iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

It was a shock to get this close fly-by from a male Montagu's Harrier in Spain recently. That this scene is once again possible in the UK too with successful breeding this year is heartwarming. 🪶 @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A male Montagu's Harrier flies past. He has a large black wing tip, chestnut flecking to the underwing, a grey head and neck with a yellow eye and bill base.

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worm @rfksbrainworm.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

the little legs kicking

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Sophie Barrell @sophieshrike.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I think this may be the greatest photo I have ever taken on my phone !! Griffin vulture flying directly above us during our trip to the Pyrenees 🪶 @hcbirding.bsky.social

Griffin vulture in flight with its wings fully outstretched, against the blue sky, above a mountain range, with two dozen vultures sitting on the ground below

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I give to you the majestic Lammergeier, AKA Bearded Vulture, from the Pyrenees in Spain @sophieshrike.bsky.social

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

OMG that was unreal! Total solar eclipse from Morcuera, Spain. #Eclipse #SolarEclipse #Totality @sophieshrike.bsky.social

Total solar eclipse showing the moon in front of the sun with a yellowish corona and solar prominence on the left hand side

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Sophie Barrell @sophieshrike.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Obligatory record shots of the eclipse from Spain yesterday 😍 Incredible phenomenon! @hcbirding.bsky.social

Landscape shot showing the total eclipse of the sun looking across a valley

Zoomed in record shot of partial solar eclipse with a crescent shaped sun as the moon passes across it

Selfie of Henry and I at the eclipse viewing plateau

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse up close and personal on the steppes of Spain. Stunning plumage makes it quite possibly one of the best birds in Europe @sophieshrike.bsky.social 🪶

A male Pin-tailed Sandgrouse drinking at a puddle

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Scouting mountain tops to see the eclipse, with Crag Martins making close passes @sophieshrike.bsky.social

Crag Martin flying right. It is a brown hirundine with longish wings and white spots in the tail

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Over in Spain for the upcoming solar eclipse. Black Redstarts keeping us company from the rooftops in the mean time. @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A moulting male Black Redstart perches on a rooftop

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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

There now follows a party election broadcast by the Count Binface Party, And if I do say so myself, it's a banger. #VoteBinface #Clacton

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

4 dorsal fins in a row from a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins seen recently off Madeira. Interesting to see tooth marks on some of the fins. @sophieshrike.bsky.social

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

The Ross's Gull at Thurrock Thameside Nature Park, Essex, today was a little beauty and with patience it performed brilliantly! #RareBirdsUK #UKBirding #EssexBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

An adult Ross's Gull swims side on to the camera. It has a dark bill, beady black eye and black collar on the nape. The remainder of the bird is white with a was of grey on the wings.

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Sophie Barrell @sophieshrike.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Tawny pipit @ 14:50 today at Languard, Suffolk. Just a quick record shot before it quickly ran back out of view ✅️ #RareBirdsUK #UKBirding

Very bad blurry photo of a brown bird, which I promise is a tawny pipit

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

On my 5th attempt, managed to finally see a Hooded Merganser in the UK, a female at Alvecote Pools, Warwickshire. 🥳 @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A female Hooded Merganser, a dark brown diving duck with funky crest, swimming on a lake with a fringe of grasses and sedges.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Brett "Solidarity 2026" Banditelli @banditelli.org · 12/12/2025

FINALLY GOT IT! I've taken well over 100,000 pelican pictures, maybe 200,000. Over 20,000 the past month alone. Today, I snagged "The One That Got Away" In my infinite optimism, I give you, a very rare: Fish success story. 🪶

a pelican with their mouth open, and two fish are above to fall into their pouch, but one is above another and may take a path out

the pelicans mouth is closed, and there's a fish out

the pelican looks at the camera, miffed, the fish is far away from its head at this point

the pelican opens its beak and tries to go for it, but i can report back it failed, the fish was long gone

