Mark Newsome
@whitburnbirds.bsky.social
Birds, cetaceans, seawatching, nocmig. Based in NE England.
Here's the explanation.
October 29, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Here's the explanation.
October 8, 2025 at 1:35 PM
A few more images from my recent trip to Oman. Many influences from Africa with breeding species; African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Spotted Thick-knee and Grey-headed Kingfisher.
August 20, 2025 at 3:32 PM
A few more images from my recent trip to Oman. Many influences from Africa with breeding species; African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Spotted Thick-knee and Grey-headed Kingfisher.
A few more pics from my recent trip to Oman. A nice range of breeding species on offer, from Sooty Falcons on an offshore island near Muscat, Crab Plovers on the mudflats of Masirah Island, Arabian Partridge near Salalah, and one of the plainest yet most range restricted species, Yemen Serin.
August 19, 2025 at 1:34 PM
A few more pics from my recent trip to Oman. A nice range of breeding species on offer, from Sooty Falcons on an offshore island near Muscat, Crab Plovers on the mudflats of Masirah Island, Arabian Partridge near Salalah, and one of the plainest yet most range restricted species, Yemen Serin.
A few regional specialities from my recent trip to Oman; Arabian Eagle Owl, Wheatear, Sunbird and Warbler!
August 18, 2025 at 11:31 AM
A few regional specialities from my recent trip to Oman; Arabian Eagle Owl, Wheatear, Sunbird and Warbler!
Oman was a great country for terns. Saunder's and White-cheeked are regional specialities, whereas Lesser and Great Crested are more widespread (Great Crested the most abundant in Oman). #seabirds
August 17, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Oman was a great country for terns. Saunder's and White-cheeked are regional specialities, whereas Lesser and Great Crested are more widespread (Great Crested the most abundant in Oman). #seabirds
Flesh-footed Shearwaters reached three figures from pelagics and land based seawatching in Oman. A mix of worn adults and fresh juvs, likely from breeding colonies on St Paul Island in Indian Ocean. #seabirds
August 15, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Flesh-footed Shearwaters reached three figures from pelagics and land based seawatching in Oman. A mix of worn adults and fresh juvs, likely from breeding colonies on St Paul Island in Indian Ocean. #seabirds
Another much wanted but common species off Mirbat, Oman was Persian #Shearwater. As well as small numbers passing close to shore, we had over 500 rafting on the last pelagic, including one aberrant white-headed bird. #seabirds
August 14, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Another much wanted but common species off Mirbat, Oman was Persian #Shearwater. As well as small numbers passing close to shore, we had over 500 rafting on the last pelagic, including one aberrant white-headed bird. #seabirds
One of the commoner offshore species in Oman was Wilson's Storm-Petrel. They regularly came within 100m of land, at times even feeding over channels in mudflats! Many were adults in heavy moult, but also plenty of pristine juvs. #seabirds
August 13, 2025 at 9:53 AM
One of the commoner offshore species in Oman was Wilson's Storm-Petrel. They regularly came within 100m of land, at times even feeding over channels in mudflats! Many were adults in heavy moult, but also plenty of pristine juvs. #seabirds
Good numbers of Hairy #Dragonfly at Leven Canal, East Yorks. this week. One even headed straight for me and caught a newly emerged Banded Demoiselle that I'd disturbed from grass, then went to brambles to eat it. Voracious predators!
May 23, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Good numbers of Hairy #Dragonfly at Leven Canal, East Yorks. this week. One even headed straight for me and caught a newly emerged Banded Demoiselle that I'd disturbed from grass, then went to brambles to eat it. Voracious predators!
Hobbys are still a rare bird in the northeast, so it's a novelty to see them regularly during survey work in East Yorkshire. Stunning birds to watch as they take dragonflies, always on the look out for potential prey. #Yorkshirebirding
May 15, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Hobbys are still a rare bird in the northeast, so it's a novelty to see them regularly during survey work in East Yorkshire. Stunning birds to watch as they take dragonflies, always on the look out for potential prey. #Yorkshirebirding
I saw a load off Japan last April, checking photos shows some differences in bill thickness. Attached is thinnest I found in mine. But seeing rest of photos of Delaware bird leaves no doubt! Quite amazing, wonder which route it took?!
