave Bristletail). Seen in south Devon (& I've read now that it's a hot-spot nationally for the species). Looks good to us but expert help would be welcomed. @linnetincley.bsky.social #bristletail
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A few of the Cirl Buntings from our wander at Labrador Bay on a warm, shimmery Monday. @linnetincley.bsky.social #devonbirds
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The stubble fields & hedgerows at the RSPB reserve at Labrador Bay offered us a ratio of 3:1 for Cirl Buntings & Vestals ~ over 30 of the former, often showing really well, and a minimum 11 of the latter. Great seeing these autumn flocks of Cirls 👌 @linnetincley.bsky.social #devonbirds #devonmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A few days away to visit family & a treat to see a Bunting double-bill and in numbers too. Around the red fields of Labrador Bay, we found a loose feeding flock of over 30 Cirls (superb!) and, as we headed to Devon, on Salisbury Plain, we saw a similar number of Corns. @linnetincley.bsky.social
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Coming soon to the UK... If you're a gambler, the smart money is on the impending appearance of a Nutcracker on our shores. By way of pre-emptive celebs, here's the two outrageous individuals that were part of my youth ~ Westleton November 1985 & Cocknage Wood, October 1991. Epic rare! #rarebirdsuk
1985 was a stunning year of rare bird chasing for me. One of only two occasions I hit the magic 300 mark for the yearlist and, within them, some truly outstanding birds, including one or two that still haven't "come back" (hello Little Whimbrel 👋). The autumn of 1985 was crammed full of new birds for me. A host of rarities around Scilly was followed by some tremendous long weekends bunking off school for twitches to East Anglia. The Westleton Nutcracker was supplemented by  Long-billed Dowitcher, Rough-legged Buzzard, Grey Phalarope & more...(another weekend would produce the famous How Hill Black-and-white Warbler plus Snow Goose, White-tailed Eagle and - again - more! There was a Pied Wheatear in there too somewhere... This absolute character gave ludicrous views on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent through October 1991. I think I was looking at the board of the Porthcressa when it was written large on the blackboard. My erstwhile companion, Graham Etherington, was a Stoke boy and he couldn't quite believe it...
We came off Scilly for the Flamborough Desert Warbler and took in a visit to Cocknage Wood (and Graham's mum!) and were blown away by the fearless spotty one...somewhere there is a photo of me and the bird, side by side, one of us mugging off for the camera 😂
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
What's the frequency of Vestals @ #salopobs Tom? Several at CMO this summer/autumn plus - in one strip of grass near the NWT VC - we recorded over 20 different individuals over the course of a week or so. And they were relatively uncommon until then. Amazing scenes! (Ditto L-album Wainscot).
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
That's a rather little looking Whimbrel 😅
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Fingers crossed 🤞 no elms that close to here, so maybe the local ones this weekend came from a little further a field.
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Thanks Steve 👍
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It really is beautiful. The colours so complimentary to each other. Fingers crossed one comes your way 🤞
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
... and talking of moths on an amazing run here, up popped another Vestal this weekend. We've had so many TG04 records this summer/autumn. And every one has been different. This one a little faded but the lemon & raspberry remains... @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths #teammoth
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I've always loved a double (L-) album! The amazing run for this brilliant Wainscot in 2026 continues a pace ~ amazing that we only had our 1st L-album Wainscot last year & this autumn has produced at least eight in recent weeks. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths #teammoth
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Three more of the Dusky-lemon Sallow from the weekend. This smart & understated moth reminds me of the upperpart colour scheme of a particularly well-marked, darker looking (dark-breasted) Barn Owl: such a neat & distinctive look 👌 @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths #teammoth
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Absolutely the star of the mothing show over the weekend was this NFG a pristine Dusky-lemon Sallow. Records in TG04 are thin on the ground but this one coincided with another in the village the same night. Quite a localised moth countywide too. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Right hand shot is 👌
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Absolutely spot on for Clancy's, as Martin has said. Here's two we had a couple of nights ago in Cley.
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I still get a buzz from seeing Glossy Ibis & that's based, entirely, on my formative years when they were (away from Stodmarsh) really rare, a bit like Great Egret, even Little Egret too, significant rarities in my youth. A warming planet ensures they'll keep coming... #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Breezy & clear again overnight, but a gorgeously granite-like Large Ranunculus was a star NFY moth. Not far behind was the 2nd Autumnal Rustic of the year ~ another real favourite moth of mine, so elegant & subtle in appearance. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths #teammoth
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Another stunning sunset from the back of Daukes' Hide this evening, looking towards Blakeney Church. @linnetincley.bsky.social
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
More terrific gulling across the Pat's Pool roost again tonight: 8 new Caspian Gulls in as the darkness loomed (18 in three days now inc x6 1CY) plus 7 Yellow-legged Gulls (and four figures of Lesser Black-backed & Black-headed Gulls). Love it! @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Enjoyed watching the four Glossy Ibis track west across the marsh from Salthouse this evening, again bang on cue around 7.15. They arced in towards the scrape, gave it an ever decreasing circle or two before finding their feet amongst the gulls. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A few more of another very snazzy looking Vestal. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths #teammoth
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Some super moths this morning after a breezy, clear night. Always enjoy a Scarce Bordered Straw & to find another Vestal, in a stellar autumn for them, was quite something. Clancy's Rustic (one of two) & a NFY Brindled Green rounded things off. @linnetincley.bsky.social #cleymothobs #norfolkmoths
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The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Three minutes later than last night, but still they came! The four Glossy Ibis dropped onto the scrapes just after 7.15 tonight & did exactly what they did last night ~ bit of a wash & brush-up, a long brush-up actually, before a minimal bit of feeding & then some sleep. #cleybirds #norfolkbirding
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