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

We found a rare bird (only 4 previous ebird records in Sabah) in the form of a Fairy Pitta at Danum! Worth slogging the leech-infested trails in the dark 🎉 #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A bird perched on a vine with green back, red bum and a black face mask. The distinguishing features from other similar pittas include chestnut crown stripe and narrow supercillium.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Finished up 5 days in the Danum Valley. Some of the toughest but most rewarding birding I've known. Giant Pitta and Bornean Ground-cuckoo both seen (!) but far too elusive for photos #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A view of the Danum Valley rainforest in lowland Sabah with a river in the foreground. Trees reaching 100m tall grow here.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Gould's Frogmouth giving the death stare along the Kinabatangan River last night #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A brown bird with a very broad bill base perches on branch at night

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Another day, another Pitta! This time a Western Hooded Pitta along the Kinabatangan River. #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A round green bird with a black hood, red bellyand shocking blue shoulder stripe

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Black-crowned Pitta was a star from our time at Sepilok. What a dapper fella! #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A plump black bird with rich ruby underparts and shocking highlights of blue, perches on a low branch in the forest.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

The colours on this Black-and-Yellow Broadbill are really quite something! It landed nearby for a split second before melting into the greenery at Sepilok RDC. #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A small bird with yellow-striped black back, pink neck collar, deeper pink belly, pale eye and a blue bill with green highlights.

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Bornean Peacock-pheasant today. Words don't do it justice! #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A male Bornean Peacock-pheasant stands on a tree root. He has a greyish cap, yellow eye-ring, emerald breast with white stripe down the middle, brown back covered with jewel like feathers.

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Get To Know Nature @gettoknownature.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Wishing all of us many gorgeous nature adventures in 2026. Whatever chaos is happening there is always something beautiful or exciting or funny to see out there. 🌿

A still pond reflects the surrounding green trees and bushes and the blue sky above. It’s a perfect summer day.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Paolo Sandro @paolosandro.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

For millions of overtired parents, especially of small babies and/or neurodivergent ones, every fireworks night is a night of unnecessary, completely preventable, stress and psychological violence. Ban the sale of fireworks to the public, now. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

petition.parliament.uk

Petition: Limit the sale of fireworks to those running local council approved events only

Ban the sale of fireworks to the general public to minimise the harm caused to vulnerable people and animals. Defenceless animals can die from the distress caused by fireworks. I believe that permitt...

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

A selection of passerines from Mount Kinabalu (names in alt text). We're now moving on to the steamy lowlands and a whole new set of species awaits! #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Happy New Year! Started off 2026 with a rather special sunrise. Went on a trek for Friendly Bush-Warbler but it remained distinctly unfriendly! Sundaic Island Thrush and Besra were good compensation though. #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

Sunrise from the upper flanks of Mount Kinabalu. The sun is poking out from the horizon and several peaks show above fog

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Lots of rain on Mount Kinabalu but it didn't stop the highland endemic Whitehead's Trogon showing well - this is the female. #BorneoBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A medium sized orange bird with dark wings and a bluish bill sits on a branch in mossy forest

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Up there with my most wanted birds in #Borneo, the amazing Whitehead's Broadbill from Mount Kinabalu! @sophieshrike.bsky.social

An emerald-green bird with black throat patch and extensive black wing-spotting perches on a horizontal stick.

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Sophie Barrell @sophieshrike.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

I have returned to Bluesky to post that we have just seen Marbled Cat in Malaysian Borneo and I am very very happy. Thank you for your attention to this matter. @hcbirding.bsky.social

Photo of a Marbled Cat looking directly at the camera- a small wild cat with spots and stripes and looking hella cute

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Found the immense Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) in the Crocker Range, #Borneo, today. Butterfly highlight right there! #Butterfly #Lepidoptera

A large black and emerald butterfly is nectarine on a red busy-lizzie flower

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

A steady start to birding in Borneo today with Java Sparrow, Blue-naped Parrot, Common Iora and Chestnut Munia seen amongst others. Brown-backed Needletails harassing a Peregrine was amazing to watch but far too fast to capture on camera!

