Dan Webb

Dan Webb

@danwebb.bsky.social

South Herefordshire patch birder with a particular interest in visible migration, Trektellen site at Much Marcle Ridge. Also moths and butterflies #vismig #lowcarbonbirding #patchbirding

931 followers673 following300 posts

After the excitement of yesterdays SEO over Marcle Ridge, today it was all about Woodpigeons with a site record of 123,000 SW, also 245 Chaffinches, 107 Redwings, 14 Song Thrush and 121 Starlings on the continental line, with @williamlambourne.bsky.social and Andy Hanby #patchbirding

Highlights from Strumble Head seawatch 07:15-12:15 F6 WNW; 2 Leach’s, 1 juv Sabines, 5 Sooties, 13 Arctic Skuas, 4 Bonxies, 1 Little Gull, 1 Commic, 1 Sandwich, 1 PB Brent, 17 Scoter, 1 Wigeon, 6 Grey Plover and 2 Knot #ukbirding

Marcle Ridge visible migration highlights after the mist lifted included 5 Golden Plover, first single Redwing of the autumn, 4 Song T, 17 Chaffinches, 67 Mips, 40 Skylarks, 3 Linnets, 2 Greenfinches, 1 Chiff and 3 Jays, all SW/W #patchbirding

Good day on patch yesterday with 4 Grey Herons high SW over Marcle Ridge, probably not many hours after crossing the North Sea, also 217 Mipits SW and 5 Song T SW, then a Woodlark in the field behind home at Sellack a patch first #patchbirding

Two good days of migration at Marcle Ridge with @williamlambourne.bsky.social included 429 Mipits SW yesterday and a further 359 today, first 4 Jays on the move yesterday (a decent UK movement on the cards after last years acorn crop?), 10 Song T and 8 Snipe on the continental line today #ukbirding

First Golden Plover SW of the autumn yesterday at Marcle Ridge, plus a trickle of hirundines and mipits, and 4 grounded Wheatears. Today 912 House Martins SW in low cloud, also 47 Swallows, 1 Sand Martin, 42 Mipits and 9 Chaffinches SW #patchbirding

Good morning on Marcle Ridge with @williamlambourne.bsky.social, vismig totals 63 Mipits, 1 Tree Pipit, 2 Yellow Wags, 32 Swallows, 5 House Martins, 4 Sand Martins, 1 alba and 2 Clouded Yellows all SW, grounded included 1 Firecrest, 1 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear and 3 Spotfly #patchbirding

Sellack patch today migrant highlights included c.210 House Martins SW, 70 Swallows SW, 19 Mipits SW, 1 Yellow Wag SW, grounded included fem Redstart, 1 Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffs and 3 Grey Wagtails, also adult HG/LBBG hybrid and a Little Owl in the home oak tree #patchbirding

A busy morning at Strumble yesterday in F5 NW with too many birds to get on for the first two hours, personal counts of 13 Leach’s (c.24 total) 11 Sabine’s (c.25 total) 24 Arctic Skuas, 3 Bonxies, 2 Balearic, 76 Sandwich Terns, 13 Commics, 160 Scoter, 5 Swallows and 2 mipits #ukbirding

Strumble Head totals this am; 1 WILSON’S PETREL, 1 Leach’s, 6 Sabine’s, 1 Sooty Shear, 3 Balearic, 20 Arctic Skuas, 31 Common Scoter, 3 Wigeon, 55 Sandwich Terns, 3 Commics and 3 Meds #ukbirding

Marcle Ridge vismig totals in F2 SW before drizzle set in, 5 Snipe, 9 Swallows, 14 House Martins, 37 Mipits, 28 Goldfinches, 2 Linnets and 2 Chaffinches SW #patchbirding

Marcle Ridge, south Herefordshire migrants this am; 25 Swallows, 3 House Martins, 2 Sand Martins and 1 Yellow Wag all SW, grounded included 1 Wheatear, 4 Redstarts, 2 Tree Pipits, 7 Chiff and 1 Whitethroat #patchbirding

Good two days seawatching at Strumble with today’s highlights being 1 Cory’s, 5 Sooties, 15 Arctic Skuas, also 1 probable dark juv LTS, and missed two Sabines #ukbirding

Marcle Ridge #vismig totals included 198 House Martins SW, 60 Swallows SW, 3 Yellow Wags SW, 2 albas SW, 1 Tree Pipit SW, 1 GWE NE and 1 Teal NE #patchbirding

An apparent increase in Yellow Wags at Walford Pools with 10 present, also 6 Grey Wags, 38 Pied, 7 Chiffs, 1 Whitethroat, c.20 Swallows, 12 House Martins, 20 Sand Martins and 5 Swifts #patchbirding

Marcle Ridge this morning migrants included 3 Wheatears (2 grounded and 1 west), 1 juv Whinchat, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffs and 2 Blackcaps #patchbirding

Yesterday morning at Walford Pools, migrants included 7 plus Yellow Wags, c.50 Swallows, c.30 House Martins, 8 Sand Martins, 3 Swifts, 1 Common Sand and a single Hobby chasing hirundines #patchbirding

An interesting wander around the Sellack patch this morning yielded a few migrants with 4 Redstarts, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Whitethroats, 6 Chiffs and a Yellow Wag, autumn Robin song now fully underway with detectibility much increased #patchbirding

