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Paul ward

@rickybirdman.bsky.social
584 followers 679 following 541 posts

Interested in nature, twitcher, gardener and lover of travel . All photographs my own and no ai generation!

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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 19h
Helen has set the alt #birdoftheday to #yellowelements I give you the yellow-billed hornbill aka the flying banana. The latter epithet is the one the guides use to create amusement in the jeeps! It works best when in flight!!! #safari #madikwe #birds #wildlife
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
@helenbennett.bsky.social, had set today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme as #BestBeaks Meet Walter (Rail-ee, sorry!) one of the locals at @maplelodgereserve.bsky.social. He inhabits a small pool near a bird feeder and one year became quite tame. He is very proud of his beak. #birds #wildlife #canon #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Today’s alt #birdoftheday is #Vivid; any bird with bright colours One for the twitchers amongst us- yellow warbler from New Hythe. Mega rare over here and appeared on Xmas Day 2024. Stayed into the New Year and very popular. Colours sang in the low morning sun #birds #rare #yankee #wildlife #mega
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Black&White; any shot in black and white I never shoot in b&w so this is a conversion of a red- eyed bulbul. Very common in Southern Africa they behave like starlings, hanging around lodges! Trust me that is a very red- eye! #birds #safari #b&w #wildlife #eck #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Rob has chosen #BestOfTheMonth as #BirdOfTheDay theme For various reasons I’ve not been out much this month. This grey wagtail was showing quite nicely on a nearby river. The water levels were really low with lots of muddy edges that are still there!! #birds #drought #wildlife
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Geert Klein Breteler @geertkb.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Crested Tit, Kuifmees. #Paridae #BirdOfTheDay #birdphotography #birds #vogelfotografie #natuurfotografie #natuur #landscapephotography #landschapsfotografie #SonyAlpha #EastCoastKin
A Crested Tit perches in sharp profile on a weathered wooden post, its distinctive upright crest fully raised. The plumage shows rich buffish-brown tones on the back and wings, with characteristic white and black head markings. The bird is alert and upright, positioned on lichen-covered wood against a soft, gradient background transitioning from tan to gray tones. Soft, warm lighting emphasizes the bird's fine detail. Photo by Geert Klein Breteler.
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay from Rob, on behalf of Alan, is #EFG Last Winter a yellow-browed warbler was found at St.Albans. Whilst twitching it I saw this beautiful firecrest in the holly nearby. Hard to catch as constantly feeding but I got one or two keepers! #birds #wildlife #hertfordshire #canon #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Helen Bennett’s #BirdOfTheDay Alt theme: is #AwkwardAvian. After a good meal of fish, kingfishers will regurgitate an extremely large pellet. They haven’t shake their heads vigorously to eject it! That has to be awkward and pretty uncomfortable! #birds #wildlife #Eck #birdsofbluesky #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Helen Bennett’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BokehBirds - any bird captured with a soft, muted or blurry background. This pied flycatcher was clearly feeding young. The nest was set back from a woodland path in an ivy-covered tree. It should be back in Africa by now! #birds #wyreforest #eck #canon
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Hel Jel @heljel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
For AB’s #BirdoftheDay themes #Seabirds and #Airborne we’ve gone for a twofer with this Arctic Tern! It was warning visitors to Inner Farne to keep away from the nesting area (which we did). #Birds #Nature #Northumberland #Wildlife #ECK
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ronm123photo @ronm123photo.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
@atlanticbirding.bsky.social said today’s #BirdOfTheDay alt theme is #Airborne; any bird in flight. I’m going with a #buzzard high in the sky… #birds #photography #ECK #ukbirds #wildlife #ukwildlife
A common buzzard with wings wide open flying from left to right against a blue sky.
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Today’s alt #BirdOfTheDay is #Airborne; any bird in flight. This gannets was at @rspbbemptoncliffs.bsky.social . Hovering on the updraft from the cliff, it shows the brown markings of a juvenile. This will soon change to the white with black wingtips of the adults. #birds #yorkshire #eck #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Seabirds Black guillemots,or tysties in #Scotland, are rarely seen far from coasts. Recently they have adopted ferry terminals as nesting areas. This one was at Brodick, seen whilst we were waiting for the Calmac ferry to #Arran. #birds #seaside #wildlife #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
For Rob’s #Pairs theme in #BirdoftheDay here are a pair of chough. They were part of a family group on #bardsey island off the coast of #wales. A conservation success story, they are now dreading their range along the Welsh coast and also into #cornwall #birds #wildlife #canon #eck #birdsofbluesky
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The alt #birdoftheday is #green in the background set by @robcrank68.bsky.social This exotic looking hoopoe was in a horse paddock near to me. It became quite a local celebrity for a few days. The insects created by the horse dung were keeping it well fed! #birds #wildlife #photography #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Borbs, birds looking plump. The Alt theme is #Brown This scaly weaver from #madikwe in South Africa sort of fits both! #birds #safari #wildlife
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PacBirds @pacbirds.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A western grebe with a tiny fish for #TheDivers theme of #BirdOfTheDay #birds #nature #photography #ECK
Head, neck, and shoulders of a western grebe floating on a ripply pond reflecting yellow vegetation. The bird just surfaced, with a tiny fish in its beak, and is covered with water drops.
