Author | Lightnews

Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 24m

Time and iOS software updates have finally caught up with the trusty ‘Bird Tick List’ app, sadly long not supported by the developer. Can anyone recommend an iOS app that you can easily maintain lists and also quickly log species during birding trips + easily export said trip sightings? #BirdingGear

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 14h

5hrs at the Black-faced Bunting today during my first visit to Spurn in 9yrs! Opted to watch this educational bird through scope rather than take photos when it showed well on road intermittently in morning. It become much more elusive in the afternoon, hence photos in the buckthorn only. #UKBirding

Female-type Black-faced Bunting: Spurn YWT, East Yorkshire. 22nd Oct 2025.

Black-faced Bunting twitch: Spurn YWT, East Yorkshire. 22nd Oct 2025.

It’ll be a sad, sad day when Warren Cottage at Spurn finally succumbs to the sea. A building steeped in ornithological history.

Nostalgia overload as I looked at the Warren today of my time as a young birder regularly staying at the Obs close to forty years ago now and memories of participating in the daily ritual of the evening bird log after a great day in the field. Obs residents gathered round the radio eagerly listening to the shipping forecast that would dictate birding activities for the day to follow. Listening intently to Spurn legends of the day regaling with accounts of legendary falls of migrants, epic vis mig watches, sea watches and rare birds. Great days indeed!

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 21h

I suspect every lingering bird I see will be named Adam from now on! 😉 #TheTrolling

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 21h

Mustn’t grumble with that pic. Better than anything I got.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 21h

It’s never far away!

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 1d

It’s not got much of a ring to it, but is Adam the Yellow-browed still present?

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 2d

Thankful I glanced to the north whilst cleaning the Van on the drive otherwise this garden tick Great Egret would have sneaked by unnoticed. #LancsBirding

Garden tick Great Egret > ESE over Feniscowles, Blackburn, Lancs. 20th Oct 2025.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 6d

You can’t just replace the rubber as far as I’m aware. The rubber on my ATX eyecup deteriorated recently, so I contacted Swarovski and received a complete replacement ATX eyecup inc cap free of charge. Likewise, the rubber on my NL eyecups, they sent entire replacement eyecups free of charge. 👏

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 6d

Always on the lookout for colour ringed birds wherever I go, and recent trips to the Isle of Man have proved fruitful in this regard including a Dutch ringed Ringed Plover, Curlew from the North Yorkshire Moors, Dublin-ringed Great Black-backed Gull and Norwegian ringed Black-headed Gull. #UKBirding

Colour ringed female Ringed Plover AAC: Port St. Mary, Isle of Man, 14th Oct 2025. Ringed in Holland as older than 1CY on 24th May 2024. Previously seen on IOM in Jan 2025 and re-sighted back in Holland in April, May and July 2025.

Ad male Curlew 102, Castletown Bay, Langness, Isle of Man, 24th Sept 2025: This bird was nest trapped sitting on four eggs on the Bransdale & Farndale Estates, North Yorkshire, on 8th May 2025. The pair successfully fledged two young. The first re-sighting.

Great Black-backed Gull Red T65:D, Kentraugh, Isle of Man, 14th Oct 2025. Ringed in Dublin, Republic of Ireland on 18th June 2022 and re-sighted multiple times on IOM since ringing date.

Black-headed Gull White J0101, Castletown Bay, Langness, Isle of Man 24th Sept 2025: Ringed as an adult in Oslo, Norway on 9th April 2021. Re-sighted on IOM in Jan, Oct, Nov 2022, Aug 2023 and Sept 2025. Resighted in Norway March 2022 and April 2024.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 6d

1CY Yellow-legged Gull still frequenting Queens Park, Blackburn, 16th Oct. #LancsBirding

1CY Yellow-legged Gull: Queens Park, Blackburn, Lancs. 16th Oct 2025.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 9d

Hard read, that. Whitby Abbey would have been a truly awesome location to have relocated it.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 12d

Good to bump into a few folk at today’s White-throated Needletail twitch.

Great to bump into Mark Reeder, my old nemesis from Patchwork Challenge 2014-2016 and the all consuming rivalry for supremacy of the Inland North during this period… hard to believe I once had a photo of his face as a target on my Dartboard such was the intensity of battle! He’s an Ok Guy!

Two Greater Manchester birders: Old friend Phil Rhodes, and Moorland Moocher supreme, Andy Makin.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 12d

And all was well with the world. #UKBirding

Juv White-throated Needletail: Scarborough Castle, N. Yorks. 10th Oct 2025.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 13d

Called in at Gouthwaite Res for the drake Lesser Scaup, followed by a check of Hellifield Flash where the drake Ring-necked Duck was present. #YorkshireBirding

Drake Lesser Scaup: Gouthwaite Res, North Yorks. 9th Oct 2025.

Drake Ring-necked Duck: Hellifield Flash, North Yorks. 9th Oct 2025.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 13d

Well, I’m heading back! If it was anything other than a Needletail I probably wouldn’t be bothering.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 13d

And I’m at Stocks Res! 🤬

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 13d

Oh no!!! #Filey

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 13d

It was seen attempting to perch at dusk apparently.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 14d

I estimated a 90% chance the Bempton Needletail would have roosted overnight, but last nights twitch from the Isle of Man ended in disappointment. Pod of Bottlenose Dolphin and some Pink-feet over. Always surprises me how far off fledging some of the Gannets are in the second week of Oct. #UKBirding

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 14d

On my way!!!

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 14d

Is it thought to be roosting on the cliffs, James?

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 14d

Best from a morning at Langness, Isle of Man included this juv male Hen Harrier heading SW out to sea, a Sparrowhawk high SE out to sea and numbers of passerines on the move; Mipits, Alba Wags & Chaffinches mainly & 50 Swallow. A juv Curlew Sand in the high tide wader roost and 21 Chough. #UKBirding

Juv male Hen Harrier: Langness, Isle of Man. 8th Oct 2025.

Juv Curlew Sandpiper: Langness, Isle of Man. 8th Oct 2025.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 16d

1CY Yellow-legged Gull again at Queens Park, Blackburn, 6th Oct. #LancsBirding

1CY Yellow-legged Gull: Queens Park, Blackburn, Lancs. 6th Oct 2025.

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 19d

The last post of mine to appear on the LancsBirding feed was 18 days ago, five more recent posts not appearing. So I wonder if it’s more than just lag?

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Bill Aspin 🇺🇦 @billaspin.bsky.social · 19d

I see it has! 🧐

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