Seawatch season underway at Strumble Head with @westwalesbirds.bsky.social in F5 WNW, highlights on a generally quiet watch 6 Cory’s, 1 dark phase Arctic Skua, 5 Sandwich Terns, 3 Med Gulls, 30 BH Gull and 3 Turnstone, C.1000 Manx, c.700 Kiitiwake west, 2 Storm Petrels seen by another #ukbirding

Some movement through Walford Pools with 1 juv LRP, 1 Green Sand, 3 Common Sand, minimum of 8 Yellow Wags, 8 Chiffs, 8 Swifts, 12 Sand Martins, 16 House Martins and a Whitethroat #patchbirding

Sellack patch lively this morning with first Cuckoo of the spring (thought it might never happen), pair of Yellow Wags on territory, 10 Garden Warblers, 5 Whitethroats and good passage of 11 Painted Lady NE and 5 local #patchbirding

Dan Webb reposted

Severn Beach produced a Dark-bellied Brent Goose early morning and a Pale bellied bird flew North there this evening when 100's of Terns, a few Little Gulls, an Arctic Skua, flocks of Whimbrel, a few Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Med Gulls etc. were seen. I papped Arctic Terns flying East beneath the Moon.

Nothing new this weekend around the Ross on Wye patch but Marsh Tit still in Pengethley grove a promising sign, a stunning adult tiercel Peregrine over, a good count of 14 Teal at Backney and 3 Wigeon on an unlikely pond, and song increasing.The little surprises that make #patchbirding rewarding

Two nice wanders around the Ross on Wye patch this weekend yielded a pair of Marsh Tits in a woodland where they have been conspicuous by their absence in recent years. Followed by the greyest of Chiffs that merrily called a standard collybitta call🧐 #pwc2026

Beautiful crisp morning on foot around the Ross on Wye patch with 2 Bramblings, adult male Gos and Peregrine new for #PWC2026, also flock of 9 Cormorants heading west presumably cold weather movement #patchbirding

Checked a couple of cover strips around the Ross on Wye patch at Sellack today, poor totals with 1 Brambling, 15 Yellowhammers, 14 Reed Buntings, c.150 Chaffinches, 20 Linnets. Must be some decent flocks somewhere locally. Nuthatches tuning up and Coots back on breeding pond #patchbirding

Slow again around the Ross on Wye patch with the highlights of the last two days being 176 Lapwing at Baysham, single Hawfinch at Walford Church with 40 Greenfinches and 2 Blackcaps, the Pools held 3 Wigeon and 20 Greylags but no other grey geese #patchbirding

A further uptick in interest on the Ross on Wye patch the last couple of days with 2 Shoveler, 26 Teal, 1 GWE, 12 Little Egrets, 1 Lapwing and 1 Snipe at Backney, 6 Blackcaps in Walford Church, 3 Wigeon and 27 Goosanders at Walford Pools #patchbirding

Following a few quiet few weeks around the Ross on Wye patch the easterlies brought a small arrival this morning with 70 Lapwings (14 grounded, 56 SE), 3 Golden Plover SE and an increase in Common Gulls #patchbirding

Minimum of 16 Chiffs at Ross STW but nothing obviously grey, with the photographed bird being the only noticeable bird although still quite green. Also 5 Blackcaps, 6 Goldcrests, 23 Pied and 2 Grey Wags #patchbirding

Dan Webb reposted

Spain’s marine protected areas (MPAs) are still being decimated by bottom trawling. We took legal action last year but Spain has issued more fishing licenses for bottom trawling inside these MPAs since then. So we’re going back to court with @oceanaeurope.bsky.social to protect these zones.

Cley Seawatch 7.10-10.30 highlight 5 Bonxie E, 2 Arctic Skua E, 98 Kittiwakes E, 60 Little Gulls E, 5 GND E, 29 RTD E/W, 7 Eider W, 45 Scoter, 15 Brent W, 2 Goldeneye W, 1 Barnacle E, 8 Shoveler W, 7 Teal W, 6 Wigeon W, 1 Commic Tern E #norfolkbirding

Decent seawatch at Cley this morning with wildfowl arriving, highlights included 637 Brent W, 342 Scoter mainly W, 1 fem LT Duck E, 2 Eider E, 7 RB Merg W, 5 Goldeneye E/W, 235 Teal, 26 Shoveler, 3 Pintail, 69 Wigeon, 20 Little Gulls, 1 GND and 1 Arctic Skua #norfolkbirding

Fantastic and atmospheric gull roost at Cley this evening in wild conditions, highlights were 9 Caspians (6 adult/nr adult), 3 1st winter), adult female Yellow-legged Gull, intermedius LBBG, several argentatus HG and 2 Med Gulls #norfolkbirding

Cley Seawatch this am highlights included 18 Little Gulls E, 553 Kittiwakes E, 2 Bonxie E, c.80 GBBGull E, 99 DB Brents W, 118 Scoter mainly W, 57 Teal mainly W, 2 RB Merg W, 1 Goosander W and 12 Wigeon W #norfolkbirding

The Woodpigeon flood was in full flow at Marcle Ridge this morning with 58,700 SW a new site and county record, also another good movement of 1068 Starlings WSW, 4 Bramblings, 52 Chaffinches, 58 Redwings and 4 GWE (3,1) all WSW #patchbirding