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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

I think that may be Southern Field Cricket. One has turned up near me in Biggleswade in the last couple of weeks too.

Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Beds 1st Lesser Yellowlegs appeared in front of me at Broom South Quarry this morning. LONG overdue and much anticipated, it flew off and disappeared for an hour and a half before returning and showed nicely this afternoon. Added Med Gull and my annual Beds Osprey this evening made it a decent day!

A brown and white wading bird, looking left, in a small muddy pool

A brown and white wading bird, looking left, in shallow water

A crowd of birders overlooking a gravel pit

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Had even better views this evening.

A Kentish Plover facing left standing on some gravel

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Well that livened up a dull bank holiday Monday! Nothing quite like finding a local mega on your patch. Amazing to see so many familiar faces come and go. Another splendid evening at Broom GP. Kentish Plover, 4th May 2026 #BedsBiding

A Kentish Plover facing right sat on a gravel island

A Kentish Plover facing right sat on a gravel island with a Little Ringed Plover flying above

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Lesser Scaup finally falls. Bedfordshire’s first today at Broom GP. Nice to have another Beds first on the local patch. Well done Matt Burgess for the find on his @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count. #BedsBirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

We then followed the calling bird along the hedgerow for over 100m piecing together the bird from snatched views often on the ground. It was a Dusky! A fitting end to a brilliant day. And I see the Hume's has been confirmed this morning, well done @jamesrmccallum1.bsky.social!

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

We then spent some time looking for the Yellow-brows at Garden Drove. A lovely Firecrest showed nicely here too. After a while @jamesrmccallum1.bsky.social popped up and said he'd got an interesting warbler which was calling like a Hume's. We all got on to it but the light was already going.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

No sooner had we got on to the coast path when a Red-throated Pipit went over calling! We then had it three more times before losing it near Garden Drove. Unfortunately only seen in flight but at least we had the recording gear running.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

This gave me a shock last night at Broom GP. Superficially an Azorean Gull (hate the name Azores Gull!). However despite the hooded appearance, dark blue-grey mantle, stocky appearance, and mucky bill it didn’t quite stand up to scrutiny.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

The first Redwings of the autumn dashed west over the Pinnacle this morning. Just five but it’s a start. Looking forward to more. #vismig #BedsBirding

A panoramic view from the Pinnacle, Sandy overlooking the Ivel valley

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Says phones up to 95mm wide so I would think so Bill. Best to check though!

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

You can’t beat a Dotterel. It’s even better when there are four of ‘em. Today at Nanjizal #CornwallBirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Have done a couple of Woodlark surveys in the last couple of days in Bedfordshire. No Woodlarks or Dartfords but habitats have been decent and the weather lovely. Bumped in to a few Woodcocks including four this morning at the Lodge. @btobirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

A view over some heather dominated lowland heathland in Bedfordshire

A view of an open tree planted area amongst pine woods in near Woburn, Bedfordshire

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Pleased to find a pair of vocal Marsh Tits in my local woods this morning. #BedsBirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

A short visit to GLE this afternoon, with 36 Pochards, the long-staying Goldeneye and around 100 Greenfinches roosting in a roadside bramble. Then 11 Woodcocks heading in to the arable at dusk nearby #BedsBirding #ukbirdinf

A view over Gypsy Lane East pits from the south at dusk

A bright dusk sky with the moon and Venus showing

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

A quick visit to Blunham Lake this lunchtime. Quite a few duck present but the most interesting bird was this third-winter Caspian Gull. This bird first turned up in the Ivel Valley last winter and looked a bit odd and hybridy. However it looks better the older it gets. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Later in April I was leaving the Lodge one evening and I heard a Firecrest singing right by the traffic lights! A quick pull-in and there it was belting out its song from the Yew trees. Firecrests are a lot of birders favorites and certainly one of mine

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

A damp and dreary start to 2025 brightened by two gaudy Hawfinches at Warden Warren this afternoon. Few other species to speak of, the best probably a (Lesser) Redpoll and some Siskins. No sign of any Woodcock in their usual spots via the thermal #BedsBirding #ukbirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

A very ordinary last visit to Derek Whites Eggs pit for the year this evening. Hoping for a roosting Bittern. None of those but did see a delightful drake Pintail, among the few ducks on the water. About 800 Starlings roosted in the reeds whcih was nice against the pink sky #BedsBirding #ukbirding

Drake Pintail duck with three Wigeon on a lake

A silhouette of some trees against a pink and orange sky with dark cloud above

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

An afternoon visit to Stewartby lake for the gull roost today. Eight species of gull was a great return with a first-winter Med the highlight. Also 3 Caspian’s (1w,2w,3w), 4 Yellow-legs, 2 GBB’s, 400 Herring, 120 LBB’s and a few thousand each of Bh and Common Gull. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

A first-winter Mediterranean Gull facing right sat on water

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

This exquisite singing Wood Warbler in Harrys Park Wood in Northamptonshire back in the spring. Unfortunately an increasingly difficult bird to see now locally.

A singing Wood Warbler on a branch with a pale green background

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Warden Warren this afternoon for a quick walk round. Four Hawfinches are a regular fixture currently and fairly reliable mid-afternoon in their canopy retreat. Also a thermaled Woodcock hiding under its laylandii shelter. #BedsBirding #ukbirding View my #BirdTrack list: app.bto.org/birdtrack/pu...

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

An early morning jaunt to Meadow Lane today. Bloomin’ good too! 4 Bearded Tits, Drake Pintail, Jack Snipe, Great White Egret, Redshank, Water Rail, and 72 Shovelers. 15 Chiffchaffs was also a very good count locally. And best of all made 101 for the month in Beds. #BedsBirding #ukbirding

Male Bearded Tit on a reed stem facing-on

A drake Pintail duck on a lake facing right

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

A family walk round Woburn Park today. Pretty quiet due to the misty conditions. A single Goosander was on the pool in front of the Abbey but no Mandarins today. Star bird was a single Hawfinch which I found calling from the top of a tree in the grounds of the Abbey. PIX! #ukbirding #BedsBirding

Woburn Abbey gardens, a view along the drive on the east side.

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

This evening it was back to Stewartby Lake. An adult Caspian Gull on a bouy was a good start but bird of the evening - a Great Black-back! These are now astonishingly rare in Beds. The four I had a few nights ago will probably be the peak count for the county in 2024 #BedsBirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

Had a wander in some farmland near Cople this morning and stumbled on a flock of 26 Corn Buntings. These are getting very tricky to find in winter locally so that was nice. #ukbirding #BedsBirding

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Steve Blain @steveblain.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

A showy Cetti’s Warbler was nice to see at Gypsy Lane East, Beds this Christmas morning. Earlier I had a Hawfinch and Woodcock near Southill along very peaceful empty roads. #ukbirding #BedsBirding

A small rufous brown bird with a sticky-up tail facing left in a tree

A small rufous brown bird with a sticky-up tail facing right in a tree

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