The Backward Birder
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backwardbirder.bsky.social
The Backward Birder
@backwardbirder.bsky.social
74 followers 49 following 370 posts
Old-fashioned birder. Member of The Irregulars. Lover of Wild places and wildlife. Reliably twenty years behind the times.

Also on Twitter {yes, it's still that to me} There's a blog out there somewhere, too...
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backwardbirder.bsky.social
The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · Feb 2
You deserve something to look at, as I once again haven't uploaded my photos yet {This is getting to be a habit}. So perhaps something Special?

One from the Vaults, I hope you like it;
🤩
The Ayatolla of Rock and Roller!!! Roller. Bere Ferrers, Devon, '22 What. A. Bird. Yes, the cornish one earlier in the year was prettier, but oh my sweet Goddess, this one showed better. And in Devon. Twitched at the second attempt, straight from a Night shift, too.
backwardbirder.bsky.social
After days of twitching {nervous}, I got to twitch {chase bird} the Lesser Crested Tern on the Exe.
🦉
After a frigid hour & change at Cockwood Crossing, the bird terned up with a Sandeel {looked like} & proceeded to show far & near to my joy & that of my co-watchers
✅😍😁
Observe;
Lesser Crested Tern with Exmouth seafront in the background - nope, not a holiday shot! Basically it's a slightly darker Sarnie with a bright orange bill. Long lanky wings like a mini-Gannet {or indeed a Sandwich Tern}, makes a 90° twist when it dives like a Gannet, too. LCT on deck. Bad digiscoped pic but shows landed structure; long wings with darker tips, white breast and forehead, black rear-crown, carrot bill!
December 5, 2025 at 12:55 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
It's Tomb Tuesday,🗿 so here is a cisted cairn circle from Bellever on Sunday.
This lesser-visited one is still hidden amongst the trees of the plantation, which while restricting the views, does make for a more intimate atmosphere.
Low heathery cairn circle surrounded by conifers. The displaced lid of the central cist stands on edge and catches the low winter Sun. darker grey stones of inner and outer rings are just visible. The cist up close, displaced stones standing upright have acquired a frosting of pale lichens. Cist from the other side, showing the mosses and lichens on the upright stones; making them paler than the greyer stones of the retaining circle rings. Interior is well-flooded, so you can't see the extent of the space. As the ancestors are thought to have considered standing water to be a portal to the other world, this is not inappropriate.
December 2, 2025 at 6:27 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
For Standing Stone Sunday {just}, here's the Laughing Man from earlier today.
🗿
Also a rainbow, a Robin, and a Roe Deer!
🌈🦉🦌
I had a fun day on t'Moor.
😄
The Laughing Man, menhir with remains of a double stone row, Laughter Tor, Dartmoor. Taken from range for a different angle of view. Gateposts in foreground may well have once been part of his row.. Rainbow, with double, Laughter Tor, Dartmoor. Robin at Bellever Tor, Dartmoor. Just before chinning me for not handing over my lunch.! Young Roe Deer, which decided I wasn't scary and permitted actual photography! A benefit of sitting and quietly freezing your feets solid... {Totally worth it}
November 30, 2025 at 10:29 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
A call from @shiphaybirder.bsky.social had me heading to Thatcher Point, where these blobs - which are actually a female type Velvet Scoter & 36 {also f-type} Common Scoter - were showing far better than the below imply.
🤦
Honest.
🦉
Blobs. I allege that these are three {out of four in the group} female-type Common Scoter and one female-type Velvet Scoter. Prove me wrong, I dare you! Most of a group of 32 female-type Common Scoter, rather closer-to than the Velvet group {of course}. You can actually see what these are. Well, some of them. Note the bird wing-flapping, with downward toss of the head, identifying as Common Scoter. The view from Thatcher Point {not that Thatcher}, with part of Thatcher Rock {not that Thatcher, either} to the left and Berry Head on the horizon. The scoter are to the right of the oyster beds {black blobs of buoys}. Yep, REALLY close!
November 29, 2025 at 5:29 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
A surprise was waiting for me when I got in from work this afternoon;
a Feathered Thorn!

{Every day is Moth Day 😄}
🦋
Not there this morning; a male Feathered Thorn. This chap is slightly lacking in white spot on the left wing and very lacking in one on the right, but he's still a Feathered Thorn {by date alone from Scalloped Oak form unicolour}.
November 26, 2025 at 5:24 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
A day's birding Down South - from Slapton to Beesands to Hallsands - in four photos.
I had fun.
😁
🦉
Firecrest. Look at those feets!! Incoming! 1cy Greenland White-fronted Goose - with {wild?!?} Canada escort - flying right down your throat. Drake Ring-necked Duck, having realised too late quite how close he's got to you... Oh yes.
November 23, 2025 at 11:46 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
It's Waxcap Wednesday & the Nose at the weekend again provided some lovelies for you to admire.