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Today’s alt #BirdOfTheDay theme chosen by @helenbennett.bsky.social is: #BirdStare Not only staring but shouting as well. Taken at the iconic #skomer island in #wales this puffin was not pleased to see me! The inside of their beaks are amazing to see. #birds #wildlife #wildlifephotography #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
@helenbennett.bsky.social says, today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #TheDivers Quite literally this #kingfisher is diving. I spent ages waiting for it to come off its favourite perch, often for it to dive in the opposite direction! Persistence pays off eventually. #birds #wildlife #eck #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
@atlanticbirding.bsky.social #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Raptors; This juvenile sea eagle was perched on a rock by a #fjord in #Norway. We stopped our car and it just looked at us. I think it might have been one of the birds fed by tour guides! #birds #wildlife #wildlifephotography #eck #majestic
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay alt theme is #Gull, any Gull will do. On an urban pond near me a caspian gull (or hybrid, it’s an ongoing argument) spends the Winter. Often hard to pick out, a frozen lake and it wafting its X307 ring made my job a bit easier! #birds #gull #winter #controversy #frozen #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme chosen by Rob is #Redheads Well, this is almost entirely red. It is a northern cardinal, taken near #Toronto on Ward Island. They were an amazing splash of colour, made more spectacular by their extravagant crest and beak! #birds #canada #wildlife #eck #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Alan said the #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #LightAndShadow I think this fits the brief! A local magpie with a very determined look on its face. I imagine it was seeing off a rival or heading for food! One of my favourite birds. #birds #wildlife #eck #canon #birdsofbluesky
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
@alan678.bsky.social has made today’s alt #BirdOfTheDay #FallBirds Taken a year ago, this ptarmigan is transitioning into its winter plumage. With climate change and less snow cover their white feathers give less camouflage. This isolated population has nowhere left to go #birds #applecross #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay is #CaptionThatBird Take me to your leader! #birds #penguin #antarctica #Southgeorgia #wildlife
Two king penguins look curiously at a flask light on a grey sandy beach
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
@atlanticbirding.bsky.social has set the alt #BirdOfTheDay theme as #Scruffy Normally elegant, this lesser striped swallow in #Madikwe was very wet after a rainstorm. It soon dried out and was swooping after insects over a nearby waterhole. #birds #safari #wildlife #southafrica #eck #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Elegant Taken on a trip to Ward Island off #Toronto, this grey catbird posed elegantly on top of a bush. They are named for their call! The island is a magnet for birds in Autumn, many are exotic and colourful for a visiting uk birder. #birds #canada #wildlife #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Rob's alt' theme for #BirdOfTheDay today is #Pigeons&Doves Turtle dove! What can you say? Once common they are now gone from many areas and just holding on as a breeding bird. Releases help but they still get slaughtered on migration in places like Malta! #birds #endangered #migration #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
@robcrank68.bsky.social said Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Paridae When you go to the #Cairngorms a key target is the crested tit. You can find them high up in the Scots pines or visiting bird feeders. They are very vocal so learning their call helps! #highlands #birds #Scotland #wildlife #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ODG, any owl, duck or goose Just before dawn on our #safari in #madikwe the guide lighted up a tree. Perched in it was this majestic Verreaux’s eagle owl. It blinked a few times before we moved on to find some lions or something! #birds #wildlife #owl #eck #Africa
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
#BirdOfTheDay Alt: #BirdyLongLegs #knepp estate is a centre for #rewilding. The white storks, as well as nightingales and turtle doves, have flourished and a large breeding colony now exists. The sound of their beak clacking echoes around in Spring! #birds #Sussex #Success #wildlife #canon #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
@helenbennett.bsky.social has set the #BirdOfTheDay as #BirdsWithBerries Barred warblers are a regular but rare visitor to the U.K. This one was munching Pyracantha berries outside #titchfieldhaven visitor centre and attracting large crowds of admirers! #birds #wildlife #eck #photography #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Today’s alt #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Finches Lynford Arboretum in #norfolk is a regular stop in January for year listers. As well as marsh tits, brambling and crossbills there is a roost of hawfinches. Likened to parrots, their large bill is ideal for cracking seeds and nuts. #birds #wildlife #eck
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Silhoutte; Early in the morning in #costarica we came upon this black vulture. Perched high up in a tree it was waiting for some thermals before going off for its breakfast. They do a good job in cleaning up the countryside #birds #eildlife #vulture #eck #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Today's alt #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Robins Who doesn’t love a snowy #robin. They can be really cross and aggressive at times but there is always one around when I’m gardening. I know it’s only after worms but I like to think it’s my friend! #birds #garden #wildlife #eck #birdsofbluesky
