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Stephen

@stephencook.bsky.social
31 followers 53 following 36 posts

My head is usually below the parapet. Gloucestershire and Orkney.

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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Seabirds; any bird found at sea or the coast. Everyone, including me, is posting gannets. For a change here's a true wild rock dove on a cliff top in Hoy.
A rock dove is the same species as a feral pigeon. This is the true wild version which likes to live on sea cliffs. A grey bird, iridescent neck and two distinctive black stripes on the wings.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Seabirds; any bird found at sea or the coast. Northern gannet taken at Cantick Head, Hoy, Orkney. #OrkneyBirds
A northern gannet. A large seabird, mainly white with black outer wings and a yellow neck. The picture is taken from above with the bird flying against a sea background
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
@robcrank68.bsky.social Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Pairs, photos with pairs of the same species in them. A pair of northern fulmars nesting on the cliffs on Hoy, Orkney. #OrkneyBirds
A pair of northern fulmars on their nest. A seabird with white head and breast, and grey wings.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Raptors; any bird of prey. Hen harrier in Hoy, Orkney. A regular garden bird there. #OrkneyBirds
A female hen harrier, flying low looking for prey. Brown all over with a distinctive white rump.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Redheads, any bird with a Red on its head/beak. A crimson collared tanager in Costa Rica.
A crimson-collared tanager. A small back bird with red rump, neck and cap.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Silhoutte; any bird in silhouette. A magnificent frigate bird seen in Costa Rica.
A magnificent frigate bird. A large black sea bird with angular, pointed wings and a deeply forked tail. 'Magnificent' is part of the bird's name, not my description of it.
It's photographed against a partly cloudy sky in a tight turn so one wing is pointing up, the other down.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #AngryBirds Goldfinches at the garden feeder.
Two goldfinches facing each other in a mid-air squabble.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #Mouthful; a bird with anything in its beak. House sparrows at a cafe in St Mary's, Scilly.
House sparrows taking crumbs from an outdoor cafe table.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Herons&Egrets Here's photo of a white egret taken in India. Could be a great white egret (ardea alba) or a medium egret (ardea intermedia). I don't know.
A white egret taken from below. Sunlight from above makes the wing feathers translucent.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
#BirdOfTheDay theme is #Contrast A green ibis in Costa Rica.
A green ibis with spread wings standing on a branch in silhouette.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ItsAllWhite, birds main colour is White. The Alt theme is #RedHeads, birds with heads that are any shade of Red. Bewick's swan at WWT Slimbridge UK and a pale-billed woodpecker in Costa Rica.
Bewick's swan in flight against a blue sky.A pale-billed woodpecker investigating a hole in a tree. The bird has a completely red head, with black and white elsewhere.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
#BirdOfTheDay theme is #FlowerPower Two red-legged honeycreepers in Costa Rica.
Two red-legged honeycreepers, a small bird with bright blue and black plumage, red legs and a curved pointed bill, taking nectar from a pink flower (Calliandra surinamensis I think).
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
#BirdOfTheDay #BirdsUpClose A common starling in the sunshine.
A common starling close up and in bright sunlight, showing blue, green and purple iridescent colours.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Coastal&River with #Rocky as the Alt. A northern gannet and European shag both at Cantick Head in Orkney. Two birds, one rock.
A northern gannet photographed from a cliff top with the sea surface in the background.A European shag on a cliff ledge. The sea is in the background.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
#BirdOfTheDay theme: #ThinPerches
A kingfisher perched on a thin leafless twig that runs diagonally across the frame. The background is out of focus greenery.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #UnusualPlaces Common buzzard dicing with death.
Common buzzard sitting on an electricity distribution pole in close proximity to live wires.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #50ShadesOfGrey; birds with grey plumage A northern fulmar in Orkney.
A northern fulmar, with plumage in every shade from white to almost black, flying against a blue sea.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #LittleBrownBirds This is a Eurasian wren that flew into the house a few days ago and then stunned itself trying to get out. I rescued it and it let me take a few phone pictures before flying off. It's a little brown bird.
Eurasian Wren, a little brown bird.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #RedOrDead, any bird with red in the capture but not on the bird. A Starling and Bohemian Waxwing both seen in Orkney.
A starling leaving a Royal Mail postbox that it is  nesting in.A Bohemian Waxwing eating a red apple.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
#BirdOfTheDay #MultiColour (birds with 3 or more colours in their plumage) An orange-chinned parakeet.
An orange-chinned parakeet perching on a twig. Green, blue and bronze plumage
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
#BirdOfTheDay #AmongTheRipples A black-throated diver in Orkney.
A black-throated diver in breeding plumage. A grey head, black and white checked back, striped neck and black throat
Gentle horizontal ripples in the water.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
#BirdoftheDay #Black Two Black American Vultures in Costa Rica.
Two Black American Vultures flying in formation.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
#BirdOfTheDay #BranchingOut Lesson's Motmot in Costa Rica.
Lesson's motmot on a branch with sunlight from above.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
#birdoftheday #lookingatyou A sparrowhawk sitting on the fence.
A sparrowhawk looking directly at the camera.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
#BirdOfTheDay #FoodInBeaks Meadow pipit and one that got away.
Meadow pipit with beak full of insects and another insect flying away.
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Water Rail on the canal about 200m west of Dudbridge Locks in Stroud this morning. #glosbirds
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Stephen @stephencook.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
Come on @slimbridge-wild.bsky.social. Isn't it about time you posted something here for the refugees from the other place?
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Reposted by Stephen
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
The damning statistics that reveal the true cost of Brexit, five years on
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