The White Falcon
@markgolley.bsky.social
1.1K followers 810 following 1K posts
Freelance TV sport producer || Limosa obsessive L3 ❤️ || BOURC voting member || Cley Moth Obs || TG04 = the Patch || ex-Norfolk Records Committee member || Gulls & Geese👌|| Music lover: give me as much Neil Young as you like ☮️🕊️ || Don't Spook The Horse.
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markgolley.bsky.social
A few moths from the last couple of days: Feathered Thorn, Merveille du Jour (it would be rude not to...), Green-brindled Crescent (a really glittery one!) & our latest Vine's Rustic (by just a couple of days).
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
markgolley.bsky.social
Mediterranean Gull
Cley beach
October 14 2025
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
Such a lovely view...
Just west of Kelling Hard looking off towards Gramboro' Hill this morning. Further along were out 1st Rock Pipits of the autumn.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
As well as the YBW & a Lesser Whitethroat near the Quags, the best part of the morning was the flock of 75+ Greenfinches (& 25 Linnets and a few Chaffinches too) along one of the field edges. Sort of forget that this used to be normal...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
2/2
Yellow-browed bush!
markgolley.bsky.social
Crowd avoidance was a feature of our day, so we set off to find our own birds again this morning. Meadow Lane at Salthouse seemed like a no-brainier ~ "there's got to be a Yellow-browed in the sallows". And lo, within 2 minutes, there was!
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
1/2
markgolley.bsky.social
Caspian Gull (& Baltic Gull) last night at Cley, plus a Glossy Ibis too (that one can in at last knockings!).
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
Baltic Gull
Pat's Pool, Cley
October 13 2025
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
Baltic Gull from last night's roost out on Pat's Pool. Such a striking bird & great to see it in (at first) OK light before the gloomy dusk descended. As my friend Chris Gibbins said in a text last night, this one is as good as it gets.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
1/2
markgolley.bsky.social
Cley's two most interesting gulls from tonight...
...I'll leave this one here for anyone who likes a north Norwegian black-backed gull (& a cachinnans of course 😉).
More on the left hand one tomorrow...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
#larids
markgolley.bsky.social
TG04 patch views from today...
...the murk over East Bank this morning, a curtain of mizzle over Walsey. On to the Little Eye looking east towards Gramboro' in the distance & the enticing cover at a Gramboro itself. On the return home, this hedge west of Sowbry, always looks like it has potential.
markgolley.bsky.social
Another highlight today was the stream of Dark-bellied Brents heading west offshore the whole time I was walked the shingle to Gramboro' Hill from East Bank. Hundreds of birds in clusters of 10s, 20s, 30s & 40s. Hefty movement of Common Gulls & some carbo Cormorants too.
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
Very happy to find a Yellow-browed Warbler, busily chasing another, in the traditional TG04 hot-spot of the willows at Walsey ~ such a reliable spot for this eastern wanderer, almost never fails, even in a modest (indifferent) autumn for the species. Well worth 17k steps!
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
Ah, right, OK, thanks v much. All makes sense. Love connecting up the dots on this sort of sighting. I was totally guessing on the status around London ~ fascinating to read the answers 👍
markgolley.bsky.social
Thanks Sam. Amazing to see they're pretty regular. Been past the wetlands a few times on the way to work at Spurs. Great spot.
Are most of your birds (breeders?) roaming from Epping Forest do you think or from further away around the edge of London (I saw the note on a tagged bird from Stevenage).
markgolley.bsky.social
Ah thank you, very interesting. Had Peregrine over the stadium last week, and Sparrowhawks both today and last weekend. Jays plentiful around the side of the stadium too at the moment.
markgolley.bsky.social
I never expected to see a Red Kite drift over the VT compound at the Tottenham stadium this afternoon ~ all a bit surreal really! Maybe not too many records over this bit of north London, but Epping Forest isn't that far (if they're there). A fun bird to see in the capital!
#londonbirds
#ukbirding
markgolley.bsky.social
Long walk along the shingle to Little Eye before heading back home y'day. Nine Cattle Egrets + vocal & showy Bearded Tits in the reeds were fun but it's the number of Red Kites this week that's been most interesting w/double figures most days.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
An excellent October mothing evening at home last night, where a triple scoop of MDJ is always a good thing...
linnetincley.bsky.social
81/29 at CMO last night.
Feathered Thorn nfy. Clancy’s Rustic, 8 Mallow, 6 Green-brindled Crescent, 3 Merveille du Jour, Red-line Quaker. Late Least Carpet & Treble Brown Spot.
And our second Clifden Nonpareil of the year, a little worn.
@markgolley.bsky.social
#TeamMoth
#CleyMothObs
Merveille du Jour, two of three at CMO last night. Clancy’s Rustic is having a very good year in Norfolk. White-point Green-brindled Crescent
markgolley.bsky.social
Taken on the actinic a couple of nights ago ~ a fresh-as Rosy Footman. As with a number of species, we're recording more & more early/late dates each year. This is first October record of Rosy Footman & is our latest by nearly seven weeks.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
markgolley.bsky.social
A few more of the NFG Feathered Ranunculus from two nights ago. Fascinating moth, colours changing at every turn almost. At night, after potting, the tiny golden spangles looked completely absent but in the morning light, a transformation.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
markgolley.bsky.social
Cley gulls on Pat's last night. Decent mix of interesting birds...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
Some Cley larids from last night on Pat's Pool: 1w Caspian Gull, a striking near-adult argentatus type (giving off weird vibes), one of four Yellow-legged Gulls & a really fine looking adult winter Mediterranean Gull.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#NorfolkBirding
#cleybirds
markgolley.bsky.social
Arguably nothing better on an October Saturday morning that a Clifden Nonpareil before 6am...
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth
markgolley.bsky.social
Merveille du Jour
Cley Moth Obs
October 10 2025
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth
markgolley.bsky.social
Welcome to CMO's green party...
36/19 this morning & we were so happy with our modest tally. Our 1st-ever Feathered Ranunculus stole the show (it has green cast!) plus Green-brindled Crescent & NFY, a wonderful Merveille du Jour.
@linnetincley.bsky.social
#cleymothobs
#norfolkmoths
#teammoth
Feathered Ranunculus ~ a new species for the CMO garden, found on the outside of the MV last night. A scarce moth in TG04, only around the 14th record locally (it comes hot on the heels of one elsewhere in the village two nights ago). This one is a female, hence no overly feathery antennae. Subtle, it was a pain to get pix of as the colours changed so much in different lights. Green-brindled Crescent is a classic autumn moth. We'd had a couple ahead of last night, with three appearing on the egg-boxes this morning. The green isn't always easy to see... Sublime and simply sensational. One of the ultimate moths at any time of the year, Merveille du Jour is another autumn classic ~ we missed them last year (our 1st blank) but this beautiful moth was on the top of the MV this morning.