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
@robcrank68.bsky.social has chosen #Mamas&Papas as today's #BirdOfTheDay I was very pleased to see this pair of black grouse on the edge of an English moor. They were almost hidden in long grass till their heads popped up to have a look at me! #birds #wildlife #eck #photography #northumberland
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Chris Snook @chrissnook.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Sparrow Hawk #BirdOfTheDay #AngryBirds #birds 🪶
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Brian Condra (he/him) @briancondra.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
#birdoftheday #birds #birdphotography #photography #alt #wren #mybestside A little wren posing
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Alan’s alt #BirdOfTheDay theme is #MyBestSide, bird captures in profile. This is the legend that was Colin. subject of more cuckoo pictures than any bird before or since. Also made many sellers into meal-worm millionaires! Great times were had by all #birds #colin #wildlife #eck #photography #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #AngryBirds “Now don’t you dare come back without any fish like you did last time” Have a good Sunday everyone #birds #puffin #photography#humour
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Happy Saturday! Helen's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BirdsInAbstract I was messing about with curves in lightroom after a camera club talk. A pied kingfisher in #Botswana had speared a fish and was trying to work out what to do with it! It flew off before it worked it out! #birds #abstract #safari #art
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
We have a mass hatching of ivy bees. They are harmless and although described as solitary, they can have many nests in one area. There are hundreds in our greenhouse going out to feed on the ivy. I have also given them golden rod and buddleia to help them along! #bees #wildlife #photography
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Lyndy Lambert @lyndyphotos.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Great egret with a #Mouthful of snake. #BirdOfTheDay #EastCoastKin #birds
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Gray @grays.art · 11/09/2026
Little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) eats a cricket in the tall grass & reeds for the #mouthful #BirdOfTheDay theme CREW flint pen strand trails Bonita Springs, Florida 8-14-26 #birds #nature #photography #flyDay #ECK #threeWordGenre #birding #birdSky #BlueSkyArtShow #blue #florida
An adult little blue heron stands amidst vibrant, tall green marsh grass. The bird has deep slate-blue plumage on its body, transitioning into a rich purplish-maroon hue along its neck and head. Its long, slender beak is slightly agape, revealing a small brown cricket, or crustacean tossed in the air prior to swallowing. The heron's pale yellow eye is wide and sharp, capturing a moment of active foraging in its natural wetland habitat. The background consists of softly blurred green reeds and hints of blue water.
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maxmoran.bsky.social @maxmoran.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Female Stonechat with a #Mouthful for #BirdoftheDay #BirdPhotography #WelshBirds
Female stonechat in a fence post with a grub in its mouth.
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Lover of the wild world @shaneyoda82.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
🪶Happy Friday Everyone! Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Mouthful; any bird with anything in its beak. A Barn Owl with a mouthful of an unfortunate vole for breakfast. @derbyshirebirds.bsky.social @derbyswildlife.bsky.social @peakdistrict.bsky.social #DERBYSHIRE #birds #UKBIRDS #SuperbOwl
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Today’s alt #BirdOfTheDay is #Black; Black vultures were a feature of our trip to #CostaRica. This group were on a beach near Tortugeuro. It is known for nesting #turtles, hence the name, and no doubt the vultures will be very active when the young hatch. #birds #wildlife #eck #photography #canon
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Mouthful It may not be a large mouthful (beakful?) but this male #kingfisher has got at least a snack. Taken @maplelodgereserve.bsky.social they have become quite used to people and make frequent use of the perches supplied for them! #birds #wildlife #eck #canon
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Christina Evans @christinae.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
A female Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) is for the alt #BirdoftheDay theme #Black&White. The tiny blue flower is on a stem of Florida native creeping sage (Salvia misella). #birds #warblers #backyard #Florida
A female Black-and-white Warbler is perched facing right near the end of a rough, weathered wood snag jutting out from the left. She is, as the names implies, black and white with two white wing bars, a white eyebrow stripe, and a streaked breast and underside. The background is rich, dark green and there is a small, single green stem coming up from the bottom of the frame with a tiny, bright blue flower.
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Paul ward @rickybirdman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The #birdoftheday (alt) theme is #black&white In 2021 a snowy owl visited the east coast of the U.K. Mega rare, though they bred in Shetland in the 70’s, so the twitching community descended en masse. Stunning bird hunting the salt marsh as the tide drove it towards us! #owls #birds #eck #wildlife
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