Gary Watton
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garywatton.bsky.social
Gary Watton
@garywatton.bsky.social
99 followers 75 following 44 posts
Birder / Photographer BOU life list 366 Often out with my wife Fiona and meeting many other birders on our travels. You may know us as the deaf couple 😊
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Dusky Warbler at Walsey Hills NOR yesterday morning. Showed well a few times before it disappeared! Nice to meet @shaunevans.bsky.social
Went on to see the Pallas Warbler at Sidestrand which showed well too.
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Tuesday morning saw me dipping the Radde's Warbler at Reculver but walking back to the car I was delighted to find this Yellow Browed Warbler in a small flock of tits. Also saw another one a couple of miles away!
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...of which I saw two with you 😊👍🏻
Rather than post the usual shots of the Rutland Baird's Sandpiper I thought I'd offer up some alternative angles of what must be currently the most photographed bird in the UK.
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After seeing the Rutland celebrity yesterday we decided to re visit the Greater Short-toed Lark at Snettisham as I wanted better pictures now the weather has improved. It didn't disappoint.
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Still have time hopefully you'll see one somewhere soon 😊
I agree, that pale bluish grey on the males stand out for me.
Brown Shrike at St Davids, Pembrokeshire this morning. At first we saw it by the road with other birders but it disappeared, so I followed a footpath to the east and found it again.

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Luck wasn't on your side 😓 will you be going back?
I must have been lucky then, saw it as soon as I arrived around 2pm and watched it for about 20 mins before it disappeared into the long grass off the path. It showed up again about 2.5 hours later according to the reports. Sorry that you missed it.
Good luck! It can disappear for an hour or two so you might need some patience. Wind shouldn't be too bad tomorrow according to the forecast 🙏
Greater Short-toed Lark this afternoon at Snettisham Beach, Norfolk. It was very windy and the bird was on the beach path which had long grasses on one side sheltering it. Life ✅️ no. 363

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Went to see the Turkestan Shrike at Dunwich Heath, Suffolk yesterday. Waited nearly three hours before it left a small copse with thick shrub onto the heathland by the cliff. The wind, rain and poor light made taking pictures tricky. Happy to get a life ✅️
Pied Flycatcher. Saw good displays and singing from the males against a back drop of fresh Forest of Dean greenery on Sunday. A most enjoyable few hours at one with nature.
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Nightingales are showing well at the moment in West Sussex as this one did on Saturday. Saw at least four as well as two Cuckoos. At Pulborough Brooks.
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Lovely round there isn't it? We saw Cresties at Loch Garten last year but none this time. Capercaillie..... one day hopefully 🙏
Grasshopper Warbler at Pinkhill, Farmoor very early this morning. Being deaf we found it difficult to find the two birds we saw as we had the place to ourselves and can't locate by sound!
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We saw three White Billed Divers on Saturday afternoon from a boat within a mile of Portsoy. They were constantly diving and it was nigh on impossible to get close views despite the skipper trying. Hence record shots. @rspbscotland.bsky.social
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At the Boat of Garten Woods we came across a small flock of these Crossbills by a glade near the known cross tracks. They kept us entertained for a good while, even dropping down to drink from the small puddles.
12/04/2025 @rspbscotland.bsky.social
Subalpine Warbler at Weymouth yesterday. Tricky photography conditions with the sun behind the bird and twigs making focusing difficult. Best of hundreds of photos!
07/04/2025
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Good size comparison between Dunlin and Least Sandpiper.
RSPB Medmerry Stilt Pool.
6th April 2025
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Amazing how many aquatic larvae this Dipper can hold in its bill. I took this picture from the Steps Bridge at Dunsford Nature Reserve in Devon. Tried looking for more during an evening walk upstream but sadly too many dogs swimming even though notices say must be on a lead.
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