May 15, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I saw a load off Japan last April, checking photos shows some differences in bill thickness. Attached is thinnest I found in mine. But seeing rest of photos of Delaware bird leaves no doubt! Quite amazing, wonder which route it took?!
Visit to @tophilllow.bsky.social in the sunshine on Tuesday produced lots of odonata, incl egg-laying Hairy Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser. The Temminck's Stint was nice, but the distraction display by the LRPs was more impressive to watch. #Yorkshirebirding
May 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Visit to @tophilllow.bsky.social in the sunshine on Tuesday produced lots of odonata, incl egg-laying Hairy Dragonfly and Four-spotted Chaser. The Temminck's Stint was nice, but the distraction display by the LRPs was more impressive to watch. #Yorkshirebirding
Temminck's Stint still at Tophill Low, from south marsh east hide. #Yorkshirebirding
May 13, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Temminck's Stint still at Tophill Low, from south marsh east hide. #Yorkshirebirding
A few more pics of #seabirds from recent Chile to LA cruise. Boobys featured well with 6 species, from Peruvian and Masked in south, through to Nazca, Red-footed, Cocos and Blue-footed in more equatorial waters. Great chance to watch at close range as they were often at touching distance at the bow.
April 21, 2025 at 9:40 AM
A few more pics of #seabirds from recent Chile to LA cruise. Boobys featured well with 6 species, from Peruvian and Masked in south, through to Nazca, Red-footed, Cocos and Blue-footed in more equatorial waters. Great chance to watch at close range as they were often at touching distance at the bow.
More #seabird pics from my cruise. We passed through distinct zones where some species were common, often just for a day. Thousands of Red-necked Phalaropes off northern Peru, Cooks Petrels and Bl-f Albatrosses off Baja California Sur, Tahiti Petrels off Nicaragua. Each sea day was quite different.
April 20, 2025 at 9:14 AM
More #seabird pics from my cruise. We passed through distinct zones where some species were common, often just for a day. Thousands of Red-necked Phalaropes off northern Peru, Cooks Petrels and Bl-f Albatrosses off Baja California Sur, Tahiti Petrels off Nicaragua. Each sea day was quite different.
More #seabirds pics from my cruise. Storm #Petrels featured well incl interesting Pacific sp. Dark-rumped Leach's (aka Chapman's), White-bellieds breeding on Juan Fernandez Is., both forms of Wedge-rumpeds & good views of Townsend's (& always helps when Steve Howell is giving a rundown of features!)
April 18, 2025 at 12:14 PM
More #seabirds pics from my cruise. Storm #Petrels featured well incl interesting Pacific sp. Dark-rumped Leach's (aka Chapman's), White-bellieds breeding on Juan Fernandez Is., both forms of Wedge-rumpeds & good views of Townsend's (& always helps when Steve Howell is giving a rundown of features!)
More #seabirds from my recent cruise... Equatorial currents to north of Ecuador brought sought-after birds from the #Galapagos, such as Swallow-tailed Gulls, Galapagos Petrel, Galapagos Shearwater and Band-rumped Storm Petrel (likely 'Darwins').
April 17, 2025 at 6:43 PM
More #seabirds from my recent cruise... Equatorial currents to north of Ecuador brought sought-after birds from the #Galapagos, such as Swallow-tailed Gulls, Galapagos Petrel, Galapagos Shearwater and Band-rumped Storm Petrel (likely 'Darwins').
Six albatross species were seen between Chile and California; Salvin's, Buller's and Chatham in the south, Waved just south of the equator, and Laysan and Black-footed off Baja. Limited opportunities for photography from a large ship compared to chumming around a small boat. #seabirds
April 16, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Six albatross species were seen between Chile and California; Salvin's, Buller's and Chatham in the south, Waved just south of the equator, and Laysan and Black-footed off Baja. Limited opportunities for photography from a large ship compared to chumming around a small boat. #seabirds
Just back from a cruise from Chile to LA. Pics of a few of the special birds on the southern stretch of the Humboldt Current, names in AltText. Hornby's Storm P. is remarkable in that nesting areas were only discovered in 2017, in the Atacama Desert, over 70km inland! #Seabirds
April 15, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Just back from a cruise from Chile to LA. Pics of a few of the special birds on the southern stretch of the Humboldt Current, names in AltText. Hornby's Storm P. is remarkable in that nesting areas were only discovered in 2017, in the Atacama Desert, over 70km inland! #Seabirds