{He says, in hope if not expectation...}
1/ 🍄
Parrot Waxcaps! Showing their wonderful glass-like translucency and colour-changing ability. {I really think they should be Chameleon Waxcaps} Blackening Waxcap, the twisting fibres of the stem, there. Blackening Waxcap; another chameleon! Also Blackening Waxcap. The variation is impressive.
November 19, 2025 at 9:13 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Hope's Nose early this am saw a massive {for the site} passage of Woodpigeon, with ~56,000 in 1hr!
Flocks were coming up the peninsula, grouping into multi-k mega-flocks, then heading out SE.
I'd heard so much about this, but never seen them in real numbers here.
Brisk NE wind did the business! 🤩
🦉
No, those aren't Starlings... Smaller flocks came from inland, often having a look then wheeling back. {Note cameo from @shiphaybirder} Flocks would build up, swirling like murmurating Starlings, often overhead. Flock heading out. Here three smaller {for a given value of smaller} flocks are still coalescing. The tail stretches one and a half further fields of view to the right, but zooming back out far enough makes the birds pretty much vanish!
November 16, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by The Backward Birder
raptorpersuk.bsky.social
Hen Harrier Susie, whose chicks were stamped to death on a Yorkshire Dales grouse moor in 2022, has been found dead on a N Pennines grouse moor with gunshot injuries.

18+ months of silence about this crime from the police & Natural England.

#RaptorResearch

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/11/14/h...
Hen Harrier ‘Susie’, whose chicks were stamped to death in 2022, has been found dead on a North Pennines grouse moor with gunshot injuries
If ever there was an example demonstrating the high level of persecution faced by Hen Harriers on UK grouse moors, the lack of consequences for the offenders, and the lack of justice for the victim…
raptorpersecutionuk.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:48 AM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Saturday was a day of two halves.
After a morning of sunshine and Dartford Warblers, this double delight over Holne Lee was the herald of that which was to come.
🌈🌧️
Still, it looked pretty 🙃
Double rainbow, seen from Holne Lee looking towards Hamel Down. This has not been altered at all; it was intense!
November 11, 2025 at 9:11 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
After finding not much at the Nose 1st thing, I tried for Slav{s} from Cockwood Crossing.
The 🌧️ kindly waited until after the 11th hour, the grebes were less helpful 😔
More helpful was the @warrenbirding.bsky.social Garganey, who flew through my field of view while I was scanning the duck masses!
😄🦉
Looking towards Dawlish Warren from Cockwood Crossing. If I had a better camera, you could see all the birds in this photo. And the rain. Definitely the rain. Grey Seal, snoozing in the Exe estuary. Rain not an issue for this one. Cockwood Oystercatcher roost, the only bird gathering close enough to photo respectably. {Well, sort of}
November 9, 2025 at 9:51 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Text from @shiphaybirder.bsky.social {🎩} had me pulling a 180° from a trip to t'Moor for a full-fat genuine Patch Tick at the Nose today...
Dartford Warbler!! 🤩
✔️🦉
After showing well but just too quick for a photo on arrival, the influence of the Dread Artefact later gave me these;
1w - possibly male on what sounded like subsong plus aggro vs Robin - Dartford Warbler, at the Nose! More Dartford-y pose. To Robin; "What was that about my Mum??"
November 8, 2025 at 6:57 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
11 Redwing flew NE over work this lunchtime.
These are my first Redwing of the Autumn... What?!?
😲😵🤯
🦉
November 6, 2025 at 7:38 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Waxcap Wednesday!
Nose waxcaps are showing up, so I am putting them up.
😁🍄
1/ Blackening and the white ones, Snowy and Cedarwood.
I am a big Blackening fan, second only to Parrot in my book, so they get double-picced.
Blackening Waxcap, slightly damp after a frisky shower, but that only adds to it. You see the one in the background over there? Here it is. Cedarwood Waxcap, a dinkier and more classically umbrella-shaped fungus than Snowy. Snowy Waxcap. Curiously, it is Snowy that goes brown, while Cedarwood stays white.. Note characteristic shape.
November 5, 2025 at 8:48 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Sunday Continues.
Having to be in town, I naturally had a look at Haldon Pier, where despite the high tide, there were no Purple Sands roosting, though there were 2 busily foraging amongst the boulders 😃
Later, there were at least 3 more on East Shag {the coolly-stratified rock off Meadfoot Beach}
🦉
Purple Sandpiper action shot! Purple Sandpiper on be-barnacled sea defences, Haldon Pier. See? Two! The dinky bit on the west end of East Shag Rock, off the western end of Meadfoot Beach {view from the cafe, or look down from the viewpoint off the coast path to Daddyhole*}. There are two, maybe three Purple Sandpipers in this photo. No, really. {{* Yes, it's really called that. No, not like that. Don't google it. Trust me.}}
November 4, 2025 at 8:32 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Sunday about the Patch & having failed to find BlackRed at the Nose {passing @shiphaybirder.bsky.social on my way out, who of course did..🙄}, I gave the coastal cover a going-over for warblers of a hopefully stripey nature.
What did I find? Well, have a look for yourselves;
🦉
Look at that supercilium! Itsa Chiffchaff. A brown phyllosc! Itsa Chiffchaff. I'll stop you right there. Itsa Chiffchaff. Wait, that's not a Chiffchaff! You're right, itsa Goldcrest.
November 3, 2025 at 10:24 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Friday's photos.

