Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 02/12/2025Giant sunspot group taken with my white light solar equipment on the phone this morning. TMB 115, 10mm eyepiece, continuum filter, polariser and solar wedge. #astro #sun #sunspots 010
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 13/10/2025First proper bird movements Fairlands Valley Stevenage this morning. Over 150 Redwing west in small flocks. Several Skylarks Pied Wagtails and Song Thrush. Big unidentified finch flock-chaffinch brambling and Crosshill reported nearby. Also 5 Egyptian Geese, first three Wigeon of autumn... 131
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 01/10/2025Pectoral Sandpiper showed well at Stanborough GP this afternoon. My second county tick in four days, having seen the Red Throated Divers at Tring at the weekend. #UkBirding 0130
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 28/09/2025Lesser Grey Shrike showed very well this morning at Winterton ##UkBirding 0150
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 20/07/2025Hertfordshire tick this morning with the Rye Meads Night Heron. Phone scoped through a friend's scope. #Ukbirds #RSPB 0140
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 03/07/2025White Letter Hairstreak Chicksands Wood Beds. #butterfly 010
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 26/04/2025Having failed yesterday, the RSPB Ouse Fen Great Reed Warbler is showing very well this afternoon #UkBirding 050
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 06/04/2025Stroll around Fairlands Valley lakes Stevenage this morning. Third singing Willow Warbler ( only a passage Bird these days). First two Sand Martins and a single Swallow of the year, but carried on through the cold head wind. 031
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 05/04/2025Fun day in the Fens. Cold start at Deeping Lakes but got the Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret and 1w Little Gull. Nine cranes at Willow Tree Fen with my first Swallows and House Martins. Three Garganey on Ouse Fen and finally my first Yellow Wagtail on the Ashwell (Herts) dung heaps. #UkBirding 090
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 06/03/2025Very warm today, and my first local butterflies this year. Several Brimstones and one or two Peacocks. None made it into the garden though. Also heard my first singing Chiffchaffs. 010
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 28/02/2025First clump of frogspawn in my Stevenage garden yesterday 000
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 24/02/2025With the recent warm spell, the frogs are starting to get a bit frisky in the pond. Expecting spawning soon. 020
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 03/01/2025Expecting cold weather to bring in birds in the garden, but not this 😲 170
Reposted by Phil BishopAndy Day @andy6day.bsky.social · 09/12/2024After yesterday's Goosander sighting at Fairlands Valley, today it was a female Goldeneye that turned up. Great find @philb86.bsky.social & Tony Hukin. Species #103 of 2024. @fairlandsbirds.bsky.social #hertsbirds 1152
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 08/12/2024Was intending to stay warm and dry today until I got a call, and managed to get to Fairlands main Lake in Stevenage as three Goosander had dropped in. The female left moments after I arrived but the two drakes lingered for twenty minutes. #Ukbirding 0161
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 01/12/2024Pleased to see female Blackcap in the garden this afternoon. Last month there was a male so hoping they are more regularly seen now I am retired #Ukbirding 1100
Reposted by Phil BishopRay Hooper @gonebirdin.bsky.social · 29/11/2024Thermal video of Short-eared owl tonight along Wallington road #ukbirding #thermalbirding 1152
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 19/11/2024First snowfall in Stevenage brought in a male Blackcap, two jays, two magpies and a carrion crow along with the usual suspects into the garden this morning 130
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 27/10/2024Lots of movement Fairlands Valley Stevenage early am, hundreds of Woodpigeon Lesser Black Back and Black Headed gulls heading south. Lots of Skylark, finches Meadow Pipits and Wagtails as well. Best would have been first autumn Redpoll until I found a Hawfinch in the farmhouse Yews. #UkBirding 040
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 19/10/2024Probably last chance of comet C/2023 A3 for some time. Used 300mm f2.8 lens from my Stevenage garden #astronomy #astrophotography #comet 030
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 18/10/2024Comet C/2023 A3 tonight from my Stevenage garden. Wide field iPhone handheld, close up using phone on 65mm scope at 35x #astronomy #astrophotography #comet 031
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 17/10/2024Comet C/2023 A3this evening from North Hertfordshire. Full moon and increasing thin haze an issue. Taken with iPhone #astrophotography #comet 020
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 11/10/2024Last nights aurora from North Hertfordshire #aurora Initially very cloudy from 2115 local time, activity suddenly increased from around 2145 and then declined from 2220. Unfortunately missed the really intense display a few hours later. 050
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 04/10/2024Autumn arrived Fairlands Valley Stevenage this morning with first Siskin and Redwing. Skylark Meadow Pipit and finches moving through. Also Yellow Wagtail and several Swallows. 52sp including regular Caspian hybrid X307 #UkBirding 040
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 29/09/2024Yorkshire delivered today with an amazing array of birds. Pale Legged Leaf Warbler a lifer, Icterine and Arctic Warbler, two Red Breasted Flycatchers and a juvenile Pallid Harrier, not to mention Yellow Brows galore. Lots of great birders too #UkBirding 020
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 16/09/2024Spotted Flycatcher Fairlands Valley Stevenage today. First local bird this year of a once regular summer visitor. #UKbirding 0150
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 07/09/2024Good morning at Minsemere with Colin. Walked down to sluice with member of staff and said it looked good for a Wryneck. Twenty minutes later we were watching one along with Redstarts Wheatear and Spotted Flys. Missed Pied Fly but also saw the Red Backed Shrike #UKBirding. 1/2 140
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 01/09/2024Four hours at Fairlands Valley Stevenage this morning . Missed a GW Egret flyover but a single Swift and four Sand Martins unusual for September. 100
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 31/08/2024Got the weather wrong today. Went to Norfolk hoping for some migrants, but should have gone to Suffolk or Essex for sea watching instead. Hard going at Titchwell but point blank views of the White Rumped. No camera due to bad back so had to phone scope. #UKbirding 2180
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 11/05/2024Best aurora since March 13 1989. Between Baldock and Royston Herts #aurora #astronomy 040
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 10/05/2024Record shot of the first Lesser Grey Shrike for Hertfordshire on the Ickneild Way near Lilley #Ukbirding 060
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 06/05/2024Surprise ending to what was supposed to be a relaxed day birding yesterday. Alpine Accentor in Pitstone Quarry was a surprise, just a shame (for some) that it wasnt in the Hertfordshire bit 😅 #UKBirding 060
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 23/04/2024Another patch gold this morning at Fairlands Valley Stevenage, the first Arctic Tern since 2011 #ukbirding 070
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 16/04/2024Patch mega Sandwich Tern Fairlands Valley Stevenage #ukbirding 0170
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 10/04/2024Some of todays birds in North Herts Blackcap and Treecreeper Fairlands Valley Stevenage. Regularly getting 40-45 species each morning at the moment. North of Ashwell, the dung heaps are bringing in a few birds with a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a rather elusive bright male Wheatear. 1120
Phil Bishop @philb86.bsky.social · 08/03/2024Found a Little Gull on my local patch-Fairlands Valley Stevenage this morning #ukbirding #birding 180