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Tufted Duck shortly after dawn from my local park lake

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

The immature shrike at North Warren RSPB. Identification of birds this age to species is not often possible, but a suite of features visible suggest Daurian Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) in this case IMHO - comments in alt text #RareBirdsUK #SuffolkBirding #UKBirding

A shrike, a predatory passerine, sits on a bramble stem amongst bracken and bramble. It is a small, sandy-coloured bird with a darker mask behind the eye and a hooked bill. Features supporting Daurian Shrike as an identification for this bird include: extensive buffy flanks stretching from rear flanks to ear coverts, coverts weren't very dark, crown concolorous with upperparts, rusty red tail throughout, weak brown ear covert mask, almost non-existent supercilium and limited markings on the crown.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Whilst so intently looking for doves on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, last week we enjoyed superb views of this European Turtle Dove @sophieshrike.bsky.social #IoSBirding #IslesofScillyBirding #UKBirding

A small dove with orange-fringed upperparts and a buff-brown head and chest, with a characteristic black and white barred neck pattern of this species perches on a log with a background of a green Coprosma bush

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Couldn't believe it when we found a Death's-head Hawkmoth caterpillar on the Isles of Scilly. A serious wildlife ambition achieved! @sophieshrike.bsky.social #TeamMoth

A large green caterpillar clings upside down under a branch

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

It's not a trip to the Isles of Scilly without a Longstones cream tea. Tried the Devonian method today, such a heathen but it works! Followed by the Holy Vale experience, replete with Yellow-browed Warbler and Firecrests. #UKBirding #IoSBirding

A cream 'tea' with a hot chocolate instead

The mysterious elms of Holy Vale and the narrow track that follows the valley.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

A Kestrel appeared in our garden on the #islesofScilly early morning, hunting moths around the moth trap #UKBirding #IoSBirding

A young Kestrel perches on branches of a conifer tree

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Great to see Least Adder's Tongue (Ophioglossum lusitanicum) on Wingletang Down, St Agnes! Must have walked past it lots of times in the past without realising 😅 @sophieshrike.bsky.social #WildflowerHour #BSBI

A single spike from a least adders tongue. It was barely 2cm tall.

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

A slightly better shot of the Mourning Dove yesterday on St Agnes. Thanks to the landowner and birders for allowing and arranging access. This was not only a first for the Scillies but also a first for England! #UKBirding #RareBirdsUK #IoSBirding #IslesofScillyBirding

Mourning Dove stands on the ground, its back is facing with its head turned side on

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

American Mourning Dove finally in the bag!!! 3 days of searching put to rest. Tiny little thing. #UKBirding #RareBirdsUK #IoSBirding #IslesofScillyBirding @sophieshrike.bsky.social

A rare dove sits on a wooden pallet amongst a polytunnel frame

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Carl Bovis @carlbovisnature.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

*IMPORTANT* Please read & share, it could save you or a loved one from a lifetime of chronic system-wide illness. 🙏❤️ Today I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease.😔 I was bitten by 4 ticks 30 days ago & had a red rash come up around one of the bites, that soon started spreading... *Continued below

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Miles King @milesking.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals www.theguardian.com/environment/... This is what the Planning & Infrastructure will mean, if it becomes law. Every single SSSI in England will lose its protected status, as well as non-SSSI sites for protected species.

theguardian.com

Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals

Exclusive: Planning bill includes mechanism for developers to ‘pay to pollute’ valuable ecosystems, experts warn

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Henry Cook @hcbirding.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Sharing a few photos from the amazing Flock to Marion Again cruise off South Africa in January, starting off with the first albatross of the trip, the smart Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross. #FlocktoMarionAgain @sophieshrike.bsky.social

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross in flight showing it's underwing

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Reposted by Sophie Barrell

YOLOBirder @yolobirder.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

It’s nearly spring so time to swot up on warbler identification.

Flowchart to identify common warblers. Where is it. Is it in a garden? Yes. It is a garden warbler. No. In a wood? It is a Wood warbler. No. In some reeds? Yes. Is it really good? It is a Great reed warbler. No. Is it in Blyth? Yes. It is a Blyth’s reed warbler. No. It is a reed warbler.
Is it somewhere else? Yes.
Is it kind of green coloured? Yes. It is a greenish warbler.
Not sure. Does it say “Chiff chaff”? Yes. It is a Chiffchaff. No. It is a willow warbler.

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Sophie Barrell @sophieshrike.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Don't mean to brag but there are now FIVE tufted ducks on my mini patch 👌 #SuffolkBirding

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Curating a Starter Pack that will hopefully be useful to folk coming over to BlueSky and looking for all of the UK conservation orgs and recording societies go.bsky.app/Nget1LP Will keep adding to this. DM or reply to be added and please share.

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