{You may wish to approach with caution, the following thread contains seawatching photos by me.. 😱🤢}
🌊🔭
1/ Some pretty scenery. The changing weather from Glonk Corner;
If I had a better camera, you'd be able to see the HORDES of birds passing out there... The wind picked up a bit more. It threatened brightness... Then it carried the threat out.! Note the passed front in the distance. I'd been waiting for a forecast band of heavy squally showers for almost two hours. Here is what we got arriving. It lasted maybe 5 minutes. I didn't even think about my brolly...
November 1, 2025 at 7:35 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Hope's Nose 0750-1405. Less rain, lots of birds! Timed counts as Gannets, Kittis, & auks passing in big numbers at all ranges; 1341 in 1st 10mins 😵
3 Sooty, 1 Balearic, 2 Manx, 1 Stormy, 1 Little Gull, 2 Pom, 10 Arctic Skua, 1 GND {landed S of Ore St.}, 5 C Scoter, 8 Med Gull, breaching ABF Tuna!
🦉🐟
October 31, 2025 at 6:33 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
With a mix of inspiration & determination, I went up on t'Moor in search of more Ouzels.
I found lots of sideways drizzle...
Lunch in the lee of a nice wall was enlivened by a visitor, however.
After 📷 was taken, this 1w Sparrowhawk came zooming towards me & zipped over the wall just to my left 😲😍
🦉
Look at those feets! 1cy Sparrowhawk - probably a male - on a post in the dizzle, Dartmoor. After I took this he came zooming towards me at zero feet, popping over the wall I was sat by, 3.5m to my left {yes, I got up and measured] Wowzer!
October 28, 2025 at 7:34 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Nose 1st thing Sunday; some vismig, most notably a {non-landing} Brambling, though not the numbers elsewhere, as per.
Bluefin Tuna were evident well out in what turned into a very spread feeding event, with 2 Arctic Skuas attracted to the 00's of Kittiwakes & Gannets.
This chap posed nicely!
🦉
Adult male Kestrel, behaving for once!
October 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Patch today with again nothing astounding to report - though sunshine & strong wind is not exactly helpful weather.! - now that Firecrests are routine {still going 😲 at that}.
Technical issues are sort-of sorted, so here is something new to show;
Lilac Fibrecap!
🍄

{What?!? Fungi are funky. 🙃}
Lilac Fibrecap, which bears a resemblance to Pink Waxcap {which is what I thought it was when I saw it and went 'Oooh, gotta shoot that one!'}, though not a very strong one as PW's cap is pretty much pointed and not at all fibrey.
October 25, 2025 at 8:43 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Patch Patrol this morning & with overnight clear skies there was little moving; handful of standard passerines, best a Stock Dove. H Nose with @shiphaybirder.bsky.social & most notable 10+ C Scoter near the Oysterbeds.
Bishop's Walk had Tit & 'crest bands. Still no Divers on or over the sea... 😕
🦉
October 24, 2025 at 2:19 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Hope's Nose today was dizzlier than forecast and I unexpectedly ran out of time before the good weather ended, though most passage was early on.
That said, holding on for 'just five more minutes' paid off with a Bonxie!
🦉
1/
0935, arrived at Glonk Corner two hours {arg} later than hoped, but that's me and alarms for you... If the sea looks a bit dark, that's as it's hidden by an Auk rate {almost all Razorbills} of ~1300/hr..!! Gannets passed at all ranges, like the auks, vastly more in first part of first hour. Of interest, you might be able to see that the older bird has a black eye, and is thus a H5N1 survivor, while the younger bird has a blue eye. After a nice start, the rest of the watch was bands of drizzly gunk, with only one rain band around midday, and 'variable' visibility. Passage tanked somewhat, but I didn't give up! Adult winter plumage Mediterranean Gulls, tripping the light fantastic. Three passed, with four more [including a 1w and 2w] attending the slick.
October 19, 2025 at 9:34 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Emsworthy yesterday morning was busy with birders.. and thrushes!
😄
First up, we have some scenery, and an actual shot of an actual Ring Ouzel!!
🦉
Hillscraper clouds, mist, drizzle.. It must be Summer! Or Autumn, too. The Famous Tin Barn {star of so many pictures in Bluebell time} amongst the trees and Hawthorn-studded paddocks of DWT Emsworthy Mire. Ring Ouzel! Typically distant, this was one of two, disturbed by passers-by and perching up in view.!
October 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
backwardbirder.bsky.social
Also while out berry-scouting, I found my first waxcaps of the year!
😁
At one of the Bronze Age pounds up the Avon valley; typical well rained but also drained site.
🍄
Vermillion Waxcap. {Note markedly dark stem, striated cap with wavy edge and depressed centre} Heath Waxcap
October 16, 2025 at 6:03 PM